Whether it’s a family tradition or your first excursion, searching the Black Hills for the perfect fresh-cut Christmas tree is an event guaranteed to be memorable.

With two weeks until Christmas Day, there is still plenty of time to purchase a $10 Black Hills National Forest Christmas Tree Permit.  All permits expire Dec. 31 and are available at most Black Hills Forest Service offices in western South Dakota and northeast Wyoming. White spruce, ponderosa pine and western juniper trees are available to cut with a purchased permit.

Remember, trees may not be cut in developed recreation sites, Forest Service administrative sites, active timber sales, the Black Hills Experimental Forest near Rochford, the Black Elk Wilderness, the Beaver Park area near Sturgis, or within Spearfish Canyon.

If this is your first time or you just need a refresher, fear not. Each permit comes with a handout form the Forest Service with details about proper tree removal. For more information and where to purchase permits visit fs.usda.gov.

Whether you like it or not, winter is on its way.  I myself am hoping for lots of snow because I love all sorts of winter activities…skiing, snowshoeing, even ice skating. Thinking about some of my favorite sports got me wondering what the “experts” were predicting for this year’s winter.

The good ol’ Farmers’ Almanac has been around for almost 200 years – since 1818. The publication provides all sorts of advice from home and garden tips, natural cures and cooking, astronomy, and long range weather forecasts.  Whether you believe in their weather prediction or not is up to you, but here is what they have to say for the 2011-12 winter.

The Almanac is calling for a winter that is unusually stormy and cold. For the Black Hills region they are predicting very cold weather and average snowfall. I like the idea of snow, but not frigid cold!

I also checked the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) winter predictions. They too are saying that the Black Hills region will experience a colder winter, however, they are also predicting that the region will get more precipitation than usual.  The NOAA contributes the colder temperatures to La Nina. La Nina is characterized by unusually colder ocean temperatures in the Pacific, which influence temperatures and weather across the country.

Unfortunately, the NWS and NOAA are also forecasting that spring flooding could be a concern in the northern plains region. While the Black Hills didn’t have much flooding this year, other parts of South Dakota and surrounding states had major flooding.

Those are the winter predictions for this year.  Are they true or not?  Only time and the weather will tell us…  Happy Winter 2011-12!

This time of year the Black Hills skies seem to be filled with the distinct calls of Sandhill Cranes. Almost every day this week I’ve seen huge flocks of them heading south. You hear them before you see them. They have a loud, trumpeting call with a French-style “r” rolled in the throat that can be heard from a long distance.

They’re on their way south for the winter and the Black Hills are lucky enough to be on the way for some of them. Yes, the Black Hills are lucky, because they just happen to be sitting within one of the main migration routes that the Cranes follow. The Platte River in Nebraska is an important stopover for the cranes and is not too far from the Black Hills. Click here to see a map of migration paths that Sandhill Cranes tend to follow.

Sandhill Cranes are neat birds. They are large birds that live primarily in freshwater wetlands. They can live up to twenty years and eat mice, plants, grain, snakes and insects. Because they like grain, they sometimes come into conflict with farmers, because they can cause damage to their fields.

And here’s a neat fact about Sandhill Cranes. They dance. They run with their wings open and leap in the air and dance all around in circles. They don’t just do this during mating season; they do it all year long! If you ever see Sandhill Cranes dancing it is an amazing sight that you won’t forget.

As you are out and about in the Black Hills over the next few days, keep an eye out for the large flocks of them going south. They’ll let you know they’re passing overheard with their loud trumpeting calls.

Halloween is creeping ever closer, and with it are tons of spooky fun celebrations throughout the Hills. We’ve gathered up the details on the Halloween festivities throughout the region. Attend one or a few for an eerily good time.

Belle Fourche – Halloween Parade, Oct. 31. The parade begins at 4:00 p.m. in front of Pete’s Clothing at 5^th and State Streets.

Custer – Go trick-or-treating in downtown Custer during the Merchant Trick or Treat and stop by the YMCA Haunted House on Oct. 29.  The 1881 Courthouse Museum Haunted House is also Oct. 29. Custer State Park will be hosting a Halloween Night Hike on Oct. 28 and 29.  Hikers will meet costumed characters from the Cat and the Hat story by Dr. Seuss along the way and learn about fish, the Lorax and more. Reservations are required.

Deadwood – The annual Deadweird event is Oct. 28 – 29^th. There is a costume crawl on Friday night and a costume contest on Saturday evening. Kidweird is Oct. 31 from 4-8 p.m. at the Deadwood Pavilion with treat-or-treating, games, a haunted house and a costume contest.

Hill City – For the kids, on Oct. 28 there will be merchant treat-or-treating downtown from 4-6 p.m. and the Boys & Girls Club Halloween Carnival from 5-8 p.m.  For the adults, on Oct. 29 Stoneface Winery will host a Halloween party and Prairie Berry Winery will have a haunted house with spooky drinks and sweets.

Hot Springs – Attend the Family Fall Carnival in costume on Oct. 28 for a cakewalk, games and food at the Mueller Civic Center from 5-8 p.m.  On Saturday, Oct. 29 the De La Cruz Band will be playing at a Halloween Party at The Vault starting at 8 p.m.

Keystone – Keystone is hosting “The Haunting of Keystone.” This community celebration of Halloween includes three haunted attractions:  1.“The School From Hell (Keystone Victorian School Museum) 2. “Wicked Little Miners” (Big Thunder Gold Mine) 3. Keystone Haunted Cemetery Ride (Keystone Cemetery). The haunted attraction dates are October 21-23 and October 28-30 from 7-11 p.m. Each attraction is $6.50 or all three for $15.00.  There will also be a masquerade ball with prizes on Oct. 30 from 7-9 p.m. at the community center.

Lead – The Black Hills Mining Museum is hosting a haunted house Oct. 28-31 from 5-8 p.m. each night.

Rapid City – Check out the new Main Street Square at Scare at the Square. The event, from 2-9 p.m. on Oct. 29, will have pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, a zombie walk and more.

Spearfish – The Spearfish Rec & Aquatics Center is hosting several events. The Youth & Family Carnival is on Oct. 28 from 5:30-8 p.m. with booths and games. A Monster Mash for teenagers is Oct. 29 from 7-9:30 with a costume contest, and Spooky Spearfish is Oct. 31 from 5-8 p.m. with trick-or-treating and a costume contest.

Sturgis – The Sturgis Chamber is hosting a haunted house at 1053 Main St. in Sturgis. Dates and times vary.

There are lots and lots of events to choose from, and probably a few more that we didn’t list here. We wish everyone a safe and fun Halloween!

A splash of vivid colors, intricately crafted outfits and powerful drum and song will be filling the rooms and halls at the Rapid City Civic Center this weekend. The Black Hills Powwow is Oct. 7-9, and it is a wonderful event to go to. There will be many tribes represented from the United States and Canada.

In addition to traditional powwow dancing and songs – the jingle dress, fancy dance, shawl dancing, and others – there will lots of other things to do and see. There is archery, a style show, hand games, an art show and more.

So head down to the powwow this weekend, sit back and watch some amazingly beautiful and colorful dancing, listen to the music, and stroll through the art vendors.  It’s a great event to attend!

For more information, visit http://blackhillspowwow.intuitwebsites.com/events.html

Earlier this year I visited Outdoor Campus West in Rapid City. The campus was still under construction, but it looked like it was shaping up to be an impressive facility. And it is. The facility is celebrating the completion of the campus with an Open House this Thursday, Oct. 6th from 4 to 7 pm.

During the Open House there will be kids fishing, a laser shot shooting simulator, live birds of prey from the Black Hills Raptor Center, player appearances from the Rapid City Rush, hands-on activities and more! Take time to stroll through the building – it has educational displays on nature and wildlife and a huge fishing viewing tank with trout, bass and walleye fish.

In addition to the excellent displays, library and classrooms in the building, there are acres and acres to explore and play on. Trails zig-zag across the grounds. There are ponds, stream, open grass fields and groves of trees.

Stop by the open house and take in some of the activities. You may even find yourself or your kids signing up for one of the many classes that they offer!

This is the weekend! Now through about the middle of next week the colors in Spearfish Canyon will be showing off their fullest, most brilliant hues.

Colors elsewhere in the Black Hills are also great right now – Boulder Canyon is bright yellow and the Lead and Deadwood areas are flaunting their colorful leaves. If you get out and about this weekend in the Hills it will be worth it. The weather is supposed to be in the low 80′s – pretty warm for the last week of September.

This will be the last colors update for this year. Enjoy the Black Hills autumn splendor.

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For more than 30 years, Jerry Boyer, a Spearfish-area resident, author and photographer, has been recording the Spearfish Canyon colorful fall transition. Over the years he has developed a prediction chart for when the canyon colors might peak.

Photos and information by Jerry Boyer, author, Canyon Echos.

Canyon colors at 92%. Is it peak?

This is a most unusual year. While the “peak’ is a few days away in the mouth of the canyon at Spearfish, it is “near peak” between Bridal Veil Falls and Savoy, and “at peak” between Savoy and Cheyenne Crossing. A guess why might be the Autumn weather has been so temperate this year that each of the four plant communities in the canyon have slowly staged independently without the typical weather extremes that foster a compressed rapid staging within just a few weeks.

This last weekend the colors in Spearfish Canyon were pretty amazing. Even better, we were blessed with clear blue skies and temperatures in the 80′s. The bright sunlight filtering through the gold and red leaves made them stand out beautifully against the blue, blue sky.

If you weren’t able to make it up into the Hills, don’t despair. The colors are going to grow even more vivid throughout the week and it looks like more nice weather for the reminder of the week.

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Spearfish Canyon fall colors update as of September 26, 2011.
Photo and report courtesy of Jerry Boyer.

Spearfish Canyon fall colors, courtesy Jerry Boyer.

It’s the first day of fall, and the fall colors are in full swing.

Here in the Black Hills, Spearfish Canyon is the best place to experience the full splendor of colors. So far the weather this fall has been perfect with cool nights and warm days with sunny blue skies. The forecast for the next week is calling for temperatures in the high 70’s and low 80’s – wonderful weather to get outside and enjoy this time of year.

For more than 30 years, Jerry Boyer, a Spearfish-area resident, author and photographer, has been recording the Spearfish Canyon colorful fall transition. Over the years he has developed a prediction chart for when the canyon colors might peak.

Currently the canyon colors are at about 65% of their full color saturation and will likely peak about October 3rd. I’ll keep you updated as he sends out more reports.

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Spearfish Canyon fall colors update.
Photos and information by Jerry Boyer, author, Canyon Echos.

Governor Dennis Daugaard has proclaimed Sept. 26 through Oct. 2 photography week in South Dakota. With beautiful fall colors and a host of events here in the Black Hills, it is the perfect week for photography.

The Black Hill Photo Shootout is set for Sept. 30 – Oct. 2. It offers a variety of classes taught by professionals in the field. There are classes focused on Bear Butte, Spearfish Canyon waterfalls, cowboy portraits, editing classes and more.

It’s also photography week at Black Hills State University. Shutterbuzz, the BHSU photography club, is hosting a number of lectures. There is also a variety of photo exhibits on display throughout campus.

On Monday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in room 008, Jonas Hall, there will be a lecture and discussion on rephotography by Dr. Robert Campbell, associate professor of history and geography at BHSU. Rephotography is the practice of returning to sites by using historic photographs as a guide and photographing a modern version of the image.

The MAC Group, a marketing, sales and distribution group focusing on professional photographers, will be offering equipment demonstrations and seminars Friday, Sept. 30 in Jonas Hall, room 008.

The week will culminate with the Black Hills Photo Shootout keynote speaker David Stocklien on Friday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Clare and Josef Meier Recital Hall. Stoecklein is a Canon “Explorer of Light” and has been recognized by the editors of True West magazine as the “Best Living Photographer of the West.” The distinguished award is given each year as part of the magazine’s “Best of the West” issue.

The variety of lectures and classes offer something for every type of photographer. With splashes of fall colors sprinkled throughout the Hills, there are going to be some amazing photographs produced during Photography Week!