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.

Forest Wildflowers

In the wake of the June 27^th accident that claimed the lives of Andrew Korth, Jeramy Rogers, and Sierra Rogers while on a canoe outing near Orman Dam near Belle Fourche, we have delayed writing a review of the June Moon Walk. Andy Korth, shown here at right, led the program about wildflowers.

But, as Moon Walk coordinator Amy Ballard rightly observed, “let’s enjoy the outdoors as they would.”

It’s time to proceed with information about another pleasant evening exploring the outdoor beauty of our beloved Black Hills.

The June 26^th event, “Forest Wildflowers,” was conducted just north of Deerfield Reservoir in the central Black Hills. Botanist Andrew Korth was our lead guide, and he – along with a group of fellow botanists – introduced us to the habitat, identification, and management of a variety of wildflowers. They had gone into this meadow earlier and labeled a couple of dozen wildflowers, allowing moonwalkers to amble along at their own pace, stopping to examine each of the flowers and ask questions, as necessary.

We were again blessed with beautiful weather, luring some 130 people to the rolling hills known as “Reynolds Prairie.”

Having grown up near the sandhills of western Nebraska, we were not surprised at the colorful diversity offered by wildflowers – but they seemed especially prolific in this year of abundant moisture across the Black Hills.

We took a few dozen photos on this outing, alternating between the diverse cast of characters who frequent Moon Walks, and the splendid floral offerings presented by Mother Nature.

Take a look at our Moon Walk Gallery and sample a few of the wildflowers that we enjoyed – along with the faces of a few of our fellow sojourners! You'll find images from all of our Moon Walks, starting with the most recent. Among the wildflowers we found was this Cressleaf Groundsel, shown at left. We’ve added some commentary and supplemental information that you might find helpful, too.

These Moon Walks are held monthly on Saturday nights close to the official full moon. The walks begin at 7 o'clock and generally last one to two hours.

The Black Hills Moon Walks are sponsored by the Black Hills National Forest and the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association. For more information about the Moon Walks and other activities in the Hills, visit the official web site for the Black Hills National Forest.