Forest Moon Walks chalk up 17 years in Black Hills

Nippy temperatures dropped near freezing last night (10/6/12), putting a damper on the final Black Hills National Forest Moon Walk of the season.

But for the hardy group of about 40 souls who braved the frigid temperatures to ascend Mount Roosevelt, it was well worth the goose bumps.

Black Hills Professor David Wolff, the best-known and perhaps most knowledgeable historian to research the life and times of Seth Bullock, gave the gathered throng some keen insights into the man who befriended Theodore Roosevelt and years later launched the effort to build a memorial to Roosevelt when he died in 1919.

That memorial was a 31-foot tower with a 12-foot diameter built of native stone atop Sheep Mountain just north of Deadwood.  The site was later renamed Mount Roosevelt, and the medieval-style tower has become dubbed "Friendship Tower," acknowledging the friendship between Bullock and President Roosevelt.  The tower was constructed by the Society of Black Hills Pioneers at the behest of Bullock, who had earlier convinced the organization to accept Roosevelt as its first honorary member.

BHSU professor David Wolff shared some stories
about legendary Black Hills lawman Seth Bullock

The colorful life of Seth Bullock is recounted in Wolff's 2009 book, Seth Bullock - Black Hills Lawman.

This was the second presentation on Bullock in as many weeks for Wolff.  He gave a similar presentation on September 23 to members of the Lawrence County Historical Society during their Fall Tour.  You'll find a number of photographs and notes about that tour in the LCHS Gallery.  That daylight tour provided some stunning views of the changing colors in the Hills, as well as a close-up look at the many enhancements that have been made to the "Friendship Tower" in recent years.  You'll find those items well documented in a U.S. Forest Service video produced this summer.  A link to that video is at the right-hand top of this page.

Despite the darkness, we took a few photos during the final Moon Walk of the year.  You'll find them in our Moon Walk Gallery.

Kudos to Amy Ballard the staff of Black Hills National Forest for organizing and implementing these Moon Walks.  Ballard has literally watched young Moon Walkers -- including her own kids -- grow up over the past 17 seasons of these events.

We can think of few activities that provide the kinds of opportunities these walks provide:  a chance to bask in the beauty of the Black Hills; learn more about the history of our region; and get some good exercise in the great outdoors!

See you next season!