From the Grand View Terrace, you can barely see what's going on high atop the famous faces.
"Most people don't realize how much work that goes into this," Rope Access Team Manager Darin Oestmann said.
If you look closely, you'll see rope access team members dangling from a highline system that will haul more than 3,000 firework shells for Friday night's big show.
"It's been modified a couple of times to become more efficient but we've got it down to a science now," Oestmann said.
Oestmann says when the highline is in place, it only takes about four minutes to haul 400 pounds of fireworks up the ropes.
"We bring it over halfway above the Hall of Records Canyon and then we lower it down into the floor here. Then it takes another separate crew to unpack it and start loading up the mortar tubes the way the company wants them," Oestmann said. The work that's being done behind the heads this week comes after a full year's worth of preparation. Crews work through all types of weather and while they say sometimes it's strenuous, it's all worth it when they see the big display.
"It's an accomplishment to be able to see the fireworks display go off without a hitch. It's a patriotic day and it's worth it," Oestmann said.
Worth seeing crowds of people enjoying the display far below its stage.
Officials are expecting a huge crowd this year, so the Highway Patrol will close Highway 244 at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and no one will be able to leave Mt. Rushmore until the fireworks display is finished.
For more on the climb to the top of Mount Rushmore, read Karla's blog Inside the Newsroom.
