Riding the "endless trails" in Black Hills National Forest, accessible from TC Ranch Horse Camp in Custer, South Dakota.

Last issue, I told you about our unplanned adventures in New Mexico. From there, Kathy and I headed north to Nebraska. We rode for three days, then headed north to Custer, South Dakota, and the TC Ranch Horse Camp (888/827-2624; www.custersd.com/camp.html).

I always feel at home at the TC, and this trip was no exception. Owners Tom and Jean Champion have a knack for making us feel so welcome, even this time, with Jean recovering from a bit of bad health. We were greeted with a great crop of green grass and just-right riding weather.

The TC sets right in the Black Hills National Forest (605/673-9200; www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills); a gate leads directly onto some of the best trails in the area.You can ride on or off the beaten path, depending on how adventurous you want to be.

Marking Trails
The first few days, we just re-rode some of our favorite trails. Then we did something new: We marked trails ourselves. A big share of national forest trails is old logging or fire roads, but the map isn’t up-to-date. So we hit the road in our truck and, using our global positioning system, marked every national forest road we could find. Then we GPS’d all the trails we could find that crossed the national forest roads. In one day, we’d marked more trails than we could ride all summer.

One ride took us a long way around from camp and out onto a trail that dead-ended. We marked the spot on our GPS. The next day, we drove over to see whether we could get a bearing on it from the road. We saw a fellow feeding his horses close to where we figured the trail would’ve intersected the main road, had it continued. We asked him if he knew anything about the trail we were looking for. He confirmed our finding, saying he and his fiancée rode nearby, picking up the trail on that end.

The fellow suddenly said he knew us from our columns in The Trail Rider. He then invited us to his horseback wedding, which would take place in about two weeks. I can’t think of a nicer way to get to know folks than at a wedding. Congratulations to Don and Terri Harwood.

Touring Custer
Each passing day, we found more trails to explore and things to do in the Custer area. We viewed native wildlife (including buffalo) in Custer National Forest (406/657-6200; www.fs.fed/us/r1.custer), visited the Crazy Horse Memorial (605/673-4681; www.crazyhorse.org), and, of course, went to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial (605/574-2523; www.nps.gov/moru).

In Custer City, there was a three-quarter-size model buffalo on every street corner. The models were painted different colors, from the American flag to nature’s own. Each one was auctioned off for a good cause.

At the Harwoods’ wedding, we met Garth and Georgia Fisher, from New Castle Wyoming; they have a large ranch that borders Wyoming and South Dakota. We later visited them and explored the riding in their area. While there, we met Carol Engberg and her husband, Lee. Carol, a.k.a. “Bunny,” is a folksinger who’s written more than 200 songs. (Check out her website, www.bunnysingswolf.com. Click on “Fan Photos” and you’ll see a photo I took of Kathy and the Fishers.)

Also through the Harwoods, we had a chance to visit the Oshoto, Wyoming, ranch that started the original wild mustang registry. The Cayuse Ranch (307/467-5394; www.cayuseranch.com), run by the Brislawn family, was the home of the first true Spanish Mustang. We saw 15 bands of wild mustangs, up close and personal, on the open range.

Back at the TC, we marked some more great trails and interesting side trips. Till next issue, keep your cinch tight, and carry a good camera.