Western S.D. really is so much better than it's eastern half. The Black Hills are full of ragged granite, Ponderosa pine, and super vistas. The weather was cold & rain all day Sunday. We couldn't find a church that interested us, so we went underground - literally. We took advantage of the poor weather and saw Jewel Cave National Monument. Besides, it was warmer down there (49 degrees!). The place got it's name because all of its interior is or was covered at one time by mineral deposits, some of which were very intricate and beautiful. It was like being inside a giant geode. The guide said they formed over millions of years from super saturated water that drained away. I couldn't help but wonder if there might not have been geo-thermal activity akin to that of the Yellowstone region which would've allowed for such a concentrated mineral soup. Maybe it all precipitated after explosive thermal activity in the past vented heat & water allowing the remaining cooler rock to attract the minerals. (fountains of the deep?)
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