The first thing we all noticed as we traveled north on I-25 through the eastern part of Wyoming is that when a rest stop appears, stop!  There may not be one for a very long period of time.  And so we did just that, we stopped.

The second thing we noticed was the vastness of the land.  Some of us adults had never driven in such vast and awesome
country.  The mountains to our west (we could see them today) and the prairies in front, behind, and to the east of us were simply a beautiful site.   The rolling hills became sharp buttes and then flat prairie.

Our first stop was at Guernsey, Wyoming to visit the deep rut Oregon Trail national site.  Through the soft limestone the wagons had worn deep ruts in as they made their way west.  Although we are very high, it is like a desert and the wildflowers are fully in bloom this week.  The whites, purples, yellows, and greens are beautiful.  We talked about the people moving west in search of a better life, religious tolerance, and the vast agricultural opportunities of land.  We read and talked about their encounter with the native American’s and how our encounter would be very different.  We said a prayer for our pilgrimage and we each expressed our hopes and dreams for the coming week.

We then really hit the road for Hill City and the Borderland’s Ranch.  Again the landscape changed dramatically as we climbed
into the Black Hills.  Jim and Scott both reflected that it felt like we were in North Carolina.  The boys counted yellow dotted lines (do you know how long it takes to count 1000?) and played the camel and yak game – yes, it’s a treat.  The girl’s mostly slept.

Finally we arrived in Carson, SD and were treated to the most dramatic sight of the Hills.

But the trip was not over.  Once arriving in Hill City it took another half an hour to get to the ranch.  The best way to describe it is in the words of one of the boys, “We’ve traveled over 3000 miles and we are NOWHERE!

We are settling in for the week.  Team B (Scott L., Scott H, ME, Joan, and Camille) prepared the best spaghetti dinner with a
salad.  The adults met to talk itinerary and then we all met for devotions and reflections at 9:00 PM.  Linda Kramer, our host, is most gracious and she oriented us to the ranch.  We discovered we are not NOWHERE, but in the very heart of the most sacred of lands to our Lakota brothers and sisters.  We are in staying, in fact, on land that is the heart of the heart of the sacred land.  This land is to the Lakota as Israel is to the Christian.

We’re off to bed – lights out at midnight and up tomorrow for Eucharist at the labyrinth and a quiet day of hiking to Flag Mountain, a picnic, and swimming if the weather holds.  We had a few sprinkles today at the ranch with some pretty spectacular storms around us but good weather nonetheless.

Keep us in your prayers for safe travel and for care for one another.  Hope you enjoy our pictures.
(To enlarge pictures, Right Click on them and select view, use back button to return)

Here we are at Lincoln Courts Motel in Cheyenne.	At the deep rut sight of the Oregon Trail we attempt to look like we’re traveling the trail.  But our 15 passenger,air conditioned vans are the lap of luxury compared to what these people must have endured.	Deep in conversation we’re thinking about what this trip is going to mean to us.
We are treated to a spectacular view of the Black Hills as we come into Carson, SD.	The humble abode of the men of this trip for the next week.  Keeping the flies out is the real challenge.	The not so humble abode of the women of this trip for the next week.  They even have a small kitchen, indoor plumbing, and a small kitchen.