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With hope of cooler weather further north in the Black Hills, Bret Van Tuyle (79 FJ40) and passenger/brother Lance Van Tuyle, Jody Potter (1972 FJ40) and from the TAC club, Erik Christianson, Alan Loshbaugh, Alan Kuper, and Chris Rech joined the trek northward to the Black Hills. After stopping for the night in North Platte, Nebraska, the adventurers moved north again, but not before checking out "Carhenge" outside of Alliance, NE. Again we were on our way, but this time it didn't take long to get to the Black Hills and climb up out of the heat that had gripped the land to the south we had left behind. We stopped briefly to see how the Crazy Horse carving was progressing, but after that headed to the campground to check out the other cruisers that had come for the event. In the Black Hills, the difference in temperature and climate was amazing. Everything was lush and green, and the cooler temperatures made everyone want to stay until the heat wave of the plains was long gone. The Whispering Pines Campground, the base-camp for the Cruiser Classic, was full of Land Cruisers and Toyota 4x4's checking-in and getting set up for the 3-day event. Clubmembers Lance and Bret Van Tuyle were able to make arrangements to stay in Rapid City at a friend's place while the event took place, which happened to be pretty nice accomodations! They also avoided the lightning-storms and rain that developed a few times during the time spent there. Dave and Julie Kappaman also have a 1979 FJ40 that as a build-date which made it produced at about the same time as Bret's. What a small world! We were able to do some sight-seeing prior to the trail rides, and our first stop was Custer State Park, where large herds of buffalo roam free throughout the park. There are many things to do while in the Black Hills, so make sure you set aside time to get some of them done. In Hot Spings, SD, we visited the Mammoth Site, the Black Hill's only paleontological dig site for mammoths. This is a must-see if you're in the area. If you're up to the challenge, you can also hike to the top of Harney Peak, the highest point in South Dakata. When you get to the top, you'll be rewarded with awesome views like the one pictured, of granite rocks spiking up out of the surround forest. After doing some running around prior to the event, we got to meet some great people and check out their rigs. This FJ40 is owned by the original owner John C. from Kansas. He restored his cruiser a few years ago with a rust-free body from a cruiser of similar vintage. It was one of the best looking stock rigs there! Lance and I went on a 3-rated trail the first day of the event, which was an easy trail for everyone to relax on and to take in the sites of the Black Hills. There is a wide-variety of trails available to people during the Black Hills Cruiser Classic, all the way up to a 5-rated trail named "Hal Johns". A complete listing of trails and ratings at the event can be found on the web at www.dakotacruisers.com. The group pauses for a lunch break on Old Miner Trail, which is a 3-rated trail, and tours old mines in the area and has some butt-puckering powerline hill climbs along the way. The hill climbs pictured are a LOT more steep than what it looks like. Its a good idea to NOT have to back down such a steep obstacle like a few people had to do. The second day of the event, Lance and I, along with plenty of other Land Cruisers went on the infamous "Badlands" run of the 2001 BHCC. The National Park Service Rangers rode along with us on this trail, since we had to pass through federally protected Indian Lands to gain access to the off-road trail we were there to do. This is a 3-rated trail with lots of wash-out crossings, but I'll never know what the scheduled route was due to a conflict with the Lakota Souix Indians, which I'll try to explain below. Evidently, a sacred Sun Dance was going on over the hill near where we were supposed to travel down into a canyon, but were were immediately stopped by pickup trucks full of upset Indians, and we "asked" to turn around and find another way into the trail. I'm not sure why we couldn't proceed further down into the canyon, but I overheard a ranger talking to one of the Indians about a "Medican Man" conducting some sort of ceremony down in a cave further down the trail from us, which we were strictly forbidden to get close to. One of the ranger's family owned land along the Cheyenne River, and graciously let us enter that way into the Badlands. Although I believe this route was less challenging than the original route we were supposed to take, we were still able to view some beautiful rock formations and see some wild horses. We headed back to the campground later that afternoon with a huge rainstorm chasing us on our heels. One the third day of the event, Lance and I took a "road trip" to Devil's Tower National Monument in northeastern Wyoming, while everyone else completed their third choice of trails for the event. We didn't have any "close encounters" at Devil's Tower, but we did get some great shots of my FJ40 at the monument. What a cool rock! After our short visit to Wyoming, we headed back for the final evening of the event, which was when the raffle was held while we enjoyed another great buffalo burger at the campground. If you can find a better buffalo burger than what they served at the Whispering Pines campground, let me know! The staff at Whispering Pines was awesome hosts to the event, and the people who attended were super! If you haven't been the Black Hills Cruiser Classic hosted by the Dakota Territory Cruisers, you must make plans to go. It is usually held towards the end of July, which makes it a perfect "escape from the heat" while being able to wheel in the spectacular scenery of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Check out the Dakota Territory Cruisers' website at www.dakotacruisers.com and make plans to attend that awesome event. The 2001 BHCC will definately be well-remembered by all those in attendance! |
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