We took our annual “run back to South Dakota over the 4th” trip this year and it was a little different because we ended up having a very large family gathering too.
We were staying up in the hills near deadwood / lead and had a fabulous time. The most amazing things:
- A giant solar flair, an M-class and strong X1.3, whatever that means, hit the earth and showed us beautiful, but faint, northern lights. This is my first time seeing northern lights in South Dakota!
- The galactic core of the Milkyway was out!!! I don’t see the Milkyway any more since I live in a large urban area, and, the Rapid City area has grown enough such that it’s not easy to see the Milkyway in town anymore. It was definitely a treat! One of the photos of the northern lights has part of the Milkyway; it was a rare treat to see both and not have clouds, the moon, city lights, and whatever else ruining the view.
- It’s still wet enough to grow wild rose, wild raspberries, serviceberries, and other neat fruits / plants in the wild. I don’t recall seeing a lot of this growing up in the hills and it’s definitely a treat whenever I get to see them.
- We had an unobstructed view of the fireworks over the Homestake open cut pit. It was super neat to see!
All in all, it was another fantastic trip :). Enjoy the photos!
Chris W.
