52 Trails in 52 Weeks

Pamela and I have lived in Rapid City since 2008. Every time we head out of town into the Black Hills, we comment on how gorgeous they are. It's a landscape that never gets old. We also say we should get out and enjoy the Hills more often...yet we rarely do. Now in our fifth year here, we have finally made a commitment to further explore our vast backyard.

Using the book "Hiking the Black Hills Country" by Bert and Jane Gildart as our guide, we have identified 52 trails that we have not previously hiked. Our goal is to hike those 52 trails in 52 weeks starting June 3, 2012. As you might imagine, we do not plan to hike one trail every week. We hope to get a good start this summer before weather and school schedules slow our progress. However, part of the fun of this will be experiencing the Hills in every season. We already anticipate investing in snowshoes this winter.

We realize this will not be an easy task. Several of these trails take a full day to cover. Even now, finding that much free time is a challenge. On the other hand, I believe taking that time to get out - even when we think we don't have it or maybe especially when we think we don't have it - will be immensely gratifying. Hence the purpose of this blog. Not only do we want to share the beauty of this area with others, we're also asking any readers to help keep us motivated. If you notice it's been a few weeks since our last entry, give us an online nudge. I know we can do it with the support of each other and others, and I can't wait to see what lies ahead for us.