Spearfish/Lead

We didn't have a very big day planned today, mostly just driving. Today we travelled from Wyoming across into South Dakota.
Quite warm up here again today. No real plans to stop and see anything in particular, just wanted o see what we came across. We managed to find (somewhat randomly) a Buffalo jump site, something we had tried to explain to the boys earlier.
It was interesting to see the excavation site where they have found different levels of buffalo skeletons. They believe this particular site had 7 jumps over it. The Indians must have planned out these jumps so well as they did them before they had horses or dogs to help them force the buffalo off the cliffs. Hard to imagine the noise and smell of these jumps. So many buffalo at the bottom, some not dead but horribly injured. They've even found during the dig some arrows that were obviously used to finish off the bison.
Apparently they've also discovered that in places the bones are grouped together which suggests the Indians worked in some kind of 'process line' to actually butcher the meat. They also know that some of the larger bones were missing as they would take them for the marrow and some of the skulls are

missing as they were often used in Indian ceremonies. Personally I find it fascinating that they can tell so much from these excavations.
This particular pit was originally found when they started building the Interstate. It is now looked after by a University who continues to slowly excavate the area.
We moved on from there and stopped in Spearfish for some lunch. The boys were highly unimpressed that we wouldn't take them to a large water park/public pool, as much as we tried to explain to them that we had at least another half an hour of driving to get to our hotel. They were finally appeased a little when they realised that a creek ran through the hills next to the hotel and that they could stick their feet in it.
The lodge we'd chosen for tonight's accommodation was really pretty, nestled in the Black Hills. (The boys and Craig weren't very appreciative of me breaking into song with Calamity Jane's "Take me back to the Black Hills".)
Passsed the Bridal Veil Falls on our way to the lodge and arrived to find that there were two more sets of falls within close range of the lodge. Unfortunately it turned out that the closest ones you couldn't view as the trail was closed. (Found this out after walking over to them). The other falls were only about a

mile away but we decided to take the car and check out the "film site" about 2 and a half miles up the road. Turns out it was one of the sites where they shot some of Dances With Wolves (hated the movie, but hey, I was there may as well visit the film site!) I think technically where they filmed was across the creek, but it was a bit deep and definitely too cold for me to cross. Back down the road to Roughlock Falls. These were quite pretty and had a really nice picnic area set up at the top of them. Whilst I walked to the bottom for some tourist shots, Craig took the boys back to a flat area on the edge of the creek and let the boys jump in. (Yes, it was freezing - snow fed waters. Kids will be kids.)
Back down to the lodge where the boys jumped in the hot tubs.
Quiet night with dinner at the lodge restaurant across the road.