Follow Strider's Rambles

July 3, 2021

After using water to make breakfast, we had less than a liter each for the seven mile hike to Lake Sheridan. Not ideal, as it was a warm day, but we powered through. I got lost in the multitude of wildflowers, colorful butterflies, and fantastic ridge views. Jenessa pointed out a white-spotted red mushroom just emerging from the ground.

We got to Lake Sheridan just before noon and excitedly filtered a couple liters of water to quench our thirst. Then we walked along the lake shore until we found a great spot at the water’s edge. Brendan and Jenessa went swimming; I waded in to rinse off my lower legs and feet. We ate lunch and played two card games. It actually got a little chilly (which felt nice) as the sky clouded up shortly after our arrival. At one point it rained hard and I watched the water bounce up from the surface of the lake. All the while, we were filtering 4-liter bags of water. It was a rejuvenating break!

Once we were hydrated and had four liters apiece, we set off to get more miles in and intentionally dry camp. At the end of Lake Sheridan, we walked across a grass-covered earthen dam wall. It ended in a stone stairway that led to a wooden bridge, which crossed the dam’s outlet stream. On our approach, we saw a couple people dive off the nearby cliffs into the water below. Soon we were on old logging roads and the miles passed easily.

This is one of the best maintained trails I have been on, though it seems underutilized. The trail marking is frequent, with arrow or extra markers at turns. At one point, we came to a newly constructed road that obstructed the trail with a huge earthen wall. A tunnel of pre-cast concrete had been built in for our access and orange barriers directed us to it. So considerate!

July 4, 2021

We started walking amidst pines, transitioned to rolling pastoral hills where cows roamed, went back into a pine forest, along a road, and then into a humid jungle of plants. Really, humid, though prior to our trek all of us pictured South Dakota as having dry heat like Colorado. When the morning ended we found ourselves at Tamarack trailhead and a wide, icy cold creek. It was the perfect spot for lunch, card games, and water filtering. Mike dunked himself in the creek and Brendan took a quick swim. Jenessa and I did laundry. The day was hot so it felt very refreshing.

I felt a sudden tiredness come on while we were playing cards. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep yet and it is catching up. Back on the trail, I walked through a patch of brush that made me itchy, my pack started squeaking, and my shoe had a rock. I stopped briefly to adjust the physical items and remind myself that I can choose my attitude. A few minutes later and I was walking along filled with excitement and joy.

The next section of trail was a bit funky. We climbed up & up until we could see Pactola Reservoir in the distance, then curved right back the way we came. Pretty soon we came upon Hwy 385, found a gap in traffic, and darted across. I felt like a deer trying to get back to the woods. Then the trail took us near an inlet of the reservoir where boats were lined up at dock.

Our end goal was Deer Creek trailhead. It contained Brendan’s car and our resupply. As we got closer, I was thinking about the bag of potato chips that I saw Jenessa slide into the resupply box. However, we kept walking and were soon past our destination with the trail continuing upward. The map showed the trailhead directly on the trail, but it had apparently been re-routed. We came up with a plan, Brendan and Jenessa would walk down an old logging road back to the car. Meanwhile, Mike and I would speed walk to Pilot Knob another three miles up the trail.

The rendezvous worked exactly as planned. The car team picked out an excellent campsite and filled our extra water bladders at a campground on their drive over. We excitedly sorted through our resupply food and ate potato chips (turned out Mike also put chips in the resupply). We ended our day at 70 miles so our new goal is to finish the trail in nine days.

July 5, 2021

The day we ended up in our underwear, but not for kinky reasons. Before I get to that…

This morning we said goodbye to Brendan. He didn’t have time for the whole trail, but we were so glad he joined us for the first half! He headed to his car and we began a day full of ATV roads. It was easy walking so Mike & I picked up trash left behind by the ATVs. My favorite moment was when a group of butterflies joined us for a stretch. We stopped beside a creek for lunch and games.

We saw a lot more ATVs in the afternoon and passed near the town of Nemo. It was cloudy off and on all day, which we appreciated. When we were a mile from Dalton Lake, it started to sprinkle so we put on pack covers. Then it started to pour. We walked onward thinking it would let up in a few minutes, but the rain kept coming. I was thankful for my poles as the road grew muddy and slippery. We made it to the trail down to the lake and walked 10-15 feet, then Mike pulled out his tent’s rain fly and we got underneath with our packs. Careful maneuvering let us all sit down and pull the fly closer, then we waited.The storm would not let up. Jenessa and I slid into our rain jackets; Mike had his on already. Then we broke out of our makeshift tent and continued down switchbacks to Dalton Lake. I was drenched but the walking kept me warm. Soon the trailhead signage appeared, with a roof that made it into an open-air hut.

I proposed setting up our tents near the hut so we could open our packs in the dry area underneath. We worked as a team on Mike’s tent and when we got to the second tent it stopped raining. My pack was mostly dry under its rain cover. I put on a tank top and fleece, though all I had for my bottom half was underwear and sandals. It was similar for Jenessa and Mike. I felt happy to be dry and have a warm sleeping bag waiting for me. We hung our wet clothes on the trail signage and made a hiking pole drying rack. After we finished dinner, it started to sprinkle so we retreated into the tents. The rain continued on and off through the night.