Up early.... A cold front blew in during the night. The wind is howling and it's cold. I wanted to be at the trailhead at daylight but that didn't happen... I got the time mixed up and didn't get to trailhead until 6:40. It is very windy...I was the only car in the parking lot. Never saw a soul on the 3.8 miles of trail to the summit.... it got a little creepy out there with the wind so bad...trees creaking and branches falling...When I neared the top, the wind was so strong that I had to hold unto something to keep from getting blown off my feet. I am guessing that wind speed was between 80 and 100 mph. I only stayed on the top long enough for my obligatory photo. On the way down, I met several hikers going up... a Florida couple and a girl from Bulgaria were farther from home than me. This roundtrip to Harney Peak was 7.6 miles and took about four hours. Down and I headed back to camp...held up awhile with the crowd that was watching the spectacle of a tour bus trying to get thru a tunnel. Camp was quiet as the others were out and about so I loaded up and headed for Rapid City and the road north. Spent the night in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. I am starting to feel tired from the pace of the trip and decided that I am not going to the highpoint of Minnesota... that would be an extra 800 miles.
Definitely need to bring the family to the Black Hills sometime and stay a week.
Trail to Harney..I can still hear the wind howling
View from near the top
Harney Peak Lookout - Highpoint
I had to get down out of the wind to take this photo
Amazing tunnel maneuvering
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