We will likely never know his name, but yesterday we laid him to rest, high above Historic Deadwood. It was a re-interment service for the unidentified remains of a nineteenth century Deadwood ancestor.

With a combination of Chinese Taoism, Lakota Sioux tradition and Catholic Christian rites, it was easily the most interesting and culturally diverse graveside service that I’ve ever attended.

It began in the spring of 2006, when construction workers in Deadwood were dismantling a retaining wall in the Presidential Neighborhood. In the process, they unearthed the remains of a long-since-forgotten burial coffin. For the next three days, the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and the South Dakota Archaeological Research Center (SD-ARC) carefully excavated the site and revealed the human remains of one of Deadwood’s early pioneers.

You see, the area of the discovery had previously been the location of Ingleside Cemetery – Deadwood’s first – before Mt. Moriah Cemetery. Most burials from Ingleside were moved up the hill to Mt. Moriah when it was established in 1878. This grave, for one reason or another, failed to get moved.

The remains came to be called the ‘unknown pioneer’ and were transported to Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota for forensic analysis. Findings showed that the remains dated from the late 1870s and were those of an adult male between 25 and 34 years of age at the time of death. Height was reconstructed to be between 5′4″ and 5′8″ and the bones showed little evidence of skeletal disease.

Race was classified as Mongoloid, possibly Native American or Chinese in origin. Both were plausible because American Indians lived in and passed through Deadwood often and there was a population of Chinese immigrants also living and working in town.

The City of Deadwood wanted to properly honor and re-inter the unknown pioneer, so contacted Lakota and Chinese cultural advisers about the remains. On December 16, 2008, delegates from the Pine Ridge Oglala and Rosebud Sioux Tribes, the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, Deadwood HPC and SD-ARC met to determine an appropriate course of action.

An agreement was reached and an important partnership was formed between the different groups. Since the true identity was not known, all parties decided to honor these remains simply ‘as a person.’ Each group would pay their respects and honor cultural traditions in their own ways, while combining them into one graveside ceremony.

And that’s what yesterday was all about – honoring all cultures involved while giving these remains a respectable and permanent burial. The unknown pioneer was laid to rest high on Mt. Moriah, near the Seth Bullock gravesite.

The public service was a unique cultural combination of rituals. Since the remains were found in an Anglo-American style casket, Father Kerry Prendiville of Deadwood’s St. Ambrose Catholic Church, offered a Christian burial rite of scripture and a blessing.

Taoist spiritual leader, Master E-Man of California, lead the traditional Chinese ceremony. Oglala Sioux traditional spiritual leader, Wilmer Mesteth, concluded the interment by providing Lakota prayers and songs over the grave.

The permanent site marker was engraved with cultural symbols and “In Honor of Our Ancestor” in English, Chinese and Lakota.

Click the photos below for larger versions.

[View with PicLens]

Photo by Doug Backlund. Used with permission.

An unusual and truly unexpected bird has been sighted in Spearfish Canyon. One that even the most optimistic of birding enthusiasts would never expect to see in the United States, let alone South Dakota.

It’s a male Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush that typically only lives in Mexico, Central America and northern South America. This wayward bird is about 1,500 miles farther north than its species has ever been documented. So, this little feller is a long way from home!

It’s so unusual, in fact, that there have only been two, count ‘em TWO, other Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrushes ever recorded in the U.S. The American Birding Association reports that the only other two sightings occurred in southern Texas, one in 1996 and the other in 2004.

This Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush was first discovered in Spearfish Canyon, along Iron Creek, by Eric Ripma on July 10. Ripma is a field technician with the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. The theory among local birders is that this bird probably ducked in with a bunch of somewhat similar Swainson’s Thrushes as they migrated north to their usual breeding sites in Spearfish Canyon for the summer.

A couple days ago I decided to try to catch a glimpse of the rare bird myself. I headed out into Spearfish Canyon and parked at the Iron Creek parking area – about two miles north of Spearfish Canyon Lodge at Savoy. I was only about 30 yards or so from my car when I came across several other birders on the trail – all with binoculars aimed towards the creek.

One of the women introduced herself as Jen Fowler. Fowler is a science teacher in the Rapid City school system and, like Eric Ripma, also works with the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.

Ripma, who originally sighted the bird, lives out of state and had to move on after a few days in Spearfish Canyon. Jen Fowler, however, lives here in the hills and has taken a big interest in the Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush. She’s spent a lot of time out along Iron Creek since the bird was first reported and was a huge help in knowing what to listen and look for.

We would all quietly stand in a group, just waiting to hear the Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush sing. It’s a beautiful three-toned song that is distinctly different from any other birds that you’ll hear in Spearfish Canyon.

We would hear him sing in the trees straight in front of us. Binoculars up! We’d slowly scan the trees from eye level on up. He’d sing again, but nobody would spot him. Next thing you know, we’d hear him sing 15 or 20 yards downstream.

Everybody would tilt their ears, listen and point in unison. All at once, we’d move on down the stream towards the sound. Pause. Hear bird sing. Binoculars up! Scan. Wait. Repeat.

It was like looking for a needle in the proverbial haystack – except this “needle” could be easily heard and has a bill that’s almost florescent orange in color. Even though I could easily hear the evasive bird singing over and over, I never did get to see him with my own eyes.

It was definitely an interesting process and I can see why this bird is causing such a hubbub in the national birding community. More than 200 folks from 20+ different states and 2 Canadian provinces have already made the trip to the Black Hills in hopes of seeing the once in a lifetime Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush.

There’s no telling how long this out of place little visitor will remain here in the hills, but Fowler told me that if he doesn’t migrate back south once the cold weather arrives, he won’t survive the region’s often harsh winter.

Recent sightings of the bird indicate that the best times to view him are in the early morning hours, from sunrise to around 8:00 a.m – the earlier in the morning the better. He has been sighted most frequently in the poplar trees along Iron Creek, within the first couple hundred yards of the parking area along Hwy 14A.

For more information about the Spearfish Canyon Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush and for updates about ongoing sightings, visit Birdingonthe.net.

My friend, Mindy, was telling me the other day that she felt like she had a real case of the “Summertime Blues.” She’d just been told that she couldn’t go out and enjoy the Black Hills region like she normally does and was pretty bummed about the whole ordeal. Her story had a positive ending though, so I asked her to share it here. Enjoy. — Joe

************************************************************

The news was in, and it wasn’t good. The doctor hung her head low and informed me that I was not to rock climb for a minimum of one month – until the 2 inch incision on my arm had healed.

Alright, so it was a routine procedure, completely non-life threatening and I even got a lollipop from the nurse for being brave. But no climbing for one month? That’s ludicrous!

After she told me this, I could have cared less about the stitches and pain in my arm. I became panicked, sitting nervously in my sterile hospital gown. It hit me like ton of bricks; like the weight that falls on your shoulders when your parents tell you that your dog, Scruffy, went outside and “never came back.”

I’d been hit by the mid-summer blues.

So many of us wait many long months for summer to finally arrive. After battling freak cold fronts and spring storms, visitors and locals populate the Black Hills for fun in the sun and an unforgettable vacation experience. If you’re like me, you came to the Black Hills as a visitor or to live, seeking high energy activities and an enriching experience.

As an avid climber and outdoor enthusiast, I retreat each weekend to the limestone or granite walls around our great region for some of the best climbing in the United States. Unfortunately, as mother nature intends, June turns to July and before you know it, summer is half over and fall is on its way.

After leaving the doctor’s office, it only took me a few minutes to realize that I could cure myself of these blues, even without hitting the crags. I was quick to remember that the Black Hills offer so many attractions and activities, it’s hard to beat the inclusive experience summer provides us with.

If you’re feeling the crunch and are a little blue about the thought of summer slipping away, I can prescribe you some great antidotes to beat your mid-summer blues, starting with some Black Hills events coming up this weekend:

• Gold Discovery Days in Custer
• 24th Annual CASA Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk in Spearfish Canyon
• 5th Annual Alice Smith Flower Show in Hill City
• Black Hills Farmers Market in Rapid City

Although I’m not a doctor of medicine, I know the power and versatility our great region has to offer. Take two and call me in the morning.

Last week the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau launched a new, high-tech way to explore the area using a location-based game called SCVNGR. Visitors get to interact with the people and places of Rapid City in a new and interactive way, all through their mobile phones.

Using their own smartphones, equipped with either an Apple iPhone or Google Android platform, visitors will be able to download the free SCVNGR application and navigate around Rapid City. The object is to complete challenges and earn points as you learn more about the city.

The Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau has built three “treks” on SCVNGR:

• The Rapid City Trek – highlights 11 of the most unique locations throughout the city.
• The Reptile Gardens Trek – leads visitors through the famous animal attraction that’s home to more species of reptiles and amphibians than any other zoo in the world.
• The City of Presidents Trek – leads visitors through a series of life-size bronze statues of our nation’s past presidents, all located in downtown Rapid City.

All of the treks showcase quick, fun challenges to do at each location. For example, players heading to Dinosaur Park will see a three point challenge to find their dinosaur “alter-ego.” Once found, players snap a picture with their new pal while giving their best fierce face and nab their three points.

Players earn points for completing challenges like this all across town and can choose to share their activity out to their friends via Facebook and Twitter and, of course, to other players on SCVNGR.

Michelle Thomson, Tourism Director for the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau said, “This is an exciting, interactive way for visitors and residents to experience and explore our city. We are excited to be one of the first cities to use this cutting-edge form of location-based social media.”

To play, grab the free SCVNGR app from the Android Market or Apple App Store, Once in the app, tap the treks tab and select the Rapid City, Reptile Gardens, or Presidents trek. Through the SCVNGR app, these treks can be accessed for free by anybody at any time.

Treks can also be played via text message by sending the trek’s keyword to 728647. If playing by text, keywords for the treks are:

• RAPIDCITY
• PRESIDENTS
• REPTILEGARDENS

“We are offering our visitors a way to not just tour the city, but actually play their way through the city,” Thomson said. “Players are saying it’s a lot of fun!”

For more information about Rapid City’s SCVNGR game, check out www.visitrapidcity.com/scvngr.

Last weekend we were hanging out with some friends here in the hills and my friend Michael pulled out this crazy skateboard-looking contraption that I’d never seen anything like before.

He called it a mountain board – which made total sense because it looked like the deck of a skateboard, except with mini mountain bike-style knobby tires. It had bindings that attached his feet to the deck and a hand-brake, similar to what you’d see on a bicycle. The brake had a cable about three feet long that ran down and connected to the wheels on the thing.

Think of mountain boarding like off-road skateboarding or summer-time snowboarding. It’s a fairly new outdoor adventure sport that is apparently growing in popularity pretty quickly.

I tried the mountain board for a few feet, but I was definitely not a natural. Michael and his 12-year old son, Dawson, were much more at ease and showed us how it was done. They mountain boarded some really cool terrain in the Black Hills and out near the Badlands – I think young Dawson might just have a future in the sport!

Check out the video above for a better idea of what mountain boarding is all about.

**Special thanks to Michael Hurley, Michael Swenson and his son Dawson for sharing their video footage for use here on the Black Hills Travel Blog.

I’ve noticed that each summer around this time, just about every car dealer in Spearfish – regardless of franchise – finds a way to have at least one sleek, shiny Chevy Corvette prominently for sale on their lot. Just in time for the annual Black Hills Corvette Classic that brings nearly 500 Corvettes rolling into town.

The 39th annual Corvette Classic is this weekend, July 15-17 in and around Spearfish. Last night on my way home, I saw a couple of lone Vettes – the early arrivals – parked around town. They kind of reminded me of those solitary bison bulls you see down in Custer State Park – all alone and waiting for the rest of the herd to come their way. But, I digress.

The majority of the Corvettes will come cruising into town mid to late afternoon tomorrow, July 15. Over the course of the three-day rally, the Corvette enthusiasts will take part in guided driving tours around the Black Hills, drag racing, a poker run throughout the region, wine tasting, concerts and more.

Most of the activities are for registered attendees only, but don’t let that fool you – if you’re in the Black Hills this weekend, you’ll see plenty of Corvettes out and about taking advantage of the scenic, spiraling roads in the region.

The main opportunity for the public to check out the classy cars will be on Friday evening, July 16, in downtown Spearfish. Main Street will be blocked off to general traffic and will literally be transformed into ‘Vette Street USA’ for a few hours. The Corvettes will line the street downtown from 6-9:30 p.m for a public show & shine and people’s choice award contest.

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve thought Corvettes were pretty cool. If you’re anything like me in that way, Friday night’s downtown event will be like a playground for you – without the climbing and dirt and touching, of course.

It’s going to be a busy weekend in Spearfish with the Corvette Classic going on and the Festival in the Park happening just a few blocks away. Lots of great events, lots of great people – all in one great place!

Enormous smoked turkey legs, fresh-squeezed lemonade, live music, nationally recognized artists and more than 20,000 smiling people -  all hanging out next to one of the most beautiful mountain streams anywhere.

That’s what I think of when I picture Spearfish’s Festival in the Park – one of my favorite annual events in the Black Hills! And the 2010 event is happening this weekend, July 16-18.

Festival in the Park is one of the largest outdoor summer arts festivals in the upper Midwest. Always held the third weekend in July – in Spearfish City Park – it attracts more than 200 fine art, craft and food vendors for the three-day event. And those are only the vendors that are selected to participate.

You see, Festival in the Park is a juried exhibition. That means many more artists and vendors apply to be part of the event – but are carefully screened out beforehand by a local committee, to ensure that a unique cross-section of the ‘best of the best’ are represented.

Artisans from across the U.S. clamor to be part of the Spearfish Festival in the Park every year because they know that it’s one of the greatest events of its kind – fantastic scenery, friendly people and professionally organized by the Spearfish Center for the Arts and Humanities.

There are some really cool artists and products that will be available this year too: from handcrafted clocks to homemade jalapeno jelly; from oak furniture to original watercolor paintings.

The artists are incredible, but there’s much more to Festival in the Park than that. The young and the young-at-heart float down refreshing Spearfish Creek on inner tubes and the older generations people-watch from the shade of the cottonwood trees. Local and regional performers put on free shows at the band shell and in the beer garden all weekend long.

Children’s events include: puppet shows, chalk art contests and a toy boat-building and racing event.

Friday evening events are considered the sneak preview fundraiser portion of Festival in the Park. A $5 wristband, available at the gate, is required to enter the entertainment and vendor areas on Friday night. All day Saturday and Sunday, the festival and events are FREE for all visitors.

For a full schedule of events and more details about the festival, click HERE.

Spearfish Festival in the Park really is one of my favorite events of the summer and I’ll probably be there both Friday evening and throughout the day on Saturday. I’ll be the one with a giant turkey leg and a cheek-puckering lemonade in hand – be sure to say hi!

I had a chance last week to meet Mary and Don Nolin, two of the winners in the “Vacation Makeover: Destination Mount Rushmore,” online contest. They won a free vacation to the Black Hills, worth up to $4,000, and a Kodak Zx1 Pocket Video Camera.

Mary and Don,  a very nice couple from Lincoln, Neb., are no strangers to the Black Hills. In fact, they were married at the Franklin Hotel in Deadwood in 1995, and they regularly return to Deadwood to play the slots and see the sights.

Their story about the Deadwood wedding, posted on the contest page, www.blackhills.travel, won more than 10,000 votes from online readers. That’s how they won the trip.

But this trip will be much different than their past Black Hills adventures. For one thing, if you’ve ever traveled to the Black Hills you know $4,000 goes a long, long way.

Intern Caitlin Roeder pieces together fragments of an ancient mammoth tusk in the lab at the Hot Springs Mammoth Site. The Nolins got a behind-the-scenes Mammoth Site tour.

Their schedule includes more than two dozen attractions, including Custer State Park, Wind Cave, Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, Wall Drug, two gold mines, a couple of caves, a few museums and family attractions such as Reptile Gardens, the Cosmos and Bear Country USA.

On Thursday, they got a private, behind-the-scenes tour of the Hot Springs Mammoth site. (Fascinating, by the way, for us tag-alongs.)

“We’re going to need a vacation from our vacation,” Mary said with a chuckle.

CLICK ABOVE TO VIEW ROCK CLIMBING IN VICTORIA CANYON

A bit of a dark horse in the rock climbing world, the Black Hills are quietly blessed with some of the most varied and scenic climbing routes in the United States. With an unmatched mix of limestone cliffs, granite spires and dolomite faces, the Black Hills region is an absolute paradise for climbers looking for awesome routes and few crowds.

A few days ago my friend Mindy Harrell, who’s quite the salty climber lady and videographer, headed out to Victoria Canyon for some limestone climbing. Victoria Canyon, or “The VC” as locals call it, is located just outside of Rapid City and has routes that have been developed by local and regional climbers.

Mindy and her climbing partners tackled some crazy routes with some crazy names. In the video above you’ll see the following climbers:

• Jake Whittle: college student from Rapid City who grew up climbing with his family throughout the Black Hills. He is sponsored by climbing companies: Mad Rock, Sterling, Vedavoo, ZenLizard and Avid. Jake is shown climbing ‘I Speak Crussian,’ a 5.12b/c rated sport route in The VC.
• Brie Van Dam: graduate student at the University of Colorado at Boulder who is working towards her Ph.D in atmospheric sciences. Brie made the trip from Colorado for the climbing in the Black Hills and is shown on ‘Map of Japan,’ a 5.12a/b rated sport route.
  
• Mindy Harrell: originally from Dubois, Wyoming but now works in Deadwood as an accounts manager for a communications firm. Mindy is shown climbing ‘Mock Duck RS,’ a 5.10- rated sport route.