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Deano Kothe (‘65 FJ40), Randy Underwood (‘70 FJ40), Robert Waters (‘71 FJ40), Lance Van Tuyle (‘87 FJ60), and Bret Van Tuyle (‘79 FJ40) met in Salina, KS and caravanned up to the Black Hills. Deano broke off from us around Hayes, KS and the rest of us headed up north to South Dakota. After stopping for the night in Kearney, NE, we took a NW route through the Sand Hills of Nebraska. The sandy hills in the area (hence the name) represent an area in the central US where the Great Plains Aquifer lies closest to the surface. There are numerous windmills and ponds in the vicinity. Before reaching South Dakota, our group stopped off near Alliance, NE at the “world-famous” Carhenge site. After leaving our mark on “Auto-graph rock”, we jumped back on the road and onto the Black Hills! Rising up out of the plains, the Black Hills resemble more a part of Colorado rather than the hills, as they are named. First order of business, was a quick photo opportunity at the in-progress Crazy Horse carving, although at the time it was partially obscured by clouds when we arrived. A noticeable temperature drop occurred since climbing up off the hot summer plains, and Randy graciously lent out some extra pants to those of us foolishly forgetting to pack anything other than shorts for the trip. As we continued closer to our destination, we spotted more and more Land Cruisers that were also arriving for the event. Upon arrival at the scenic Whispering Pines campground, we checked out all the other cruisers and crusierheads. Lots of great trucks and people! We also learned that, due to the extremely dry conditions in the Black Hills, the original event indeed had a change of plans. Having a little time to kill, Robert, Randy, Lance and Bret took off to explore Custer State Park where large herds of Buffalo still roam within the park. If you ever have a chance to go, be sure to take Needles Highway through the park, and you won’t be disappointed! The next day we took a road trip to Badlands National Park, where the scenery does a complete 180 degree turn from that of the Black Hills. Created by run-off and erosion from the formation of the Black Hills, the area consists of a marvelous lunar-like landscape of rocks and washes that go on for miles in all directions. By taking some side roads, we managed to take an off-road trip across the park, all while getting a closer look at the Badlands and ditching the mini-van crowds as well. After almost getting lost a few times, we managed to travel over 40 miles off-road, retraced part of the route we took in BHCC 2001, and somehow managed to ford the Cheyenne River before heading back to civilization. We all had a great time in our unofficial “Badlands 2002 Cruiser Trek”! The rest of the time in the Black Hills was spent sightseeing at places like the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, SD and the Roughlock Falls in the northern part of the Black Hills. Lance and Bret sneaked-off and made a “side-trip” into SE Montana to Custer Battlefield National Monument, the site of Custer’s Last Stand, while the rest of the group attended the remaining activities of the Cruiser Classic. Although the dry conditions in the region snuffed-out the trail rides of the famed BHCC 2002, we somehow had fun anyway with the help of the numerous recreational opportunities the area had to offer. Lance and Bret headed back home in the extreme Oklahoma heat, after a stopover in Dodge City, KS and a visit to the famed “Front Street”. Great people, great Cruisers, and a lot of fun summed up the Black Hills Cruiser Classic 2002. With more rain, the Black Hills Cruiser Classic 2003 will surely be a great event to attend.
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