Bear Mountain Drive.

We took another drive today, we have enjoyed our rides into the Black Hills National Forest so today we drove up to the Bear Mountain Lookout and afterward took the long way home. We took Upper French Creek Rd. (286), north from US 16 (just west of Custer City), to 284; 284 took us to 291, and 291 took us to Bear Mountain where 293 took us up to the lookout.

 

We started our adventure on Upper French Creek Road.

 

You have to watch out for the cattle and their landmines.

 

The scenery was worth the drive.

 

More landmines and their makers.

 

A stretch of 284 was tore-up but passable.

 

Near Bear Mountain.

 

At Bear Mountain we walked around the fire watch tower, the view was good but it was hazy today.

 

 

 

At Bear Mountain the CRV was already getting dusty.

 

These little guys were in bloom today.

 

After the lookout we drove down to 291 where we continued north to Gillett Canyon Road (296); John grew up on Gillett St. so he couldn’t resist a detour onto this road. 296 looped through the canyon and out to 301. 301 took us to 299 where we stopped at the Boy Scout Camp to eat our lunch.

 

The view along 291.

 

Aspen trees were growing in this valley.

 

Gillett Canyon Road was not as wide as 291.

 

Not a spectacular canyon but we enjoyed the drive through here.

 

 

 

This area appears to have burned, there was an enclosed plot of Aspens down in this valley.

 

On 301 we saw another white-tail deer with two fawns, they couldn’t hang around and pose for a picture.

 

 

After lunch it was a quick ride to 297 which took us to US 16 north of Custer City. After 79 miles of gravel and dirt roads the CRV was very dirty, back in Custer we drove through the car wash before returning to Beaver Creek.

 

We stopped in their parking lot to eat our lunch.

 

297 took us out to US 16.