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[QUOTE=indyfabz]1. I assume you have looked at the official site for the Mickelson Trail and noted the profile. The trail is not a “warm and fuzzy” trail like the GAP. While there are water cisterns and shelters spaced nicely apart, there is very little in the way of commercial services outside of Edgemont, Custer, Hill City, Lead and Deadwood. The trail surface is not crushed limestone. It’s much rougher, and can get extremely messy when it rains. It is also not flat. There will be longish stretches of noticeable uphill (e.g., Custer to Crazy Horse memorial, leaving Hill City). Combine that with the slow surface and you end up working harder than you thought. I highly recommend packing plenty of food. I headed south from the Engelwood trail head. During the climb from Mystic I encountered a guy who was leading some young people on bikes. They had started the day in Deadwood and were headed towards Hill City. They were all bushed and were walking their bikes. I didn’t reach Hill City until it was nearly dark, so I know they must have been riding in the dark. I hope they made out o.k.

ME: Yes, I have read that the Mickelson Trail is rough. We're considering it optional at this point. We'll see how hot it is, how strong we feel, how much we want to get off the road, etc.

2. Leaving Deadwood, your route again uses unpaved roads until it joins up with U.S. 85 again. To climb out of the gulch there, RWGPS is showing some double digit grades. You might consider sticking to U.S. 85. Busier, I know, but there is a good shoulder, and climbing steep grades on gravel/dirt can be very tough. Once you summit the hill on U.S. 85 it’s a nice descent toward E. Colorado Blvd. I had a nice tailwind and was cruising along easily at around 20+ mph.

ME: I didn't realize that road was unpaved. Thanks for the heads up. I switched over to 85 there.

3. E. Colorado Blvd. towards Spearfish is an option, but I believe the western end has no shoulder. I took the interstate (totally legal) instead for that reason. Traffic was light. I took it to the second exit (Jackson St.) which leads you to the center of town. Another option is to take the interstate to the first exit (27th St.) and take 27th to the intersection of E. Colorado, where you can pick up a bike trail that, if you follow it correctly, will take you right into the municipal park/campground in town. That place is a must-stay. Without a doubt it is the nicest municipal campground I have ever stayed in. In addition to the plush grass, modern facilities and the little creek that runs along the west edge, another nice thing is that during the season they close the eastern end of the road through the park so there is no through traffic. Right next door is the national fish hatchery historic site. Kids love it. You can buy food and feed the trout they have growing in several tanks. Make sure you see the re-creation of a rail car that used to haul fish throughout the state. In general, Spearfish is like an oasis in SD. It’s a fairly prosperous town with a university. It does not rely solely on tacky tourism like most of the towns in the Black Hills. You will see people doing things like exercising and walking through the park with their children. In part of the park near the campground there were kids taking an outdoor Karate lesson. Bunnies were hopping around and young deer were frolicking. Totally surreal. Maybe the best way to describe it is to call it the Burlington, VT of SD. If you take a day off there, riding part of Spearfish Canyon Rd. (U.S. 16 Alt.), which you can access easily from the campground, is worth it. The grade is pretty gentle and there is a shoulder. Maybe ride up to the waterfall and back.

ME: I guess we'll check this out when we get there, and I've copied your notes here.

4. Don’t know when you plan to be in the Black Hills area, but you might want to consider reservations. They are likely a must if you will be there during Sturgis motorcycle rally week.

ME: I once got stuck with car trouble in the middle of Sturgis. Won't make that mistake again, although it turned out to be a fun adventure. We'll be through there by July, or we'll bypass the area.


5. We have friends to stay with at Lewes, so no worries about the state park, but thanks for the heads up. Silence of the Lambs - duly noted. Creepy. Not sure I want to go check that out!

Also, I rerouted our way through the southern part of the Black Hills, near Hot Springs and Custer and Custer SP. I put us on Needles Highway into Hill City. We'll see if we're up for it. Otherwise we'll head into Custer. Here's the new route altogether: Map Bike Rides with Elevation Profiles, Analyze Cycling Performance, Train Better. Ride With GPS.

And as for the long haul from Chadron to Hot Spring -- I don't know of any way to get from the Niobrara valley to the Black Hills without a long haul. It looks even worse from Crawford. I did note the casino at the state line and saw that as an oasis of sorts. Any thoughts you have would be appreciated, but I'm not seeing any better way. I don't want to route through South Dakota earlier than the Black Hills, as that looks more barren than the Niobrara valley route.

Thanks so much,

Rob