Michael Richardson
This morning, we had the opportunity to meet several other bike tourists staying at our campground in Hill City, SD. Some were out for the week or weekend; others were tackling a similar route as our own, like a group that started in Seattle and was headed to New York. As I’ve said before, I absolutely love meeting other cyclists, especially other bike tourists, and they were out in numbers today around the Black Hills. Like them, we started our ride on the crushed limestone of the George S. Mickelson rail trail, picking up where we left off yesterday. These 109 miles of repurposed land, bridges, and tunnels now serve to connect people from Edgemont to Deadwood, and everywhere in between, in much the same way the trains did back in the day. I’m a big fan of rail trails, and if you also enjoy accessible, shared public paths, consider checking out the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy for a map of routes in your state and to support their ongoing efforts.
The George S. Mickelson rail trail
Speaking of unique paths, instead of taking the straight-shot 10 miles to Keystone today, we opted instead for a 35-mile scenic byway through Custer State Park and I am so glad we did. Narrow tunnels, switchbacks, 360° spirals, and split-lane roads were all in store for us as we meandered through granite outcrops and scattered pines. We brushed up against some cold rain, but the serpentine climbing kept our body temperatures high and our spirits higher. When the rain stopped, we ran into a few more bike tourists, this time on a trip led by the Adventure Cycling Association (remember those guys from Missoula?). We raced them down the mountain and up the 800’ ascent into Mount Rushmore. It was a relief to see the faces up close after a few startling glimpses pedaling on the byway. Aside from the airport-like entrance, it was a great spot for lunch and we got to talk with several travelers about our bike trip and the cause. Like at Custer State Park, the employees at the payment booth saw us ride in on bicycles and waved us right through—score.
The Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Highway, between Hill City and Keystone, SD
Friend goes to town on a pepperoni pizza at Mount Rushmore
Coming down from Mount Rushmore, we had several steep descents and fast rolling hills. This felt like the first time in days that I could hold a decent pace for more than 1/4 mile and man did it feel good. So good in fact that I blew right past a turn and Brian had to chase me down for some extra miles. Just before making it to Rapid City, Friend’s tube (the one we patched last week) decided to give out on a busy highway and we were dealing with the torturous hand pump once again.
Some hilly miles outside Keystone, SD
We followed an impressive ridge line into Rapid City, looking across at the Black Hills where we started this morning. We met up with Brian’s connection in town who is letting us camp in their backyard, use their kitchen, and most importantly—launder our clothes. We picked up food from the grocery store and Brian made one of his classic curry dishes for us with tofu and vegetables. I think it’s been nearly four weeks since I’ve eaten an onion and I never knew they could taste so good. Maybe it’s the Vitamin C. Our generous host also helped us with our route planning and pointed out several things we need to see throughout the Badlands this weekend. Tomorrow we head for Interior, SD and a rest day at our fingertips.
Skyline Drive into Rapid City, SD