Big Camp Stay-Cation 2017
We had great intentions on getting away again this summer, all the way to Glacier National Park with a Big Camp right on Flat Head Lake. It has been quite a few years since we rode the bikes to Glacier and we felt it was time to head back that direction with the kiddos.
We looked forward to seeing the mountains, going for some long hikes and even possibly taking a sail boat ride on the lake. However, nature had a different plan and unfortunately around the time of our planned trip in the middle of August, it seemed like the entire state of Montana was on fire, especially the upper west area of our destination.
With heavy smoke warnings causing evacuations, we packed up the camper and charted a different course all the way to our new destination — Iron Creek Lake — just south of Spearfish. We can’t really take credit for the idea as it turned out that Darby, Jody and the girls were headed there for a long weekend. So it made sense to invite ourselves and join the fun. Grandma Mary also came over to camp with all of us.
Adventures in the Northern Hills
Around Iron Creek Lake, we did some fishing, some swimming, and a little hiking, not to mention a lot of laughing with cousins. A few of the days included adventures to Spearfish Canyon and Roughlock Falls. Jackson sure enjoyed riding with Jody in the side-by-side.
Camp in the Southern Hills
After our family headed back east river we packed up camp and moved a couple of hours south to one of our favorite camping spots, Deerfield Lake. While there we enjoyed sitting around the camp fire making smore’s and a little fishing from the shore.
One afternoon we set out for an adventure. With a hike in mind, we picked up a Black Hills Trail Guild at a gas station in Hill City, and after thumbing through it we headed to Sylvan Lake, thinking there were quite a few kid friendly trail heads there. With a few looming dark clouds we gathered our snack and water packs and made our way to find the well-kept local secret, The Poet’s Table.
The directions in the trial guide were a little vague saying to “look for a leaning birch tree that points up the slope”….. um, hello, we’re in the Black Hills, there’s one of those on every corner? Brian was able to scout ahead and hiked up the steeper part of the trail while the rest of us rested. He finally found the table, but the weather and nap time cut our hike short and we had to turn back to the truck, leaving the sight to be seen again another weekend. No worries though, we were able to find our way with no troubles, to our favorite refueling spot in the southern hills — The Purple Pie Place in Custer, SD.
We were a little bummed that we had to change our plans but we are always glad to take in God’s beauty that is right in our back yard. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those in Montana affected by the 2017 fire season.
More Stay-Cation Photos
