Boxwork calcite formations
We took the first tour this morning of Wind Cave, starting at 9 am. Along with about 25 others, and a ranger, we climbed down a couple of hundred feet along stairs and narrow passageways into the cave. The cave is quite dry, and has no large stalagmites or stalactites, but it does have many intricate calcite formations known as boxwork. These are a honeycomb of square formations several inches deep which hang from the roof. There were also tiny frost like crystals of calcite on some of the rocks.
Enid on the Lookout Point trail
After the tour was completed we went for a hike through the Black Hills and the prairie. The trail followed a creek in a valley for about half the walk. It was cooler here, which was nice as it was a very warm day today, near 30 C. We ate lunch in the shade of the ponderosa pines while sitting on a bridge over a dry creek. After lunch we continued on and the terrain changed to rolling prairie grass and open stands of ponderosa pine. We saw several prairie dog towns along the way.
Looking east, the change from forest to prairie
At the completion of this hike, it was still fairly early, so we drove to the north end of the park and walked a one mile nature trail up Rankin Ridge to the top where there are spectacular views out over the prairie to the east where the pines give way to grassland.
We’d heard about listening to elk bugling tonight at the cave office this morning, and just before 7 pm a ranger came by to invite us to attend. We quickly washed up the dishes and walked down to the amphitheater to hear the ranger talk. However since it involved a drive for some distance we decided not to continue with it, so came back to our trailer.