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.