For any of you who have ever ridden a bike, wanted to, or heck, even if you just know someone who loves to ride, my Holiday gift to you is the following link .
Happy Holidays to all, and may the new year live up to your sense of wonder.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Happy Holidays You Big Beautiful World
It always amazes me when I return to Denver how quickly I lose sight of the greater world there is to explore outside the confines of I-70 and I-25. Especially at this time of the year when the focus turns to friends and family and celebrating the holidays I forget the feeling of being out THERE with the wind at my back and the sun (or more likely the rain) in my face and the sheer wonderment as to what is around the next corner or over the next rise. Fortunately the weather this year has allowed me to get out and indulge the urge to get on a saddle and turn the pedals. Yet doing so only whets my appetite to do more.
For any of you who have ever ridden a bike, wanted to, or heck, even if you just know someone who loves to ride, my Holiday gift to you is the following link .
Especially if you are stuck in a cube, or sitting watching the snow dreaming of sunnier days to come, read some of the stories, watch some of the videos, and be amazed anew at what this big beautiful world has to offer if we just get out there. There’s even hiking and sea kayaking if biking is not your thing. Regardless of where your passions lie, get out and explore them while you can. As one of the stories drives home, there is not always a tomorrow.
Happy Holidays to all, and may the new year live up to your sense of wonder.
For any of you who have ever ridden a bike, wanted to, or heck, even if you just know someone who loves to ride, my Holiday gift to you is the following link .
Happy Holidays to all, and may the new year live up to your sense of wonder.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Road Trippin’ over Turkey Day
Far be it to let a long holiday week go by and not head out of town. My wife, who often has an inordinate amount of sway in determining where we go (happy wife makes for happy life), has a penchant for seeking out interesting and fun destinations and this year was no different. This trip turned out to be a combination of destinations. First stop was Monument Valley that sits on the border of Utah and Arizona. The Monument is actually on the Navajo Indian Reservation and is a Navajo Tribal Park and not a National Park or Monument. While I’m sure when this land was set aside it was considered by white folks as useless desert the scenery is incredibly spectacular. While you may have never actually been there, through the countless films shot here (from where Tom Hanks finally stopped running in Forrest Gump, to more John Wayne westerns than I can count) you’ve visited Monument Valley via film more times than you know. The Navajo are very protective of this area and consider it sacred and therefore most access is limited to a rough dirt road that winds 17 miles from one stunning vista to another. There is limited hiking as well but what trails there are will take your breathe away. Interestingly, the bulk of tourists visiting the Monument are from other countries and the mix of Chinese, German, French, Australian, and other voices is an interesting audio backdrop to one of the most recognizable icons of the American West.
We also did some hiking in the Mexican Hat and Gooseneck Bend areas and picked up a river map for the San Juan River which we’ll definitely plan on kayaking or rafting next summer. The Gooseneck Bend area is a spectacular set of meandering bends in which the river flows more than six miles but only makes two miles of western headway.
So where to head after such spectacular wonders of the world? Southern California of course. We were on our way to hobnob with the world’s most famous rodent in his home digs in Anaheim. The contrast from Monument Valley couldn’t have been more stark - hiking there meant you could go hours and not see another person- while in California I was quickly re-educated in the concept of urban density. You occasionally see Colorado vehicles displaying “Don’t Californicate Colorado” bumper stickers but it doesn’t really hit home how crowded southern California is (from its ubiquitous highways to its grocery stores to its amusement parks) until you experience it first hand. If that’s what “progress” has in store over the next couple of years for Colorado then fasten your seat belt. Of course it’s so crowded because it offers a wonderful climate, ocean beaches galore, and the chance to be mesmerized as a Disney cast member in an oversized plastic head hugs a little child and you find yourself believing in magic if just for a little while. One of my former coworkers used to work for Disney and she constantly held up their standards of customer service as tops in any industry. For the most part she was right, but alas, it appeared that at least 6 out of 10 cast members were more involved in security and crowd control than in delivering the high standards of service Disney is famous for. What would Walt think about the world we live in today?
Did I mention that Disney knows a thing or two about throwing a parade and fireworks extravaganzas? This time of year the parade is Holiday (can I say Christmas?) focused. I was expecting a quick float or two trundling down Main Street but instead was treated to beautifully decked-out floats streaming by one after the other and here is where the Disney cast members really had a chance to shine.
Then at night, weather permitting, the Park hosts a fireworks display that takes your breathe away in much the same manner the magnificent vistas of Monument Valley do. Two of our three nights in the Park the fireworks were cancelled due to wind so expectations were sky high for Turkey Day eve to see if they would go forward and they didn’t disappoint.
We also did some hiking in the Mexican Hat and Gooseneck Bend areas and picked up a river map for the San Juan River which we’ll definitely plan on kayaking or rafting next summer. The Gooseneck Bend area is a spectacular set of meandering bends in which the river flows more than six miles but only makes two miles of western headway.
So where to head after such spectacular wonders of the world? Southern California of course. We were on our way to hobnob with the world’s most famous rodent in his home digs in Anaheim. The contrast from Monument Valley couldn’t have been more stark - hiking there meant you could go hours and not see another person- while in California I was quickly re-educated in the concept of urban density. You occasionally see Colorado vehicles displaying “Don’t Californicate Colorado” bumper stickers but it doesn’t really hit home how crowded southern California is (from its ubiquitous highways to its grocery stores to its amusement parks) until you experience it first hand. If that’s what “progress” has in store over the next couple of years for Colorado then fasten your seat belt. Of course it’s so crowded because it offers a wonderful climate, ocean beaches galore, and the chance to be mesmerized as a Disney cast member in an oversized plastic head hugs a little child and you find yourself believing in magic if just for a little while. One of my former coworkers used to work for Disney and she constantly held up their standards of customer service as tops in any industry. For the most part she was right, but alas, it appeared that at least 6 out of 10 cast members were more involved in security and crowd control than in delivering the high standards of service Disney is famous for. What would Walt think about the world we live in today?
Did I mention that Disney knows a thing or two about throwing a parade and fireworks extravaganzas? This time of year the parade is Holiday (can I say Christmas?) focused. I was expecting a quick float or two trundling down Main Street but instead was treated to beautifully decked-out floats streaming by one after the other and here is where the Disney cast members really had a chance to shine.
Then at night, weather permitting, the Park hosts a fireworks display that takes your breathe away in much the same manner the magnificent vistas of Monument Valley do. Two of our three nights in the Park the fireworks were cancelled due to wind so expectations were sky high for Turkey Day eve to see if they would go forward and they didn’t disappoint.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Work Ethic
America prides itself on allowing anyone with ability to get ahead at least in part through hard work. Through the course of my career I realized success depended more on working smarter, not necessarily harder. Still, one must be willing to put in the requisite hours and sometimes hard effort to realize whatever goal we’re striving for.
Nowadays my hard work generally takes the form of turning pedals as I cycle down the road or trail. Bicycling is an unforgiving taskmaster that forces one to ride often, and sometimes hard, to develop some level of fitness. Of course what is hard is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case the pedal turner.
Genetics also plays a large part in success and I could ride hard all day and would still routinely get passed by folks on their two wheeled steeds that make cycling hard look easy. Recently though I was reading “Adventure Cyclist” magazine and came across an article that took the concept of hard work to a whole other level. In this world of ultra endurance this and ultra endurance that there apparently are folks who aspire to something known as HAM’R, which stands for Highest Annual Mileage Record. What could be simpler? Just get on your bike and turn the pedals for as many miles as you can in 365 days. The record for HAM’R was broken this year by a young woman named Amanda Coker, a 24 year old from Florida.
Just for fun, wanna take a guess as to how many miles she rode? For some context, I ride anywhere from 4 to 6 thousand miles in a year. Some pro racing cyclists ride triple that amount. Some folks ride across the U.S. (approximately 3 to 4 thousand miles depending on the route) and you can even cycle the perimeter of the U.S.A. clocking 12,000 miles (the record holder - yes, they actually track these things - did it in 180 days). And yes, there is an official record to cycle around the world - 18,000 miles - currently held by a Scotsman who did it in 78 days while the female record holder took a more liesurely 144 days.
So, what number would you guess for Ms. Coker? Throw out all the numbers above, they’re not even remotely close. Over the course of 365 days Ms. Coker rolled a jaw dropping eighty six thousand five hundred and seventy three miles. And since she was so close, she kept at it to hit the big 100,000 mark in 423 days. To break the 365 day HAM’R record Amanda averaged 237 miles per day and her highest monthly total was over 8,000. Not bad for a young lady who suffered a traumatic brain injury when struck by a car while riding her bike in 2011. I won’t hazard a guess as to what she’s going to tackle next, but when it comes to work ethic she’s definitely got it. I can only empathize when she is called on to defend her record when someone inevitably tries to break it...
Nowadays my hard work generally takes the form of turning pedals as I cycle down the road or trail. Bicycling is an unforgiving taskmaster that forces one to ride often, and sometimes hard, to develop some level of fitness. Of course what is hard is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case the pedal turner.
Genetics also plays a large part in success and I could ride hard all day and would still routinely get passed by folks on their two wheeled steeds that make cycling hard look easy. Recently though I was reading “Adventure Cyclist” magazine and came across an article that took the concept of hard work to a whole other level. In this world of ultra endurance this and ultra endurance that there apparently are folks who aspire to something known as HAM’R, which stands for Highest Annual Mileage Record. What could be simpler? Just get on your bike and turn the pedals for as many miles as you can in 365 days. The record for HAM’R was broken this year by a young woman named Amanda Coker, a 24 year old from Florida.
Just for fun, wanna take a guess as to how many miles she rode? For some context, I ride anywhere from 4 to 6 thousand miles in a year. Some pro racing cyclists ride triple that amount. Some folks ride across the U.S. (approximately 3 to 4 thousand miles depending on the route) and you can even cycle the perimeter of the U.S.A. clocking 12,000 miles (the record holder - yes, they actually track these things - did it in 180 days). And yes, there is an official record to cycle around the world - 18,000 miles - currently held by a Scotsman who did it in 78 days while the female record holder took a more liesurely 144 days.
So, what number would you guess for Ms. Coker? Throw out all the numbers above, they’re not even remotely close. Over the course of 365 days Ms. Coker rolled a jaw dropping eighty six thousand five hundred and seventy three miles. And since she was so close, she kept at it to hit the big 100,000 mark in 423 days. To break the 365 day HAM’R record Amanda averaged 237 miles per day and her highest monthly total was over 8,000. Not bad for a young lady who suffered a traumatic brain injury when struck by a car while riding her bike in 2011. I won’t hazard a guess as to what she’s going to tackle next, but when it comes to work ethic she’s definitely got it. I can only empathize when she is called on to defend her record when someone inevitably tries to break it...
Saturday, September 23, 2017
All That Glitters...
All that glitters may not be gold, but in the Colorado high country at this time of year it's impossible to miss the spectacular harbinger of winter that is the changing of the Aspen. I grew up in the northeast where the fall colors are truly magnificent and nature's palette is far broader than the primarily gold that colors our mountainsides but all in all I'll take a crisp, cool fall day in Colorado staring at blazing gold trees anytime.
I have the luxury of being able to be in the high country when most folks are tied to their desks and am free to explore minus the crowds. The last couple of days I spent wandering the lower reaches of Independence Pass around the small hamlet of Twin Lakes. Every year it's anyone's guess as to when the Aspen colors will peak. Driving through Leadville I was afraid that I had missed the best of the Fall colors as the Aspen trees at the higher elevations seem to be past their prime but dropping down towards Twin Lakes the colors got brighter and more spectacular. Twin Lakes is the eastern portal to the road to Aspen over Independence Pass and offers a spectacular juxtaposition of the deep gold color of the Aspen against the deep blues of the lakes with the backdrop of the mountains highlighted by our clear Colorado skies.
I drove to Denver on Friday and of course noticed the crowds of folks heading the oppposite way up I-70 on their weekend pilgrimage and know that the parking lots, pullouts, and trails will be mobbed at the most scenic spots. For those of you unwilling, or unable, to brave the crowded high country this weekend here is a sample of what this year's foliage show...
I have the luxury of being able to be in the high country when most folks are tied to their desks and am free to explore minus the crowds. The last couple of days I spent wandering the lower reaches of Independence Pass around the small hamlet of Twin Lakes. Every year it's anyone's guess as to when the Aspen colors will peak. Driving through Leadville I was afraid that I had missed the best of the Fall colors as the Aspen trees at the higher elevations seem to be past their prime but dropping down towards Twin Lakes the colors got brighter and more spectacular. Twin Lakes is the eastern portal to the road to Aspen over Independence Pass and offers a spectacular juxtaposition of the deep gold color of the Aspen against the deep blues of the lakes with the backdrop of the mountains highlighted by our clear Colorado skies.
I drove to Denver on Friday and of course noticed the crowds of folks heading the oppposite way up I-70 on their weekend pilgrimage and know that the parking lots, pullouts, and trails will be mobbed at the most scenic spots. For those of you unwilling, or unable, to brave the crowded high country this weekend here is a sample of what this year's foliage show...
Monday, September 18, 2017
Pedal the Plains is all grown up
My wife and I have done several Ride the Rockies over the years so when the folks at the Denver Post added a new ride several years ago focused on the eastern plains we were intrigued. The Pedal the Plains ride started a lot smaller than its larger RTR cousin with a couple of hundred riders inundating small communities in the heart of Farmland, Colorado. Granted, Farmland, Colorado is not generally high on the list of vacation destinations but for three days in mid-September the chance to do some late season cycling on quiet rural (and generally flat!) roads was still attractive enough to get us off the couch and dust off the two-wheeled steeds.
This last weekend my wife Sophie rode this year's version starting out in Kersey (just east of Greeley) and then meandering on back roads to Keenesburg, Brush, and then back to Kersey. I opted to be lazy and do the sag duties which includes doing the hard work of sitting in an air conditioned car as I drive from town to town where I set up the tent. Being sag support is not something I've done before but for this trip thought I'd give it a try.
The 2017 Pedal the Plains, perhaps due to its close proximity to the Denver metro area, attracted over 1,000 riders so my wife was always in good company as she cruised the windswept prairie. The host communities really did a nice job of welcoming the riders and the meals, entertainment, and camping venues were very well planned. There was even a real lunch provided on each day's ride at one of the rest stops, something they weren't offering the last time we did the ride. The weather held out with a little rain on the tent Saturday night but the morning overcast each day quickly burned off to feature the spectacular blue Colorado skies our state is famous for. Day Two featured a Century Plus option of riding 115 miles that attracted a lot of additional riders to come out just for that day's ride. Sophie opted for the 62 mile regular option which was probably wise as there were still Century Plus riders out on the course at 7 p.m. 115 miles is a huge accomplishment and kudos to those hearty riders but the three day riders who partook of this longer option were still facing the final day's 72 miles bright and early the next morning.
Fortunately the wind Gods smiled and on Sunday riders were treated to mostly tailwinds gently pushing them on towards their final destination of Kersey. At the finish line medals and hugs were handed out before the cycling horde climbed back into their four wheel behemoths and scattered to the four corners but I'll bet many of them are already looking forward to next year's version of a now very grown up Pedal the Plains.
This last weekend my wife Sophie rode this year's version starting out in Kersey (just east of Greeley) and then meandering on back roads to Keenesburg, Brush, and then back to Kersey. I opted to be lazy and do the sag duties which includes doing the hard work of sitting in an air conditioned car as I drive from town to town where I set up the tent. Being sag support is not something I've done before but for this trip thought I'd give it a try.
The 2017 Pedal the Plains, perhaps due to its close proximity to the Denver metro area, attracted over 1,000 riders so my wife was always in good company as she cruised the windswept prairie. The host communities really did a nice job of welcoming the riders and the meals, entertainment, and camping venues were very well planned. There was even a real lunch provided on each day's ride at one of the rest stops, something they weren't offering the last time we did the ride. The weather held out with a little rain on the tent Saturday night but the morning overcast each day quickly burned off to feature the spectacular blue Colorado skies our state is famous for. Day Two featured a Century Plus option of riding 115 miles that attracted a lot of additional riders to come out just for that day's ride. Sophie opted for the 62 mile regular option which was probably wise as there were still Century Plus riders out on the course at 7 p.m. 115 miles is a huge accomplishment and kudos to those hearty riders but the three day riders who partook of this longer option were still facing the final day's 72 miles bright and early the next morning.
Fortunately the wind Gods smiled and on Sunday riders were treated to mostly tailwinds gently pushing them on towards their final destination of Kersey. At the finish line medals and hugs were handed out before the cycling horde climbed back into their four wheel behemoths and scattered to the four corners but I'll bet many of them are already looking forward to next year's version of a now very grown up Pedal the Plains.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Not all who wander...
Not all who wander are lost. And not all who wonder are crazy. One of the things I am finding I enjoy most about retirement is having the time to think about things I never had the time for when I was working. I've always been a wanderer at heart and I've come to find that the wandering of the mind is called wonder.
This last weekend I spent time camping, hiking, biking (and yes, wandering and wondering) in Goblin Valley State Park. Goblin Valley is about an hour southwest of Green River, Utah. For those who have been there you know what a special place it is. It was my first trip and I went specifically to film the rock 'Goblins' that abound in this secluded park. It's not a huge park but it makes up for its relatively small size by packing in a combination of great hiking, beautiful mountain biking trails, spectacular scenery, and at night a sky so full of stars it takes your breath away. In less than an hour one night I watched no fewer than ten satellites mosey across the starry backdrop only to be chased toward the horizon by the far faster, but more elusive, shooting stars. In the middle of this high desert with no city or even town lights to invade the show the night sky is not far different than it was for Native Americans gazing up five hundred or a thousand years ago. The park itself sits in a basin that millions of years ago was an inland sea and to the northwest the San Rafael Reef gives proof of a seashore where million-year old ripples lie frozen in time.
As I sat in my chair late into the evening gazing at the heavens Hurricane Irma was roaring across Florida after wreaking havoc across the Caribbean. Whether one believes in global warming or not most of the changes the earth goes through make a human lifetime less than a blink of geological time. The rocks around me, themselves once lapped by gentle waves of a bygone past, bore silent testimony of what can happen over enormous amounts of time. Even the starlight entering my wondering eyes was years old taking that long at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) to reach me from those distant suns. They say the universe is expanding at a rate that means it will continue to expand forever. I wonder what it is like at the very edge of the universe; what is is our universe expanding into? If you were on the farthest star at this farthest edge and looked out, what would you see?
The Voyager spacecraft is man's most prolific wanderer now traveling beyond the sphere of our planetary system at a speed of a mere 40,000 miles per hour. I wonder what will happen to Voyager when it is as old as the rocks that stand mute about me. While I'll never wander a billionth the distance of this intrepid emissary of mankind in my wondering I'm looking back and waiting for Voyager to catch up. In the meantime, I've got a bike to ride...
This last weekend I spent time camping, hiking, biking (and yes, wandering and wondering) in Goblin Valley State Park. Goblin Valley is about an hour southwest of Green River, Utah. For those who have been there you know what a special place it is. It was my first trip and I went specifically to film the rock 'Goblins' that abound in this secluded park. It's not a huge park but it makes up for its relatively small size by packing in a combination of great hiking, beautiful mountain biking trails, spectacular scenery, and at night a sky so full of stars it takes your breath away. In less than an hour one night I watched no fewer than ten satellites mosey across the starry backdrop only to be chased toward the horizon by the far faster, but more elusive, shooting stars. In the middle of this high desert with no city or even town lights to invade the show the night sky is not far different than it was for Native Americans gazing up five hundred or a thousand years ago. The park itself sits in a basin that millions of years ago was an inland sea and to the northwest the San Rafael Reef gives proof of a seashore where million-year old ripples lie frozen in time.
As I sat in my chair late into the evening gazing at the heavens Hurricane Irma was roaring across Florida after wreaking havoc across the Caribbean. Whether one believes in global warming or not most of the changes the earth goes through make a human lifetime less than a blink of geological time. The rocks around me, themselves once lapped by gentle waves of a bygone past, bore silent testimony of what can happen over enormous amounts of time. Even the starlight entering my wondering eyes was years old taking that long at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) to reach me from those distant suns. They say the universe is expanding at a rate that means it will continue to expand forever. I wonder what it is like at the very edge of the universe; what is is our universe expanding into? If you were on the farthest star at this farthest edge and looked out, what would you see?
The Voyager spacecraft is man's most prolific wanderer now traveling beyond the sphere of our planetary system at a speed of a mere 40,000 miles per hour. I wonder what will happen to Voyager when it is as old as the rocks that stand mute about me. While I'll never wander a billionth the distance of this intrepid emissary of mankind in my wondering I'm looking back and waiting for Voyager to catch up. In the meantime, I've got a bike to ride...
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
With Apologies to the Boys of Summer...
Over in France at about this time of year there's a quaint group ride involving about 190 blokes who spend a quiet month taking a scenic pedal around France. Le Tour, as it is referred to rambles up Hill and dale for about 2,000 miles with average mileage of about 100-120 per day. My wife Sophie and I are spending 6 days covering 218 miles and with all due respect to the folks turning the pedals over in France we're perfectly happy with our little jaunt through the Black Hills.
We're back in Custer this afternoon having made it to Deadwood, which is the end of the Mickelson Trail, and then turning around yesterday with a 49 mile day back to Hill City.
The trail definitely is more of a climb heading north so we are enjoying the downhill grades on the return journey. Deadwood is a gambling town, somewhat similar to Colorado's Black Hawk and Central City and the folks up there looked at us as if we were slightly crazy for having ridden non-motorized cycles to their town. Perhaps they know something and Sophie and I really are a little off kilter.
On one of the 18 mile-long climbs going into Deadwood I was passed by my first E-Bike with a little old lady slowly turning the pedals while her steed zoomed up the 3 percent grade at probably 20 mph. I've got to admit that I was a little conflicted. Technically the Mickelson bans all "motorized" vehicles and I'm not aware of a waiver for electric powered vehicles (are golf carts next?) but on the other hand the joys of the trail would likely be impossible for little old ladies, and anyone else, who doesn't have the physical ability to truly pedal the trail under their own power. I know some mountain bike races now have categories for E-Bikes but still it's going to take some getting used to hearing the quiet hum of these bikes blazing past us as they become more and more popular.
Sophie keeps asking me what my favorite thing about the trail is. I can't pick one segment as on each section there are parts that are absolutely wonderful along with a couple of patches that are just long, slow, hot grinds up, and then up some more until we reach the top of the hill. The trail also has a different feel to it heading south than it did north and there's a lot of scenery we hadn't noticed on the way to Deadwood.
As far as we've seen there is only one bike shop along the route. Rabbit Cycles in Hill City is a fully stocked shop run by 5 or 6 ladies (mothers and daughters I'm assuming) and much to my wife's joy they had all sorts of cute Mickelson Trail-inspired clothing and accessories. As if our BOB trailer wasn't heavy enough already we left Rabbit Cycles slightly more loaded than when we arrived. Surprise, surprise...
The long days see us in the saddle by 6 a.m. to beat the heat. And heat there is - talking with one of the South Dakota Parks staff at one of the trailheads he told us he hadn't seen it this hot, for this long, since he's lived here. Thanks much for sharing. Just like the Ride the Fault Line trip we did in June by 9 a.m. our jerseys are soaked through and we're drinking as much fluid as we can to keep up with our A.S.P. (astronomical sweat production). The good news is that with tomorrow's 44 mile ride back to Edgemont, the southern end of the trail, everyone tells us that the temps at that end of the trail are usually about 10 degrees warmer than the northern sections. As always with these rides it will feel weird to be off the bike and behind the steering wheel but certain parts of my anatomy are looking forward to sinking into a plush Toyota seat. The heck with E-Bikes, there's nothing like the quiet rumble of a V-6 engine in an air-conditioned minivan.
We're back in Custer this afternoon having made it to Deadwood, which is the end of the Mickelson Trail, and then turning around yesterday with a 49 mile day back to Hill City.
 |
| Hill City welcomes you with the mother of all benches |
The trail definitely is more of a climb heading north so we are enjoying the downhill grades on the return journey. Deadwood is a gambling town, somewhat similar to Colorado's Black Hawk and Central City and the folks up there looked at us as if we were slightly crazy for having ridden non-motorized cycles to their town. Perhaps they know something and Sophie and I really are a little off kilter.
On one of the 18 mile-long climbs going into Deadwood I was passed by my first E-Bike with a little old lady slowly turning the pedals while her steed zoomed up the 3 percent grade at probably 20 mph. I've got to admit that I was a little conflicted. Technically the Mickelson bans all "motorized" vehicles and I'm not aware of a waiver for electric powered vehicles (are golf carts next?) but on the other hand the joys of the trail would likely be impossible for little old ladies, and anyone else, who doesn't have the physical ability to truly pedal the trail under their own power. I know some mountain bike races now have categories for E-Bikes but still it's going to take some getting used to hearing the quiet hum of these bikes blazing past us as they become more and more popular.
Sophie keeps asking me what my favorite thing about the trail is. I can't pick one segment as on each section there are parts that are absolutely wonderful along with a couple of patches that are just long, slow, hot grinds up, and then up some more until we reach the top of the hill. The trail also has a different feel to it heading south than it did north and there's a lot of scenery we hadn't noticed on the way to Deadwood.
As far as we've seen there is only one bike shop along the route. Rabbit Cycles in Hill City is a fully stocked shop run by 5 or 6 ladies (mothers and daughters I'm assuming) and much to my wife's joy they had all sorts of cute Mickelson Trail-inspired clothing and accessories. As if our BOB trailer wasn't heavy enough already we left Rabbit Cycles slightly more loaded than when we arrived. Surprise, surprise...
The long days see us in the saddle by 6 a.m. to beat the heat. And heat there is - talking with one of the South Dakota Parks staff at one of the trailheads he told us he hadn't seen it this hot, for this long, since he's lived here. Thanks much for sharing. Just like the Ride the Fault Line trip we did in June by 9 a.m. our jerseys are soaked through and we're drinking as much fluid as we can to keep up with our A.S.P. (astronomical sweat production). The good news is that with tomorrow's 44 mile ride back to Edgemont, the southern end of the trail, everyone tells us that the temps at that end of the trail are usually about 10 degrees warmer than the northern sections. As always with these rides it will feel weird to be off the bike and behind the steering wheel but certain parts of my anatomy are looking forward to sinking into a plush Toyota seat. The heck with E-Bikes, there's nothing like the quiet rumble of a V-6 engine in an air-conditioned minivan.
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