JEFF'S EXCELLENT GALENA ADVENTURE, JULY 16, 2006
This morning I mostly caught up on internet stuff and decided what to do with my new Scientology-related documents. I still have poison ivy on the back of my left leg.
This afternoon I decided since it was so hot (106?) that I'd go up to Camp 5 road and look for rocks. When I got there I decided to just walk the road to see if I could see where it went. So I drove 10.4 miles on Lost Gulch roadn and then to the Camp 5 road to the farthest point I wanted to go. I decided to walk for 45 minutes and then turn back, since I wanted some spare time before it got dark in case I ran into trouble. Right at the 45 minutes, I walked into an intersection that I knew. This is a road that goes right to the ATV trail valley, or goes right to Galena Road. So now I knew both ends of Camp 5. And I would say that now that I know all the roads we took when we got lost in Lost Gulch, that we probably did go about 18 miles that one day.
I like the gulch this horrible road is in. There are apparently caves up on the cliffs, and the creek bed is pretty neat. Plus there are such a variety of rocks there that it's fun to just check them out. Also there were lots of chipmunks back there. The road, though, is disgusting. In one place it looks like someone decided to put big rocks in a line and call that a road.
There were two sets of footprints along the road too. It looks like 2 people had made a round trip from somewhere, so I assume they weren't broken down or anything. I never heard nor saw anyone all the times I've been on that road.
I explored a few other roads along Lost Gulch road, then went home and took a cool shower. I then went to Deadwood and found a much better trail map at one of the casinos. It's a National Geographic map that seems to show every back road in the NE Black Hills. Hurray! It's a little late, but still a welcome find. Ok, and I lost about $8 in the slots.
Deadwood seemed really quiet to me. I'm going to have to ask more natives if they think this is a slow summer or not.
I'm about to go watch for satellites, then go to bed. There are a few millers in the cabin. Oh, and it was 102.2 degrees here today according to Eric's outdoor thermometer!