The Big Horns: Sitting Bull Campground

On my next-to-last day at Mikesell-Potts, I took a natural shower by jumping into the cold waters of the lake. There was only one other person in the water at the beach, and he was under ten-years-old and didn’t have the good sense to know how cold it was. But I did feel much better and cleaner afterwards.

In the morning, I prepared the Brew Hut for departure. Everything went great until it was time to hitch up. As I was turning the hand crank, I heard a funny metallic noise. When I looked down, I noticed that my jack handle was no longer secured by a nut to the bolt.

I looked everywhere in the gravel beneath the hitch and around the car and in about a ten foot circumference of the scene of the crime. The nut was nowhere to be found. I was able to continue raising the jack up by holding my hand to secure the bolt. Now, I have had trouble lining up the truck’s ball and the hitch last year, but I have had a really good stretch of no problems. Given my mechanical issues with the hitch handle, this was not an idea time for a new problem. I had no problems lining it up straight, but the hitch doesn’t fall into the ball unless it’s just right, and I was an inch or two off every time I got out to look. I tried ending in drive and reverse and blocking the truck wheels, but I kept missing it by eve so much, so that the hitch wouldn’t lock into place. Finally, I was able to get it in the right place.

Next up was a trip to Ace Hardware in Buffalo to find a new nut. I also picked up some other odds and ends: a small scissors, gorilla glue, AA batteries, and a few items for Elvis (flea/tick treatment, brush). Now 11 am., I could finally hit the road. I drove west on Hwy 16 up, and up, and up, until I reached Powder River Pass (elevation 9666). It was very windy and desolate here—above tree line with only small brush and alpine grasses.

After descending a few miles, I came to our destination: Sitting Bull Campground, which was still over 8000 feet but lush with fragrance from tall pine trees and sheltered from the wind. When I went to the pay station for the campground fee, the host told me that the campground was closing the next day, and that my site would be free. Although the campground would be closed, water shut off, and bathrooms locked, he said that I could stay as long as I wanted through hunting season. Free is my kind of price!

About a dozen other campers were in the campground, but I chose a spacious, quiet site at the end of the loop. There is enough sunlight through the trees that my Brew Hut battery is getting filled each day, although with no cell service I’m not using my devices for much. There are ATV trails (without any ATV’s present-the best kind), that Elvis and I have been hiking each day. The gravel road in from Hwy 16 has a beautiful stream running along its side, and on the other side of Hwy 16 (about a mile hike) is North Cove, a beautiful small lake and day use area.

The nights are cold and clear with temperatures dropping into the mid to high 30’s. The days warm up into the low 70’s. We are settling into a nice routine of long walks and hours spent reading my Kindle. I’m on the last book of Game of Thrones and will be finishing it in no time. I’ve been wanting to get back into the Big Horns ever since my son Justin and I drove through a couple of years ago. This is such a beautiful part of the country, although summers are quite short. I can’t say that these mountains feel like a place I could ever live, but the Big Horns are very special to me. Life is good.

Mikesell-Potts Recreatiion Area

On the evening of my stay at Devil’s campground, the Scamp reached temperatures of 96 F., before dropping into the 50’s during the night. I went from sweating in my underwear to retrieving the heavy sleeping bag and crawling under its warmth.

I was up early at Elvis’ request (food and walk), so we took advantage of the empty road at 6 a.m., and hiked out to the admission booth and beyond to the KOA, where campers were packed in like sardines but presumably enjoying their full electrical hookups (air conditioning). After hiking back, I ate a quick breakfast and made coffee for the road. Because I never unhitched the Scamp at Devil’s Tower, departure was a matter of pulling up the rear stabilizers, preparing the inside of the Scamp for the shaking and vibration that occurs in a day of travel, and plugging in the tow wires.

Elvis and I drove out to Interstate 90 and then on to Buffalo, Wyoming, where we took the exit for the Mikesell-Potts Recreation Area, a county park located on a big lake. Two separate campground loops include spaces on the lake, tucked into the trees or up on top of a big hill (which is the one that I chose.

The camp host told me that the campground gets very busy in the summer, but once school starts, it’s easy to find a space—first come, first serve. I had my pick of over 100 spots, and I think that I chose wisely. There is no water here. About ten sites have electric ($15), but those sites are close together and without the prime views. The rest of the sites have no amenities other than vault toilets and garbage dumpsters. I think it’s quite a bargain. Elvis and I have been taking lots of walks along the various campground roads and a grass path connecting the two loops.

T-mobile doesn’t live here. I had reasonably fast ATT roaming until T-mobile sent a text that my limited roaming plan was exhausted. We are at 4600 feet, have the lake on one side and the Big Horn Mountains off to the distance in the other side. Temperatures have been pleasant during the day and cool off into the 40’s and 50’s at night . On the coolest night, I closed up the windows, except for a crack, and slept comfortably under the sleeping bag. Our brews of choice have been Brazilian manual drip in the morning and Hot Streak IPA in the evening by Black Tooth Brewing out of Sheridan, Wyoming.

On my second night, I was awakened after dark by a party setting up camp at the campsite next door. And I do mean a party. There were 3-4 pick-up trucks and a couple of cars full of young folk, drinking cheap, making lots of noise, and depositing cans, trash and uprooting a small tree, presumably to burn for firewood. They left in a thunder of gravel/dust at about 2:25 a.m., doing a U-turn at my site. When I got up early the next morning, I found a soiled towel next to my truck.

Life is too short. I picked up camp and moved across the lake, where I found a nice spot next to the beach for my last night.

I spent three nights here and would stay here again, especially during the off season. The party crew? Well, that’s just luck of the draw. Hopefully, I won’t encounter that again soon. From here, we are headed for the Big Horns.

Devil’s Tower

Last night at Wyatt’s Hideaway, after stopping for groceries in Belle Fourche, I retrieved my cast iron skillet, seasoned my steak with freshly purchased salt and pepper (how could I have forgotten that?), and cooked up the meat medium rare. After supper, I had a big bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough and then sat outside in my chair, sipping an IPA, as temperatures cooled into the evening.

These are some of the luxuries that I never enjoyed on my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, made possible by Scamp Manufacturing (a/k/a the Brew Hut).

Empowered by wi-fi at Wyatt’s, I caught up on the news, blogs, and email. The days are getting shorter. By 8:00, it was dark out, and by 8:30, I was asleep. Several times during the night, I awoke to the sounds of trucks passing close by on the highway. I realized that the weather is also starting to change. Last night was the first time that I actually got cold enough to wrap up under the heavy double sleeping bag.

By 4:15 a.m, I was pretty much wide awake. I tossed and turned for an hour, gave up, and fed Elvis, who was only too happy to get an early breakfast. By 7:15, I had eaten breakfast, used the luxurious bathrooms, hitched up, and dumped by gray (sink and shower) and black (toilet) tanks. I gave Julia a call and then was on the road by 7:30 a.m.

My initial plan was to visit Devil’s Tower National Monument on the eastern edge of Wyoming and continue across the state to Buffalo, Wyoming for a camping spot nearby. However, Devil’s Tower was much more spectacular than I was expecting. Also, even though it was only about 8:30 a.m., people had started leaving the full campground, and there was a beautiful campsite on Loop A (the no generators loop), which looked directly at Devil’s Tower. I snagged the site, paid by $20 and went to see about the trails.

Stymied again. No dogs allowed on the trails. The sign suggested walking your dog in the campground, limited picnic area, or on a dirt road with no directions to get there. The sign also said that dogs were no allowed more than 15 feet off the road. Okay, we would improvise. Elvis and I walked about a mile and a half from the campground towards the visitor’s center. We had to dodge a few buses, motor homes, and large campers, but we made it to the dirt road that I believe they were taking about. It was definitely a challenging walk, but still fairly cool out.

During the afternoon, the temperatures climbed to 90 and higher than that inside the Brew Hut. We had a couple of shade trees at the campsite, and we moved our hanging out shady spot to match the sun’s progress across the sky. I read and blogged. Elvis slept.

After Wyatt’s, I  appreciated the quiet of nature again. The wind and the rustling of leaves. And there might be a bit of ice cream left in the freezer.  I will be headed west next.

Water problem in the Brew Hut

I didn’t sleep all that great last night.  The winds were from the wrong direction and didn’t cool off the trailer much at all.  Finally giving up, I fed Elvis before sunrise and hiked the lake trail.  The mixture of clouds and blue sky produced a startling sunrise.

I used the water jug to fill my teapot and Elvis’ water bowl.  That was enough for breakfast’s needs:  coffee, oatmeal, dishes, brushing teeth.  Then I started getting the Brew Hut ready to hitch up and go.  One of the things I do is to empty the toilet and give it a good rinse by turning on the water pump.  When I flipped the switch, I heard the sound of silence.  Not good.  Back and forth with the switch.  Nothing.  I had a full water tank with no way to get the water to the sink, shower or toilet.  Bad.

Now the worst case scenario is running through my mind.  Was the water pump dead?  Would I have to return to Rapid City to get it diagnosed, fixed and/or replaced at an rv shop?  Muttering sweet nothings, I lifted up my eight inch memory foam mattress which covers the access door to the water pump.  Can’t see a thing.  Next, I put on my headlamp and stuck my head in further, lifting the wires gently to see what was going on.

One of the electrical connectors to the water pump had apparently vibrated out.  Using my immense mechanical/electrical skills (not), I stuck it back into the slot.  Tuned on the switch.  The pump was working again.  Blood pressure returned to normal.

After I finished hitching up, I drove to Spearfish, South Dakota, intending to stay at the City Campground. Reports on the Campendium website indicated that rates were as low as $10/night off-season.  I guess it’s not off-season yet because the campground was nearly full. The attendant quoted rates of $45 for a narrow RV slot with hookups or dry camping in the primitive area without any hookups for $30/night.  I said no thanks and drove to Wyatt’s Hideaway at Belle Fourche just up the road.

With my Passport America discount card, the rate was half-price and $25/one night, electricity, wifi (serviceable), hot showers, laundry, dump station and fresh water.  Although I’m sure it’s packed during Sturgis Week, there’s hardly anyone here now.  A swift running river runs along the back of the campground and a busy road in front.  Not a nature experience, but I will get my errands done, resupply with groceries and be ready to head out in the morning to Wyoming.

Bear Butte State Park

I’m camped at Bear Butte State Park, which is just a few miles from Sturgis, South Dakota.  The campground is small, no hookups, vault toilet (i.e. outhouse), a water spigot, a few small trees for shade, and decent T-mobile service.  The only noise is the sound of the wind.

There are a couple of tent campers and a campground host with a big motor home.  He/She has full hookups.  But I didn’t camp here for the company or the amenities or the $11.67 (tax included) campsite.  Bear Butte is a special place, long-held sacred by the Cheyenne and Lakota.  On the summit trail, the indigenous people perform ceremonies during special occasions.   Just off the path appear sacrifices of tobacco, pieces of clothing, and other items. Hikers are requested  to remain quiet and respectful.  The place made a special impression on me during a previous visit many years ago.

Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on the summit trail. I could try to leave Elvis in the camper or the truck while I hike the two to three hours round trip, but it doesn’t seem right.  I’ve been here once before, I remember the trail; it needs no repeating if Elvis can’t come.

So I’ll spend my time here enjoying the views of Bear Butte,  the reservoir, and the Black Hills in the distance.  There’s a stiff, cooling breeze, blowing across Bear Butte Reservoir.  A couple of hiking paths lead from the campground around the water.  Even though I’m not up on the mountain, I’m still getting that peaceful feeling of enjoying the simple things in nature.  There will be other mountains, Elvis.

Now that I’m Settled In, It’s Time to Go

I absolutely love this camping spot in the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands.  Free, access to water in a nearby town, relatively decent Internet, lots of solar energy to harness, views to forever, a nice five-mile hiking route, bighorn sheep and whitetail deer, and did I mention free?

Elvis and I have settled into a routine.  We get up before sunrise and go for a hike along the Wall’s rim, trying not to wake up other campers on their own perches on the cliff. 

Then I eat breakfast outside, enjoying coffee, the view and pleasant temperatures of the morning.  By late morning, the sun has driven us inside the Brew Hut, which is still pleasant with the cooling strong breezes.  After a light lunch, we take short walks and spend the afternoon in the shade, reading the (digital) newspaper and my Kindle.  By late afternoon, it’s time for a beer or two, supper,and then more view enjoyment as the temperatures subside.  We end the day with an evening walk as the sun sets.

With a routine, however, my mind starts to wander and thoughts rise of cooler weather and higher elevation.  I’d like to hike some bigger hills and a couple of mountains before the cold weather comes.  So in a day or so, Elvis and I will head north and west to a special place in the Black Hills.  With that move, we will probably lose Internet reliability, so do not worry if I do not post for a bit.  I will continue blogging and post online when able.

At least, that’s the plan.