My experiences are personal, another person will have their own connection. I enjoy a warm connection here.

The riding is its own story while the trails lack monster climbs it makes up for twisty purpose built woods trails. Roots, you don’t know roots till here. OK, other locations have roots also. Yesterday was another I can do this on paper ride actual ride. I slept again at the Seeley Pass trail intersection with a dirt road. weather report was for at least no precip. It was 37 degrees at 7 AM. I lingered in the warmth of my van till 11 to take off. Still just a long underwear top and knickers, summer weight gloves and socks but a wind jacket. I did not pack a rain jacket. Trees still are in full green color blocking out the sun. No need for dark lenses. Twist trail. Sun disappeared and the clouds started dripping, leaves slowed the rain to me. I kept pedaling, every stroke cosmically directed to the rain faucet to shut off. Clouds remained leaving me just out of the washing machine damp. Ride was 20 miles climbing 1830′ taking 3 hours of hard pedaling. It is what local conditions are. Encountered 4 riders.

No view sheds, just tree trunks. Above pic the camera used its flash.

After the ride I drove towards Hayward stopping at a KOA for a weekly shower then grocery shopping for better food choices than Cable grocery store.

Wed the Rivers Eatery is opened, home of Mic and Beth, whom I enjoy a special friendship. I pulled into their parking lot where Mic was waiting to greet me. Beth arrived later after she tipped Mic off to me being in town. saying again that what I enjoy with them and here is my experience. I just like mine as a favored visiting place. To me the hardest part of meeting people is to say hello because it is to be followed with goodbye. I sat at the bar beside Gary, the race promoter. Several local people engaged in conversation. One woman told about her husband who is on a pontoon boat making his way to the Gulf of Mexico. He is assisted by a selected group of men friends to spend a week with him. One of his buds who had completed his tour joined in. Sort of like River Horse by Least Heat Moon. Life is an opportunity to create your own adventure.

A guy at the bar stopped to say hello, it was the guy how let me stay in his driveway when I was last here 2 years prior.

Mic told me about a sleep spot out at the Birkie TH which doesn’t prohibit sleeping, I spent the night there as it is close in to town.

Clothes are in the dryer. waiting out less likelihood of rain. Plan on riding Danky Dank, a trail that Shrimper helped build when he was here 4 years ago. The Friday head to Marquette. Another evening visiting at Rivers Eatery.

There are so many mosquito incubators here in lots of lakes. I don’t recall the mosquitoes being a nuisance when here during the summer. Oregon still tops my list for worst mosquito feedings.

Quiet night out on a resource extraction road. Right below me is a like a sink hole depression that has been raped for timber.

Seems logging gets into these depressions as I encountered on my ride of the Rock Lake IMBA Epic, 25.5 miles taking almost 4 hours of hard pedaling, elevation gain was only 1799’ which climbing was like a death by small cuts. Deep woods cove, absolutely no view sheds. Deciduous trees still providing full cover except for several tree species have dropped their leaves, seems to be a maple for red then several for touch of golden.

Lots of roots and small rocks each capable of causing loss of balance terminating in contact with said stuff. I have ridden this trail maybe 4 times now once each visit here. Logging in places cut over the trail. Just a hump. Pics are just tree trunks. Descended black diamond Wall Street, an armored roll down. It is what is here.

Hardly a straight section. Just twitchy turns for turns.

Found several places that my bar would not fit thru. Ran into a couple about my age, several running away deer, a black squirrel. Phone battery expired. Sandstone similar to like Mohican in Ohio. Trail crossed this road where I am parked on a wide spot off the road.

Walked down to the logging machine which is a skidder type machine with a grapple to load timber into a bunk. The machine is a gather and hauler. The stumps are all cut even as are the decked logs, no wedge cut. No evidence of a feller buncher. A National Scenic trail winds thru these woods with logging right nearby or cut over the trail. I wonder what the public opinion was. Rives Eatery is opened Wed to seek info.
Didn’t have far to drive today and had lots of time to make the ride. Last night I stayed above Seely, WI after a windy drive from Crosby, MN and Cayuna Lakes trails. Windy drive on back roads. I remembered this spot from a previous stay.
Sunday I rode the west part of the Cayuna Lakes trails from Portsmouth mines campground. This year I noticed the trails were directional which eliminates rider conflict, nice. I mounted my phone to the carrier on the handle bar and pulled up the trail map. I still struggle making the map agree with where I am as this time I rode a loop before spinning off to catch Galloping Goose which is a green trail that circles the main trail area.

Got out there early enough under clouds and a chill, on my 14 mile ride. Encountered less than 5 riders. What a great trail system using mine spoil piles from past iron ore extraction. Hardly an elevation gain. Trails were all machine made, the width of a blade with the single track burned into the trail bed.

Crosby now has a brew pub which slaked my thirst for craft beer after today’s ride and last night and the night before. I stayed out at the local campground. Friday after a beer I drove out to the XG expecting vacancy. Place was packed. Sign on each site read make reservation before occupying. Learned reservation must be made on line. As I was figuring this out a ranger drove in. We chatted about reservations then serious about trees. She let me stay in the vacant XG host site which was so great. Glad that I arrived before dark and the ranger solved my poor planning.
Sat. AM at camp I attached the tire pressure gauge to my front tire valve which snapped off letting all the air out. Time to drive back to town and the bike shop to buy a replacement hoping they had one. Score. Tire beaded with floor pump. Drove out to main trail head which has a big paved parking lot etc. Quite crowded with the gamut of riders and bikes. Great to see so many riders out on a beautiful sunny day. My intent was to ride the high points on the west side. Directional trail out. Ended up on the east side. Rolled up to a group of riders conversing and planning their ride. I globbed on letting them solve my route finding. MTBproject reading with no glasses continue to confound me. I had some vindication as new trails and some reroutes were on the ground that the software did not reflect. I kept trying to find East Street on the ground. I learned that it no longer exists. Having a reserved camp spot I drove to brew pub to socialize. I drank 2 beers while watching OSU football. No takers of my conversation. Back to camp to fix dinner.
Years ago I heard a southern governor saying why is a library needed when you only need 2 books, a hymnal and a bible. Keep people fearing god and ignorant of other things. I feel that mentality applies to grocery stores also as it is almost all about white bread. No choices.
Thursday and Friday were big driving days heading east. Rain and wind. Low clouds which blocked out everything from about 300’ and up obscuring the flat land.

Stopped in Aberdeen, SD to do my wash and have my brakes looked at. While driving the brake light came on. Googled brake shop then picked this one. Guy said the brakes work fine, suspected censor problem.
That night I discovered water had leaked in wetting the head of my bed and bedding. Big test of wind and rain on a what I had sealed hoping that was the water source. Stopped at a laundromat on Friday to dry my bedding. I pulled my down sleeping bag down to sleep under. Darn, a small piece was wet. Hmm, I now figure that the water drips down from a solar panel attach bolt then runs down the ceiling paneling and drops down. Shit, I need a ladder to get up on the roof. Sunday I walked into he shop praising them for saving my ride yesterday and if they wanted to increase the sample size and remain at 100%. They bought in. I asked for a ladder. Score, kid walked it to my van. I climbed up and checked out the location. My sealant was intact. The bracket sits so close to the roof such that I can not get a finger in to really apply sealant. I smeared some on my finger and worked it against the junction. I figured the leak happened because a gap existed to allow wind driven heavy rain in. Until the next precip later this week.
Writing this off line as no internet or cell out here.
Wet is forecast thru the week. I rode the Epic today as if it is the only ride day. Tomorrow if dry another ride. Maybe amount of rain is a factor as these trails appear to me to dry quickly. Cable was getting some of what I drove thru.
Friday night at the pub a maybe 10’ wire spool in the middle of the room was occupied by guys dressed in bike gear. I walked around the table checking their legs to see if colored red from the trails. No red dust covering. Yes, they had ridden. Hmm, previous visits I have left with red tires and rust colored calves. Learned form the bike shop that there is a window of cleanliness: If the trails are too wet they are closed. If wet but not closed one can expect watery mud. When dried out that’s when dust coats things. I rode in the window the first day and ridden down the second. My tires were only slightly colored. Today’s ride abraded the iron ore off.

 

Tuesday continuation:

last night rain fell a short time, didn’t feel rain on my face. Forecast is for rain showers etc, just wet. rest day.

Yesterday morning the sun put on a splendid red in the morning sailors take warning sky. I drove east to Sturgis parking at FT Meade national cemetery to ride a piece of the Centenial trail. The day remained cloudless early fall weather. The campground is closed one week before during and after the Harley rally.

Centenial trail is a long enough trail for bike packers to take on. Not for me, van comfort is rated just right. I picked up the trail from the XG heading S. First up is the underpass of I 90 dark enough to blind me to what ever cow droppings deposited. The first 1.3 miles goes thru cow shit. Once I read a comment from Chopper saying something to the effect that if you aren’t willing to take a hot steamer to the chops you are not a mountain biker. I never sought clarification of the source of the steamer. If it was cow, shitty nasty. Fall leave color change.

Poison ivy joined in

Once out of the pasture the trail became narrow single track that climbed up thru the conifer forest. At a high point the trail dropped south into deciduous tree cover of like ironwood and hop horn bean that were showing signs of fall.

Dropping from that high point the trail used an old logging road corridor. I stuck the uneventful out and back trail then gave up to pedal back up. A bobcat raced me down a piece before ducking off into the brush.

Ride was 12.8 miles climbing 1866′. Return back was sweet from the high point. All by myself. Flora changing to oak and not Ponderosa pine.

I stayed at the XG withing earshot of the interstate.

Last night the forecast called for showers. I put the cover over the bike. At waked up I noticed rain streaks on the windshield and a heavily overcast sky. Rain. Bagged riding outside Rapid City. Drove into said city with a list of things to accomplish in a city I have no familiarity using google maps but not understanding a make sense drive to hit all the stores. I did back track a bit thru downtown. A shower at anytime, 2 health food stores, a bike shop, walgreens, and a book store.

I searched MTBProject and Trailforks for rides east of rapid City finding nothing that I wanted to take my bike off the van to ride, lots of no rides, not even around state capital Pierre. back on I90 and very strong cross and head on winds and precip hard enough o run the wipers on 1st speed. Van is handful to drive in high winds. My right shoulder plays out from the constant 2 hand steering. Made Pierre seeking a grocery store. Amazing to me that no national chain. Bread choice is not healthy. I didn’t check beer but it was prolly heavy on the big red.

Drove N from town to Cow Creek rec area. At the XG entrance the sign stated to either call or go on line to make a campsite reservation. I chose the internet. I picked this spot which is on a land point out into the damned Missouri river. Great location. Except winds are blowing in the 20s with gusts to 35mph. I parked the van nose into the wind. A bit of rocking.

On Monday I drove from Sundance to Spearfish to a bike shop seeking Stans. Shop guys saw my van yesterday at the race. We visited, the race director joined in.

I drove out to the Tinton rd TH to ride said named trail and some other. I remember the first time I rode this trail the first year of my odyssey. It was the first test of my PUSH custom tuned shock. Since then much trail realignment out of the creek bottom has occurred. Still fresh cow shit. I put my phone in the carrier for navigation help which caused me to be cautious rolling over  bouncy bumps. Still the phone fell out. I stowed the phone then let gravity have its way with me.When returning on an out and back riding the other way does it become noticeable how much climbing I did. Tinton scoots down. 10.7 miles climbing 1227′. Nice day. Spent the night at the parking lot just off the road which is white rock gravel, that wheels put up in the air. Logging trucks early in the morning.

Tomorrow continues my travels east next into Minnesota.

Now in Central time zone, lost another hour. And elevation is like 1500′

Finished The Overstory, good read. Humans are going to kill mothership earth.