There are many hiking trails to choose from in the Black Hills of South Dakota, several of which are very close to my new campground. Recently, I got to complete the Hell Canyon trail (5.25 mile loop trail), about 13 miles west of Custer SD.

I specifically used the word ‘complete’ because I’d been on that trail twice before without completing it. The first time was with Jean and we turned around early in the hike. The second time I went by myself, missed a trail sign and wandered aimlessly for a couple of hours, although I did get some very good pix.

So, third time’s the charm, as they say. I got to the trailhead fairly early although it wasn’t forecast to get very hot that day. From the trailhead, you have 2 options. Start to the left and you’re faced with a steep 1/2 mile switchback trail to begin. Start to the right and you have 5 creek crossings before you start going uphill and finish downhill on that switchback.

The scenery was different than most of my hikes. Lots of rocks and cliff faces, open ground with only a few trees. At one point I saw a rock climber coming down a cliff face. At the bottom of the cliff face was a low cave opening. When it gets hotter here I may revisit that cave just for the cooler temps.

So, back to the title question. Moderate or strenuous? Most of these trails have descriptions in local brochures or at the trailhead that describe the level of difficulty. At this stage of my life, I have to admit that a trail that would have been moderate, at worst, a couple decades ago is now tilted toward the strenuous side of the line. And that’s OK. I can still finish the hikes even if I take a few more breaks. The scenery looks just as good and my body still reaps the physical benefits of getting out into nature.