A Couple More Days in South Dakota

 After Badlands I tried to visit the Minuteman Missile Visitors Center but because of COVID it was not open to the public until Wednesday morning. This area of South Dakota was a hotbed of missile silos during the Cold War years. There were 1000’s of missiles in the Great Plains for over 30 years, now there are still hundreds. I believe the Visitors Center allows you to tour a silo and command center. Now I guess I will probably have to wait until my next visit to South Dakota.

I headed back to Rapid City to Planet Fitness for a quick workout and a shower. Afterward I got my laundry done, there’s a lot of it, and found a place for the night. I parked at the Founders Park at the base of Hanson- Larsen Park. I was meeting Chris there in the morning to go mountain bike riding. There were a few cars in the parking lot and surprisingly I wasn’t asked to leave. Overnight parking in parks in town is usually a no no. 

Chris and I had a great ride all around the Hanson- Larsen Park. It is a wonderful trail system right here in downtown Rapid City. If I lived or worked around here I would be on this trail everyday. On the final pitch to the top I rode the very steep gravel road and Chris took the trail. The trail was a little too rocky for me. We met at the top and grabbed a snack. As we were sitting talking my rear wheel broke a spoke. I wasn’t even near the bike. It must have been spun up from the climb and just let loose. It made me cut the ride short and head over to the bike shop across the street from the trail. 

It was still early in the day so we headed to Sturgis for another bike ride. Why ride once when you can get out twice! We went to where Caroline and I had ridden a week ago. We climbed Centennial #89 trail. Being that we started so late we decided on an hour out and an hour back would be best. Only problem for me is that in the woods as the sun was going down I can’t see well at all. I had to turn around after 40 minutes. I found a gravel road to take me back to the van. Chris continued on. Since I still wanted to ride I just retraced the ride Caroline and I did. It was more in the open and I could see fine. 

After our rides, I set up my van hot shower. It just works great. Makes you feel so refreshed after a ride. We had hoped to camp there for the night but we got booted out by a local. Oh well. After a bit we drove to the other trailhead I rode with Caroline in Spearfish at Crow Peak. 

In the morning we did separate rides because Chris wanted to do the Fight Club ride I told him about and wanted something easier. I decided to climb the gravel road for a solid hour to the top of Single Track Attack and ride that back. Perfect for me. Chris and I said our goodbyes. As it turns out we would meet up again later on. 

Badlands Road Ride

 Today I headed back east for a couple hours so I could visit Wall Drug and ride Badlands.

Wall Drug is in the town of Wall South Dakota. It is one of those places where you see the signs on highway for hundreds of miles saying you are almost there, must stop, don’t miss it. Kind of like South Of The Boarder in South Carolina on I 95. The big difference is this place is thriving. Old west town with food and shopping what else can you want. I sat in my van eating breakfast and walked around the shops. I bought nothing. Sorry Wall Drug, I guess I’m not good for the economy.

Next was to go back to the Badlands, I rode my motorcycle through there about 15 years ago on a very hot day. Even then I wanted to ride my bike there. Today I got to do it. Beautiful day, warm but not very hot. I got to see a bunch of big horn sheep and a coyote. And of course plenty of prairie dogs. I didn’t take any pictures of the dogs. 

Again GoPro video to follow someday 

B20 Custer State Park Ride

 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. 

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Needles Road Ride

 Here is a quick post of my extra Friday ride on Needles Highway, Route 87. It was supposed to be a nice out and back ride to see the tunnels I knew I couldn’t drive with my van. The tunnels are height restricted to 9’8”, I am probably right at 10’ tall. I don’t want to knock off my solar panels. So I had to add a ride after our daily gravel ride. I took it a little easier on the first ride so I felt fine for another ride. I had a good lunch at my van and jumped on my road bike for I thought was going to be a 30 mile ride.

I climbed up to the tunnels, took some pictures and as I was about to go back down the way I came up a couple bike racer types came through the tunnel. As they passed I looked into my GoPro and said “ Look someone to PLAY with “. They started down hill following cars, I jumped on their wheel and we started passing all the cars through the winding hairpin turns. I stayed third wheel as I did not want to get in their way as I just joined their ride. I had to ride my brakes pretty hard because if there’s one thing I can do well it’s descend. I must say that they were picking some pretty crappy lines through the turns but I stayed in the back. The road went up some and I knew I was not going to be able to climb well since I already had 70 miles in my legs for the day. I crested the hill a bit behind them but immediately caught them on the descent. I rolled up next to the faster guy and said hi. He looked at me like? Who the heck are you? And didn’t say a word. Idiot bike racers. I was willing to pull thru to help keep the pace high on the flat but they didn’t seem willing to let me in so I just stayed in the back. The next hill was longer and they were gone. I had so much fun. I even have the whole thing on video when I figure out how to post it. 

Now I’m on the other side of where I want to be and have to figure out how to get back to my van. After 52 miles, struggling on the hills, about to run out of water and fighting day light I made it back to my van. Over a combined 100 miles for the day, I got a burger from DQ, got a shower and went straight to bed. 

Very fun day.