We started our day by riding the motorcycle via Needles Highway to picturesque Sylvan Lake Resort in Custer State Park. We were so surprised to see these "kayaks" parked at the dock. It looks like a bicycle with two pontoons instead of wheels. I would have loved to see someone using one...how does the high center of gravity work on the water? We had a busy day planned and couldn't give this a try...we were anxious to hike around the lake. Isn't is gorgeous?
Sylvan Lake is known as the "crown jewel" of Custer State Park. Created in 1881 when Theodore Reder built a dam across Sunday Gulch, it offers picnic areas, rock climbing, small rental boats, swimming, and hiking trails. It is also popular as a starting point for excursions to Harney Peak and The Needles. The lake was featured in the 2007 film National Treasure: Book of Secrets. The film made the lake appear to be located directly behind Mount Rushmore when in fact it is five miles southwest of the monument.
Here's a photo of Sid walking toward the dam area which is just above his head. I stopped to chat with the woman fishing (small figure to Sid's right). She said she was fishing for rainbow trout and expected to catch dinner in the lake. We circled the lake and hiked through the rocks/"needles" behind the dam. The photo below shows us (look hard) in a narrow pass to give you a sense of the size of the needles!
After hiking the path around the lake, we were back on the bike in the Black Hills, which are a Paleozoic/Mesozoic formation, created when a large dome pushed up from the earth in the region. Over the years the softer sediment eroded, leaving behind strange granite formations which we first visited on Day 8. However, we missed capturing a photo of the Needle's Eye, a prominent granite formation which stands nearly 40 feet tall and has an unusual slit that's only a few feet across. The photo below was taken from the parking area at the base of the formation. 
However, that wasn't good enough for Sid who insisted we climb around the rocks across from the Needle's Eye. It was a fun and strenuous hike which allowed us to see the "needles" from a different perspective.
I was able to capture this photo from behind the Cathedral Spires looking out into the distance at the section of Needles Highway we traveled on Day 8. In fact, if you go back to Day 8, look for a photo of Sid sitting on a rock with the Cathedral Spires in the distance over his right shoulder -- that's where I'm standing when I took the photo! 
This is a view of the Needle's Eye taken from the rock formations nearby. Look closely at the little red blob at the bottom just to the left of the base of the formation. It's our motorcycle! I can't believe Sid enticed me up that high...actually even higher since I took this shot on the way down. Sid has no sympathy for my fear of heights!
On the way back to Blue Bell Lodge cabins, Sid dropped me off to explore the woods near our cabin. He had located the area where our buffalo visitors spent the night before they joined us for breakfast a few days ago. He wasnted me to experience the serenity of the place (I called it the Buffalo Bedroom) with the sounds of French Creek in the background. It was lovely.
While in the Buffalo Bedroom, I found the dandelion seed head on the left, which I compared to an average-sized dandelion seed head on the right. I was fascinated by this thing, taking way too many photos of it!
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