Sylvan Lake Lodge (5 days of Sabbath)

During my time at Sylvan I had but one goal, to see exactly what life has been like for my brother. Upon arriving I already felt the sense of awkwardness that he had spoke of. We were warned that we may be kicked out or arrested for staying in what I will affectionately call the employee barracks so we were slightly concerned and when my brother told me what they make him pay for food and housing I understood that working for Custer State Park is not a job with near the benefits of other parks.

When we finally got permission to stay I was quite relieved and I knew I would be able to enjoy all the benefits of guests as long as I was respectful. My goal for day 1 was to hike Harney Peak, the highest point between the Rockies and the Pyrenees, from which you can see four states on a clear day (Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, and of course South Dakota).

After walking with Ricky to the general store where he works I filled up my Camelbak and set out for the trail. Something worth mentioning is that due to the dryness and elevation I found walking any distance more exhausting than all riding a bicycle all day. In my five days there I never really adjusted to this but the exhaustion was well worth it.

The beginning of the trail up to Harney's Peak was amazing as the sun hit the glistening rocks and the trail had a magical glow about it. For this reason the Black Hills are still my favorite part of the trip.

You would think riding all the way from NYC would put me in better shape than most but watching old people and little kids walk up the trail left me in doubt of my own abilities. But I finally reached the peak and on this clear day it was all worth it. A violent breeze swept across the top of the mountain but provided relief from the sun and dry heat. I later found out that a young man who was climbing at the peak was knocked off balance by the wind and fell 30 feet. He was badly injured but survived fortunately.

The rest of my time at Sylvan was spent relaxing for the most part. My brother took me kayaking and climbing for the first time and it was just what I needed. We also went down into Custer to watch the fireworks with his friends Laura and Sarah.

When it finally came time to leave I'll admit I was tempted to see if I could get a job with the lodge but I knew there were more miles to be ridden and while I am proud of my brother for living his adventure, the time our adventures intersected had to come to an end so I could continue mine.
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