South Dakota Trip Day 4 Part 1: Little Elk Canyon

(GUEST BLOGGER ALLY:)

What's better than a couple mile hike?

Nothing of course, especially when you get to go through the South Dakota canyons!

Here we are setting off on our little journey. The trail was less than a mile away from our homestead, and very serene; peaceful. We didn't see any one else on the trail either, so pretty private too!

Walking through the entrance way. So far pretty much the typical trail...similar to the ones back home in Wisconsin. 

Wynne tagging along in the back, and right next to the first rock wall. As you can see they were very tall/big. Cool thing is that this one's nothing compared to what we did see!

What's this??!! Do our eyes deceive us?!! Does that say "Potosi"?! We know where that is! All the younger ones had their mouth's open...."No way!" Of course they may not have remembered that Cy and Dad (Mark) and gone out earlier to check out if the trail was worth it or not. ;)

They can't get up there...Right?!

Very beautiful by the way.

Don't underestimate the little climbers we have in our family...We all managed a way!

Mom isn't in this picture but down below, taking it. She would come up after though to help Wynne get back down! Pretty cool, even have our names all put up there now. Have to come back soon so we can see if they are still there...

**Hint, Hint...Mom & Dad!**

Again very big...but not close to some of the things coming up!

Getting our names on the rock with some ashes laying around!

What the trail looked like from the crevice above!

Shae maneuvering her way back down! (Mom & Dad call both the twins "Monkey's")

Me (Ally) enjoying the trip, and not really appreciating all the pictures Mom is taking. It's all good though we need something to remember the trip besides are minds!

(Shae in the background)

Wynne by her decked out name!

Next what this "cooler-by-the-minute" trail had to offer us was a beautiful spring. It was very nice to kick off our shoes and feel the cool water after some hiking.

Very exceptional place for some good pictures! Here I am next to one of it's waterfalls.

Kids and Dad climbing around on the huge boulders. Got to get to the next part of the spring or maybe it was a river, I can't really remember...something that I would have to ask Mom!

The crystal clear water running down/through the rocks.

Kids exploring some more, the water right next to Dad was probably the deepest part there...maybe 2 feet deep.

Just amazing how clear the water was, and how perfect the setting was all around us!

Wynne and Paige trying to find the very end of the stream. Maybe we should just walk through the water instead of the trail...like the pioneers would have done!

Cy, Ally, and Shae enjoying what the water has to offer.

Paige getting a quick shot done. Very green as you can see!

And here is the Siegert Kids all lounging on the warm boulders...was everyone looking?

Getting off, and heading on...the trail could only get better right?!

The colors in the rock were magnificent, especially with all the greenery surrounding it!

Wait what's that!! That tan thing out there!

A deer!! Hey, we know what those are! Kinda cool to see it out on a trail though, and not dashing in front of our vehicle!

What's ahead for the Siegert family, isn't it gorgeous!

The whole family marching on with our sturdy sticks that we got back at the house.

Cy fixing his walking stick...or maybe soon to be spear...oh no!

Paige looking out at the water (that pretty much followed us the whole time on the trail) and seeing a rope to swing on. A couple of them tried it out!

Still marching on in the canyon...with the rocks just surrounding us.

Now that's a big rock! Wynnie posing with her taller-than-her stick!

Huge, and colorful...very similar to Needles Highway only now we are out and can touch em'! Remember that Mom?!

Looking up at one of the many formation in the canyon.  Pictures don't do it justice!

Amazing...

A coneflower growing in between the rocks.

Here come's the "tougher" part of the trail. Really rocky, and kind of steep.

Next stopping point: The Watering Hole. This is probably where the deepest of the water was. All of us kids wanted to come back and swim later...didn't exactly work out though. You can see Paige and Shae looking for something. Everyone was looking for Wynne's new bracelet (that she got at Crazyhorse, all the girls did), unfortunately the bracelet was not found. Another reason to go back Mom and Dad, so we can find it!

The water still running strong and clear through the many rocks! So is Dad!

Some kind of plant, that I personally thought looked like bamboo. Why would that being growing out west though?! In this area this is also were Cy and Dad found a little campsite, in the forest. We wanted to come back to use it...but didn't have the time. Another reason to come back!

The height and the many colors of the rock walls around us!

Very cool!

And of course Mother Nature had to come out and surprise us with some rain. And with some I mean A LOT. Here I am trying to hurry on to the next stopping point. Hopefully we can find a cave somewhere or something!

Very dangerous, yet still very fun. Unfortunately all the girls turned around and headed back to the house...we had walked around 3 miles already, but still weren't anywhere close to the lake that was supposed to be at the end. Mom forgot the potatoes were in the oven, so that was another reason to get back (besides the humongous amount of rain.) Dad and Cy went on, and came back eventually (which means a couple hours later.) They did get to the lake and said it was very cool, but that the rain kind of stopped them really searching about it more. Overall we loved the little canyon (or should I say big canyon) that Little Elk had to offer us! Very, very cool!

THIS POST WAS DONE BY: Ally Siegert (Amy's eldest daughter) 

Hope you enjoyed reading and seeing the neat pictures!