Day one out of Douglas, was a long day ... over 70 miles. the scenery was as we have become accustomed ... barren and brown, but the winds were kind to us for the initial 47 miles. The nastiness of nature (head wind) hit us as we made a right-hand turn and headed toward South Dakota. Nasty, nasty, nasty!! We were all pretty well wasted upon arriving in Edgemont, SD. Edgemont is a lot like many small towns in this area ... small. There had been a serious forest fire in the area, and the annual Redneck Rally was being held, so all of the in-town motel rooms were full, and most of the camp sites were also full. Kim did hear of some rooms 6 miles out of town, to which she and I quickly agreed to take after looking at the proximity of the camping area to the railroad tracks.
The owners of the Sunrise Ranch Lodge came into town and hauled us and our bikes back out to the ranch. Wonderful accommodations and wonderful hosts. It was so quite, and so beautiful (sunsets and sunrises) that it was extremely good for our tired souls (not to speak of the tired butts). This is one evening that won't be forgotten for some time.
The next morning, after being hauled back into town, we headed toward a campsite north of Custer, SD. The early miles of the 55-mile day were on the main highway ... which was okay except for the long, slow climbs. There is a rail-to-trail path running from Edgemont that passes by the chosen campsite for the evening. Having grown tired of the continuous climbing, we decided to ride the path (the George Mickelson Trail). Turns out it was a most enjoyable ride in-as-much-as most rail lines never exceed 4% slope. Add in the fact that the scenery is stunning ... and for the most part quiet. Included in the events of the day was a stop at the Crazy Horse Memorial mountain sculpture. The scale and scope of the work being done is immense, and the affect of the entire experience (on me) can not be conveyed in these words. As magnificent as the primary sculpture is, the story of Korczak Ziolkowski and his wife Ruth is even more magnificent. I won't attempt to tell of their life stories ... one picture of them joyfully dancing in their living room captures the joyous love and vitality they shared. If only we could all capture that spark.
For information about the Crazy Horse Memorial, go to: http://crazyhorsememorial.org/
Anyway, back to the riding ... we finished up at the USFS campsite and joined Frank to celebrate his 55th birthday. Frank had a can of mixed vegetables, Kim threw in a can of Campbell's Vegetable Soup, and I had two packets of pre-cooked rice ... throw in sliced apples, some water, and you have a gourmet meal. Kim and I had planned on treating Frank to a birthday lunch, but he is back on his form and finished his riding day about 4 hours earlier then we.
So we stretched the birthday celebration into the early part of today. After re-packing the bikes, we headed toward Hill City to find a high-quality breakfast cafe ... but when we saw a sign indicating that for $2.50, you could eat all the pancakes you could handle, we quickly forgot quality for cheapness. The food was passable, and the side dishes very expensive, but we enjoyed a delightful birthday breakfast bash none-the-less.
The remainder of the day, for Kim and I, consisted of a 17 mile ride up to Mount Rushmore and down to Keystone, SD. Frank stopped off at the local KOA for a visit with Muntasir and Mohammed, and I think, after visiting Mount Rushmore, rode to Hot Springs. We intend to catch up to Frank and Roger in a few days in northwest Nebraska.
Our visit to Mount Rushmore was interesting, but did not have the impact of yesterday's visit to Crazy Horse. The entire facility is very impressive, but just does not have the magical feeling and sense of awe that I experienced yesterday. Plus, as the adjacent picture shows, only George Washington was working today ... the other three had the day off ... something about budget cuts.
So, the ride continues tomorrow, heading to northwest Nebraska. Go east, old man, go east.
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