Last ride...

Well, for a while.  We head out Friday; tomorrow is "clean up, pick up" day.  Today was a scooter day!

We discussed the options and decided to head south: we'll take the road we rode on a few days ago, but continue south, through Custer State Park, the town of Custer, then back north.  We topped off fuel before leaving Hart Ranch; when we got to Neck Yoke Rd, it was time to make a decision: turn right and take the highway south, or turn left and take that great scooter road that was recently oiled.  Last chance to ride that road, so left it is.  My head tells me the road is dry; my eyeballs and puckered up hindend tell me it is wet...

You ease the brakes, don't lean over too far into a turn... until you know there is some grip to that surface...

Another one of those damn orange signs...

There was some loose gravel in places, but it wasn't bad.  This got my attention...

A group of deer right beside the road.  Eight to nine miles down that road, we drove back onto un-messed-with pavement...

That is definitely mo-bettah!  It didn't last long: another couple miles down the road, and it was back to the oiled crap...

Once off of Rockerville Road, we turned west, heading for Keystone...

We stopped in Keystone for lunch; an outdoor table again... beautiful day, but not a lot of activity in Keystone.  With bellies full, it was south to pick up Iron Mountain Road again...

The light traffic in Keystone gave us hope that there wouldn't be much traffic on this road.  Best scooter riding ever!  We passed a couple cars going the other direction, but never got caught behind anything on our side of the road!  Whooohooo!

Pigtails, tunnels, and splits, oh my!

I mentioned in a previous post about how these roads were designed for their scenic beauty; I didn't mention that they are designed with great banks and ideal crowning.  Through the National Forest part, the curves are tight - like they were designed for a modern motorcycle... decades ago.

As you leave the National Forest section, and before heading into Custer State Park, there is privately owned land; the road opens up - not as forested, with wider, sweeping curves.

Into Custer State Park...

Colors and curves...

Oh-ohhh...

The road construction wasn't bad, and they waved our side through.  After all those miles with no traffic, we came up on this...

Ha!  That was light!  I forgot that this weekend is The Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival... it is a BIG deal!  People come from all over the world to see the buffalo roundup, maybe bid on an animal.  The expectation is for 10,000+ visitors for this.  Custer State Park has one of the largest buffalo (American bison) herds in the world; there will be around 1,400 rounded up.

The vendors are getting set up...

Another day or two, and this road will be bumper to bumper traffic.  Good (lucky) timing on our part.  It would be interesting to see the round up, but no desire to deal with the crowds.

Heading out of the park, then into Custer... I have been craving a Texas Stop Sign (aka Dairy Queen), but the one in Hill City and the one in Keystone were both closed.  Custer's DQ is alive, well, and open.  Then, time to head for home: more choices... highway all the way, or take the ... well, it is still a highway, but not as heavily traveled, road past Mt. Rushmore...

That mountain carving on Joan's right: Crazyhorse.

When we first moved to the Black Hills (1977) I thought this "mountain carving" was a scam: they'd charge by the carload, and once or twice a season, they'd set off some dynamite.  When Korczak Ziolkoski (the original sculptor) died, his kids went after it with more purpose.  Oh, they still charge an entry fee ($28 per carload) - no federal funding.  Free parking (more on that later).  They have been working on the mountain since 1948.

Heading towards Mt Rushmore...

The profile...

About the parking fee I mentioned earlier: there is a reason they mention "free parking" at Crazyhorse... in carving Mt Rushmore, Gutzon Borglum stipulated that there could never be a charge to visit the Memorial.  Powers that be got around that when the grounds around Mt Rushmore were "renovated," starting in 1989, a parking ramp was built.  No charge to visit the Memorial, but a $10 charge to park.  (now: $11)  At first, there was a free parking area, located quite a distance away... they have closed that, so your only way to stop and see the Memorial is to pay the parking fee.  I don't think Gutzon would be happy about that.

From there, it was back to Hart Ranch.

Joan made the sides while I grilled the steaks.  Another absolutely gorgeous day in the Black Hills.  Tomorrow, we'll start the packing up, heading out on Friday.  This may have been the best day of scooting since we bought the PCXes.

Yes, Izzy got plenty of outdoor time this afternoon/evening.  We're all happy.