Route Tweaks + New Cue Sheets = Road Trip

Riding the Black Hills BackBone over the Fourth of July weekend, I resolve to re-route as much of Tinton Road as possible. Although climbing a boat load of elevation out of the Spearfish foothills is just part of getting into the Black Hills, the heavy, fast, unfriendly traffic on the lower parts of Tinton Road does not fit the design concept of this remote road ride. Back to the drawing board.

The most appealing gravel road up O'Neil Pass is Grand Canyon Road, which Kristi and Perry Jewett take for each of the 70, 110 and 210 mile courses of the Gold Rush Gravel Grinder. Unfortunately, Grand Canyon Road wanders into Wyoming for quite a while. That's a deal killer here. For better or worse, the BackBone is a ride across South Dakota, from the North Dakota border to the Nebraska border, without a zig or even a zag into Wyoming.

One could enter the Black Hills by riding gravel on lower elevations to the east, but I want to avoid the pavement and development around Lead, and the BackBone needs to go over the high point of O'Neil Pass, not around it. That limits options, no doubt. There's Higgins Gulch, a more narrow, less traveled gravel road that climbs gradually and merges eventually with Tinton Road just past the Big Hill Trailhead. Eliminating McGuigan Road and the lower part of Tinton Road is a big positive, even though the turn onto Higgins Gulch from Hills View Road is easy to miss, especially in the dark. I'll go with that, even though about 17 miles of Tinton Road remain to climb.

As long as you don't fly past the turn, Higgins Gulch Road is a definite improvement over the lower part of Tinton Road.

Since I'm changing part of the BackBone route, I decide to take a hard look at all of it. The Black Hills offer so many possibilities, but I've spent significant effort over time creating this cross state gravel route. Not surprisingly, many miles I like a lot and some miles are needed to connect those.

After several hours of pouring over maps and pictures of our Fourth of July ride, I decide on but one additional change. South of Custer, the BackBone climbs on paved Sydney Park Road for about 4 miles before turning onto graveled Flynn Creek Road, a definite keeper. A slightly longer route to Flynn Creek Road turns off Sydney Park Road, after just a mile or so, onto Hazel Root Cut-Off Road and then onto Glen Erin Road, which eventually merges with Flynn Creek Road shortly before the Cicero Peak spur. Lucas Haan took folks through here as part of the Custer race at the stellar Black Hills Gravel Series. A Six Course Feast. Less pave, less traffic, more remote, more rocks. Perfect.

Glen Erin Road adds a little distance, but a lot of style.

With those two modifications to the route, I need to update the cue sheets. I could simply measure those changes and graft them into the existing cue sheets. But that just doesn't seem right. I need to drive the entire BackBone, in one continuous drive, to create a new set of accurate cue sheets and to confirm the fun factor of those new roads. 

Well alrighty then. Road trip. With a full thermos of coffee, a cooler of Gatoraid, a box of snacks, a camera, a pile of maps, and a clip board holding a blank cue sheet form, I drive out of Rapid City before 3:00 am on a Saturday, destined for the North Dakota border. About three hours later, I stop at the familiar Dakota Marker, set the Trip Odometer to 0.0, and start south. At every turn, I double check road signs and distances. This is going to take awhile.

No end in sight. Harding County gravel.

Memories stir as the miles pass. I drive by Gayle Penn's house in Harding, but don't knock on her door since it's not yet 7:00 am. So, I leave a note with a package from Essence of Coffee. I once warned her that if anyone else ever rides the BackBone, they will probably be looking for some water. But I know she'd offer coffee, too.

Before long, I cross the primo gravel of the Northern Prairie and carefully negotiate Sale Barn Road and Lookout Mountain Road, two non-maintained dirt roads in the foothills. I then stop in Spearfish for a late breakfast and head out for Higgins Gulch. The directions are simple enough, but if you miss the turn, you're riding into Wyoming. The road itself is much more pleasant than the early miles of Tinton Road. This is a definite improvement.

Cruising down South Rapid Creek Road, I round a corner to find this rushing toward my windshield.
Fortunately, I squeeze between the main trunk and that aspen tree, and then bounce over the top of the downed tree.
An abrupt reminder of surprise obstacles on back roads with short sight lines.

Over O'Neil Pass, the roads are much less developed and much slower to drive. But I'm having fun, taking it all in from the driver's seat of an air conditioned car. Nice change of perspective. Some hours later, I take a lunch break in Custer before scouting the re-route on Glen Erin Road. In addition to eliminating about three miles of pavement, this re-route more quickly moves one from the touristy bustle of Custer to a quiet, barely graveled, narrow remote road. Sweet.

View of Harney Peak and Crazy Horse from Custer Limestone Road.

Once out of the Black Hills, the roads get faster again on primo prairie gravel crossing the Southern Prairie. Before long, I'm at the Nebraska border. The actual measured total distance of the BackBone now is 310.5 miles. That's a bike ride, regardless of how long it takes.

But I'm not done for the day. I sit at the end of a dead-end road at NothingThere, Nebraska, more than a couple of hours from Rapid City. By the time I get home, it's 7:00 pm. Yeah, a 16 hour day on the road, just for a couple of re-routes for something that nobody else will probably ever ride. Shuffling into the house, I tell my wife, "Do NOT let me do that again." She just laughs at me.

End of the line.  Now, we can go home.

Turn	Direction	Road	Miles	Total
-	S	Table Mountain Road (733)	0.0	0.0
R	W	Table Mountain Road (733)	1.6	1.6
R	W	Ladner Road	7.2	8.8
L	S	continue on Ladner Road	4.2	13.0
-	S	straight on Bullock Road	2.0	15.0
R	W	Bullock Road	7.7	22.7
L	S	Bullock Road	2.8	25.5
R	W	U.S. Highway 20 - pave	8.0	33.5
L	S	Harding Road	0.6	34.1
-	S	HARDING - STOP WATER	13.0	47.1
R	W	Old Highway 85	17.3	64.4
-	S	GEOGRAPHIC CENTER OF THE U.S.	14.4	78.8
L	E	U.S. Highway 85 - pave	7.8	86.6
R	E	Brooker Road	0.5	87.1
R	S	Arpan Road	7.3	94.4
-	S	Arpan Road - pave	9.3	103.7
R	W	U.S. Highway 212 - pave	3.6	107.3
L	S	Fruitdale Road - pave	1.7	109.0
-	S	Fruitdale Road	1.7	110.7
L	E	Snowma Road	1.1	111.8
R	S	Crooked Oaks Road	0.7	112.5
L	E	Sale Barn Road	5.6	118.1
R	S	Sale Barn Road	2.2	120.3
-	-	Sale Barn Road - pave	0.2	120.5
R	N	U.S. Highway 34 - pave	0.5	121.0
L	W	St. Onge Cutoff Road (196th Street)	1.9	122.9
L	S	Lookout Mountain Road	4.0	126.9
R	W	Kerwin Lane	2.8	129.7
L	S	U.S. Highway 85 - pave	1.9	131.6
R	W	Hills View Road - pave	1.7	133.3
-	-	SPEARFISH - WATER	-	133.3
-	W	Hills View Road - pave	-	133.3
L	S	Higgins Gulch Road (214)	2.5	135.8
R	S	Tinton Road (134)	12.1	147.9
R	W	U.S. Highway 85 - pave	16.9	164.8
L	S	O'Neil Pass Road (391)	1.7	166.5
L	S	South Rapid Creek Road (231)	0.8	167.3
R	W	Black Fox Camp Road (233)	11.4	178.7
L	E	Flag Mountain Road (189)	5.4	184.1
R	S	South Rochford Road	7.0	191.1
-	S	South Rochford Road - pave	0.6	191.7
L	E	Deerfield Lake Road - pave	1.0	192.7
L	N	White Tail Loop (USFS 421)	1.7	194.4
-	E	WHITE TAIL CAMPGROUND (USFS) - WATER	1.0	195.4
R	W	Deerfield Lake Road - pave	0.9	196.3
L	S	Williams Draw Road	0.3	196.6
R	W	Six Mile Draw Road	8.0	204.6
L	S	Ditch Creek Road (291)	0.2	204.8
L	E	Custer Limestone Road (284)	9.5	214.3
R	S	Upper French Creek Road (286)	5.7	220.0
L	E	U.S. Highway 16 - pave	5.9	225.9
R	S	6th Street - pave (1 block) HARBACH CITY PARK - WATER	1.8	227.7
-	N	1 block back to U.S. Highway 16	0.1	227.8
R	E	U.S. Highway 16 - pave	0.1	227.9
R	S	Sidney Park Road (793) - pave	1.6	229.5
L	E	Hazelroot Cut-Off Road (343)	1.3	230.8
R	S	Glen Erin Road (337)	2.6	233.4
L	E	Flynn Creek Road (336)	4.7	238.1
L	E	Beaver Creek Road (391)	8.6	246.7
L	N	U.S. Highway 87 - pave	1.1	247.8
R	E	Rankin Ridge Road (NPS 5)	2.0	249.8
L	E	7-11 Road (101)	10.3	260.1
S	R	In Buffalo Gap - 4th Street	5.0	265.1
R	L	Elm Street
S	R	2nd Street
-	-	BUFFALO GAP TRADING POST - WATER	0.1	265.2
-	S	Buffalo Gap Road	-	265.2
L	E	Fall River County 2 - pave	7.1	272.3
R	S	Ash Road	1.5	273.8
L	E	Hay Canyon Road	3.0	276.8
R	S	Sand Creek Road (Fall River County Road 2)	1.0	277.8
L	E	Smithwick Road	4.1	281.9
R	S	North Butte Road (Fall River County Road 2)	0.4	282.3
R	W	Milligan Road	9.1	291.4
L	S	Old Highway 79	1.1	292.5
R	W	Antelope Lane	1.0	293.5
L	S	Hard Scrabble Road	4.0	297.5
R	W	Black Bank Road	2.0	299.5
L	S	continue on Black Bank Road	2.0	301.5
-	S	Dakota Line Road - STOP SIGN FINISH	9.0	310.5

Three Days of BackBone (part 6) - A Weekend to Remember

Over a hot, windy Fourth of July weekend, a small band of friends gather to ride across the State of South Dakota, from NoWhere, North Dakota to NothingThere, Nebraska, over 300+ miles of remote gravel and dirt roads along the spine of the Black Hills. The Black Hills BackBone. We did it.

Part 1 - An Idea Takes Shape. Part 2 - Gathering. Part 3 - Crossing the Northern Prairie. Part 4 - Up and Into the Black Hills. Part 5 - Focus on the Finish.

Rob Sorge, Shaun Arritola, Dave Litzen and me. Good times on Ditch Creek Road early on Day 3.

On Day 1, we cross 113 miles of hot, wind-swept Northern Prairie to reach the foothills near Spearfish. On hotter and windier Day 2, we endure 82 miles, with a boat load of elevation gain through those foothills, up superheated O'Neil Pass, over the tall shoulders of Flag Mountain and deep into the heart of the Black Hills. On the hottest and windiest Day 3, we survive another 113 miles up and down back roads in the rugged Central Black Hills and then out on the haggard, hard scrabble Southern Prairie.

That's 308 miles across the height of the State of South Dakota up and down rough, remote gravel and dirt roads in mid-summer heat and wind. At the end of each 12+ hour day, we're done. Cooked. Finished. Over.

Until the next morning.

Corinne Sorge and Lori Litzen. Our Super Support Team.

Our remarkable recovery on both nights is due to our Support Team, who managed all the details with the BnB accommodations, meals, drinks and more. Corinne Sorge, Lori Litzen and Jonis Arritola kept the ride alive. My wife Colleen even managed to get away from Rapid City to join us for both evenings. It's so nice just to relax. All we really had to do was ride and recover. We did both, with gusto.

Super Support Jonis Arritola (far right) fit right in with the hard-relaxing riders.
(photo by Corinne Sorge)

In fact, our Support Team was the reason we were able to finish this ride at all. They managed all the shuttles, not only hauling us to the start and from the finish, but allowing us to adjust our daily riding to the circumstances. We slightly shortened Day 1 and Day 2 to ensure some down time at our luxurious BnB's, which lengthened Day 3 and made all three days about the same duration. As a result, however, we then needed a shuttle to the start and from the finish on each day. Whether early morning, during the long day or late night, they made it happen.

Our Support Team also provided ride-saving on-course support of ice, cold drinks, snacks, and meals, among many other things. For example, just sitting on a tailgate for a few minutes was a blessing and sometimes the support truck provided the only sliver of shade for miles. And by the end of Day 3, our Support Team was leap-frogging us with aid stops every 5-10 miles to baby us home. Thank you, Corinne, Lori and Jonis.

Like the sun behind us, we burst through our clouds at the last stop,
just 4 miles from the finish.  (photo by Corinne Sorge)

Also, a word of thanks to Rob, my best friend and roommate from college. Every few years, when I dream up some odd idea of something "fun" to do, Rob not only smiles and nods politely. He arranges his schedule and travels from southern Texas to share it with me. Even though cycling is not (yet) his passion, Rob possesses the physical, mental and spiritual ability to complete these long rides with enthusiasm and good cheer. He is a great companion for any adventure and I'm so grateful that he's willing to join me.

For the BackBone, Rob did not own and had not even ridden any suitable gravel bike until the evening before we left Rapid City. But he immediately took to his new Salsa Vaya and simply crushed 308 miles of gravel and dirt roads over three hot, windy days. Amazing. Rob, I hope you enjoy that bike for many years over many miles of remote roads. And, for our next adventure, start by researching "bike packing."

Rob spinning up Williams Draw Road on his fun, fun, fun, fun, fun Salsa Vaya. 

To share the BackBone with another college friend, Rob asked Dave to ride with us. Like Rob, Dave is an exceptional athlete, who has not yet developed a passion for long distance cycling. That didn't stop him from getting right after this whole endurance gravel thing this spring, starting with the Spearfish race of Lucas Haan's stellar Black Hills Gravel Series. Like cramming for finals, Dave ramped up increasingly longer and more difficult rides in the month leading up to the BackBone.

Even so, Dave's longest ride falls far short of all day. For the BackBone, he somehow knocks off 12+ hour rides in the heat and wind of mid-summer South Dakota. For three consecutive days. That takes more than a new uber-rig, which he has, and more than athleticism, which he also has. It takes a large dose of mental toughness to overcome all the little inconveniences of such long days in the saddle, such as the leg cramps, dry heaves and heat exhaustion he handled, among other things. For Dave to finish any one of those three days is an achievement. To finish all three days, back-to-back-to-back, is remarkable. Thanks for putting yourself out there, Dave, and sharing it with us. You're now on my short list of folks to invite on my next "fun" ride. You can thank me later.

Dave grinding out the miles up Williams Draw Road on his spiffy new Norco Search.

Then, there's my local riding buddy Shaun.  When I first bandied about the idea of a three day BackBone to some folks, Shaun immediately committed to it, of course, without knowing or needing any of the details. He simply asked for the dates, so he could take time off work and volunteer Jonis to drive the shuttle. Just like that, he turned this from just another solo ride into a memorable destination group ride. And, just like that, he took care of one of the more difficult aspects of the BackBone - sorting out the logistics of simply getting to the start and from the finish.

Although time is tight with his current life happenings, Shaun carved out a Saturday in June to dig out from long term storage his trusty Specialized Tri-Cross for the 70 mile Gold Dust Gravel Grinder. How he completed that ride, on zero outside riding for many, many months, is beyond me. With that as his training, Shaun somehow rode three days of the BackBone, getting stronger every day. After witnessing his 113 miles on Day 3, I believe he could have turned around at the finish and ridden back to North Dakota. He's that kind of rider.

I'm just glad to go on a little bike ride with him again and look forward to more ahead. Thanks, Shaun.

Shaun cruising down Flynn Creek Road on his trusty Specialized Tri-Cross.

Although originally conceived as a solo, unsupported, continuous ride, the Black Hills BackBone readily lends itself to a multi-day ride. Making it three days allowed some friends to imagine a ride that stretched their cycling endurance limits. Adding a Support Team then made it all work.  Sharing the experience created a weekend to remember.

I certainly did not expect our BackBone ride to develop this way, but I'm thankful it did. With some passage of time, perhaps Rob and Dave will be receptive to another "fun" adventure. Maybe. In time. For now, I'm just happy for the weekend we shared.

The Finish Line of our 2017 Three Days of BackBone.

Three Days of BackBone (part 5) - Focus on the Finish

Warming up on rough roads out of Fruitdale, we grit and grind up hot, relentless Tinton Road and climb deep into the heart of the Black Hills to reach idyllic Deerfield Lake on Day 2 of our three day Black Hills BackBone. After an evening of hard recovery with our Support Team at a Custer BnB, we awake to the Challenge of Day 3 - up and down 67 miles on back roads through the rugged, granite-spiked Central Black Hills, then 46 miles of haggard, hard scrabble Southern Prairie. That's 113 miles to the Nebraska border over a lot of tough terrain in mid-summer heat and wind. What do you think?

Difficult. Not impossible.

Good.

Part 1 - An Idea Takes Shape.  Part 2 - Gathering.  Part 3 - Crossing the Northern Prairie.  Part 4 - Up and Into the Black Hills.

As the sun starts to set, we roll to NothingThere, Nebraska.
(photo by Corinne Sorge)

We first return to Deerfield Lake, some 31 miles back up the BackBone route, to pick up where we stopped short of Custer last night. Today's forecast looks hot and windy, like yesterday, but more heat and more wind. At least we ride through some forest until mid-afternoon.

Also like yesterday morning, legs feel surprisingly good and spirits upbeat. It's amazing how the body can recover from a hard, all day cycling effort with a solid night's rest. It's even more amazing how the spirit can recover. We're ready. We resolve to start slowly, build a sustainable rhythm for the long day ahead, and finish at the distant border. We got this.

Back to idyllic Deerfield Lake to start Day 3 of the BackBone.
(photo by Corinne Sorge)

Right out of the blocks, we hit Williams Draw Road, a rough USFS secondary road that essentially climbs through dense pine for much of its 8 miles. It's a fun start to the day, but slow going. That's OK. We look to cover a lot of ground today. We drop onto Ditch Creek Road, with faster gravel and milder grades through more open valleys. This is prime elk and deer country, though not many large wild animals are moving around in the heat. Too intelligent.

Shaun spinning up Williams Draw Road early on Day 3.

Here, south of Deerfield Lake, the surrounding hills and valleys explode into a spider web of roads, near-roads, wanna-B roads, trails, paths and dead ends. Forsaking many possible adventures in many directions, we focus on the Nebraska border, still over 100 miles to the south. So, we stay on the BackBone route of USFS primary and secondary roads, which are not necessarily less interesting. Turning away from a valley, we climb Custer Limestone Road for the ridge line view of Harney Peak and Crazy Horse on the not so distant horizon. From that vantage, we also see our path far to the south start to open up a little.

On the horizon over Dave's left shoulder lies Harney Peak, with Crazy Horse the lighter stone below and right.

Now, we're moving. Down, down, down Custer Limestone Road and then even more so on Upper French Creek Road. This is fun, fast, flowing gravel, through granite outcroppings, along streams and past some homes. In no time, we turn onto U.S. Highway 16 for a short spin into Custer.

Finally, an extended fast descent. Coasting down Upper French Creek Road toward Custer.

Corinne and Lori set up lunch at Harbach City Park in Custer and then surprise us by riding their bikes up the BackBone route to meet us on Upper French Creek Road. We form a breakaway group of six streaming into Custer together. For the next couple of miles, mid-day traffic surrounds us in this tourist town on the Fourth of July weekend. A bit of a jolt to our remote road serenity.

Folks fill the shaded park, particularly since it's a trailhead for the popular Mickelson Trail. That's a fun rails-to-trails path, but not for us today. Unbeknownst to those enjoying the Mickelson, we focus on the Nebraska border, still 82 gravel and dirt road miles away. We refuel, rehydrate, restock and remount.

Support Team Corinne and Lori are so organized and efficient that they go on their own bike ride.

Out of Custer, we climb again, first up Sidney Park Road and then Flynn Creek Road. But we quickly crest those climbs, neither steep nor long, and fly down a sweet, flowing descent through more granite outcroppings into a widening valley. With big grins, we bottom out on Beaver Creek Road at the restored 19th century Cold Springs School, which doubled as a church in this sparsely populated pocket of the Black Hills. Nearby, the well-maintained cemetery marks the lives of the local settlers.

Emerging from the forested Hills to enter Wind Cave National Park, we weave through a prairie dog metropolis, follow a treeless ridge line with 360 degree views and drop through a buffalo herd to the prairie below. We're on highly recommended Rankin Ridge Road (NPS 5), the first gravel ride that Shaun and I rode together back in early 2013 and a memorable part of our 2014 DED Dirt Ride.

The big climbs are now behind us. The rolling prairie awaits.



Shaun slows to pass through a small buffalo herd protecting their calves.
Just off screen to the left is a cantankerous old bull, who arises to amble toward them as we approach.

Shortly before the town of Buffalo Gap, we stop on 7-11 Road to appreciate the scrap metal yard sculptures at a small ranch. But the artwork is gone. I need to find out what happened, because that was a must-see along this route.

Corinne and Lori greet us at the Post Office in Buffalo Gap, just into the Southern Prairie. This is a good time and place for a physical break and a mental re-set. So far today, we've ridden 67 hilly miles on rough roads in mid-90 degree heat and 15-20 mph winds. Now mid-afternoon, we sit 46 miles of rolling prairie gravel from the Nebraska border, with both temperatures and winds still rising. We try to cool off.

Back on prairie gravel for the final 46 miles.

After 262 miles, that remaining 46 miles may not sound like much. But after 262 miles, the tank holds little but fumes and the radiator is gurgling. So, we break it down to small pieces and resolve to pedal station to station, with our Support Team leap frogging. We start with 8 miles to Oral. We make it. We stop. We take a deep breath. OK.  Now, 38 miles.

From Oral, a steep half mile pitch climbs out of the Cheyenne River valley. That was rude. It gets worse. We turn south on Ash Road, for a 3 mile series of steep rollers. Ouch. But Ash Road also offers a rare-for-these-parts center pivot irrigation system and a hint of a gravel grid system. All together, this short stretch reminds me of Gravel Worlds, so I had to put it in the BackBone. Gotta pay tribute to the Pirates. Here's to Craig Schmidt, Corey Godfrey, the rest of the Pirate Cycling League and all those memories of Gravel Worlds. Aye, matey!

We stop again at Smithwick, and again just past Oelrichs. Basically, every 5-10 miles, we stop for a short break and re-group. It's slow. It's hard. It's working. We gradually knock off the miles.

Our only flat of the three day ride comes at 295 miles, just 13 miles from the finish.
(photo by Rob Sorge)

Picking up a tailwind as we turn west on Antelope Lane, we spin easily for several miles into the slowly setting sun before turning south onto Hard Scrabble Road. Abruptly, without warning or apparent cause, an angry hiss interrupts our rhythm. Air and sealant are blowing out of my rear tire like fireworks. An unknown object somehow sliced a sizable gash across the tread. Eventually, the remaining sealant manages to stitch together enough stuff to plug the hole, but only holds together at about 20 psi. That'll do, at least for the remaining 13 miles.



We eventually turn onto Black Bank Road, the last road before the border. With a big sweeping 90 degree turn, we wave goodbye to our final view of the now distant Black Hills and streak south toward the Nebraska border, only 9 miles away. The finish is almost in sight.

It's getting harder to express this in words. Here are some pictures as we close in on the finish.

WE GOT THIS!
(photo by Corinne Sorge)

Dave and Shaun on Black Bank Road, within sight of the finish.

Rob and me, as the sun starts to set.

The end of Dakota Line Road.  Dipping our front wheels into Nebraska.

We soft pedal to a lonely STOP sign where Black Bank Road T-bones into Dakota Line Road. It's the Nebraska border and the official finish of the Black Hills BackBone. We made it.

Just today, we endure 113 miles over 12+ hours on gravel and dirt roads through the Black Hills and across the Southern Prairie in mid-summer heat and winds. A special day. A memorable day. A get-'er-done day. We made it.

Smiles and hugs abound. Pictures every time you turn around, and sometimes when you don't. Corinne and Lori make sure everyone has food, water and whatever else. Jonis helps load up. It's hard to believe. We made it. We. Made. It.

One more finish line photo.  Just because.  Shaun, Rob, me and Dave.  Nice.
(photo by Corinne Sorge)

Three Days of BackBone (part 4) - Up and Into the Black Hills

Battling heat and winds over a long summer day, our intrepid little band struggles to cross the sun baked Northern Prairie to reach the foothills near Spearfish on the first day of our three day Black Hills BackBone.  But, cross it we do.  After a relaxing evening at a luxurious BnB with our Support Team, we awake to the challenge of Day 2 - the hot, dusty, relentless climb up Tinton Road to 6,683 foot O'Neil Pass, followed by miles of up and down on Forest Service back roads deep into the heart of the Black Hills.  Looks to be another big day on the BackBone.

Part 1 - An Idea Takes Shape.  Part 2 - Gathering.  Part 3 - Crossing the Northern Prairie.

Just a tad past warming up on Tinton Road, ultimately destined for O'Neil Pass.

But first, we return to Fruitdale, some twenty miles back up the BackBone route, to pick up where we stopped short of Spearfish last night.  Breaking brightly, the day looks to be similar to yesterday.  Calm and 50 degrees early, with winds building well into the 20's and temperatures rising well into the 90's.  Lots of sun.  Little shade.  And today, lots of up.  The sooner we get on, and off, that 30 miles of Tinton Road the better.

Back at Fruitdale, refreshed and renewed for Day 2.
(photo by Corinne Sorge)

Legs feel better than expected this morning and spirits are high.  The recuperative effects of a relaxing evening are remarkable, especially with a Support Team catering to everything.  We ride like the start of yesterday's ride, not the end.  By today's end, we'd love to pedal into Custer, but more realistically we aim for Deerfield Lake, still sitting 82 miles and a boat load of elevation gain away. 

Recognizing his current level of conditioning, Shaun decides to maximize his ride today by riding with us the 20 miles to Spearfish, shuttling the 30 miles to the top of O'Neil Pass and rejoining us for the following 32 miles to Deerfield Lake.  That works out to a solid 5 hours and 52 rough road miles for him, after yesterday's grueling 79 prairie miles.  Sounds like a rational plan.


Well, no, actually.  The BackBone goes left.  No surprise.
(photo concept by Rob Sorge)

Turning south onto Crooked Oaks Road, we spin up the first hills of the day.  Now we enter the foothills of the Black Hills, with winding roads carving up and around oak covered hills.  Relative to yesterday's Northern Prairie, here the grades are substantially steeper, the gravel thicker, the turns tighter and the sight lines shorter.  These more punchy, more technical roads offer a fun beginning to what promises to be another big day.

We drop down a ridge to turn left, contrary to an insistent road sign, onto a rutted, two track dirt road marked with an ominous "Impassable When Wet" sign.  It's Sale Barn Road, a 2 mile shortcut for local ranchers hauling cattle to the St. Onge stock market.  The BackBone route meanders east around the Belle Fouche Reservoir for several miles primarily to pick up this short stretch of rough road.  It's my tribute to Mark Stevenson, aka Guitar Ted, and his TransIowa, the grand daddy of modern gravel events.  Know that, when wet, this dirt road is a real bear.  Fortunately, today it's mid-summer dry and only occasionally and moderately rutted.  Still, I smile just thinking of all those TransIowa stories over the years.  Here's to you, Mark, O Keeper of the Gravel Flame.

Not much of a challenge in today's mid-summer heat, but Sale Barn Road is a different road when wet.

We emerge at the St. Onge stock market and roll over to Lookout Mountain Road, another non-maintained dirt road en route to Spearfish.  This one stares straight up a rutted wall, reminiscent of the crazy, steep, gouged dirt roads prevalent at the legendary Odin's Revenge.  Even though it's really just one steep pitch and it's dry today, this is my BackBone tribute to that remarkable event, Chad Quigley (the dastardly mastermind behind it), and his crew Team DSG.  Odin's Revenge remains my all-time favorite gravel event.  Odin's Revenge - One Rider's Retrospective.

Like Sale Barn Road, Lookout Mountain Road is not much of a challenge today.
But that wall ahead is nearly unwalkable when wet.  Not unlike any number of dirt roads at Odin's Revenge.

Coasting down from Lookout Mountain Road into Spearfish, we ride across town and run into McGuigan Road, the paved precursor to the graveled Tinton Road.  Shade disappears.  Climbing commences.  With altogether too few and too short exceptions, we face a hot, shadeless, dusty, relentless climb for the next 30 miles.

It certainly does not help matters that we start this climb after 10:00 am.  It's already hot and the holiday weekend vehicle traffic, both up and down, kicks up dust and detracts from the serenity of what, up to now, has been a quiet, remote road ride.  We settle in for a long, tough one.

Shortly after we reach gravel, Lori and Corinne help Rob find something, anything, to help get up this relentless climb.

Just as this climb is getting a little annoying, a late model luxury car traveling downhill slows to a crawl as it approaches me.  A perfected coiffed, impeccably dressed middle-aged woman powers down her window, musters all the disgust and disdain within her considerable reserve, and haughtily barks, "You DO know there is a BIKE trail right over THERE!"  Knowing that she is referring to the renowned single track Tinton Trail off a bit into the woods, I smile broadly and answer politely, "Yes, Ma'am!  Thank you!"  She shakes her head in utter disbelief and accelerates away.

That's a sure sign we're on the wrong road at the wrong time.  I never, not ever, receive that kind of treatment on truly remote roads.  Here For Each Other.  I commit right then to reconsider this part of the route.  For now, we soldier on, stopping occasionally if we find a patch of shade.  Mostly, we just grind up a long climb on a hot, dusty, relatively busy gravel road.  As the old Tour de France line goes, "Kilometers passing like kidney stones."

Early lunch at Old Baldy Trailhead.  We're ready for a change.  Of anything.  Of everything.

We eventually grind up past Big Hill and then Old Baldy, where we stop for an extended lunch break.  That helps, but it's hard to start up again in this heat.  We do.  And then, after we stop for a spell, we do again.  And then, again.  And, again.  We grind.  We growl.  We snort.  We endure.  When we finally turn onto U.S. Highway 85, the TransAm Highway, we know that we took all that Tinton Road threw at us today and came out on top.

Dave and Rob find their smiles today after turning off Tinton Road.
It's likely that Tinton Road will be cursed over beers for many years to come.  Maybe the guy who took them there, too.

Shaun joins us at O'Neil Pass Road for the rollicking descent on South Rapid Creek Road.  After that beat down inflicted by Tinton Road, it sure is good to see his big smile and hear his hearty encouragement.  It's also nice to see double digit speeds for a change.  We're cruising again.

Shaun and Dave stoked for Black Fox Camp Road.
(photo by Rob Sorge)

In seemingly no time, we turn west to ride right through Black Fox Campground, the site of the fun, creative Bikepack Extravaganza 17 earlier this year.  Bikepack Extravaganza 17.  Then it's a gradual incline on a rough road along a beaver dammed mountain stream framed by towering cliffs.  Yeah, this is Black Fox Camp Road, five of my favorite remote road miles anywhere.  For me, this alone is worth the climb up O'Neil Pass.

Cruising toward the top of Flag Mountain, we can finally start thinking of the final descent to Deerfield Lake.

Too soon, we leave that valley to climb over the tall shoulders of 6,939 foot Flag Mountain.  Legs are tired, but grades are gradual, with a couple of substantial drops along the way.  Maybe more importantly, temperatures relax with some gathering clouds.  Our spirits rise along with the elevation, for we know Deerfield Lake lies but a few miles away and well below us.  Rob and Dave freewheel out of sight, while I slow to gaze through the towering pines.  Thoughts wander.

There it is.  The big view of Gillette Prairie far below and the granite summit of Harney Peak on the horizon.  This is the signature shot for the Black Hills BackBone, as initially revealed almost three years ago.  Introducing the Black Hills BackBone.  I've been over this tall, broad shoulder many times, but this is the first time as part of a multi-day ride of the entire route.  I pause a bit to soak it in.  A quiet smile lingers.

High atop the shoulders of Flag Mountain, the remote road view that captures the heart of the Black Hills BackBone.

We plummet to Deerfield Lake, first on primo gravel and later on some pavement.  A few drops of rain fall as we pull in at White Tail Loop (USFS 421), really done for the day.  Earlier, we had decided to end today's ride there, so "Fresh Legs" Shaun rode ahead and connected with Jonis to retrieve the trucks for our shuttle to Custer.  However, through my communication snafu, they drive to a different spot.  With no cell phone coverage, we simply must wait for Shaun to work through possible alternatives to find us.  But he does and we load up without getting too wet.

Deep in the heart of the Black Hills, it's easy to forget that we started this day over 12 hours ago back in the foothills near Fruitdale, 20 miles short of Spearfish.  That's a lot of Black Hills behind us.  We cherish another relaxing night at a BnB, this time in Custer, where our Support Team awaits.  We eat, drink, shower and put our feet up in an old house, whose decor earns the nickname "Animal House."  But no Toga Party tonight.  We're cooked.  We're done.

No one talks much about riding tomorrow.  That's for tomorrow.

It's been a long time coming to reach this spot.  Worth a short pause.