This past weekend, I hiked the entire Custer State Park (South Dakota) trail challenge: consisting of 8 trails all across the park. The trail challenge is an annual event to encourage locals and visitors alike to explore the park, get outside, and have fun! Each year they switch up the list of trails and have a form you can pick up from the Park Office or Visitor’s Center listing the trails for the year and a section for rubbings of the medallions located on each of the trail. The idea is, hike the trail, find the trail medallion somewhere along the way, and use a pencil or crayon to make a copy of the metal engraving by rubbing the writing utensil on a piece of paper atop the medallion. Once you’ve done all 8 trails, you can turn in the form with rubbings of all the medallions in exchange for a pin.
To start off the day, I had a wrap with scrambled tofu and vegetables seasoned with cajun spice and nutritional yeast along with a glass of soy milk and a cup of blueberries. Protein, carbs, fruit, veggies, and calcium for a balanced breakfast.
Into the park we go! My mother and I, along with super pup Rowan the Bordercollie, stopped by the CSP Park Office to get our forms and then we hit up the first trail. The Carin trail was less than a mile long, a quick easy start to the day (though the elevation gain was STEEP). Next was Lovers Leap, about 3-4 miles long with a steep incline to the overlook but beautiful views. I half-walked/half-jogged the trail to save on some time. After a bit of driving, we reached the Prairie Loop Trail, a nice 3 mile hike full of blossoming flowers like shooting stars, golden pea, and Pasque flowers. Post hike I refueled with a peanut butter banana wrap (yum) and some carrots.
Another drive and another trail, this time a section of the Centennial near Wind Cave National Park. We saw antelope, prairie dogs, and many buffalo- a little too close for comfort. We only managed to go a total of 2 miles on the trail (out and back) due to the almost 100 bison (mostly mothers and calves) that were happily grazing in the middle of the trail. Although they are certainly majestic creatures, it’s better to view them from afar, especially with the calving season just past. Their very protective mothers can run up to 45mph, can weigh around to 1000lbs., and are known to defend their calves using their strong horns.
Next, we went to Center Lake and hiked the Lost Trails (about a mile) before a quick snack break/second lunch of a sandwich made with Outer Aisles’ cauliflower thins (Italian flavored), humus, beans, and lettuce. Outer Aisle sent me some samples of their products and I did enjoy the wrap, though I will say it was a little mushy (but that could’ve been due to sitting in my pack for a while). Anyways, the brand made in the U.S. and makes cauliflower pizza crusts and sandwich wraps of different flavors, and is a good option for those looking for gluten-free products.
The next hike was Bader Clark’s Historical Trail, a quick 0.6 mile loop near the poet’s old cabin in the hills. After that, we decided to bike rather than hike Barns Canyon, a recent road-to-trail hike that officially opened in the park this year. We found the medallion about two and a half miles in but unfortunately as soon as we turned around my mother got a flat tire, so we walked/biked the rest of the way back.
If you’ve been keeping track, at this point we have completed seven trails – with one more left to go. We drove to Stockade Lake and in a last show of strength hiked/jogged the hilly incline to the final medallion, completed the loop trail, and successfully high-fived when we reached the car. End stats: 13.1 miles hiked, 4 (ish) miles biked, and a few close encounters with the wildlife.
For a celebratory snack, I had an apple and Lara Bar (PB Chocolate Chip is the best) while my mother picked up some ice-cream at the local shop. (Sadly I am lactose intolerant so passed the ice-cream option).
After a long day of hiking I tried to make a balanced meal of rice, curry, vegetables, and chickpeas (check out some of these curry recipes for inspiration). Later that evening I enjoyed a bowl of chocolate peanut butter banana oatmeal for a yummy, filling dessert.
I hope you enjoyed this post and get outside (safely) for some awesome adventures this summer! Remember to pack snacks and refuel properly!