690 Enduro Forum

Adventure! => Story-Time => Topic started by: SDMF_Reaps on May 26, 2014, 09:02:25 pm

Title: Whitestone Battlefield
Post by: SDMF_Reaps on May 26, 2014, 09:02:25 pm
Hi,

I was planning a ride up to Whitestone Battlefield to submit a picture to the picture contest i.e. a historical place.  I missed out on the contest so I thought I'd take the trip for my birthday.  Well then I got sick and have been for a couple of weeks.  I'm finally starting to feel a little better so I thought what better day to visit a battlefield than Memorial Day!

Here (http://www.history.nd.gov/historicsites/whitestone/) is a link to the sites webpage.

I had a route planned out that would eliminate most paved roads.  I ended up taking around 9 miles of asphalt total on the trip.  The rest was primarily gravel with a little bit of section line thrown in.  I was worried the section lines would be bad as we had just received some rain.  I don't believe they received the rain north of us.  At least not where I was.  Below is a pic of the track my spot made.  Since it updates every ten minutes or so the lines you see on the map don't actually correlate to any roads I may have been traveling on.  But it gives you an idea of where I went.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/Spot_zpsf71946b2.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/Spot_zpsf71946b2.jpg.html)

I took a picture at the entrance on my way out.  There was a nice little bird singing to me.  I tried to get a pic of him but it didn't turn out even though I was very close.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1869_zps30074de3.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1869_zps30074de3.jpg.html)

I pulled in and got a good parking spot. Ha!  I was the only one there.  There did appear to be a groundskeeper that I'm assuming lives on site but I didn't see anyone the whole time I was there.  This would have been the picture I submitted to the contest had I made it in time.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1812_zps83552443.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1812_zps83552443.jpg.html)

Here is a close up of the sign for your reading pleasure.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1810_zps45fdb2b6.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1810_zps45fdb2b6.jpg.html)

Near this sign is another in memory of the Sioux (many of them women and children) who lost there lives here.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1807_zps8e23cf0f.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1807_zps8e23cf0f.jpg.html)

There were also some offerings made in the park.  Probably tobacco offerings wrapped in cloth and hung in trees.  I didn't take any pictures of these.

Near the parking area was a monument made of interesting rocks, meteorites and petrified wood.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1813_zps555effed.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1813_zps555effed.jpg.html)

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1815_zpse85325e7.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1815_zpse85325e7.jpg.html)

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1816_zpsecd94ed7.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1816_zpsecd94ed7.jpg.html)

Now this rock (?) really had me scratching my head.  If any of you recognize this let me know what it is and how it was formed.  It looks like something that came out of a Play-Doh set

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1817_zps13dfa526.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1817_zps13dfa526.jpg.html)

I walked over to a really cool building, sat out front and drank a red bull.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1819_zps0a1849f8.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1819_zps0a1849f8.jpg.html)

I wouldn't mind having something like this on my property.  It has a porch type of area with a fireplace and a room off to the other side.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1822_zps551c3c56.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1822_zps551c3c56.jpg.html)

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1825_zps0a03dabc.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1825_zps0a03dabc.jpg.html)

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1826_zpseecdb341.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1826_zpseecdb341.jpg.html)

After my red bull I walked up to the monument.  On the way up I saw these little flowers growing all over the place.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1841_zpsd95021bb.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1841_zpsd95021bb.jpg.html)

At the top of the hill there was some kind of bench or something.  I'm not entirely sure what this thing is.  There appears to have been another wooden structure towards the front.  I wonder if it wasn't covered at one point.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1843_zps8802c4b1.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1843_zps8802c4b1.jpg.html)

Here is a view of the rolling prairie from the bench like structure.  I'm looking to the south east.  Can you tell the humidity was kinda high.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1846_zps492524ab.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1846_zps492524ab.jpg.html)

Finally I made my way over to the main monument.  Here is a side view.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1852_zpsd78be91b.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1852_zpsd78be91b.jpg.html)

The tombstones had name and rank on them however no one is buried at this location.  Their graves were purposefully hidden.

Here is a picture of the monument from the front.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1853_zps9200bc06.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1853_zps9200bc06.jpg.html)

Here is a close up of the bugler.  I think he needs to clean his uniform haha!

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1860_zps235ce425.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1860_zps235ce425.jpg.html)

On the monument there is an engraving.  It is just as hard to read in person.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1857_zps38a331a6.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1857_zps38a331a6.jpg.html)

I don't quite understand the following picture.  It's obvious somebody did this for some reason.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1862_zps5af87168.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1862_zps5af87168.jpg.html)

Down the hill from the monument was a well house.  Not sure what the other buildings are.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1865_zps657114d2.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1865_zps657114d2.jpg.html)

Looking back at the bike, building and lake from the top of the hill.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1863_zps35c4b739.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1863_zps35c4b739.jpg.html)

And that's pretty much it for the battlefield.  If you would like any further information I trust you will follow the link at the beginning of this post.

On the way home I rode somewhat near a wind farm that was put up on the hills a few years ago.  It stretches quite far north following the edge of the hills.  This area was made by a very large glacier, hills on each side with an extremely flat  area in the middle nearly 100 miles wide.  If you look at this (http://www.worldofmaps.net/uploads/pics/topographic-map-South-Dakota.png) topo map it is easy to see.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1874_zps62e2bfa4.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1874_zps62e2bfa4.jpg.html)

Like I mentioned before I ran mostly gravel with a bit of section line included.  Well the section lines I found were high speed for the most part and dry!  I hate mud.

(http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t651/sdmf_reaps/WhiteStone/DSCN1876_zpsae7b9c4b.jpg) (http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/sdmf_reaps/media/WhiteStone/DSCN1876_zpsae7b9c4b.jpg.html)

Well I hope you all enjoyed the pictures.  It seemed to be a fitting trip today.  Even though the battle occurred before Decoration Day was officially recognized.  It is good to remember the fallen.
Title: Re: Whitestone Battlefield
Post by: Rusty Shovel on May 27, 2014, 06:43:22 am
Hey Reaps,

Thanks for sharing the trip.  I wasn't familiar with Whitstone Battlefield, so I looked it up.  A sad bit of history.  It's amazing how deserted the place feels from your photos.  Was anyone else there?
Title: Re: Whitestone Battlefield
Post by: GSP on May 27, 2014, 11:01:36 am
Great Pics man