Several days ago, I had decided that I needed to revise my ride plan to ride from Boulder Colorado through Nebraska toward Minnesota, where I would rejoin the route I had originally planned. I was afraid that the Black Hills would still be buried in snow, preventing me from riding there.
The decision didn’t sit well with me, and I did something I rarely do: I revisited my decision. I finally concluded that even if snow prevented me from riding in the Black Hills, we could drive around it and resume the ride in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Today I am so glad I revisited that decision. I rejoined my originally planned route in Hot Springs, South Dakota, just east of the Wyoming border and headed north. Yes, there was a little snow by the side of the road in the Black Hills.
But the roads were dry, and the ride was the most beautiful I have taken in my life (not excepting a ride around Lake Tahoe that organizers call the most beautiful bike ride in America).
The ride took us through Wind Cave National Park, famous for its caves, but remarkable for its prairie range land, where buffalo do indeed roam and antelope play.
The ecosystem was unlike any I have seen, with mixed grass prairie interspersed amid pine forests.
The land was also alive with sounds. The prairie dogs chattered as I rode past them.
And the moisture from the recently melted snow brought out frogs that chirped throughout the day.
Even the human presence was artistic and ingenious, like this “pigtail” bridge.
And this more conventional, and beautiful, bridge.
At the highest point in the ride, in Custer State Park, the open prairie to the east came into view. On a clear day can you see Minnesota? I doubt it, but you can certainly see a long way.
On the east front of the Black Hills, the terrain was still more varied, with jagged rock outcrops like these.
The extraordinary views continued as I rode into Rapid City along skyline drive. This view to the west was taken just a few miles from downtown Rapid City.
And yes, there were barns (or barn-like structures for the purists).
In short, it was great to be back in the saddle again, seeing beautiful country at the speed of a bicycle.
The technical stuff:
65.6 miles
5,967 feet of climbing
Average speed 12.9 miles per hour
Weather: Bright sunshine, temperatures in the 50s to start and about 70 at the end, winds 5-10 miles in the morning and 15-20 miles per hour in the afternoon, from the south (so tail winds almost all day).
You can see the entire route to date here.