South Dakota, George S. Mikelson Trail, Black Hills

Yellowstone Road Trip -- Day 6:  After a detour to the Fetterman Memorial, I arrive in the Black Hills around 1 pm.  The George S. Michelson Trail is a rails-to-trails project with the first six miles opened in 1991.  It now runs over 100 miles through the heart of South Dakota's Black Hills.

The trail follows the old Burlington Northern right-of-way.

I drive to the nearest trail head in a panic, "You're wasting the day -- get going!" I tell myself.  As I'm unloading my bike, a squall line passes over giving everything a quick rinse.  As a concession, I add rain gear to my backpack and jump on the bike.  Showers or not, we are riding today.

High in the Black Hills

Soon the sky clears, and I am climbing steadily 1,200 ft. to the trail's high point of about 6,200 ft.  This trail is special and deserves more than a day, but a day is all I have so I press on as fast as I can.

Deer crossing

"Ride, ride, ride, gonna let it ride" -- my version of the BTO song.

The elevation profile of today's ride is a long climb and then a long descent.  As I ride further and further down, I can't help think that every foot down is a foot I will have to climb back up on the return trip.

The first of four tunnels

The perfect spot for lunch!

One of many bridges

"God bless biking" at mile marker 85

After a quick lunch, I reverse course.  Again I climb to the trail's summit and then a 13-mile glide back to the van.  I barely turned the crank on the way down, but my hands are cramping from the effort of hanging on.  Sweet!

More deer

Next stop, Wall, SD.

State:	South Dakota
Date:	2014-08-13
Route:	Kirk trail head to mile marker 85
Distance:	40 miles