Last weekend’s Crazy Horse Volksmarchers played hide-and-seek with the sunshine – and hide-and-seek with the monument itself. Some people I talked to reported that the 10-kilometer hike was cold and foggy, but other people told me the sun came out, and the view from the top was fantastic.

In all, nearly 7,300 people made the trip to the arm of the Crazy Horse Memorial, near Custer in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

The photos of Crazy Horse in the fog have an interesting, eerie feel. The big stone face seems to peer out from the inside of a cloud. He seems a little ominous.

Each year since 1985, Crazy Horse Memorial and the Black Hills Chapter of the Ameircan Volkssport Association put on the event, one of the most popular volksmarches in the United States. According to the folks at Crazy Horse, more than 187,000 walkers have participated since 1985.

They sent out a photo of 10-year-old Paige Pitcher (above) from Green River, Wyo., who was the 5,000th hiker to make it to the top of the mountain. She’s done the Crazy Horse Volksmarch four other times. Paige received a walking stick and a T-shirt.

By the way, Crazy Horse is also putting on the 19th annual Crazy Horse Stampede and Gift From Mother Earth celebration. The rodeo is set for June 19, 20 and 21.