| 2011-9-4 (Sun) | Black Hills in western South Dakota |
(aw_0551) main street of Sturgis, SD.
(aw_0553) Sturgis is famous for the big motorcycle rally in early August. Sturgis is a town of 6700 population. During the 10 days of the
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally the town has 500,000 visitors.
(aw_0554) On the way to the geographic center of the United States
(aw_0555) U.S. Air Force Mini-MUTES remote site. These remote threat emitter systems are controlled by an operator at a
main control site located 40 miles away. See below.
(aw_0556) The remote Mini-MUTES system is located in the background behind me. In my previous job as an electronics engineer
at McClellan AFB in Sacramento I was the engineer on this system during the design, manufacturing, and testing phases.
(aw_0557) These systems are spread thoughout an area of 70 by 70 miles and are used to train Air Force pilots in simulated
EW (electronic warfare) battle conditions.
(aw_0558)
(aw_0560) I arrive at the geographical center of the United States. The actual center is located in the field behind the barbed wire fence.
(aw_0562)
(aw_0563)
(aw_0564)
(aw_0565) The spot is marked by this brass disc placed there by a survey crew of the USGS (United States Geodetic Survey).
The disc was placed in 1962 which was two years after Hawaii and Alaska became the 49 and the 50 state of the U.S. This changed
the center of the United States. Previously it was in the state of Kansas.
(aw_0568)
(aw_0571)
(aw_0575)
(aw_0576) Mini-MUTES systems being stored at the main Air Force control site located northwest of Belle Fourche, SD.
(aw_0577)
(aw_0578)
(aw_0579) This is the main control site. On the left is a MUTES system that I also worked on as Air Force electronics engineer.
(aw_0580)
(aw_0581) This is a MUTES system with its tracking and emitter antennas pointing up.,
(aw_0582)
(aw_0583) One of the many pronghorn antelope which run wild in Wyoming.
(aw_0584) Devils Tower from distance
(aw_0589)
(aw_0590)
(aw_0594)
(aw_0595)
(aw_0598) A prairie dog that lives in a large prairie dog town below Devils Tower. This one is standing guard by his hole in ground which is his home.
(aw_0602)
(aw_0605)
(aw_0609)
(aw_0613)
(aw_0615)
(aw_0616) Spearfish Canyon - some of the ending scenes in the movie "Dances With Wolves" were filmed here.
(aw_0618)
(aw_0619) Main Street of Deadwood where most of the small casinos are located. Deadwood is now mostly a town of casinos.
(aw_0620)
(aw_0622)
(aw_0623)
(aw_0624)
(aw_0627) Pactola Reservoir located in central Black Hills west of Rapid City, SD
(aw_0629)
(aw_0632)
(aw_0636) Mount Rushmore - profile of George Washington as seen from the side of Mount Rushmore
(awmap_BlackHills5) map of the Black Hills area