predators lingering in the tall grass waiting to strike at me. And lucky for the both of us we
did not encounter the feared rattlesnake, nor any other creature wanting to do us any harm.
We spent hours exploring the overgrown airstrip with some decrepit hangars near some
factory-looking buildings and a sprawling complex of ammunition’s depots, army barracks,
hospital remnants, amongst many other buildings that lie abandoned.
The ghost town of Fort Igloo is so close, yet so far away. You feel you’re on the edge of
civilization (you kind of are), as you enter a land of many buildings, but few people. The
roads leading around the base can be a bit confusing as some roads are so overgrown
you can hardly tell they are there. And others are completely closed off with padlocked
gates and barb wire fencing as we found out while trying to get a closeup picture of the
ammunition bunkers. Across the rugged prairie more than 800-bunkers once used to store
weapons and ammunition for the military still dot the landscape, other structures have
been reduced to ruins by the passage of five decades, but the ammunition bunkers remain
as sturdy as ever. These cement and earthen covered mounds resemble igloos, hence the
name Fort Igloo that the residents of Black Hills Ordinance Depot lovingly nicknamed
their base and the name has held over time.
We still have not entered the front of the base and with the dark clouds rolling in with a
possible storm approaching we make our way to the first paved road we find with a street
sign reading Igloo. We see a beat up old pick up truck drive through what was the front
gates at one time, but well-placed tractor tires leaning against the cement wall are spray
painted with the omen “NO TRESPASSING”. Even the brick guards building that is still
standing is shouting at us with the same message painted on it’s front. I look over at Ryan
and ask, “well what are you waiting for?” He says, “this is a bad idea.” Yes, it does say, NO
TRESPASSING, but I don’t listen and decide I am going to stop and ask at the residence
vLENS continued on page 22
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