140 hikers enjoy Wildflowers along Centennial Trail

A beautiful evening greeted participants for the June 18^th National Forest Moon Walk that explored a variety of prairie plants and wildflowers in the northern Black Hills.

Botanist Jill Larson

Sponsored by the Black Hills National Forest and the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association, the walk started at the Alkali Creek Trailhead just a couple of miles north of Sturgis off of I-90.

Ballard introduced botanist Jill Larson of the Northern Hills Ranger Station in Spearfish who was the principal speaker and our guide through Bureau of Land Management fields included in the walk.   A native of the Seattle area, Larson holds a B.A. from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and an M.S. in Botany from the University of Wyoming.  She provided participants with a list of some 112 plants that might be found along the route.  It included not only the common names of the plants, but their family, genus, and species – as well as the area of the walk where they’d likely to appear.

There wasn’t much time for using the list as a reference on this walk, but it’s a wonderful tool for returnees who want to take their time on a subsequent hike of the area.

The walk started northward from the Alkali Creek parking area along the Centennial Trail, and then crossed under Interstate 90 before winding its way toward a high meadow and the timber.

As usual, there was a very diverse group of hikers.  This time, younger folks – in particular – enjoyed sharing samples of their findings with Jill Larson, who displayed keen knowledge of the plants.  She usually was at the ready to give the official plant classification, only occasionally pausing to come up with its common name.

From soapweed yucca and poison ivy (yikes!) to blue larkspur and plains pricklypear, there was an abundance of wildflowers and a decidedly nice-sized group of people to enjoy them.

Timing is everything, and there was no full moon in which to bask on this hike.  Had there been a full moon available, we had some beautiful weather to enjoy it!

As always, we captured a few photos on the hike.  You’ll find them posted in our Moon Walk Gallery.

“This walk was dedicated to former Forest botanist Andrew Korth, who led a wildflower Moon Walk over Reynold’s Prairie last June,” said Amy Ballard, Forest Moon Walk Coordinator.  Andy died in a boating accident near Belle Fourche the next day.

The next Moon Walk outing is set for Saturday, July 16 and will be hosted by the Nature Conservancy.  They’ll be offering refreshments and a restroom for participants – and both of those items will be welcome additions for this somewhat more strenuous hike.  It’s a two-mile trek that will climb 400 feet uphill over uneven terrain.  The speakers will be May Goulet, author of “Cascade of Flames,” and Al Stover of Wind Cave National Park.  They’ll discuss the forest and grassland ecosystem that has emerged since the 2007 Alabaugh Fire in the area.

To reach the Moon Walk site, travel south of Hot Springs on South Dakota Highway 71 for 8.2 miles.  Pass the Cascade Springs Picnic Area at 7.9 miles.  Turn right just past the main house parking area and travel .4 miles to the guest house parking area.  Signs will be posted at major intersections to direct visitors to the site.

Walkers are encouraged to bring flashlights, water and bug repellant and to dress for unexpected weather and cooler nighttime temperatures.  Long pants are recommended as ticks and rattlesnakes could be encountered.