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Finding White in a Brown Winter

By Christian Begeman

Winter has been mild in southeastern South Dakota. There hasn’t been much snow and temperatures have been above normal. I seem to remember far more brown winters happening when I lived West River than in the Sioux Falls area. Even though no snow means fewer travel headaches, I do miss the snow. As a photographer, the way the light can strike fresh snow early or late in the day is breathtaking. That is, if the subzero wind doesn’t take away your breath first.

The paragraph above is a poor attempt at complaining about how I haven’t felt motivated to get outside the last month to make photographs. Realizing this is a”me problem” and not the weatherman’s doing, I decided to do something about it. Where can you find snow, frost and ice even during a”brown” winter? Around here, it is our parks and public land along the Big Sioux River. So, I made it a point to get off my warm couch and get out there.

On three different occasions, I found myself wandering along the banks of the Big Sioux and seeing things that made the bundled-up journey worth the energy and effort. It was a gray day with occasional light flurries on my first trip to the hiking trails of the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon. I saw a red fox scoot along the river bottom for a brief second but could not locate it again. A few woodpeckers and nuthatches entertained me for a bit after that. Once I started looking at the little things, however, things got fun. The light flurries left lone snowflakes on leaves, bark and my favorite … resting on the trail’s wooden bridges. I spent half an hour with my macro lens attempting to find the perfect snowflake.

My next excursion found me along the river near Newton Hills State Park. There is a bend that rarely freezes because of shallow rapids. I’ve seen bald eagles there, so I decided to walk down the edge of the bank and settle in to see if any birds or other wildlife would appear. On the way to my perch, I became distracted by large pieces of ice on the river’s edge that were showing due to recently dropping river levels. Then I got the scare of the afternoon as I stumbled on a well-hidden Canada goose slumbering against an old cottonwood stump. No eagles ever landed after all the ruckus, but I saw nearly a half dozen fly overhead. They likely spotted me far sooner than I saw them. Regardless, it was a nice hour spent along the river taking it all in.

Speaking of birds, winter offers all sorts of opportunities to see and photograph birds along the river. Eagles and owls as well as chickadees and finches can be spotted (or heard) quite regularly. A favorite find recently along the Dells of the Big Sioux near Dell Rapids was a pair of uniquely raspberry colored purple finches. On Super Bowl Sunday, I also spotted a Barred Owl at the Big Sioux Recreation Area, which allowed me to post a Superb Owl photo that day as well. (Groan. I know, I know, but I didn’t make that up. It is a real thing, and I will admit, I was happy to participate in the Superb Owl fun.)

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

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Soup Season

By Fran Hill

January is absolutely soup season, and I am here for it. My husband is not really a casserole kind of guy, but he loves soup, and all winter long, I take advantage of that. There is something very cozy about a pot simmering on the stovetop and filling the house with delicious aromas.

Chili is the quintessential winter soup, but there is so much more. We make noodles and shred chicken for another classic. Beans are soaked and simmered with ham bones for something from my childhood. Creamy potato soups sometimes lean toward chowders, often with seafood. Chunks of beef are slowly braised with loads of vegetables and rich stocks. It feels so smart to thinly slice leftover pork and drop into brothy bowls with Asian noodles. While fresh ingredients are great, soup can easily come together with leftovers and pantry and freezer staples. And, on those days that we don’t have the time or inclination to put forth a lot of effort, a jar of home canned tomato soup is heated to pair with grilled cheese. I don’t know that there is a soup or stew that we don’t like.

Our current favorite soup is loaded with winter vegetables and gains a ton of flavor from spicy sausage. At first glance, you will think it also has tomatoes, but the color comes from a generous seasoning of smoked paprika. I have made it with both chicken and turkey broth, but vegetable broth would also work. Don’t skip splashing in the red wine vinegar. That bit of acid lends a brightness that really balances all the flavors in this simple and mouthwatering soup.

Sausage and Brussels Sprouts Soup

Sausage and Brussels sprouts soup warms on the coldest of January days.

(adapted from Eating Well)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes (I used red potatoes)

1 1/2 cups small to medium Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

4 cups chicken broth

2-4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar (start with 2Tbsp, taste, and add more as desired)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with the spoon, until browned. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, onion, carrot and celery to the pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and paprika; cook and stir just until fragrant. Add potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and broth; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and Brussels sprouts are tender.

Stir in the sausage, vinegar to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
(Serves 4)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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Christmas Traditions

By Christian Begeman

It was Christmas morning of 1995. The folks still lived at the farm place on the line between Dewey and Ziebach counties where I grew up. I was home on college break. Dad had a good stand of winter wheat sprout before the weather turned cold down in our fields along the Moreau River adjacent to Highway 65. My older brother and I learned that pronghorns were seen taking advantage of the wheat sprouts that were still above the snow. So, on that cold Christmas morning, we got up in the dark and drove to the river breaks to take a look. I was just starting my love affair with photography and my brother was engaging his”mighty hunter” passions. We made our way slowly to the hilltops overlooking the river just as the sun began to peek over the horizon. A low fog hung over the valley. It was one of the prettiest winter sights I had ever seen. Lo and behold, just on the edge of the fog we could see pronghorn. A lot of pronghorn. I snapped a few photos and then we started down to see if we could get closer.

We had stumbled upon 100 or so pronghorn that morning. Once we adequately spooked them, they ran to the southwest in a single line. I’ve never seen anything like it. They got bunched up at a fence corner and I snapped a few more photos.

I was reminded of this experience the morning after Christmas this year as I watched my nephew slowly move into position to get a better binocular view of a snowy owl perched on large rocks on the southern edge of Sioux Falls. I wonder if he’ll remember that experience as clearly as I remember that Christmas morning nearly 30 years ago.

Our family has traditionally done some sightseeing and hiking around Christmas time. Many trips and walks through the Moreau River country with my brothers, cousins and uncles took place after Christmas dinner. I miss those times greatly. It could be why I still try to do a winter road trip every year around the holidays. My usual haunts are Badlands National Park followed by Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park. This year I didn’t get out there until New Year’s weekend, but it didn’t matter. The magic of a winter safari in our West River parks was still strong.

I spent most of my time in the Badlands. A heavy snow turned to flurries in sunshine as the weather system moved east. The large snowflakes blowing in the wind made for interesting visuals, particularly when the sun tried to break through. It didn’t snow in the southern hills, but it was very cold. Did you know that buffalo like to lick the salt and minerals off your car in winter? Knowing this can bring great photo opportunities if you are willing. Parking on the Highland Ridge Road at Wind Cave National Park near a bison herd will usually get them moving in your direction. This offers unique opportunities to get interesting portraits. I like to catch them in the first or last light of the day, and when it is cold, the breath from these behemoths offers added visual drama. I don’t like them licking my car though, so I tend to move on before they get too close. If the good Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise, I will be back next winter to try again.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

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A ‘Savory Delight’

By Fran Hill

Here in South Dakota, prime rib is popular for Christmas dinner. Why wouldn’t it be? South Dakota reportedly has the most cattle per person in the United States. Agriculture is the bread and butter for so many across the region and beef is absolutely what’s for dinner.

What do you serve with that delicious, slow roasted hunk of beef? Personally, I have always leaned into twice baked potatoes, buttery rolls and a fresh, crisp salad. This year, I am adding Roasted Onions to the menu.

Roasted Onions are a savory delight that complement not just prime rib, but could accompany turkey, holiday ham, brisket and just about anything from the grill. The other night, I served this tangy, but rich dish alongside some grilled lamb brats and creamy mashed potatoes. The sliced onions are marinated with red wine vinegar and brown sugar before being baked. I am always amazed at how the slow cooking process releases that natural sweetness of onions and creates such a rich deliciousness.

This recipe is adaptable. The kind and size of onion you choose will affect its cooking time. Of course, larger onions will need more time, but a sweeter onion also cooks slightly faster. The amount of marinade works well for three to four large onions but could easily bathe more smaller onions as portion appropriate sides. Fresh rosemary and red pepper flakes add an earthiness to the dish that aside from a little planning ahead prep is almost fix-it-and-forget-it easy.

Anyone that is a fan of French onion soup will love these simple and flavorful Roasted Onions on the holiday table.

Savory Roasted Onions pair well with Christmas prime rib.

Roasted Onions

3-4 large yellow, white or red onions (or more smaller onions to fit a 9×13 pan) {I used Vidalia onions.}

Marinade:

1 cup water

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 pinch red pepper flakes

Roasting:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Trim root and stem ends from onions. Slice in half horizontally and remove skins from onion halves.

Combine all marinade ingredients in a 9×13 (or similarly sized) pan. Arrange onions in the marinade cut side down.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pull onions from the fridge and allow pan to warm closer to room temp (alternatively, transfer to a different baking dish to avoid possible accidents from temperature shock of cold pan/hot oven).

Flip onions in the marinade for the wider side to be up. Top each onion with a pat of butter and an additional sprinkling of fresh rosemary.

Bake, covered, for 1 hour. Uncover, baste onions with the reduced marinade and continue baking 15-20 minutes until onions are desired tenderness. (Larger onions may require more time but watch that smaller onions don’t scorch.)

Before serving, again spoon the reduced sauce over the cooked onions and garnish with additional red pepper flakes (if desired) and sprigs of fresh rosemary. (Serves 6.)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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Snow Day

By Christian Begeman

On December 10, Sioux Falls received its first major snow of the season. Upwards of 10 inches began falling in the morning and by late afternoon I couldn’t take it anymore. One of my favorite things to do is shoot first snow photos. Some of it has to do with the first snow bringing holiday cheer, but a lot of the joy comes from memories of past snow days as a kid. We didn’t always have snow, or at least much snow out on the prairies of Ziebach and Dewey County, but when it did arrive, we kids took advantage. Sledding into the crick, slipping and sliding on frozen puddles and stock dams were simple pleasures that would fill our non-chore hours. Afterwards, we’d come back to a house warmed with a wood burning stove and Mom’s famous caramel popcorn balls, still warm from the oven.

But I digress. This is supposed to be a column about photography. And more particularly, making images in the snowfall. A few years back, I discovered birds were often easier to photograph in a snowstorm. Like us, they prefer to stay out of the wind and snow. You can often find them with fluffed up feathers on perches inside sheltered tree canopies. With this in mind, I left work early on Friday and headed to Terrace Park next to Covell Lake in northern Sioux Falls, where I can usually spot a Northern Cardinal or two. Sure enough, just as I was about to turn back from a fruitless search, I heard the familiar metallic call and found a half dozen cardinals hunkered down in evergreen branches not far off the walking path.

After taking a few portraits of a male and female cardinal, I headed downtown. I was thinking Phillips Avenue with its decorations and busy-ness would make for interesting imagery. I wasn’t disappointed. However, I almost got snowplowed in while parking near the KELO Radio building. Tis one of the hazards of being out and about in the snow. The other is keeping your gear dry. I always try to keep a bath towel with me while shooting in the snow. I keep it over the camera and lens when not shooting and then use it to dry the lens and body after composing and taking a shot.

I had never been to Falls Park during a heavy snow in December. I believe I was one of maybe five souls tramping around the park at dusk. Three of those were city workers busily cleaning the sidewalks. The heavy snowfall was likely in the eighth or ninth inch by then, so cleaning the sidewalks was not particularly easy. The mood and ambiance of the park, however, was wonderful as music played and lights twinkled through the snowfall.

Saturday dawned clear and the blue skies and prairies blanketed with freshly fallen snow beckoned. I heard there was a snowy owl sighting near Volga, so I headed that way. I did not find said owl, but I did see myriad raptors and stopped for a small hike at Oakwood Lakes State Park. As evening fell, clouds appeared in the southwest and soon the setting sun painted them in exquisite tones. All these scenes helped to bring me a little closer to finding that holiday spirit. To all reading here, please have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

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Tried and New

By Fran Hill

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Every food centric website is bursting with recipes that promise to change your life, be a fun twist on a classic or prove to be the easiest hack ever for your holiday meal.

However, at the end of the day, 99.6 percent of home cooks are sticking with their tried-and-true family favorites. You aren’t alone if you read through countless new recipes, but never refer to them again. Thanksgiving is truly a meal of comfort and gratitude.

I am one of those traditionalists. Occasionally, I may try something new for our meal, but usually, it is in addition to what I feel are essentials. I am thankful for turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted butternut squash (instead of sweet potatoes), cranberry sauce, brussels sprouts or green beans and dinner rolls. Those HAVE TO be on my Thanksgiving table. I have my favorite methods for preparing them, and I seldom deviate regardless of how many other recipes I may browse that offer me”a little something special.”

So, what am I, a food columnist, going to offer you this holiday season that will change your life? What fun twist on a classic do I have up my sleeve? What is an easy hack that will be a little something special? I present Cranberry Mustard.

You may not want or need Cranberry Mustard on your Thanksgiving table but trust me. It is the seasonal condiment for leftover turkey sandwiches that will make you thankful. Put a dish of Cranberry Mustard on your charcuterie board. Pair it with goat cheese on crackers, any deeply rich and earthy sausage (like braunschweiger), or some hard cheeses and cream cheese. This recipe does make a lot. Portion some into pretty little jars and share with your friends and family. In addition to turkey, it is great with ham, pork, and even sausages roasted with pierogis. You will be thankful for Cranberry Mustard.

Stuffing, corn and pumpkin pie are Thanksgiving staples, but for something different on the holiday table, try Cranberry Mustard.

Cranberry Mustard

(adapted from Ball Canning and Preserving)

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup mustard seeds (all yellow or a mix of yellow and brown)

1 cup water

2 3/4 cups fresh cranberries

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons dry mustard

1 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Bring vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add mustard seeds. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about an hour. (Seeds will absorb most of the liquid.)

In a food processor, add mustard seeds, water, and cranberries. Pulse until berries are mostly chopped, but still chunky.

Return cranberries to the saucepan and stir in sugar, dry mustard and allspice. Bring cranberry mixture to a boil, stirring to avoid sticking. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes, still stirring frequently, until mixture has thickened and slightly jelled.

(Cranberry Mustard can be canned by water bath method or stored refrigerated for about a month.)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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Embracing Darkness

By Christian Begeman

The days of darkness are here. No, that is not an ancient prophecy now come true. Nor is it some scare tactic about the state of the world. It is simply the time of the year when I leave for work in the gloaming and return in the dark. As we head into winter once again and the daylight shortens, one may think that finding good photo opportunities diminishes with the light, but that is not entirely true.

I first notice the shortened days in early autumn. My custom is to take a fall colors trip West River and I’m always a bit surprised how soon the sun sets in the first days of October compared to the usual long days of summer when I typically visit places like Custer State Park and the Badlands. This year I wasn’t ready to quit making photographs when the sun set, so I set out to try something new. I tried to find interesting roads with curves in the respective parks and then set up my tripod for long exposures and waited for the day to dim.

My interest in night photography has always been strong. The problem is that as I get older, the more I loathe giving up sleep. Last summer, something happened in the northern sky that renewed my willingness to overcome the loss of sleep and make images in the small hours of the night. Comet NeoWise graced the sky for a few short weeks in July. With that celestial object, my night photography interest was renewed. Fast forward to late February 2021 and you would have found me taking long exposure sequences of Sioux Falls city scenes to make short time-lapse videos for Midco Sports coverage of the NSIC and Summit League basketball tournaments. A long exposure (anything longer than a couple seconds) at night allows you to capture moving cars with the headlights as streaks of light.

I wanted to try this same concept in the parks this fall. The goal was to find interesting stretches of road with passing cars and shoot them at dusk to create unique images. It was a learning experience, as I discovered that a strong night breeze plays havoc with a long lens even when it is on a tripod. If you look closely at the image of the Big Foot Pass road at Badlands National Park, you’ll notice the taillight lines are not smooth. Wind on my lens caused this, not crazy driving. I also tried this technique along Needles Highway and Spearfish Canyon National Byway. My favorite image is from the canyon. A small white tour bus came by, and with its lights positioned higher, gave an added vertical element to the streaks.

One last note about shooting night scenes in winter. With the air turning colder, the normal humidity and dust particles in the air are reduced, so the stars are seen more clearly. Add in the fact that the solar cycle is turning active again and there are new possibilities for glimpsing (and photographing) the elusive northern lights while gazing out and up into the night.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

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“Giants” is a South Dakota Classic

By John Andrews

Ole Rolvaag’s Giants in the Earth was inspired in part by the experiences of his father-in-law, a Norwegian immigrant.

Fall always puts me in a literary mood, perhaps because the South Dakota Festival of Books is held in late September or early October. I relish the opportunity to listen to writers discuss their books and always leave inspired to work on new projects.

Last year, as we found ourselves sticking close to home due to the uncertainty of the pandemic unfolding around us, I had time to revisit some of my favorite South Dakota books. I compiled a top 10 list for our November/December 2020 issue, thinking our isolating and socially distancing readers might be searching for ways to occupy their time.

I was reminded of wonderful books like Buffalo for the Broken Heart, the story of Dan O’Brien’s transformation of his West River cattle ranch to buffalo. David Laskin’s The Children’s Blizzard brilliantly retells the tragic story of the 1888 storm that killed more than 200 people, many of them students trying to find their way home through the blinding snow.

My list was not a ranking, but if it had been I wouldn’t think twice about placing Ole R¯lvaag’s Giants in the Earth at the top. A friend told me that several years ago she convinced her brother to read Giants in the Earth.”He was so mad,” she said of his reaction upon finishing.

I completely understood.

I still get a little angry when I think of the conclusion to R¯lvaag’s”saga of the prairie.” I won’t spoil it, but it is heartbreaking.

Giants (1927) tells the story of four Norwegian families who establish a small community along Spring Creek in southeastern Dakota Territory in 1873. They confront hardships that threaten to destroy their livelihoods: blizzards, locusts and the loneliness that comes with leaving your homeland thousands of miles away — knowing you’ll never return — and entering a place completely deserted, where”there isn’t even a thing that one can hide behind,” in the words of Beret, one of the main characters.

I was drawn to Giants because I’ve always been curious to know more about my great-grandparents’ homesteading experience. They arrived in Dakota Territory in 1882 and were among the 800,000 Norwegians who emigrated to North America between 1825 and 1925. Reading the scenes in R¯lvaag’s novel conjured countless questions I wish I could ask: Did you only eat porridge? Did anyone try to jump your claim? How close were your nearest neighbors? What did it feel like to hold your first church service?

Their real-life experiences may not have strayed far from the novel. Many of the stories are based on conversations R¯lvaag had with his father-in-law, Andrew Berdahl, who settled in northeastern Minnehaha County in 1873. His was one of eight families that made the journey in 11 covered wagons from Fillmore County in Minnesota to the spot along Slipup Creek about 8 miles west of Garretson.

The opening pages of Giants depict the scene as Per Hansa, Beret and their three children cross into Dakota Territory, traversing chest high prairie grass that has never seen a plow. R¯lvaag describes the sound of the wind rustling through the tall and spindly stems.”Tish-ah, tish-ah.” During summer, I open the window of my home office. Across the road is a field of corn, nearly 7 feet tall.”Tish-ah” it says, as the breeze trickles through the leaves, and I think of Giants and the shared experiences of thousands of our ancestors.

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All Things Pumpkin

By Fran Hill

I love autumn. The chill in the air, the smell of wood smoke drifting from chimneys, and the brilliant leaves are all cozy comforts for me. Of course, I can’t forget about the food of fall. Crisp, fresh apples, roasted winter squash, braised hunks of beef swimming with root vegetables, steaming pots of soup, herb stuffed chicken with the crispiest skin, and, of course, the quintessential pumpkin.

I love pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin seed salsa, and pumpkin and black bean soup; pumpkin in any shape or form is vying for my attention during the fall months. I gleaned the recipe for pumpkin cornmeal muffins from a magazine almost 20 years ago and blow the dust off it every autumn. It has become a staple of Thanksgiving morning served with a spicy chile relleno egg bake and fresh fruit, a sweeter side with soups, and a filling snack for chilly afternoons. The muffins are dense, moist and hearty. Serve warm and slather with butter for a perfect addition to fall.

Pumpkin cornmeal muffins are an autumn baking staple for Fran Hill.

Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins

(adapted from Real Simple)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

4 eggs

1 (15 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin (NOT pie filling)

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour (AP flour will work and produce a muffin with a little less nuttiness and density)

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2-4 tablespoons roasted pepitas

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly coat muffin tins with vegetable cooking spray or line cups with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.

Spoon the batter into the muffin pans.

Sprinkle with pepitas.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. (12 muffins)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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Autumn in the High Country

By Christian Begeman

Autumn always comes early to the high country. While late summer lingers across the rest of the land, the high coulees and upper draws seem to consistently show the first real signs of the season. The last week of September is normally the peak of fall color in places like Spearfish Canyon, the Slim Buttes and even Sica Hollow in the northeast corner of the state. For this reason, I regularly find myself wandering the back roads and trails of the high country every year about this time. It’s not that I welcome the end of summer, but it’s hard not to love autumn around here.

The beauty is fleeting, admittedly. When the weather patterns switch in this season of change, it brings strong winds that rob the trees of their dying leaves. That’s a lesson unto itself. There is beauty in endings. Sad though it is, it helps that there is promise of new life returning after the long winter.

This year I started around Sica Hollow during the golden hour on September 26. I was a bit early for fall color peak, but the color that was showing in the late afternoon and evening light seemed to accent the autumn beginnings quite wonderfully. A couple of days later I hit Badlands National Park, where the upper draws of Sage Creek were brilliant. One thing I learned is that yellow-leaved trees make for interesting visuals in a black and white image. They look nearly white.

After spending a day and half wandering around the Badlands, I made my way for Custer State Park. Needles Highway offers unique autumn color combined with winding roads and sweeping vistas. The fall foliage along the park’s creeks also offers colorful hues. From Custer State Park, I headed to the high country of Lawrence County by way of the Mystic and Rochford roads, finally ending up in Spearfish Canyon by late afternoon. This scenic byway is a must-drive in autumn. One extra perk this year was a small herd of mountain goats grazing near Bridal Veil Falls.

I finished up my tour of the high country in the first days of October by traveling north to the Slim Buttes and Cave Hills of Harding County. These areas are part of the Custer National Forest primarily for their stands of evergreens atop the buttes and hills, but they both offer great stands of deciduous trees along the draws and valleys. These places have become an autumn favorite for me. This year I missed the peak at the Slim Buttes as the color was nearly gone when I passed through, but the Cave Hills were nearly perfect. It goes to show just how fleeting fall’s beauty can be here on the high plains, even within a single county. Even so, the drive and views were worth every minute. The good news is that now the rest of the lower country as well as city and towns should be starting their autumn transformations. So, if you couldn’t make it to the high country, you still have a chance to get out and enjoy the rest of the season.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.