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Spellbinding Spearfish Canyon

By Christian Begeman

There is a place in the northern section of the Black Hills that can legitimately be called a”must see” destination for every South Dakotan. That is purely my opinion, but I’ll bet you’ll agree with me (if you don’t already) after stepping foot in the area where Little Spearfish Creek joins Spearfish Creek at a place called Savoy. It is a landscape that will simply take your breath away. This is true for all seasons of the year, but if you can, visit the area in autumn. Come early on a sun-filled morning. Come and marvel at the yellow, red and orange of aspen, birch and oak coloring the canyon walls. Add deep greens of ponderosa pine as well as the rich blue sky above and it won’t take long to fall under the spell of one of the state’s most beautiful places.

I was in grade school the first time my dad turned the wheels of the family car up the scenic Spearfish Canyon byway. I remember looking out the backseat windows in awe. I also remember daydreaming about flying a fighter jet through the canyon chasing some alien spaceship. Quite an imagination for a farm kid, I guess. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to linger in the beauty. I’ve also learned that it is a superb yet challenging place to take nature photos. I took some of my first long exposure waterfall photos in Spearfish Canyon. Roughlock Falls to be exact. I was in college and at that time there wasn’t much for groomed trails or any viewing decks. Nowadays the Game, Fish and Parks Department maintain an interpretive trail, as well as wide walking trails and sturdy viewing platforms in what is called the Roughlock Falls Nature Area.

Last week I was able to spend two full days in the area. The fall colors were nearing their peak as I hiked the trails with my tripod and camera gear. Just below Latchstring Inn is a trail that leads to Spearfish Falls. It is one of my favorite places in the whole canyon. Further up Little Spearfish Creek is lower and upper Roughlock Falls. In between these waterfalls is the trout-filled Little Spearfish Creek which affords many opportunities to spot wildlife and wildflowers. There is a small dam along the way that allows for fly fishing and/or watching the trout glide through crystal clear waters. I spent at least an hour watching and attempting to photograph brown trout feeding on aquatic insects with quick strikes to the surface.

Driving further up the Roughlock Falls road towards Cement Ridge on the Wyoming border has become another favorite trip for me. The winter scene from Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film, Dances with Wolves, was filmed in this area and there is a sign pointing out the exact place. Mature aspen groves, as well as thick birch stands, add brilliant colors to the drive. Abundant wildlife such as deer, squirrel, chipmunk and marmot can also be found along the way.

The approaching drive from Spearfish to Roughlock Falls Nature Area is also beautiful. Bridal Veil Falls is a well-known pull-off for tourists. You’ll often pass bikers peddling away as well as motorcycles cruising through the scenery. Photographing such a place is both easy and hard. Easy, because it feels as if anywhere the camera is pointed, a great shot can be taken. Hard, because good fall foliage photos require compelling composition, good light and interesting detail. Each of these aspects can be daunting in their own right, but combining all three takes a lot of thought and patience. I’m still learning myself as often the euphoria of the autumn scene in front of me at Spearfish Canyon can turn my photographic brain off. That is why I took the time to linger in the canyon this time around. I went back at different times of day to discover and enjoy the different moods and scenes spread out before me. I’d do it again tomorrow if I could. It’s really that good, but don’t take my word for it. Get out and see it yourself!

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog. To view Christian’s columns on other South Dakota state parks and recreation areas, visit his state parks page.


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Elusive Monarchs

By Christian Begeman

September 26, 2009 was the date I first set foot in Sica Hollow State Park. I had heard of the park’s beauty in autumn and always wanted to go, plus I had just purchased a new camera. What better way to test out the new gear than exploring one of South Dakota’s most noted and mysterious places? I didn’t find any ghosts or spirits walking the trails, but I did witness beautiful and saturated fall colors due to recent wet weather. I found rich oranges, yellows and reds along the streams and horse trails. The new camera got plenty of work and the trip turned out to be very successful. Two photos I took that day were later published in the July/August 2010 South Dakota Magazine article”Ten Naturally Beautiful Places.” Getting my first full-page photo in a real and noted magazine was pretty exciting stuff for a country boy from Ziebach County.

I have returned to the park a handful of times since, the most recent being last weekend. Why would I make the three-hour trip before the colors of fall season have appeared, you may ask? This time, I went in search of a different kind of colorful phenomenon — the monarch butterfly. At the end of August and into early September the annual monarch migration south to Mexico comes right through our state. Sica Hollow, which is located on the edge of the Coteau des Prairies, is located on one of the main highways for these orange blazes of color as they make their way south.

Last year, on the first weekend in September, I went to Sica Hollow on a hunch. The last week of August, I had happened across 25 to 30 monarchs feeding on Maximillian sunflowers and ironweed in the Coteau Hills near Clear Lake while working on another project. I deduced that the migration was beginning and set off to Sica Hollow the following weekend. The hunch paid off. I was rewarded with a spectacle that would make most nature lovers’ pulses quicken. Around a hundred monarchs were fueling up on nectar in the upper hills of the park. I was able to get close enough to one of their roosting sites just before sundown to get a series of photos showing 20 to 30 butterflies crowding on the same tree branch. It is a sight I won’t soon forget. It is also a sight that I’m now realizing may be much harder to duplicate than I first thought.

You see, this time around I was skunked twice at the same sight. I only saw two monarchs at the park in two tries two weeks apart. It could be the drought and/or the unseasonably warm weather that is keeping the butterflies’ numbers low this year. It is hard to say. Whatever it is, it seems disappointingly ironic to me. I say that because I’ve seen single monarchs fluttering amongst the wildflowers in many of my other state park travels this summer.

South Dakota’s weather has never been what one would call predictable. The appearance of autumn’s colors on the fringes of Sica Hollow in early September is proof that things are off a bit this year. It looks to me like the prime fall color is around two or maybe even three weeks early this year. Looking back at the dates of my other visits to Sica Hollow demonstrates the differences. When I was there in late September of 2009 the prime color was just before peak. On my trip there in mid-October of last year, it was about a week after peak colors and this year I’m seeing fall colors start as early as Sept. 8.

One of the essentials to shooting good fall foliage is correctly guessing when the best time is to view the most turning trees. I try to catch it early rather than later as I don’t trust the notorious west wind from stealing the gold from the trees before I have the chance to photograph them. All in all, trying to outguess the weather is actually one of the fun things about nature photography. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. I’ve learned that when I guess correctly, I need to drink it in and enjoy it for all it is worth, because who knows if and when the particular beauty of that particular day will come around again. So happy hunting and may you fill your memory cards with all sorts of beautiful South Dakota fall color this year. Good luck!

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog. To view Christian’s columns on other South Dakota state parks and recreation areas, visit his state parks page.



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The Pleasure’s in the Details

By Christian Begeman

OK, I’ll admit it. I’ve gotten a little road weary this summer. I’ve crisscrossed the state a couple different times exploring our parks. As much as I love getting out on the road, I really needed a break. But what to do? I’m winding up this summer-long series on our state parks and now I don’t want to drive? Aren’t all the good parks miles and miles away from Sioux Falls? Thankfully the answer to that question is no.

Just a few miles southeast of Sioux Falls is Lake Alvin Recreation Area. According to the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks website, Lake Alvin is named for Alvin Dempewolf, the only World War I soldier from Harrisburg to die overseas. The lake has a popular beach and swimming area and is known for good fishing. The entire body of water is a”no-wake” zone, so on any given weekend you may see kayakers and canoes out for an enjoyable paddle.

Before last weekend, I had driven by the area occasionally but never really stopped to check out the place. So I decided to investigate a little more. The lake is nestled into the lower valley of Nine Mile Creek not far from the Big Sioux River. The hills and ample trees along the shore provide smooth water surfaces most of the time by keeping the wind at bay. For a camera buff, this means excellent shooting conditions at sunset. On those evenings when the clouds are colored yellow, orange and pink, the still waters mirror the evening sky for a double shot of color.

The hiking trail on the north side snakes along the top of the prairie hills and then back through the heavily wooded valley near the lake’s shores. I walked the trail just after lunch on a day where it had rained lightly in the morning. The sky was still overcast, which made for very even light. It was as if there was a giant soft box in the sky, and contrary to the popular belief that sunny days are the best times to shoot, this soft box effect makes for really nice shooting conditions. The colors of the grass and flowers are more saturated and deep, harsh shadows are also eliminated.

Walking the trail, I was constantly amazed by nature’s palette of color. The stately yellows of goldenrod and the deep reds and purples of flowering thistles contrast well with the green and tan hillside grass of late summer. Once you start looking, you notice other things like texture and patterns as well. From the ripple of a fishing lure hitting the water at sunset to the contrast of old bark and vibrant moss and lichen on the tree limbs, these patterns and design of nature often engage my attention (and my camera) for hours. Since it had rained in the morning, there were still droplets clinging to flower buds and leaves that remained out of the wind. It is in times like these when I locate and attach my macro lens to get in as close as possible. I really like how the drops of water look like smoothed jewels on the veined leaves and slender grass stems. Once in that close, things like unnoticed insect life fill the viewfinder and can make for some very interesting photos. From busy bees to majestic Monarchs, life abounds in the undergrowth and amongst the flower buds.

It is funny how one can miss a treasure simply from being too close or familiar with it. I think I was guilty of that with Lake Alvin Recreation Area as well as the nearby Blood Run Nature Area along the hills of the Big Sioux River. I’m confessing that error now and hope to take the short drive again out there this fall to see what color autumn will bring and what other jewels I can find so close to home. My camera is almost excited as I am.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog. To view Christian’s columns on other South Dakota state parks and recreation areas, visit his state parks page.

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Magic Moments at Little Moreau

By Christian Begeman

As if the grand landscape stretching out under the golden light of the sunrise wasn’t enough…and as much as I reveled in the sweetly scented West River breeze when the evening dew settled on the prairie grasses, it still wasn’t the highlight of my visit to Little Moreau Recreation Area near Timber Lake, SD. On my last day in the park, I had one of those experiences that bordered on magical. But let me back up a bit before I get to that story.

Little Moreau Recreation Area and I have some history together. Roughly 20 miles as the crow flies to the southwest is the ranch and farm of my youth. The picturesque Little Moreau Creek, which meanders through the park, was also the inspiration for the name of the Little Moreau Athletic Conference, of which my high school (Isabel Wildcats) was a member. To be named a Little Moreau All-Conference basketball player was a pretty big deal to me 20-plus years ago.

I also have fond memories of summer church picnics at the park. I clearly recall gathering at the softball diamond for a spirited game after we picnicked. At that age, it never occurred to me that the pastor, deacons and Sunday school teachers might be able to hit the ball into deep left field and to the trees at the edge of the creek. I’m not sure why, but playing with them and having them cheer me on as I hit the ball over the second baseman’s head is a special memory for me. It plays back in slow motion when I recall it. It pretty much is my definition of a perfect summer afternoon.

I never swam, fished or waterskied at the main dam in the park, but I watched a lone boat pull a skier in figure eights around the small surface area at sunset in early July. It reminded me of learning to ski at Isabel Lake, which was also small. You had to always turn to keep up enough speed to stay on top of the surface and avoid the tall reeds along the shoreline.

The Little Moreau Creek Valley begins to deepen just a few miles northwest of the park. By the time it exits, the beautiful valley is flanked by majestic shortgrass prairie hills as it makes its way to join the Moreau River near the small town of Whitehorse. According to the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks website, the area was used by both the Sioux and Cheyenne as winter shelter before modern times. This sheltered area also means that wildlife is abundant. Especially deer…

Which brings me back to the highlight of my time at the park. On my last morning there, I pulled into one of the picnic areas. As I got out of my vehicle and gathered my camera gear, I saw movement at the edge of the tall grass of the old softball diamond. I quietly shut the door and moved to the nearest tree.

I peeked around the tree trunk and saw two fawns moving my way. I was too far away for any good photos so I took a chance and moved to another tree about 50 feet closer when both their heads were down and eating grass.

SNAP! I stepped on a small branch right as I arrived at the next tree. I was sure the deer heard and were gone. I put my camera to my face and looked around the tree trunk. Lo and behold, the twins were still there and much closer. I held my breath and did my best statue impression. About this time the twins caught a glimpse of my CRV in the parking area and therefore didn’t seem to sense me standing there. The closest fawn was a mere 20 feet away and dappled in the beautiful morning light. I couldn’t believe what was in my camera viewfinder!

Click, click… And just like that they were gone and into the trees. I guess that is why they call it the great outdoors. You never know when something magical will happen. But I’ll tell you what, you will definitely increase your chances of experiencing greatness by spending time at Little Moreau Recreation Area. I did and have the photos to prove it.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog. To view Christian’s columns on other South Dakota state parks and recreation areas, visit his state parks page.



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Rediscovering an Old Friend

By Christian Begeman

The poetry of camping in the great outdoors calls out to many South Dakotans one way or another. I don’t exactly know why, but I do know that I have developed unexpected relationships with places in South Dakota. There are places that I find myself drawn back to again and again. Places that seem to always have a timeless beauty no matter what the season.

Just over four years ago, I first walked the trails of Hartford Beach State Park on the shores of Big Stone Lake in northeast South Dakota and we’ve been friends ever since. It was around that time that I decided to take what was then a hobby of mine, photography, a bit more seriously. From then until now I’ve been learning, shooting, traveling, trying new techniques, failing, shooting some more, all in an effort to get better at outdoor and landscape photography. Up until then I was primarily a sports photographer that dabbled in landscapes. I found myself facing a few difficult changes in my life that summer. As hard as those changes were, there was good that came of them, as the door to pursuing photography more seriously opened and I made the decision to walk through.

That first time I visited Hartford Beach State Park, I didn’t know what to expect. I hadn’t really been in northeast South Dakota very much before then. I didn’t realize how much unique beauty, rich history and simple peacefulness awaited me at the park. Hartford Beach is basically a picturesque portion of Big Stone Lake’s shore. Big Stone Lake is a long and narrow body of water that is situated in what is called the River Warren Valley, a prehistoric river created from large volumes of melting glacier water. As time moved on, Native American peoples called the region home. Visitors can see burial mounds and other markings that remain along the trails of the park to this day. In the time of the Civil War, a trading post was started that operated for ten years. The building is still intact along the park’s eastern boundary, with hiking trails leading away into the woods below.

For a photographer, the park is full of variety and many opportunities to find unique images. It is easy to find wildflowers in the warm months of the years on the high hillsides, and it is just as easy to lose yourself in a heavily wooded trail on the lower hills along spring-fed streams leading to the lake. There is a large swimming area for water enthusiasts as well as a fishing dock. It is a particularly beautiful place in the fall when the trees turn to gold and red. When I was first there in 2008, the fishing dock was of the old wooden variety. A storm had just passed and the clouds hung low and flowed into unique shapes and colors as they fled eastward. I spent a lot of time sitting at the end of the fishing dock simply listening to the waves and watching the storm move on while thinking about life and the road ahead of me. I suppose you could say that natural world I looked out on that evening was a mirror of my life at the time as well. Maybe that is one of the reasons I like going back to visit. It offers a time to reflect, a time to take measure of life’s goodness and a time to rediscover an old friend.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog. To view Christian’s columns on other South Dakota state parks and recreation areas, visit his state parks page.



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Keeping Cool in a Great Lake

By Christian Begeman

This summer reminds me of the hot and dry summers growing up in rural Ziebach County. The days that you thought you were walking into an oven when leaving the house for chores in the afternoon. The days when we only had one window air conditioner in the whole house. Our living room was the only sanctuary from the heat. Even the normally cool basement was too warm and muggy to be comfortable. My bedroom was on the main floor — on the opposite side of the house from the air conditioner. My whole back wall was westward-facing, so the room could be unbearable on hot July days. On the worst nights, when there wasn’t even an evening breeze to tickle the curtains of my open window, I remember filling up my water pistol and shooting it straight in the air above me. The droplets of water would rain down some relief and soon I’d drift off into dreams of exploring the Amazon rainforest or the Sahara desert.

I will admit that hot summer days are good for one thing. The heat makes any time spent on South Dakota’s recreational waters that much more refreshing. I lived about an hour and 15 minutes from Lake Oahe and have fond memories of jet skiing, water skiing and fishing on the Missouri River. Further down the river, on Lake Francis Case near the Highway 44 bridge, are two recreation areas that are havens for water lovers. Snake Creek Recreation Area lies on the eastern shore. Just a few miles north on the western side of the river is Buryanek Recreation Area. Both parks have great shorelines for frolicking in the water, numerous campgrounds, dock access for watercraft, and they both offer beautiful scenery of the Missouri River breaks. They are pretty much the perfect place for a hot summer cool-down vacation.

When I was there earlier this month, I asked a friend of mine if I could join his family out on the water and shoot some photos from the boat. Jeremiah DeJong and his family happily obliged. We took a quick tour of the area and even dusted off the water skis to see what kind of photos we could get. Jeremiah is on the water quite a bit here as he is an avid fisherman. Like any good fisherman, he had a whopper of a story to tell me. Last fall as he was out on the water early in the morning, he noticed a rather large land animal crossing the river. A nice sized buck was swimming the mile wide expanse of water from one shore to the other. I wouldn’t have believed him if he didn’t have the photos to prove it on his cell phone. I got winded dog paddling with a life jacket on while trying to shoot some photos with my waterproof GoPro camera. I can’t imagine swimming the whole way across. Since it was in the fall, I’m guessing the old buck got wind of a female or two he wanted to visit across the water. Apparently Lake Francis Case could not stop him on his quest of love.

Buryanek was mostly under water last year due to the record flooding on the Missouri River system. I stayed in a camping cabin there Saturday evening and was amazed that the whole place was up and running smoothly. The only evidence of the flood were the high water marks on the trees and outhouses. I stayed out on the shore late into the night to get a shot of the Milky Way above the water. In the distance you could see the lights of cars crossing the Platte-Winner Bridge and the faint lights of Snake Creek’s campgrounds. The evening breeze and gentle waves of the evening brought relief from another hot July day in South Dakota. It reminded me of one of my first tenting experiences on the shores of Lake Oahe with my brothers and members of our church youth group. Those are good memories. It is good to know that places like Snake Creek and Buryanek still offer kids young and old the chance to create new memories of vacations on the shores of South Dakota’s Great Lakes.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog. To view Christian’s columns on other South Dakota state parks and recreation areas, visit his state parks page.



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The Rugged Spirituality of Bear Butte

By Christian Begeman


Just a few miles north and east of Sturgis, South Dakota is one of the most interesting places to visit in the state. No, I’m not talking about Buffalo Chip Campground or anything to do with the annual motorcycle rally. I’m talking about Bear Butte State Park. It is a place of vibrant history and rugged beauty as well as deep spiritual significance.

Rising over 1,200 feet above the surrounding prairie at an elevation of 4,426 feet above sea level, the butte has an interesting geological story too. Eons ago, volcanic activity forced magma up against the earth’s crust to push out rock. For some reason, the volcano failed to erupt. Time, weather and wind eroded the landscape around the rocks to give us what we see as Bear Butte today.

Centuries later, the butte became a place of deep spiritual meaning to various Plains Indian tribes, the most recent being the Cheyenne and the Lakota (or Sioux). Sweet Medicine of the Cheyenne is often compared to Moses of Judaism and Christianity as he spent time as an exile on the butte where Ma’heo’o (God) met with him and gave him the basis of Cheyenne moral, spiritual, and political customs. Later the Sioux would hold annual councils at the base of the butte to gauge their strength for the year as well as catch up on the news of the land.

I’ve heard a couple accounts of the butte’s origin. One that has been attributed to the Lakota goes something like this; one day some children were out playing and a large bear they accidentally disturbed started chasing them. (Some retellings say one of the children was pretending to be a bear and actually changed into one.) The children outran the bear and climbed up on a large tree stump. As the bear approached the stump, the tree stump grew and grew and so did the bear. His claws raked the sides of the stump causing deep gashes on the side. Then an eagle rescued the children and flew them east and very high in the sky. The bear chased but soon grew weary and fell into a slumber at the foot of the Black Hills. The children became the constellation that we know as the Pleiades (or Seven Sisters). The bear became Bear Butte and the scarred tree stump is what we now know as Devil’s Tower in present-day Wyoming.

The Bear Butte region also echoes with many of the great names of the Old West. Red Cloud, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse are all said to have been there often. According to some stories, Crazy Horse is even said to be buried somewhere near the butte. Custer and his infamous expedition to the Black Hills to confirm the stories of gold camped at the base of the butte as well. The Bismarck to Deadwood Stage Trail passed just to the west and north of the butte. In fact, you can still see evidence of the ruts at the marker on Cotton Creek Road a few miles north of the butte.

I had the honor of visiting with Jim Jandreau, the park manager, about the sacredness of the butte. He offered some keen insight as to why the place was considered holy. Not only is it a high and beautiful place, but the beauty is distinctly rugged and hard edged. Only spirits would live in a hard place like this and therefore it was reasoned that the butte must be very close to the spirit world. As you hike the butte, you will see numerous prayer flags and prayer offerings tied to branches along the way. Sometimes you will see homemade beadwork accompanying eagle’s feathers as well. A homemade gift is considered one of the highest honors to be given in Lakota culture.

I climbed the butte just after sunup on a Sunday morning. The landscape was hazy as a result of fires to the south and west. I was worried that my photos would suffer, but the butte was full of beauty I did not expect. Various wildflowers, birds and wildlife accompanied me on my hike. Later in the day a brief yet fierce thunderstorm rolled up and over the butte. As it passed, a rainbow appeared to the northeast. Then as the sun set, the departing storm clouds were painted pinks and purples. I couldn’t have asked for a better day in one of South Dakota’s most interesting and special state parks. It is my hope this place is kept and protected for all to experience for many years to come.

A rainbow emerges after the storm.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog. To view Christian’s columns on other South Dakota state parks and recreation areas, visit his state parks page.


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The Hidden Beauty of Lake Hiddenwood

By Christian Begeman

The first time I experienced Lake Hiddenwood State Park I was a mere 16-year-old volunteering as a camp counselor. This park was only an hour and a half drive from my home and I had never heard of it. I was told the place was full of trees, hiking trails and a small lake. As we drove east of Mobridge and then north of Selby through the wide open, rolling fields and pastures, it didn’t seem possible that there could be a forested state park anywhere in the area. We then crested a hill and eased into Hiddenwood Creek Valley and there it was, a little gem of a lake sparkling in the sun and surrounded by thick stands of trees. We had a lot of fun with the campers that afternoon and I was thoroughly impressed with the place.

Some 20-plus years later I find myself walking the”Hidden Beauty” trail before dawn with camera in hand. The trees are thick and the undergrowth is green with life along the trail. I hear turkey, nearly step on a fawn quietly sleeping on a hillside of grass (which nearly gave me a heart attack) and photograph a rosebush unfurling its pink flowers. I swear I must have groomed the trail of at least a dozen cobwebs with my big head. Again, I find it hard to believe that such a place exists in the middle of the high plains of north central South Dakota.

According to South Dakota’s Game, Fish and Parks website, melting glaciers carved the valley. In 1927, the department used a new technique called an earthen dam to create Lake Hiddenwood. It is one of the first artificial lakes in South Dakota. The lake is not deep, but it does contain a variety of fish species including perch, bass and bullhead. The place is also a haven for birds and wildlife. From hawk to deer and turtles to amphibians, you’ll find them all at Hiddenwood.

The first sunlight of the day lights up Lake Hiddenwood State Park.


My older brother and his family live near Selby so I invited them to join me at the park to go canoeing. I thought it would be a fun thing to photograph and since he owns the canoe, it was pretty essential they agreed to go. You couldn’t have asked for a better evening on the calm waters of the lake as the sun was glowing yellow through the trees. Hiddenwood Creek’s channel is deep enough to canoe quite a way upstream. If you prefer more open waters, you can turn your boat to the west where the water widens until reaching the small spillway on the northwest part of the dam. I’m not sure what it is, but there is something peaceful as well as memorable being out on the water of Hiddenwood. It might be that the water is so calm even on windy days because of the trees and hills acting as windbreak. Whatever it is, the lake is a special place, especially when spending time on it with family.

The fishing is also entertaining. My nephew and a couple of his friends spent a good hour catching and releasing fish after fish from the boat dock as the last light of the day dimmed. They were quite intrigued to be able to see the schooling perch swim in lazy circles and even see the small little shadows of fish hit their spinner lures just a foot or so under the water. I can see why this place is popular with the local Boy Scout chapter. I’m coming up on 40 years on this earth and I’m not ashamed to say that spending time playing at Lake Hiddenwood made me feel like that wide-eyed kid again. I know I’m not 16 any more but places like Hiddenwood can take you back there even if it’s just for an evening. Thanks to my brother, his wife, and my nephews for making the weekend another special one at Lake Hiddenwood State Park.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog. To view Christian’s columns on other South Dakota state parks and recreation areas, visit his state parks page.

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A Trip Back in Time

By Christian Begeman

I’m not sure about you, but sometimes I’d like to take a trip back in time. Just to be clear, I don’t want to do this to interact with history and/or change something. I’ve watched enough science fiction movies to know that is a bad idea. I’d just like to see how things actually were back in the day. I often wonder what our prairies, rivers and hills looked like before the plow, dams, highways and power lines of today.

Unless there is really a mad scientist genius somewhere who has figured out how to make Doc Brown’s flux capacitor really work, actual time travel remains impossible. Fort Sisseton State Park in northeastern South Dakota has a pretty good alternative option for those of us who are history buffs and interested in South Dakota’s frontier days. Every June, the park hosts the Fort Sisseton Historic Festival where the past comes alive. Calvary charges on the parade grounds, cannon fire and even a working Gatling gun highlighted the Saturday afternoon I was there. Not only can you see what the frontier fort looked like but you could also try your hand at learning old-timey skills and tricks like hatchet throwing and cracking the bullwhip like the old time cowpokes.

The fort itself, which sits atop the Coteau des Prairies (or hills of the prairies), was originally a frontier army outpost called Fort Wadsworth. The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks website says that the site was chosen because it provided a strong natural defense, an ample supply of lime and clay for making bricks, an abundance of lake water for drinking and a thick stand of trees for timber and fuel. The park’s buildings have been restored with great care and as you make your way through the fort, the actors and information stands give you every kind of detail on what frontier life was like back in the late 1860s. For a photographer, all this provides many opportunities to make an interesting image. I had particular fun using a long telephoto lens in order to get compelling candid and action shots of the participants.

The area itself is a unique bit of South Dakota landscape. It seem to me as if all Marshall County borders a lake or body of water. Kettle Lake borders the park and, like most of the glacial lakes in the region, the last few wet years have taken their toll on shoreline trees and even some structures. I saw a beautifully painted red barn mirrored in still, overflow lake water. If you are into wildlife (bird watching in particular) then the area is a must see. I saw Egrets, Blue Heron, Pelicans, various duck species and a lone bald eagle all in a matter of an hour and a half of cruising the back roads near the park.

Later on in the evening, as the last light of the sun dappled the fort’s parade grounds with warm, yellow beams, folks dressed in their frontier finery lined up for the military ball. As the authentically dressed couples paraded by for a half hour or so, it was almost as if you really did step back in time. Like most summer festivals in South Dakota, Fort Sisseton’s is simply a fun time to hang out with family and friends. I ran into an old high school pal that I hadn’t seen in a few years. He and I and his daughter ended up spending the rest of the afternoon reminiscing, learning and simply enjoying a slice of South Dakota culture and a little of the good old days… and I didn’t have to accelerate a tricked out, flux capacitor DeLorean to 88 mph to do so.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog. To view Christian’s columns on other South Dakota state parks and recreation areas, visit his state parks page.

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Grand River Grasslands

By Christian Begeman

One of the greatest legends of the early American West was born somewhere near the convergence of the north and south forks of South Dakota’s Grand River. Frontiersman Hugh Glass was mauled by a female grizzly bear with cubs while he was out hunting alone in August of 1823. His companions left him for dead. Yet somehow he survived the ordeal and proceeded to crawl and float some 200 miles to the nearest fort on the Missouri near present day Chamberlain. The story is amazing if not epic. Those two adjectives could also describe the region of land that surrounds those same forks of the Grand River today.

The Bureau of Reclamation created the Shadehill Dam and Reservoir in 1951 at the joining of the forks. The reservoir and much of the adjacent land is part of the state park system and comprised of three different units (including one named after Hugh Glass). The Grand River National Grasslands is just beyond the parkland. For a wandering photographer like myself, it doesn’t get much better than spending a late May weekend drinking in the fresh air and wide open spaces these protected lands and waters have to offer.

I grew up about an hour east and a little south of the area. Occasionally my friends would make their way to Shadehill for waterskiing and general fun. The waters haven’t quite warmed up for that kind of recreation yet, but cold waters won’t stop dedicated anglers. On my first afternoon at Shadehill I met some fishermen who traveled from the Black Hills area for the weekend. They proudly showed me a stringer full of a variety of fish. Later that night, I set my alarm for three a.m. in order to capture the Milky Way above the waters. One of the first things I saw as I rubbed my blurry eyes in the darkness was a blazing falling star lasting almost two seconds. I was wide awake after that. If you’ve never experienced the night sky where there is very little light pollution, you are missing out. There is simply a sense of wonder in western South Dakota’s dark night skies.

Later on, I positioned myself above the bluffs of the dam to get some sunrise shots. It was a chilly morning — 37 degrees with an accompanying stiff breeze. I noticed mists coming off the waters of the Grand River below the dam as the light bloomed in the horizon. The water from the reservoir’s release tube was much warmer than the brisk air above it and the result was a foggy steam that hung low on the river. This kind of scene is photographic gold. I took a few shots from the bluffs and made my way down to the river to shoot the steam against the rising sun. At this point I was in the zone, focused and intent on the scene in front of me. I walked briskly along the tall grass and sage on the riverbank when something happened I don’t think I will ever forget. I suddenly felt the ground, or at least what I thought was the ground, start to move under my right foot. A squawk erupted from under that foot, followed by a loud rustling commotion. A bellowing war whoop erupted from my deep inside my chest and my heart rose to my throat. I had stepped on a slumbering hen pheasant and she scared me half to death in her haste to get away. The good news is she was in flight before my full weight came down, so nothing but my pride was hurt. I’m glad no one saw or heard the ruckus as I’m sure”war whoop” is a very generous description of what actually came out of my mouth.

Later that morning I hiked five or six miles along the Blacktail trail in the Grand River Grasslands, enjoying prairie flowers, wildlife and bird sightings. Like I said before, the whole area is a photographer’s dream — at least this photographer’s dream. But don’t take my word for it. Why not take a weekend to check the area out yourself? My only caution is to simply watch where you step.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog. To view Christian’s columns on other South Dakota state parks and recreation areas, visit his state parks page.