Across the Pond: Day Four- Alvis the Amazing and Mt. Rushmore

I felt completely recharged from the harsh Badlands after my good nights sleep! Today we loaded up to go and visit the South Dakota School of Mines. I have to admit, I greatly underestimated the College. I was excepting maybe just one building with only a few students learning how to mine. Instead, what I found was a fairly large campus nestled in the Black Hills with modern buildings. It is mainly an undergraduate college much similar to Furman with about 2600 students. We came to the school to meet Alvis the Amazing, a very well known geologist, and professors and the school. Do not confuse him with Albus as in Dumbledore, although he does contain many of the same qualities. He awaited our arrival in the parking lot most majestically- styling his big western belt buckle, a very tasteful red flannel, and of course an Indiana Jones type exploration hat. He gave us a history of the Black Hills along with their stratigraphy. Once when the continents were more closely conjoined, the Blacks Hills South Dakota region was warm tropical ocean located very close to the equator. The layers of the Hills were originally flat, but through changes plates, they became an uplift. A giant circular valley called the Racetrack completely encircles the Hills. The rocks that compose this valley are reddish in color. According to Sioux Lakota legend, there was once a great race between the two legeds and the four legeds. The two legeds were racing on these rocks to hard, that their shoes tore and their feet began to bleed. This is why the entire valley contains a reddish tint.

Geology is very interesting in that I feel like most of geologic history is a very well educated guess. When we look at formations, we not only think about their outside appearance, but more importantly how they became and what is happening beneath the surface of the earth. Alvis, looking iconic in his getup with rock hammer in hand, led us on a hike to visually see geography of the Black Hills after he had taught it to us in the classroom.

I am in awe at how my professors can tell me so much about what is happening underground. It is like they have soil horizon x-ray vision. Learning about Geology reminds me that the Earth contains so much more than what we can see with our naked eye. It's secrets underground are what have formed the terrain that we are able to live on today. If we are not able to live on it, than we are inspired by its beauty.

Eventually, we stopped on a large smooth rock by the river. We learned that this rock is actually a Gneiss Rock that is the oldest rock in the Black Hills, dating to 2.5 billion years old. That is amazing that I am touching something half as old as the Earth. Alvis, using his rock hammer like the Elders Wand, was able to break off a sample for closer look. The rock appears to be just a regular grey. However,when Iooked through the handlens at 10x magnification, the colors burst out the form of vibrant little crystals.

After the hike, we journeyed back into civilization to gather supplies. The grocery store we stopped at gleamed in my eyes when I saw it had a STARBUCKS. Animal instinct took over and then next thing I knew, I was white girlin it up with a Gradne White Chocolate Mocha Frapaccino. Sometimes we just have to indulge, and when I am only able to take a shower every three days, I have no guilt.

To conclude the day, we visited a monument that had me so excited- partly because it is an amazing piece of history, and partly I want to scout out a good location for my face in the future. That's right, I am talking about Mt. Rushmore. In person, the true grandness of Mt.Rushmore really comes out. I cannot fathom how man was able to make this monstrosity so accurate while dangling off a mountain. The only part I did not like about it, was the ampetheathetre they had built at the base of the monument, I thought it slightly took away from the regalness. Nevertheless, it still reached all of my expectations.

Today was a great day in not only soaking up some sun, but also some great history.