“Wash your hands.”
“Hey, wash both your hands with soap!”
The nagging didn’t stop there.
“Were you aware that you need to clean them throughly!”
“As you stand there peeing and reading this sign, make sure you wash your hands!”
Not sure if this integral piece of advice was passed down by the four Presidents from Mount Rushmore or Crazy Horse before battle, but this important message was plastered all over the bathroom walls at Custer Chamber of Commerce. An uncomfortable number of signs.
In the lobby, a young woman kindly mentioned that some of the local rural workers have to be reminded of this rule often.
On the Rails
These warnings were at the midway point of a three day cycling trip on the George S. Mickelson Trail. It also served as a quick University of Tulsa reunion for Scuba Steve, Suva, Pepper and Ryan along with my good buddy Fauss. He and I taught together at two Omaha schools.
The Mickelson Trail is in parts former railroad tracks converted to a trail system. This route starts at the trail head in Deadwood down to Edgemont. The trail follows the former Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad line, which was built in 1891 to transport gold and other materials from the Black Hills area.
The idea of converting the abandoned rail line into a trail came in the 1990s by George S. Mickelson, the governor of South Dakota, an advocate for outdoor recreation and conservation. The trail offers stunning views of forests and meadows in the Black Hills. It was at the end of the trail in Edgemont, where President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, to reconnect with his past. Instead of dining with dignitaries, he rode a horse up and down the road to eat with the Chuck Wagon Gang.
The journey over three stages/days would be: Deadwood to Hill City; Hill City to Custer; and Custer to Edgemont.
On the Trail Again
The first day from Deadwood to Hill City consisted mainly of a gradual, but consistent climb in the Black Hills until the Mickelson Trail neared Hill City.
It wasn’t long into the day when the largest climb appeared. It was here at the base that Fauss struggled to change gears. He just happened to be directly in front of me. His lack of forward momentum and my ability to unclip from Red Rover, my Trek gravel bike, left me on the ground. I bit it . . . at a grand speed of one mile per hour.
This would mark the only mishap, unless you consider letting Pepper eat raw broccoli.
The Mickelson Trail
The Electric Shuffle
The senior member of the group, Scuba Steve, had no such issues on the hills. As the sole owner of an electric bike, he effortlessly climbed the Black Hills, well until, he didn’t. That change corresponded to a depleted bike battery. Fortunately that wasn’t far from the crest of the final hill down into Hill City.
Pepper, That is Not Mount Rushmore!
Crazy Corrections
The Mickelson Trail is scenic. The trail passes by the famous Crazy Horse sculpture, which Pepper mistook several times as Mount Rushmore despite repeated corrections. You can take the New Mexican out of the state, but you can’t take the New Mexican out of his learning.
Heated Surprises
The final day marked what should be considered the easiest part of the trail. It was almost all downhill. The wrench in the plans was a predicted high of 107 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures forced the ride to start early at 5:20 a.m. Despite the predicted high, it was still quite cold, but at this time of day, a wide variety of wildlife shared the trail.
Early into the ride, two towering brown elk fled the trail for the neighboring hills. Must have been Suva’s hulking figure that scared them away. Over the day, bison, fox (didn’t say a word), antelope, deer, and loads of mating grasshoppers.
Edgy in Edgemont
We rolled into Edgemont on our bicycles like a manly group of Hells Angels in Sturgis in spandex. The heat of the day hadn’t quite arrived, but the celebration had. Edgemont’s Victory Steakhouse and Lounge bar opened promptly at 11 a.m. Courtney regaled us with stories about local police, debauchery among school teachers, and fraternity worthy practices of local ranchers before lunch. Ryan was so enthralled with her stories and teasing, he very actively tried to meet up with her later that day, to no success.
The Future on Two Wheels
Despite 24 years, the vibe mirrored college, everyone made fun of each other and had fun. And the newest member Fauss, fit in flawlessly. Suva and I took the opportunity to actively plan future cycling trips. As of now, two possibilities are in play. One being cycling from Western Europe to the Black Sea. The other being another rails to trail ride next summer.
This all provided an important lesson for the future, don’t forget to wash your hands.
1 comment
I’m very pleased that you came clean and admit to being the only idiot who fell off his bike on the entire, 3-day trip. No one could ever accuse you of being over-confident.