School is well underway now, and for a class field trip, we
drove about twenty minutes into the hills to an obscure pull off down a long
dirt road. We hiked in a quarter mile and memorized some rare plant species and
stopped along the bubbling brook that gouged out the mountain
side. As we stood there resting in the sun a student asked where we were, the
professor answered, “Griggs Gulch.” I searched it on maps and asked around
town, and indeed it is Griggs Gulch, a beautifully secluded place that is
untouched by tourists and most locals allowing it to become a safe haven for
extremely rare plants to call home and for the true black hills still thrive. Earlier
this week Gretchen and I went back to Griggs Gulch to further explore its
depths. The trail started off strong as dirt, then got lighter and over grown,
then we were forced to bushwhack and use the small brook as a route through the
wild place. Near the end of the gulch was the source of the brook, a beautiful
mossy cascade of fresh aquifer water. It was cold, clear, and untouched,
gurgling up from under boulders and a small mossy wall that stood about six
feet tall. We stayed there for a while in awe of this pure and natural
splendor, I have a small (or rather large) obsession with spring fed waters and
their mechanics, beauty, and natural blessing for the world. What’s a cooler
welcome to a new home than a beautiful and secret spot in hills that shares
your name? And with my family history here in South Dakota, who knows- it may
have even been discovered or named by my own ancestors!
I’ve spent almost a month in my new home now, in Spearfish,
SD, and it’s truly a paradise for everything I want and need in life. Spearfish
has a feel of a little mountain town, perched above the golden and rolling
prairies of western South Dakota. Its hustle and bustle with all ages that are
busy biking, climbing, hiking, and fishing the adjacent black hills, yet holds
a Midwestern charm and friendliness to it that many higher-end mountain towns
lack. Its everyman’s mountain town with less cost, less
crowding/commercialization, more outdoor opportunities, and most importantly-
less assholes! Upon my arrival and prolonged stay, I set clear priorities for
success in my new home: 1) fishing
spots, 2) hiking trails, 3) school, 4) work. Thus far everything has been accomplished. The second week in town, I was hired on to Dakota Angler and Outfitter's guide crew and am in the process of becoming a naturalist at the Outdoor Campus West for the SD-GFP. I have gone camping on the tops of mountains, hiked and fished in only a fraction of a fraction of what the area has to offer. I'm damn near heaven I'd say...
Spearfish is affectionately called
the “Queen City” due to its location in the valley between three prominent
mountains- Spearfish, Lookout, and Crow Peak which form a “crown” around the
valley. It’s also situated along the banks of Spearfish Creek named by the
first white-men to venture into the area and saw natives spearing fish in the
creek. The creek has made a popular natural splendor known as Spearfish Canyon.
This is home-base for all adventures: be it fishing, hiking, climbing, biking-
it truly abounds with opportunity and is a beautiful place in the world. The
canyon is home to some fantastic wild brook, brown, and rainbow fishing,
five-hundred rock climbing routes, and numerous trails that lead to everything
from hidden ghost towns, caves, and mountain vistas.
There’s an overwhelming sense of freedom here- perhaps not
in the sense of “anything, anywhere, anytime,” but its damn close. There’s few
things you “need” in order to get outdoors here, as opposed to northern MN where
canoes are king- which is a beautiful fact. But here, all you need is a will and a
good pair of shoes and you can get lost for days. Last night, Gretchen and I
hiked to the top of Old Baldy mountain and slept under the stars: perfect
weather, no bugs, only one mouse in the middle of the night- this place is an
adventurer’s paradise. And in the morning the sunrise was bright pink and shown
the fall aspens in their golden glory on the hill sides. Fall is creeping in with
inconspicuous grace these days and I am thoroughly excited for the year to
come.
To sum it up, I’m adjusting quite well. The trout are plenty,
trails sprawling, and school and jobs rewarding. I’ve come to realize that
people are the same wherever you go, and it’s no reason why you should change
yourself. Yeah, there are more cowboy hats than canoes here, it’s not at the
end of the road but in the middle of it- perched in an oasis that goes over
looked by those caught on their journeys further east or west- but it’s all the
same, its home.
