The second time I visited, I was with my husband and the place had significantly changed to it's current likeness...and there was no fog so we had a beautiful view. On the drive up, we only glimpsed the faces briefly.
This time, we saw the faces the entire drive up to the parking area. The gift center and the information center along with exhibits and the movie were added along with the hike, the visit to the artist's shed, the ranger's talks and the junior ranger activities for children. I spent the entire day there with friends and family including children and enjoyed every minute.
The reason we could see the faces all the way up, unfortunately, is because there is a problem with the pine trees and they have lost up to 80 percent around the area. And it is spreading throughout the Black Hills.
So here are the four faces...
These close-ups were taken on the hike...
From the artist's shed, this is the original structure from which measurements were made to transfer to the granite...
And this is what the carvers and dynamite folks sat in while they were hanging off the cliff...
And this is the wench which was operated by two men to bring folks up and down, along with the jack hammer used to drill holes and carve features. The jack hammer was on it's own wench and cable...
If you have the chance, stop by and spend some time at Mount Rushmore. It's an intriguing visit! More pictures of the area tomorrow.
Thanks for visiting...
Enjoy your evening.