From Lead into the Spearfish Canyon

 

On Monday afternoon we left Deadwood towards the Spearfish Canyon and passed through nearby Lead. Like Deadwood, the city was officially founded in 1876, as a company town by the Homestake Mining Company. The mine was the largest, deepest and most productive gold mine in the Western Hemisphere before closing in 2002 (photo below).

The Hearst family from California was instrumental in making Lead more livable, establishing a library, a Kindergarten, an Opera House and other buildings.

Nowadays, Lead and the Homestake Mine are hosting the Sanford Underground Research Facility ("Sanford Lab"/SURF), researching low-background experiments on neutrinos, dark matter, and other nuclear physics topics. Wish we would have known before and gotten a tour arranged in the Mining Museum and at SURF.

 

On we drove along the beautiful Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (left) to our hotel, the Spearfish Canyon Lodge (right). We checked in and went for a hike to the Roughlock Falls. Leafs were still showing gorgeous colors, it was really warm (80 deg F/26 C), but plesantly cool and fresh on the trail. Just a beautiful landscape surrounded by towering limestone cliffs.

Little chipmunks everywhere,,,

Gunsmoke, gambling and outlaws in Deadwood, South Dakota

Sunday morning we drove out of the Rockies, through Wyoming's prairie and into the Black Hills of South Dakota again,,, What a change of landscape! After the winding roads through the mountains with its colorful trees, the long drive on US 85 through the prairie was a bit boring. When we reached South Dakota, the Black Hills came in view, a pine-covered mountain range in the western park of the state, named by the Lakota Sioux: Pahá Sápa, "hills that are black".

Our destination of the day was Deadwood, a lawless town at the time it was founded, in 1876. At this time, thousands of prospectors came into the Deadwood Gulch. Thanks to the gold being found, it became a haven for fortune seekers and a massive number of miners, gamblers, and outlaws came into town. 

During the peak years, the tent-camp grew exponentially, attracting famous legends like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. The  "boomtown" came to an abrupt halt in September 1879, when a devastating fire destroyed most of the town. But, other than in many other former gold rush towns, until today the Old West is alive in Deadwood. This town didn't die down thanks to a decision in 1989: then, legal gaming was allowed and the new tax revenue fueled the historic preservation of the town. Behind historic fassades nowadays gambling halls, saloons and restaurants are hidden. 

In Old Saloon No. 10 (below) Wild bill Hickock (left) met his end while playing cards. His murder Jack McCall was later on trial - both happenings are reenacted on a regular basis in town. James Butler Hickok (1837 –1876), was known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, cattle rustler, gunslinger, gambler, showman and actor. Also, he was involved in many famous gunfights and Calamity Jane pretended to have been his great love - which he seriously denied all the time.

Deadwood is not really big, but "picturesque" and unique. With nearby Sturgis, Rapid City, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument, it attracts a lot of visitors, among them many, many bikers. Since we arrived on a Sunday, it was not too busy anymore, but just the days before, Oktoberfest took place, a big event in town!

Monday morning's first stop: the historic brothel! Up until 1980, illegal sex work was active in Deadwood and largely ignored by law enforcement and police. "The world’s oldest profession" is the topic of "The Brothel Deadwood", a seriously instructive historic museum. 

The Shasta Rooms brothel recalls the story of more than 100 years. We were privileged and got a private tour on a monday through several rooms in this historic building on Main Street, nicely curated with a variety of period appropriate furnishings and accessories. 

There is the parlor from the late 1800s (above), followed by a series of four "working rooms" (below), each representing a different era: 1876-1900, 1920s, 1940s-1950s, and 1960s-1970s. We got to know what life was like for the women in this business during these times, visited the "madam's" office and bedroom and heard stories about the sex workers themselves, partly fascinating personalities.

 Next: Mt. Moriah Cemetery. This cemetery was occupied between 1876 and 1877 and contains Wild Bill Hickock's, Calamity Jane's and Seth Bullock's graves, plus many more, e.g. a Chinese or a Jewish section - both important groups of the population at the time. Plus, from the view point up on Mt. Moriah, we enjoyed the probably best view of Deadwood.

The Day of '76 Museum and Celebration was another place this morning, we didn't have seen during previous visits to Deadwood. Since the first celebration in 1924, the Days of '76 has grown into a legendary annual event with a historic parade and a PRCA (professional) rodeo. On a tour we got to know about the parade and the rodeo, but we also admired a remarkable collection of pioneer, cowboy, and American Indian artifacts, a unique firearms collection, and, the largest exhibit of authentic horse-drawn wagons, carriages, and stagecoaches, still used in the annual parade.Wished we once would have the chance to see the parade and the rodeo! Reminded us much of La Fiesta de los Vacqueros & Tucson Rodeo in Tucson/Arizona!

 

After lunch with our great guide of the morning, tourism rep Amanda, we had to leave town and drove on to Leed. More on that "sister City" and our drive through Spearfish Canyon tomorrow.

Peak-to-Peak - exploring the Rockies in Colorado

Still behind in my writing ,,, I drove 370 mi/600 km today from Estes Park/Colorado to Deadwood/South Dakota, about 6 hours driving time. Sort of tired now, but it was a beautiful drive in warm, sunny fall weather from the Rockies into the prairie and back into the Black Hills!

But, first, back to our yesterday's mission: A drive on Colorado's Peak-to-Peak Byway  We started in Golden in the morning and drove into the Rocky Mountains, mostly in approx. 2,500 m altitude. The Peak-to-Peak Byway is Colorado's oldest scenic byway, stretching 55 mi along the edge of the Front Range.

First stop on the way: Central City, a gold rush mining town founded  in 1859, with beautifully restored historic buildings, among them a superb Opera House.

,,, whereas nearby Blackhawk (below) is a more touristic gaming destination in the Clear Creek Canyon.

On we drove, with gorgeous views towards some of the 12,000 ft+ (4.000 m) peaks of the Rocky Mountains:

Next stop: Nederland, which history began as the mill site for silver ore from the rich mines at Caribou (now a ghost town).

Today it is known as a top destination for all kinds of outdoor recreation. Town was packed, a parade was taking place, bikers everywhere, and, lots of visitors!

Approaching Estes Park with the tallest mountain in the Rocky Mountains National Park in the background: Long's Peak (14,259 feet/4.350 m) on the photo below:

Estes Park, the end of the Peak-to-Peak Byway, is  the base camp for outdoor adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park and a highly popular mountain getaway. Parking was difficult on this sunny fall day, the streets were packed, especially, since the Elk Fest was going on, too. And, elk were running around on downtown's streets (wish, I would have had a chance to get a good shot from the car!).

The historic Stanley Hotel (left) - where we had a tour in the afternoon - opened in 1909 and boasted the latest modern amenities such as electric lights, telephones, en suite bathrooms, uniformed staff and a fleet of automobiles. Freelan Oscar Stanley (1849 –1940) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, hotelier, and architect. He made his fortune in the manufacture of photographic plates but is also the co-founder, with his brother Francis Edgar Stanley, of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company. 

Below, view from the hotel's gorgeous gardens towards the mountains:

We stayed at the Rams Horn Village Resort and got a beautiful luxury cabin with two bedrooms, living room, kitchen, dining room and two bathrooms - very quiet and surrounded by woods.

 

The  Estes Park Aerial Tram is a scenic tramway carrying visitors 2,630 ft to the summit of Prospect Mountain for panoramic views of Rocky Mountain. Not quite at sunset, but almost, we took the funicular up and had gorgeous views!

After the trip to the top of the mountain, we had dinner at The Hive at Estes Park Brewery. Good thing was their seasonal menu with unusual items as Bison Short Rips and Elk Chops (below):

Due to the crowds yesterday, the crazy traffic and the problem to find parking, we drove into downtown Estes Park (photos below) this morning after breakfast at Egg of Estes and checked out downtown and the Elk Fest's art & crafts market. Then we drove on north, towards South Dakota. More on that tomorrow.