Crazy Horse Memorial

Yesterday we had decided to spend the day at Crazy Horse Memorial in Custer. We spent some time there 25 years ago and we had to use our imagination to visualize what this mountain carving would look like. We also know that it won't be completed in our life time, but were absolutely thrilled with yesterday's events. The carving was started in 1948 by Korczak Ziolkowski, a sculpture who worked on Mount Rushmore. Korczak was contacted by Chief Standing Bear in 1947 and asked that Korczak create and carve a memorial to Crazy Horse in the Black Hills area where Crazy Horse was born, lived, and died. Crazy Horse was a war chief of the Lakota Sioux Indians in the mid 1800's and was a leader of many. He was stabbed in the back by an American soldier and died in 1877. His beliefs and his ideals are still held close in the Sioux ways. One thing that Korczak had to project is that there were no photographs of Crazy Horse and he had to rely on many oral histories to get a description of what Crazy Horse looked like.

We drove through Custer State Park again to get to the Memorial and we were stunned when we rounded a curve and saw in the distance the carving on the mountain. We were speechless. Stopped to grab a photo then proceeded on to Crazy Horse. Viewed the video on how and why the mountain is being carved, and one fact stuck out: Crazy Horse died September 6, 1877 and Korczak was born September 6, 1908. Coincidence? After Korczak's death in 1982, seven out of 10 children as well as his widow Ruth have continued the dream. Only family members work on the mountain, following Korczak's belief in free enterprise system and that Crazy Horse should be built with interested public not taxpayer's money. Mount Rushmore was federally financed and Korczak did not want the government involved at all. When this carving is complete the memorial will be the largest carving in the world. Mount Rushmore's heads are 60 feet high, Crazy Horse's head will be 87 1/2 feet high. By the time the horse is completed the entire statue will be 563 feet high!

We went on a bus tour that took us to the base of the mountain, the driver explained many facets of the carving and oh, by the way, for an additional fee you could have a private tour in a van and take you to the top of the mountain and you can stand on Crazy Horse's outstretched arm. Dave and I looked at each other and knew we were going to do this. We thought we would never be back in this area and in the twenty five years since we have been here, his face has appeared and part of his arm. Only with donations can this work continue and if there isn't money, no work. We signed up immediately to go.

Wow, wow, wow, wow!!! I am so glad we did this. In some time in the near future all visits to the top will cease because once the arm is carved out more, obviously no one will be allowed up there. To put this picture into perspective - the nose is 27 1/2 feet long (that's a big nose!), his eye openings are 8 1/2 feet wide and the distance from his nose to chin is 28 feet! Huge. The little white blurb to the right is the van we were came up in and there is a two story building right behind the van.

We had seen Mount Rushmore 25 years ago, were going to visit it, but not now. Nothing will compare to this memorial. Instead we will take the next two days and relax, take a breather, clean, grocery shop and do laundry, and then maybe Friday we will head to the Badlands National Park. So much to see, so little time!