South Dakota - Day 2
Today, we started our ride by cycling up Spearfish Canyon pictured above. One unique fact about Spearfish Canyon is that its limestone walls are 26 times older than the Grand Canyon. The climb up the canyon was about 20 miles long but generally a very gentle 2-3% grade.
One of the Trek guides noticed a pair of mountain goats and pointed them out to us as we approached. I stopped, pulled out my good camera, and was able to get this photo of the baby goat.
But don’t even consider getting close to the baby goat or you will need to deal with its protective parent. This goat just looks remarkably menacing to me!
About two thirds of the way up the canyon, we branched off the main road onto a gravel side road to explore a different part of the canyon.
This road had some amazing views such as this one above.
After following this road for a bit over 5 miles, we reached a T in the road and doubled back to the main road. We then continued for the last 6 miles up the main Spearfish Canyon road. These purple flowers were common along our ride, so I thought I would throw in this photo.
At the top of the Spearfish Canyon climb along the main road, we stopped for some lunch. After lunch, we split from the main road and continued upwards on a side road along another river.
Eventually, the road turned from paved to gravel as we headed towards the Mickelson trail. The Mickelson trail is a 109 mile gravel trail along a converted rail line.
To get to the Mickelson Trail, we headed onto this path which became somewhat challenging as its steepness increased and the path deteriorated. However, before I needed to get off the bike, I reached the Mickelson Trail.
Our ride on the Mickelson Trail was a fabulous 14 mile gradual descent towards the town of Deadwood. As wonderful as Spearfish Canyon was, this was the highlight of today’s ride for me. The trail was just incredibly peaceful. While it did not have the iconic beauty of ancient canyon walls, it did have a constant subtle and simple beauty. This stretch of birch trees is just one such example.
Along the path, I spotted this deer. I carefully slowed, stopped, and pulled out my small camera. I didn’t try for my big camera because the deer was sufficiently close that I was sure it would flee from the movement and noise that I would make pulling out my big camera.
The terrain was constantly changing. Here the railroad obviously cut through a bit of the hillside.
A bit later I was looking at this lovely field. Eventually, as I approached Deadwood, the trail began to run alongside a main road. Deadwood was a huge gold rush town in the late 1800s. It is famous in part because the lawman Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed while gambling here. Gambling was reinstated in Deadwood in 1989 making Deadwood the third gambling location in the US after Nevada and Atlantic City. Entering into our hotel, we needed to wander through the casino then take an elevator before we reached the front desk.
I am looking forward to more riding tomorrow. It will be chilly as we depart, with the expected temperature in the upper 40s, and the high for the day in the upper 50s.