White Butte, North Dakota

After a good dinner at the Mt Rushmore cafeteria, a buffalo chili dog, I was back in the car determined to make as much distance toward White Butte as possible before dark.  I had plane reservations to attend my high school reunion in Michigan, for the morning of August 18th, and it was a long drive back to Denver.  I had to get up and down White Butte in the morning, August 16, 2013, to make it easier on my return trip.

Once again, I had a scenic drive north on 85 through Wyoming, headed to Amidon, North Dakota.  I managed to get as far as Buffalo, South Dakota before I, not my car, ran out of gas and I noted the Tipperary Motel.

On checking in, the cutest little girl, a niece of the owner, offered to carry my bag for me.  I guess I was beginning to look old and haggard as a result of the long hours in the car?  A father with his two young sons, all in camouflage clothing, greeted me in the hallway on the way to my room.  It turned out they had been bow hunting for antelope, unsuccessfully.  Ironically, I was to catch my first picture of an antelope the next morning on the drive to White Butte.  With the good vision, speed, and wariness of an antelope, it must take significant skill as a hunter to kill one...

Yes, that's an antelope...it's hard to get a picture of these fellows, especially with an Iphone!

At breakfast in the morning I met a group of dinosaur hunters.  This area of South Dakota is near some of the best territory to find dinosaur fossils.  The group was from a university in England.  They would not allow me to take their picture.  Hummmm, wonder what that was about?

The morning drive

Approaching the trail and looking toward White Butte

The threat of thunderstorms was a factor today.  I had also been warned that rattlesnakes are plentiful on the trail to White Butte.  Determined and undaunted, I set off early to reach the high point and then make as much distance back to Boulder as possible before dark.  By 9:00 am I was at the road leading to White Butte and had parked my car.  The wind was blowing and dark clouds were off in the distance, but it looked as if I could make it up and back on my short hike before the storm began.  I took a poncho for rain protection and a hiking pole to fend off rattlesnakes before I toddled down the trail.

This is where the White Butte Trail begins

There are no trail markers to White Butte (elevation 3,507),  I simply "felt my way up" to the highest point until the benchmark appeared.  I tapped my walking stick ahead and listened for rattlesnakes.  Sadly, I did not see one.

I reached the benchmark in about an hour.  The weather seemed to be holding, but I was aware that a thunderstorm could move in quickly.  A high point is not the place to be when that happens.  I did not see a summit register.

On top of White Butte

Looks like someone took the summit register?

After a few pictures I was on my way back to the car and headed to Boulder.  I made it to Cheyenne, WY about eight hours later and checked in to another Holiday Inn Express, dinner at the Outback Steak House, nothing says America like supporting the local franchisees!  The next day I reached Boulder once again after 1,600 miles and four high points! Another successful road trip!

Sunset August 16, 2013 outside Cheyenne, Wyoming