Designing an appropriately challenging backcountry bicycle route is like any other creative effort.
One can create alone, but results sharpen with insight from the right other. Besides, back-and-forth brainstorming can be great fun.
This Calvin & Hobbes cartoon reminds me of many such sessions with cycling compatriot Lucas Haan, as one of us proffered a possible remote gravel road ride or a dirt bikepacking route.
Regardless of where we started or ended, somewhere along the way bugs would be getting dizzy and barfing! And liking it!
Will you leave me in peace while I get the job done
Can't you see I'm working
Oh, oh, I'm working on it
Oh, oh, I'm working on it
Working On It, Chris Rea (1989)
The BackBone Grande (blue line above) is complete. The BackBone DoubleGrande (red line above) is deep in beta testing, but will look something like this.
I created my BackBone Grande route specifically for bikepacking the best rough roads across the State of South Dakota along the spine of the Black Hills and across the surrounding prairie. See, Introducing the BackBone Grande. By its very nature, it was a point-to-point route, like its inspiration, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. See, Yes, Point-to-Point.
Almost immediately after publishing the BackBone Grande in January 2023, however, I began receiving requests for a return route, i.e., to create a loop from the finish at the North Dakota border to the start at the Nebraska border. But I just wanted to ride the route, not in bits and pieces over years, but as a through-ride accumulating miles, challenges, thoughts, and emotions as continuously presented. I needed a single, long through-ride to fully experience the BackBone Grande.
So, in June 2023, I rode the first through-ride of the BackBone Grande with bikepacking buddy Paul Brasby. See, BackBone Grande - The First Through-Ride. I loved it. Afterward, I tweaked a couple of stretches and later added more amazing tracks through Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. See, e.g., The Challenge of Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. Eventually, I created a Page compiling all my BackBone Grande posts to help others intrigued by the possibility of such an experience. BackBone Grande Page.
Everybody loves bikepacking through Devil's Tower National Monument!
With the BackBone Grande completed in every way, I finally started to visualize a return route, what I called the "DoubleBackBone." This return route would not be limited to the State of South Dakota, so I looked westward into a sliver of Montana and chunks of Wyoming. And I decided to amp up the logistical challenges by venturing more remote than the BackBone Grande. This would not be "more of the same," but a markedly different experience not for the uninitiated.
Into the Fall of 2023 and continuing still, I have been researching possible routes by scouring digital and paper maps, reviewing reports and images of prior rides by myself and others, and, most importantly, physically scouting possibilities by Jeep and by Jones. The bikepacking options out here are an outright embarrassment of riches.
Great spot for lunch in the Bear Lodge Mountains of Wyoming. (image by Kevin Fox)
All that takes time. For example, just to drive highways to the North Dakota border is about 3 hours one-way from Rapid City. The Nebraska border start of the BackBone Grande is a solid 2 hours one-way. Areas further west and more remote take even longer.
But the real time sink is scouting as many roads and near-roads as possible to select and connect the very best for the intended route. In Black Hills National Forest, that may be a never-ending task, with virtually unlimited mapped and unmapped tracks spider-webbing the public lands of the Black Hills. Out in the prairie, with a high percentage of land privately owned, the options of public roads and paths shrink dramatically. But it all still takes time.
Back in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota.
So, from the Fall of 2023, throughout 2024, and now into 2025, I have continued to piece together a BackBone DoubleGrande route. Sometimes, seemingly all roads that I follow lead to nothing particularly unique or even to dead-ends. Sometimes, scouting for other routes, like the new BackBone Buffet or the next Black Hills Bounty, leads me to roads and trails that I am compelled to include on the DoubleGrande. See, e.g., Red Bird Canyon.
As shown in the map above, the BackBone DoubleGrande generally will wind from the North Dakota border at the end of the BackBone Grande to Camp Crook, cut across the southeastern corner of Montana, and climb into northeastern Wyoming at Devil's Tower National Monument. It then climbs further into the Bear Lodge Mountains, drops into Sundance, re-enters the Black Hills zig-zagging the Wyoming/South Dakota border, traverses the western reaches of the Black Hills, and descends into grasslands leading to the Nebraska border, connecting to the start of the BackBone Grande.
Red Bird Canyon in the Southern Black Hills.
As of now, the BackBone DoubleGrande totals 446.5 miles/27,373' elevation gain. For reference, the BackBone Grande totals 421.3 miles/23,875' elevation gain. Ride those two routes as one, big, bad loop of 867.8 miles/51,248' elevation gain.
Once completed, that will be one Grande way to experience the greater Black Hills area.
But there's still work to be done. ETA of published route - January 2026.
If tomorrow all the things were gone, I'd worked for all my life
And I had to start again, with just my children and my wife
I'd thank my luck stars, to be living here today
Cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can't take that away.
And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you, and defend her still today
Cause there aint no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA
God Bless the USA, Lee Greenwood (1984)
God Bless The U.S.A. (Rock Version)
Lee Greenwood & Drew Jacobs (2024).
Memorial Day is a time to take stock of the present, reflect on the past, and renew our commitment to the future of America.
Today, as in the past, there are problems that must be solved and challenges that must be met. We can tackle them with our full strength and creativity only because we are free to work them out in our own way. We owe this freedom of choice and action to those men and women in uniform who have served this nation and its interests in time of need. In particular, we are forever indebted to those who have given their lives that we might be free.
I don't have to tell you how fragile this precious gift of freedom is. Every time we hear, watch, or read the news, we are reminded that liberty is a rare commodity in this world.
This Memorial Day of 1983, we honor those brave Americans who died in the service of their country. I think an ancient scholar put it well when he wrote: "Let us now praise famous men . . All these were honored in their generation, and were the glory of their times. Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore." As a tribute to their sacrifice, let us renew our resolve to remain strong enough to deter aggression, wise enough to preserve and protect our freedom, and thoughtful enough to promote lasting peace throughout the world.
"I stand this morning with a difficult message. I believe we are in a crisis. The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest."
Senator Mon Mothma, Star Wars Andor, Season 2, Episode 9 (2025).
Yes, this is from a speech in a fictional movie. A science fiction movie, at that.
But the message resonates today, following years of "expert" or "consensus" or "authoritative" narratives that plainly have not aligned with what we actually see and hear and experience. Narratives that conflict with what used to be known as common sense.
Amongst all the noise of the world, I believe this to be true.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16.
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. John 14:6.
The BackBone Grande is a unique 400 mile bikepacking route across the State of South Dakota along the spine of the Black Hills. I designed this route specifically for a Great Divide type of bikepacking experience that showcases the best of our Black Hills and surrounding prairie. For a series of posts introducing this route, including a digital map, and a series of posts of the first through-ride go to Black Hills Grande Page.
If you have any questions, ask. If you're thinking of venturing out here, let me know. I'm happy to help.
Here's an offer. Ride the BackBone Grande, any or all of it, and send me a picture and story. I'll send you a BackBone Grande sticker.
As others have noted, it doesn't say "Black Hills," or anything about bikepacking, or even cycling.
Nope. If you know, you know.
Here's the sticker.
Here's the sticker in the wild.
Even in a crowd, the BackBone Grande sticker stands out.
Heading up Hell Canyon in search of another abandoned road connector for the BackBone Buffet.
As much as I love my various BackBone routes, I'm always looking to improve them.
Earlier this month, I announced a change to the BackBone Buffet route that replaced some relatively conventional miles with an abandoned road that connects to a rough Low Standard Road that climbs abruptly to a lookout tower. I consider it a major character add, both for the route and the rider. See, BackBone Buffet - It Gets Better.
Scouting that day led me to explore other roads in that area around Jewell Cave National Monument, which is southwest of Rapid City almost to Wyoming. I seem to find something new and fun every time I get back in those remote canyons and hills, many of which are still recovering from the 2000 Jasper fire that burned over 83,000 acres. See, e.g., Red Bird Canyon.
Original BackBone Buffet section from Hell Canyon Trail (green icon) to Bear Spring Creek. About 3.5 miles of paved U.S. Highway 16 and 3.5 miles of USFS Low Standard Road 681.
Same route as directly above, but shown in Google Terrain view.
One road I love to ride in that area is USFS Low Standard Road 681, which meanders off U.S. Highway 16 before turning onto USFS Low Standard Road 284.2L to enter a small canyon along Bear Spring Creek. To access those USFS roads, the BackBone Buffet follows U.S. 16 near Hell Canyon Trailhead for about 3.5 paved miles (see map above).
Of course, I wondered if I could find a more fun way to enter that small canyon without riding those 3.5 miles of pavement and then 3.5 miles of USFS developed road. Unfortunately, my maps show no such road, perhaps due to the rugged terrain and limited timber. I don't know. Maybe there's a way. I sure would like to avoid that pavement.
Time for another road trip.
Possible 4.3 mile single track cut-through from Hell Canyon Trailhead to Bear Spring Creek.
Same route as directly above, but shown in Google Terrain view.
At the Hell Canyon Trailhead, I saw signs noting non-motorized use on the marked trail loop. However, that day featured wind driven rain at 37 degrees, so I chose not to ride or hike up the muddy single track. Save it for another day.
Back home, I found the Hell Canyon Trail from satellite images on RideWithGPS. Almost a mile from the Trailhead, the popular hiking trail angles northwest while a small canyon opens eastward. It looks like some kind of trail may wind along the bottom of that easterly canyon. The apparent trail appears and disappears on the satellite images, likely due to vegetation cover, but looks that it may eventually connect with USFS 681 after about 3.5 more miles. Maybe.
USFS hard copy maps show hints of an abandoned road from USFS 681 into that canyon, but do not clearly show it connecting through to Hell Canyon Trail. But it sure looks possible.
So, I created a RideWithGPS map for that trail/abandoned road to show what it would look like, if a trail indeed flows along the bottom of that canyon (see map above). If passable and rideable, it would link U.S. 16 at the Hell Canyon Trailhead to USFS 681 via 4.3 miles/529' gain of single track/abandoned road. It would also eliminate 7.5 miles/1,100' gain of pavement/more developed road.
This trail may be hard to follow when the ground cover turns green.
As soon as the final spring snows had a reasonable chance of clearing, I hustled back to Hell Canyon Trailhead. Several hikers there enthusiastically described the popular loop trail that climbs up and out of Hell Canyon, but none knew anything about a little trail snaking east into a side canyon.
Now thoroughly intrigued, I started up the main trail as one would hike the popular loop counter-clockwise. Less than a mile later, I spot a break in the surrounding hills and the looks of a small canyon to the east. A hint of single track veers off toward the unknown, right past bold signs emphatically directing one to continue northwest on the main trail. This must be it.
One of the final rock walls on the north side, as the south side mellows.
Yes. This is it. After a short stretch through a meadow, the trail winds atop the surface of what appears to be a long since abandoned "road" of some sort. The old road bed is discernible, here and there, but mostly has weathered back into the hillside. Birch trees of all sizes fill the gaps. Only the makings of a rarely traveled trail remain.
The trail climbs gradually and steadily, as the canyon walls close in. Tree downfall occasionally blocks the way, but I find hiked-in work arounds, sometimes chainsawed cut-throughs, and other times neither. None are difficult to overcome.
The trail twists and turns with the floor of the canyon, crossing dry drainages that must have carried significant water at some time. Around every corner, an ever changing kaleidoscope of rock walls burst from the earth and reach for the sky. My spirit lifts, with each passing moment.
I've found yet another hidden jewel in the treasure trove of the Black Hills.
USFS Low Standard Road 284.2L, at the end of the unmarked, unnumbered little trail. More small canyons lie ahead along Bear Spring Creek.
About 3.5 miles from the main trail and 4.5 miles from the Trailhead, the little sketch trail runs smack into the intersection of USFS Low Standard Road 681 and USFS Low Standard Road 284.2L That's on the original BackBone Buffet route, right where I hoped to reconnect to enter the next small canyon. See, BackBone Buffet - RideWithGPS Map.
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here. He is risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples. He is risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you."
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell the disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
I'm going up the rough side of the mountain on my way home, meet my people (Trying to get home)
I'm going up the rough side of the mountain on my way home, oh yeah (Trying to get home)
I'm going (Climbing)
Up the rough side of the mountain (Climbing)
Oh, Jesus (Climbing)
On my way (Climbing)
Climbing Higher Mountains, Traditional.
Contrary to the sign, USFS 818.1A is not a "DEAD END" for those on a bicycle.
Last month I introduced the BackBone Buffet, my new rough road bikepacking route showcasing the best of the Central Black Hills of South Dakota. I've ridden all the roads on the route, although not in one ride put together this way. I look forward to bikepacking it this summer. See, Introducing The BackBone Buffet.
Starting the climb up to Elk Mountain Lookout Tower on USFS Low Standard Road 818.1A.
The BackBone Buffet started with the idea of creating an easily accessible 4-5 day rough road bikepacking loop smack in the middle of the Black Hills. With all my riding, scouting, and routing throughout that area over the years, I decided not to start from scratch, but rather cherry-pick favorite sections of my original BackBone, DoubleBackBone, BackBone Grande, BackBone DoubleGrande (not yet released) and even some Black Hills Bounty roads and combine them in a single 200 mile loop out of Hill City.
Those existing routes occasionally intersect, e.g., the original BackBone and the BackBone Grande meet on Black Fox Camp Road, but connecting the chosen sections often required some distance of different roads. Eventually, I fashioned together and published the loop. BackBone Buffet - RideWithGPS Map.
Looking back on the climb up USFS Low Standard Road 818.1A.
Analyzing those new connectors more closely over time and coffee, I unearthed a couple of areas to improve. For example, I did not particularly like the connection from the bottom of Red Bird Canyon (about Mile 103) to Dewey Road (USFS Primary Road 769) (about Mile 108) and beyond. That stretch required over 5 miles on paved U.S. Highway 16, followed by more miles on highly developed Dewey Road before finally reaching some primo Bounty roads to McKenna Spring. There must be a better way.
So, from USFS paper maps and RideWithGPS satellite images, I pieced together a possible re-route that turned off U.S. Highway 16 a couple of miles short of Dewey Road onto an unnumbered, double-dashed, apparently abandoned "Road Closed Yearlong To Motorized Traffic." After about a mile, that "road" t-boned into USFS Low Standard Road 818.1A for a suck-it-up steep pitch to a fire lookout tower and then a gradual descent over to Dewey Road. What's not to love about that!
It looked to be an awesome add to the BackBone Buffet, and possibly to the BackBone DoubleGrande, if that first mile of abandoned "road" is public. However, I could not determine that from home, since it was not clearly labeled and passed through private land. Time for a road trip.
Elk Mountain Lookout Tower, with 360 degree views from the top.
Score! That little unnumbered, double-dashed "road" is a public road that actually does connect with USFS Low Standard Road 818.1A. It is closed to motorized vehicles yearlong, but is always open for travel by foot, horse, and bicycle. Sweet!
Know that it's not easy. From the paved highway, the route climbs over 700 feet in the first 2 miles and another 400 feet in the next 2.5 miles, with at least one pitch of 19% (according to RideWithGPS). But the 360 degree views from atop the lookout tower are breathtaking, as are the sharp elevation drop views along the relatively long, gradual descent.
Uffda!
Absolutely I added it to both the BackBone Buffet and the BackBone DoubleGrande.
So, for anyone riding any of my routes, check the RideWithGPS file for the latest update.
I'm always looking for the best.
Updated BackBone Buffet map on RideWithGPS, showing the climb up Elk Mountain Lookout Tower. The new section leaves U.S. 16 to climb to the tower and then descend to Dewey Road.
Same map as above, but in "Google Terrain" mode to show relief. Would you look at that!
Climbing Higher Mountains, Aretha Franklin (1972).
I'm better now, almost my normal. But it was a long 10 weeks.
Traveling to spend Christmas with family, I returned home not feeling well. I didn't think much of it, other than a seasonal bug of some kind. At the time, I was 10 weeks into a 20 week structured training program for another self-supported, solo race at the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. I built some down time into that schedule, so I suspended training to get healthy.
However, a week off the bike did not improve anything. Not one bit. Now, I was stumped. I considered covid, but did not have some common symptoms such as high fever, massive headaches, dry cough, or metallic taste of food. I just felt tired all the time, didn't feel like doing much of anything (including riding or writing), and felt short of breath very easily. I took off another week.
Nothing. For several more weeks, I continued to struggle with unusual fatigue, utter lack of motivation, and shortness of breath and never did return to my training program, or anything remotely approaching it. More time passed. What to do? With the weekend race but a small part of a planned 18 day road trip, I decided to go for it and work through it. The road trip turned out great. The race did not. See, 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo (2025).
Back out there. Rolling across the prairie on gravel and dirt.
When I returned home in late February, not much changed. After a couple more weeks of uggh, I took to the internet to search possibilities. Almost immediately, I learned about something called Long Covid, with primary symptoms listed as chronic fatigue (feeling tired all the time), malaise (not feeling like doing anything), shortness of breath (short of breath very easy), and "exertional fatigue," defined as feeling significantly greater fatigue than normal at a given level of exertion (every lap at 24 HOP). Reportedly, the symptoms can last for weeks, months, and even years for some people.
Hey. That's a start. I read about various treatment options, including Ivermectin, both alone and together with other over the counter pills. One study showed promising results for Long Covid with a dosage of 12 mg per day for 5 days. Perhaps not coincidentally, I found in our medicine cabinet a single blister card of Ivermectin, left over from the recent past. Yes, exactly 10 pills of 6 mg.
I decided to take one 6 mg pill every 12 hours, which would be 12 mg/day for 5 days.
After taking the first pill at about 9 pm on a Sunday evening, I awoke the next morning after my best sleep since Christmas. Surprisingly, I did not feel that pesky generalized fatigue. More significantly, the oppressive malaise was completely gone. It was as if bright sunshine had burst through heavy cloud cover to burn off a long lingering fog.
Since completing that 5 day protocol, I am back on the bike, with vigor, and back on the blog, with acuity. I am again studying maps and venturing out into the Black Hills to scout more back roads, improve existing routes, and create new ones. I even rolled out of town onto prairie gravel for over 3 hours, my longest single ride in six months. The winter fog is gone.
This is my experience with a 10 week, undiagnosed ailment. I really don't know what it was or how it's gone. I don't even care if it's all a placebo effect. It doesn't matter.
Our minds say no, but our hearts keep beating faster.
Ah! Leah! Here we go again.
Ah! Leah! Is it ever going to end?
Ah! Leah! Here we go again.
Ah! Leah! We ain't learned our lesson yet.
Ah! Leah!, Mark Avsec & Donnie Iris (1980).
Ready to roll on Day 1 of the inaugural Black Hills Bounty (2021). Paul Brasby, Lane Bergen, Ben Cooper, Jeffrey Bloom, Craig Groseth, Mark Hoffman.
For the fifth consecutive year, Paul Brasby and his aging crew with reconstructed joints are preparing to return for another weeklong bikepacking tour of the Black Hills of South Dakota. See, Black Hills Bounty Page.
While the miles and smiles of prior rides linger fondly, deeper reflection reveals a consistent pattern to the group dynamics of this weeklong bikepacking trip.
It goes something like this, regardless of the actual difficulty of any day.
A new bikepacking route that cherry-picks the best rough roads found on the original BackBone, DoubleBackBone, BackBone Grande, BackBone DoubleGrande, and even some Bounty routes to showcase the best of the Central Black Hills in a memorable 200 mile loop.
If you're looking to bikepack more than an Overnighter, but less than a week, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, here's a 200 mile loop that samples a sweet smattering of each of those BackBone routes. At 40-50 miles/3,200'-4,000' gain per day, that's a tantalizing 4-5 day tour. Great all on its own, or a shake-down for something bigger.
Of course, one could more aggressively tackle the BackBone Buffet as an Overnighter of back-to-back centuries or even a through-ride of a double century. It's just a route, after all, not an event. You do you.
Start at Hill City riding north on the Mickelson Trail. Follow the BackBone Grande route north to Black Fox Campground (Gold Mountain, tunnels, Castle Peak, Moonshine Gulch). See, BackBone Grande Page.
Continue on the original BackBone up Black Fox Camp Road, over Flag Mountain (taking the spur to the lookout), down to Deerfield Lake (with a short stretch of single track Trail 40L), and down Williams Gulch Road. See, BackBone & DoubleBackBone Page.
Jog a bit west on the DoubleBackBone and some Bounty roads (Jasper fire area) to pick up the BackBone DoubleGrande (a route not yet finalized) over to and down Red Bird Canyon. See, Bounty Page and Red Bird Canyon.
Continue south on the BackBone DoubleGrande, veer off on Bounty roads to McKenna Springs (abandoned road), and pass Jewel Cave National Monument. See, Connecting.
Take more Bounty roads back to another part of the BackBone (overlook view of Crazy Horse Memorial) and drop into Custer.
Finally, Custer to Hill City on the BackBone Grande Mt. Rushmore Alternative (Sylvan Lake, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, Mt. Rushmore). See, BackBone Grande - Mt. Rushmore Alternative.
Total = 202 miles/16,200' gain.
Here are a few approaches.
1.4 day tour (50 miles/4,000' gain average):Day 1 = Hill City to USFS Whitetail Campground at Deerfield Lake (60 miles/5,300'); Day 2 = Whitetail to McKenna Springs (62 miles/3,500'); Day 3 = McKenna Springs to Custer (38 miles/3,200'); Day 4 = Custer to Hill City via Mt. Rushmore (42 miles/4,600').
2. 5 day tour (40 miles/3,200' gain average, for a Bounty-type experience):Day 1 = Hill City to USFS Black Fox Campground (40 miles/3,400'); Day 2 = Black Fox to disperse camp (40 miles/3,500'); Day 3 = disperse camp to McKenna Springs (42 miles/2,200'); Day 4 = McKenna Springs to Custer (38 miles/3,200'); Day 5 = Custer to Hill City via Mt. Rushmore (42 miles/4,600').
3. 2 day ride (100 miles/8,100' gain average, early training for a Tour Divide-type racer):Day 1 = Hill City to McKenna Springs (122 miles/8,800'); Day 2 = McKenna Springs to Hill City (80 miles/7,800').
+. One also could add 50-60 miles by riding from Rapid City to the Hill City start and then back to a Rapid City finish.
With many miles of solid Black Hills National Forest Service roads, the BackBone Buffet route may seem pretty tame. While some miles roll fast, others do not. More than a few miles of Low Standard roads await, along with abandoned roads and some single track. Also, those miles from Deerfield Lake (mile 60) to Custer (mile 160) offer no services and no resupply. Cell service is spotty or non-existent. On the other hand, there is a reliable spring at McKenna Springs (mile 122) and some surface water. So, it should be a nice bikepacking challenge, without being too much for most. When loaded for multi-day bikepacking, I prefer a bike with 2 inch or wider tires for this route.
The end is inevitable, Maverick. Your kind is headed for extinction.
Rear Admiral Chester "Hammer" Cain.
Maybe so, sir. But not today.
Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022).
My rigid steel 2018 Jones 29+, built 2x11 for geared bikepacking.
E-bike this. E-bike that. E-bike whatever.
You do you.
Not for me.
The current e-bike trend reminds me of racing mountain bikes in the 1990's, when you could outright buy better performance.
Front suspension, and then full suspension, developed at dizzying speeds in chaotic forms, fueling an arms race for the latest, greatest technological breakthrough. Buy the new, shiny gizmo and, if it didn't break, rocket past all your friends and boost your weekend warrior status. Talk about a performance enhancing drug.
Other innovations piled on, promising to make one even faster, smoother, more in control, and more cool.
My 1997 Specialized StumpJumper Pro (circa 2014, when finally sold). Original frame & cranks, practically everything else replaced after breaking/wearing out. Final mountain bike with any suspension.
After racing with lighter, better suspension for awhile, I decided not to be the same guy who simply bought technology to ride faster. Or easier. Or over more difficult terrain.
For example, I didn't want suspension to carry me over obstacles. I wanted to ride the best line. If that put an upper limit on speed or the difficulty of the trail, so be it.
So in 2003, I converted to fully rigid, and never turned back.
Yes, I rode slower, crashed more often, and walked more technical stretches than I would have on the latest, greatest suspension wunderbike. But I rode. The bike didn't carry me.
Whatever my level of performance, absolute or relative, I earned. I didn't buy.
My steel 1991 Specialized RockHopper, set up for commuting (circa 2020). Repainted, rebadged, and re-configured several times, never suspended.
That's where I'm at with e-bikes. They're just not for me.
Now, I ride even slower and over less difficult terrain than a few years ago. I'll probably ride even slower next year. And walk my bike more.
No worries. If you're bikepacking with me, I'll catch up on the next pass, or over lunch, or at the campsite, or sometime the next day, or maybe the next week, or not.
No matter. I know that I'll get there. And that I'm powering my bike.
So, I planned to ride solo again. To help justify the 20 hour one-way drive, I added a weekend with our daughter Cara in Denver, 3 days volunteering at the race, 3 days for the race itself, and another 6 days in Phoenix with a brother and a sister. That worked out to an 18 day road trip, taking a big bite out of a South Dakota February.
Overall? Great road trip. Rough race.
Sunrise at 24 Hour Town.
Let's deal with the race first. I came into race day with limited training, low energy, and little fire. For weeks, I had been fighting a lingering cold/flu/something that would not go away and left me in a continuous state of fatigue. I decided to start anyhow and work through it.
After four straight days of cold, overcast skies and unusually high winds in the desert, race day broke sunny and relatively calm. I felt pretty solid for the 500+ meter LeMans-style running start and throughout most of the first 16.7 mile lap. Not normal, but solid enough, I thought.
I pulled into base camp at practically the same time as last year, but this year found South Dakota Mines classmates Dave & Lori Litzen! They buzzed down from Phoenix for the weekend to check out this nutty 24 hour mountain bike race scene. Great to see you guys!
Back on the course, I faded early on the second lap. I simply had little strength, energy, or endurance. Managing my output, I stopped frequently to collect myself and finally limped into camp to prepare for the sunset/first night lap. This was going downhill rapidly.
Sunset at a 24 hour race is always magical, as it was this year. But about halfway around that lap, pitch darkness extinguished all light, and then my race. I know my normal tired at this stage and this was not it. This was a larger problem manifesting as overwhelming fatigue, growing chills, shooting stomach pain, bloating, cramps, and headache. On the final climb, I could barely pedal. The last miles took an eternity.
Eventually back at camp, I immediately changed into dry, warmer clothes for the upcoming cold night laps and searched for something hot to eat to settle things down and shake those chills. Nothing sounded good. Nothing tasted good. So, I drank some fluids, including my normal Hammer Recoverite and some hot broth. OK. Better. Maybe. But this stomach is a mess. Everything is.
I retreated into my Jeep. Racing thoughts vainly sought a path through this.
Realistically, I knew that I was in no condition to get back out there. Not now. Not for awhile.
OK. I'll re-assess in 20 minutes. Sigh. OK. Maybe awhile longer. Another 20 minutes. Heavier sigh. SMH. OK, another hour.
Still not anywhere near OK.
I knew that digging too deeply to finish an endurance event can result in months to fully recover. I knew that, in the past, I have lost at least two or three summers that way. Is this the time to dig that deep?
Ultimately, I decided no. This was not that time.
So, I rode 3 laps in about 8 hours, with 2 long breaks. Call it my own 8 Hours In The Old Pueblo.
And I lived to ride another day, much sooner.
SD Mines classmates Dave & Lori Litzen checking out the scene. I'm still smiling after the first lap.
Other than a rough race, I enjoyed a great road trip. I first visited daughter Cara in Denver for a weekend and then drove some scenic back roads to camp at the race venue at Willow Springs Ranch, north of Tucson. I volunteered at early packet pickup on Tuesday, helped with venue setup on Wednesday, and volunteered at the venue check-in on Thursday. On Friday, I met my growing assortment of neighbors and enjoyed the vendor and sponsor booths. The race ran Saturday noon to Sunday noon, shortly after of which most all of the 4,000-some people left the venue.
On Monday, I drove to Phoenix for 5 days with my brother Cyler and his family, including two days on ranch land he's developing in the hills outside Prescott. Friday evening and Saturday I spent with my sister Candy, who took a break from remodeling projects to demonstrate her prowess on a recently installed putting green. I capped it all off with a Colorado Rockies spring training game on Sunday afternoon, the highlight of which was watching kids run around the bases afterward.
Overall, a great road trip, sandwiched around a rough race.
Next year? Maybe.
Solo? Maybe. Anyone interested in a team relay?
Elite endurance athletes Colin & Kristen Schindler (formerly of Spearfish, SD) stopped by with encouragement.
Neighbor Susie with her 5 person family team from Montana. They enjoyed a 20 hour drive, too.
Joyous Jesus (red cap) raced solo, with his dad and brother as crew. His first ever mountain bike race.
Solo racer Ben from Colorado with his fiancee. Ben works for the City of Breckenridge and manages the Firecracker 50 race.
Neighbor Tony raced solo, with his wife crewing.
Solo racer Ben from Colorado pushed for the podium.
Solo racer Dustin from Alaska was out racing. This is part of his crew. They flew from Alaska, shipped all their gear, and rented a U-Haul in Arizona as a camper.
Bonus image of kids running the bases after a Colorado Rockies spring training game.
Bonus image of Arizona State Highway 77 that eventually drops into Tucson.
A 90 mile rough road overnight bikepacking loop starting and ending in Hill City.
Nothing like an overnighter to get started.
Mickelson Trail tunnel. (image by Paul Brasby)
From charming Hill City, the BackBone Overnighter explores about 80 miles of rough, remote USFS back roads and almost 10 miles of rails-to-trails Mickelson Trail for a two day tour showcasing the best of the Central Black Hills of South Dakota.
This forested, hilly loop passes a restored, abandoned gold mine, crosses over a trestle, eeks through old railroad tunnels, follows trout-filled streams, sidesteps to the iconic Moonshine Gulch Saloon, climbs along a beaver damned creek to an abandoned stone lookout, and meanders up and down back roads through prime elk country back to Hill City. An experiential Black Hills feast.
About 40 miles into the 90 mile loop awaits idyllic USFS Black Fox primitive campground, a sweet spot to spend the evening. Of course, one may choose to disperse camp throughout much of the Black Hills National Forest. In particular, one may wish to gradually climb another 12 miles past Black Fox to camp atop Flag Mountain by the lookout tower.
Black Fox Camp Road (USFS Secondary 233).
This is a gravel and dirt road route, with about a mile of mellow single track, covering about 90 miles and 7,400 feet of elevation gain over 2 days. Several sections can be rocky, rutted, loose, and/or muddy, such as Horse Creek Road, Castle Peak Road, the spur up Flag Mountain, Williams Draw Road, and a few unnamed connectors. Stretches of this route have earned their way onto parts of the Black Hills BackBone, the Black Hills Bounty, the DED Dirt Ride, several Black Hills Gravel Series rides, and even the BackBone Grande. If you only have two days, here's a choice taste of bikepacking the Black Hills.
When loaded for an overnighter on this route, I prefer a bike with 2 inch or wider tires. When riding it loaded on soft roads in late May a few years ago, I comfortably rode my Jones 29+ with 2.35 inch Bontrager XR2 tires. On the other hand, I have comfortably ridden this entire route on my single speed Black Mountain MonsterCross with 40 mm tires, but that was a single day ride. Loaded, I'd go wider.
The lookout atop Flag Mountain.
Surface water to filter is widely available along the route. Potable water is available at the Mystic Trailhead of the Mickelson Trail (mile 16.5 of Day 1), at the Moonshine Gulch Saloon, the Rochford Small of America, and the Mickelson Trailhead in Rochford (mile 32.5 of Day 1), and at the USFS White Tail Campground (mile 19.2 of Day 2). The Moonshine Gulch Saloon also offers bar food and drinks, while the Rochford Mall sells light snacks.
Located an easy 26 miles from Rapid City, Hill City is a thriving tourist town of about 1,000 residents. It offers a variety of shops and art galleries, motels and campgrounds, and restaurants and bars. Hill City is also minutes away from Mt. Rushmore National Monument, Crazy Horse Memorial, and the granite towers of Cathedral Spires along Needles Highway. The Heart of the Hills is an ideal place to launch a Black Hills adventure.
Turning off Williams Draw Road (USFS Secondary 691) onto USFS Low Standard Road 301.1R.
For an alternative experience with shorter riding days, one could make a 3 day/2 night trip by riding 26 miles to camp at USFS Castle Peak Campground on Day 1, ride 33 miles to camp at USFS White Tail Campground on Day 2, and ride 31 miles to finish on Day 3. Of course, one could also go the other way, ditch the camping altogether, and ride the entire 90 miles loop in a single day.
This route is publicly available on RideWithGPS atBackBone BreakOut.
