Black Hills, SD: Little Devils Tower Hike

We checked off several South Dakota hikes this year.

Little Devil's Tower was one of our favorites.

{Hikers: *SPOILER ALERT* photos of the hike ahead!}

I don't know if there is a hiker's etiquette about keeping secrets

like not telling the ending to a movie.

But if there is, and you don't want to see what's at the end of the path,

do not read this blog.

But if it doesn't matter to you,

proceed.

"LDT" is great for a family.  

It's a 3 mile hike with some adventure.

You will never see sights

of the Black Hills from the highway

like we have seen getting out and walking.

There are pockets of rose quartz and sparkling mica everywhere.

Along the bottom of the trail, we met lots of other families

heading to Harney Peak.

But when we got to the top of Little Devil's Tower,

we were the only ones there

and we could see Harney Peak in the distance.

It is hard for my mother's heart to settle down

at the top of a mountain

with your children trekking around

with no guard rails.

I have never seen such a view of The Needles before.

It really is a must-see.

The one little treasure

that you don't want to miss

if you do this hike is the

vein of rose quartz

that is like a pink jeweled stairway right through the rocks.

Look for this:

As we hiked back down,

we met a couple both gray-white-haired,

hiking leisurely to the top.

I said to Jim, "That's how I want to be at their age."

"Me too," he said.

That's what motivates me to stay in shape

. . . to see the world from my feet

 with my husband at my side, 

for as long as possible.