Yesterday Chris and I rode the B20 route. It is the route we both missed and wanted to make up after all the rave reviews from the group. It leaves from Custer and goes through Custer State Park, home of Mount Rushmore, on gravel road, double tracked and single track paths. Sections of it is as much a gravel ride as it is a mountain bike ride. But it does also add a gravel bucket handle loop outside the park just to remind us it is indeed a gravel ride.
We roll out on a bike path out of town to gravel that quickly turns into single track. Very rideable, very beautiful thru a canyon with rock faces on both sides. We were warned that there were a few streams to cross. I really lost count, had to be close to ten. One could be ridden, some with large stones to step across, some more with long planks to cross. Long narrow planks. Very fun, very different. On most of the single track I followed Chris, it made it much easier for me to see the correct lines. Again I have a bunch of GoPro videos I hope to add later.
After your standard gravel road section across the prairie we were heading back to the trails of the park. At the trailhead a guy walked up to us and asked if we were going to ride all the way through the park. We said we were. He asked if we could do him a favor. He pointed to the trail map and said please don’t pee between these sections. Umm what? He explained he had an Elk hunting permit for the park and he was tracking an eight point elk in that area. Oh, sure no problem. We continued to talk with him for about 15 minutes and he explained how he had waited 17 years for the permit and he has friends how got their permit after waiting over 30 years. Wow. Absolutely we would do nothing to ruin his hunt. As he was walking away he mentioned his ebike he uses. I went wait, you use an ebike ? He said it has been a game changer for him. Getting in and out of the woods and when he gets his elk he will use it to carry out the elk. Very cool.
He also told us about the bison in the area too. So we rode away looking for all kinds of critters. We didn’t see the bison but plenty of deer and half way up the hill we saw what I’m sure was his eight point Elk. It was a beautiful site, for a quick moment he was looking right at us before ever so gracefully trotting up the think wooded hills. I have not had the time but I do believe I caught it on my GoPro. To be added later.
On the back side of the climb we started our rutted rocky descent. Again I followed Chris, this time I was a bit too close. I didn’t see the big rock he went around and I went right over it, almost caught myself but slid out my front wheel. Crashed on my right side hitting my hip and shin. I was going slow enough so no damage was done. Sit for a couple minutes collecting my thoughts making sure nothing is out of sorts and away we went.
Again another great day on the bike.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment