
Happy Birthday America!

Today, we climbed Black Elk Peak which is the highest point in South Dakota and also the highest peak between the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and the Pyrenees Mountains in France. I was not aware of that!


It was a beautiful day with beautiful scenery.

Kinda Rocky.

After climbing for a while we get our first view of the peak, mid image.

Scott, Larry, and Ziz document the moment….. well, Ziz is actually telling Larry what to do.

A Richie Fern.

More craggy peaks.

Along the way Larry renders aid to a damsel in destress.

Now we are getting up here. Great views of the Plains of South Dakota looking east.

Not yet at the peak but clearly above almost all other Black Hills.

Looking down on Cathedral Rocks.

Near the summit this climb looks to get spicy.

Summit!

Summit Views.

More summit views looking toward the Cathedral Rocks.

The Black Hills are a giant island of mountains in the middle of the Great Plains of America.

Looking North.

Larry show how to deal with the spicy elements of the climb…..Look Mom, no poles!

Tunnel Rocks.

Larry stops to soak in the views.

Walking through the Cathedral Rocks.

Johnson Spire.

Back down near the bottom it was hot as heck, another State High Point knocked off in honor of John.
