Faithful readers and friends – near and far. This will be my last post here on the Black Hills Travel Blog. I’m not leaving the Black Hills, mind you. Just leaving my role as a regular contributor to the blog, due to other commitments that will be taking up much more of my time down the road.

During my time spent writing and shooting photos for the blog the past couple of years, I’ve written 230 different blog posts. I’ve explored every corner of the region, and learned more stuff about more stuff in the Black Hills than I ever would have imagined would be possible.

I’ve experienced the thundering spectacle of the Custer State Park buffalo roundup and the one-of-a-kind sights of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I met Rupert from the reality TV show, Survivor, and watched Pee-Wee Herman ride a tricked-out Schwinn down Deadwood’s Main Street.

The Nemo Outhouse Races were an absolute hoot to attend, and the Chinese & Lakota muti-cultural burial ceremony at Mt. Moriah was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.

I’ve explored the Flume Trail tunnels and seen the largest undisputed gold nugget ever found in the Black Hills. I’ve learned that flying squirrels really DO live in the Black Hills and that horns are entirely different from antlers. I’ve chased bluebirds down gravel country roads, and stood in absolute silence in Spearfish Canyon – waiting to hear the once-in-a-lifetime song of an Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush.

The point is…I’ve gotten to see and do some very cool things during my time with the Black Hills Travel Blog. And all of those experiences were for – and made possible by – you, our readers. Nearly 30,000 of you every month! Your readership has continually proved that the Black Hills Travel Blog is worthwhile and that the content we’re sharing is helpful and relevant to you in some way.

The rest of my fellow contributors will keep providing you with exciting Black Hills stories, news and events in the future, and they look forward to hearing from you with any story ideas or suggestions.

For your encouraging comments, kind words of support and continued readership – we thank you.

And for the opportunity to truly discover the Black Hills like few people do - I, personally, thank you. It’s been a fantastic experience being part of the Black Hills Travel Blog team.

I look forward to following the travel blog and all of the great stories that it will continue to share. Except, this time – I’ll be on the other side of the screen.

Happy trails, my friends.

Last Sunday, I did.

It was a cloudy, drizzly day and everything was a drab, grayish-brown color. So – in my mind – the small purple flowers with the yellow centers should have been easy to see, their colors standing in stark contrast to the dull surroundings of the forest floor. Nothing could have been further from the truth. They were nearly impossible to see from the gravel road as we slowly explored near Pactola Reservoir.

My wife and I had all but given up on finding what we had come looking for. Just before we were about to turn back onto Highway 385, out of the corner of my eye – I caught a flash of purple. I slammed on the brakes and about scared my wife out of the car as I hollered, “there they are!” And they were.

The South Dakota state flower – the pasque flower – that we had come in search of, was sprouting up through a dense bed of pine needles. We parked the car and explored the hillside, finding more and more of the little lavender harbingers of spring.

Pasque flowers can be a challenge to find, as our outing proved. I’d read that they tend to grow most readily in untilled soil, often on the north sides of hills. Those general directions perfectly described the location where we found these pasques. If you decide to go find pasque flowers on your own, good luck and happy hunting!

Every year, right about the first of April, newborn bison calves start appearing in the various herds around the Black Hills region.

A few weeks ago, I asked some friends – who work in Custer State Park – to give me the high-sign whenever they saw the first calf of the season.

Early this morning, they delivered. The first message in my inbox today was from my friend Craig Pugsley, the visitor services coordinator down in Custer State Park. He shared these photos of the first confirmed calf of the season, which was first seen and photographed yesterday afternoon.

I asked Craig whether the calf was male or female; to which he lightheartedly replied, “Not sure, I didn’t crawl under to check.” Point well taken.

Shortly thereafter, I got another email from Chad Kremer, the buffalo herd manager for the park. He had a few more details for me. This first 2011 calf is a little heifer (female), and appears to be about one week old already. Big Momma Bison is from the 1997 bunch of calves and is now 14 years old. About 350 new bison calves are expected to be born in Custer State Park this year; most of them will be born in May. Also, early this morning, Baby Bison #2 was spotted.

The South Dakota State Parks Facebook page is running an informal contest to name this first bison calf. So far, the winning name is “Pugsley.”

Check out the gallery below for more photos of the little bugger. Thanks to Ron Tietsort, conservation officer at Custer State Park, for taking them.

The Black Hills region – she’s a fickle beauty. Especially when it comes to weather and the changing of the seasons.

We’re officially more than a week into spring, but earlier this week, it looked more like mid-winter throughout the Black Hills and surrounding areas. Snow and freezing rain fell, creating a frosty landscape that looked like a scene you would see on a holiday greeting card.

Despite Old Man Winter’s best efforts to hang on a bit longer, Mother Nature is sending signals that spring really is here in the Black Hills. Admittedly, I’m out and about exploring the hills more often than many, but during just the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen countless signs of spring that have me convinced winter may be on its way out.

Some of the most convincing, natural signs of spring that I’ve encountered so far include:

• Bridal Veil Falls in Spearfish Canyon is visibly flowing again
• Mountain Bluebirds are flitting about the region
• Western Meadowlarks are singing their songs from fence posts and treetops
• Bighorn sheep lambs have already been spotted
• Female bison are HUGE; the first bison calves of the season are expected to be born any day now
• Grouse are starting their seasonal mating dances
• Turkey toms are strutting their stuff with tail-feathers fanned wide, in hopes of impressing the hens
• Many of the eagles and other raptors that winter here have started their migrations back out of the region

And, a few “non-natural” reasons I can tell it’s spring in the hills:

• Black Hills snowmobile trails officially close today (March 31)
• The number of motorcycles and convertibles is steadily increasing on our winding roads
• Spring maintenance galore has begun on many of the local mountain bike trails
• Even with snow on the ground, rock climbers are back out on the granite and limestone routes

There are many more ways to tell that the seasons – they are a changin’. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears alerted to what’s around you in the next few weeks. There are some very cool sights and sounds to experience here in this paradisaical place called the Black Hills.

When it comes to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Deadwood, everyone is at least a little bit Irish. Historic Deadwood is all set for two big days of Irish-themed events, and visitors from near and far are starting to roll into town.

The annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations kick off Thursday, March 17, with the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on historic Main Street at 5 p.m. Festivities continue Saturday, March 19, with a pub crawl, poker run, a second parade and live entertainment. Events are organized by the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce.

Saturday, March 19, pub crawl and poker run registrations start at 11 a.m. at the Franklin Hotel. The crawl and poker run begin at 2 p.m., and both events are free to enter. Participants will be eligible for numerous prizes and discounts. In 2010, nearly 800 people participated in the pub crawl. The Deadwood Chamber expects even more participants this year.

The parade on Saturday, March 19, will be at 7 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony for the afternoon’s events, and live entertainment at various venues throughout Deadwood.

“Deadwood’s St. Patrick’s Day is steeped with tradition, and the event has made itself at home in this historic community,” said George Milos, Deadwood Chamber executive director. “What started out as a small event with a parade with a handful of folks walking Deadwood’s Main Street has turned into a two-day event with Irish music, food and a thousand-person pub crawl. If you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, you have to do it Deadwood style.”

Open container regulations will be relaxed on both days — from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on March 17, and from noon to 10 p.m. on March 19.

Or, just take a look at these shots that I took at the wacky winter event. They show several of the different teams’ “outhouse” constructions and paint a pretty clear picture of what the Nemo Outhouse Races were all about.

I’ve lived here in the Black Hills for several years now, but have never made it down to the famous ‘Nemo 500 Outhouse Races.’ I had good intentions of going last year, but the best laid plans of mice and men…

Anyway, this year I’ll be there – at the outhouse races in Nemo. From everything I’ve been told, the event is an absolute hoot and it’s coming up this Saturday, February 26 at the Nemo Guest Ranch, starting around 10AM.

The premise is simple: build a mobile “outhouse,” get together a team and push, pull or drag your structure around a timed course. The team with the fastest time wins.

Wins what? I don’t know, but I’m sure the prize is something ‘spectacular.’

The tiny town of Nemo, located between Rapid City and Deadwood, is hardly more than a speck on the map. But what it lacks in population, it makes up for in good…uh, “clean”…fun with the annual outhouse races.

There is a $75 entry fee for every outhouse entered and those fees go to a good cause. The outhouse races are part of a day-long event that serves as a fundraiser for a local charity. This year the beneficiary of the event is the Northern Hills Alliance for Children and the new First Step Child Care Center in Deadwood.

Last year, more than 1,000 people showed up for the fun day which includes: a bonfire, indoor and outdoor bars, a chili cook-off, a barbecue cook-off, silent and live auctions, a raffle drawing to win an expense-paid cruise and shovel races for the kids. I’ve never seen shovel races before either, but I’m betting they’ll be worth a good laugh, whatever they are.

It’s going to be a cold one on Saturday, so bundle up if you go. I’ll be there – camera-in-hand – and will try to post some photos of the event next week here on the travel blog

For more info about the outhouse races or for help finding Nemo, call the crew at the Nemo Guest Ranch at 605-578-2708.

Time to round up your masks, beads and Cajun-style party spirit. Mardi Gras celebrations hit the historic town of Deadwood on March 4 and 5, and organizers are gearing up for the region’s largest winter gathering. Thousands of Mardi Gras fans will converge in Deadwood to take part in the FREE festivities.

Events kick off Friday, March 4, with the People’s Parade at 7 p.m. This parade, complete with floats, costumes and beads, is for both spectators and participants because anyone can join in the festivities. The parade route starts at the lower Main Street parking lot and ends at the Silverado-Franklin Historic Hotel & Gaming Complex block.

The costume contest and the coronation of the 2011 Mardi Gras King and Queen will be held at The Buffalo Saloon on Deadwood’s Main Street after the parade. After the contest and coronation, Louisiana-born Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble will play their Zydeco music at The Buffalo. The city of Deadwood is allowing open containers on Main Street from the Four Aces Casino to the Masonic Lodge from 5-10 p.m.

Saturday’s Mardi Gras events include the Cajun Cook-Off, which starts at 2 p.m. Anyone who loves food with a little spice and Southern flavor is encouraged to stop by participating Main Street businesses for a public tasting until 4 p.m.

Those with more of a sweet tooth could venture to The Historic Bullock Hotel between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to witness the 3rd annual Mardi Gras Cake Decorating Contest. And after Saturday’s parade, the cakes will be served to the public.

On Saturday at 7 p.m., thousands of spectators will line Deadwood’s Main Street with hopes of catching some of the 100,000 strings of beads thrown during the annual Mardi Gras Parade of Lights. The 2011 King and Queen will lead the way, along with floats created by local groups and businesses. Open containers will again be permitted from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble will take The Buffalo Saloon stage after the parade.

This year, the King and Queen of Deadwood’s Mardi Gras are being chosen on the Historic Deadwood Facebook page. Voting is currently underway and the “polls” close at noon tomorrow. Head on over to the Deadwood Facebook page, cast your vote for royalty and we’ll see you in downtown Deadwood just a couple short weeks from now.

My friend Mike, from Rapid City, came along too and we had a great afternoon on the trails putting our best modeling feet…er, sleds, forward.

Anyway, for more about the photo shoot experience itself, check out last week’s blog post by clicking HERE. Yesterday Chad Coppess, South Dakota Tourism senior photographer, emailed me these shots that he took during last week’s outing. He doesn’t know where or how they might be used for tourism promotion in the future – but, should you happen to see any of these images pop up down the road, you saw them here first. Enjoy!

That’s right, I recently made my world-famous modeling debut. Well, probably not “world famous,” but maybe “South Dakota quasi-famous.” It was on a snowmobile. And yes, I was safe and wore a helmet.

Earlier this week, I met up with a couple of friends who – I’m convinced – have some of the most interesting jobs in South Dakota. You see, they work for the South Dakota Department of Tourism, on the creative media side of things.

“Creative media? What’s that,” you might ask. Simply put, they get to travel all over this great state, shooting photos and video of everything in sight – for use in tourism promotion.

Chad Coppess is the senior photographer for South Dakota Tourism and Scott Howard is the video producer. They’ve filmed and photographed everything from pumpkin festivals to pow-wows and buffalo roundups to riled-up rattlesnakes.

This week they were here in the Black Hills and needed a couple of “models” to do some snowmobiling, while they created some new material. I jumped at the opportunity, and convinced a buddy of mine from Rapid City to come along too.

We left Spearfish Canyon Lodge on a couple of rented sleds and spent a beautiful afternoon on the trails, while the pros from South Dakota Tourism did their thing.

I was amazed at all of the different angles, methods and equipment that Coppess and Howard used. There were tiny little cameras fixed to helmets and there were great big cameras hoisted up on shoulders. There were long telephoto lenses and short, wide-angle lenses. They’d shoot from high up on a hillside and from down low, laying alongside the trail.

Even though they may not have had the most beautiful of “models” for the day, they still ended up with some great new photo and video content. Coppess and Howard are back at the South Dakota Tourism offices in Pierre, sorting through and editing everything from this week, and they assure me that they’ll share some of the new stuff from the snowmobile photo shoot in the coming weeks.

As soon as they share it with me, I’ll share it with you – right here on the Black Hills Travel Blog. Stay tuned, friends.