Amazing Grace on the BackBone

Who shakes the whole earth with Holy thunder

And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder?

The King of Glory, the King above all kings

This is amazing grace

This is unfailing love

That You would take my place

That You would bear my cross

You laid down your life

That I would be set free

Oh, Jesus, I sing for

All that You've done for me

This Is Amazing Grace, Phil Wickham, Josh Farro, Jeremy Riddle (2013).

The Minnesota Black Hills BackBone riders of 2025.
Amazing group of men that welcomed me for dinner at their Deerfield Lake campground.

In June 2020, Minnesota gravel cyclist Michael Grussing wrote a thoughtful message on social media about current events and eternal truths. With his permission, I shared it on this blog as a guest post. Yield Ahead. 

Since then, and perhaps even before, Michael has looked to the Black Hills and particularly the Black Hills BackBone as a destination vacation ride. He communicated with me periodically over a few years and even road tripped to recon over long weekends. Earlier this year, he said that it was finally happening and that a group of old and new friends were joining.

The wide range of experience, conditioning, equipment, desire, and time amongst the nine riders resulted in a modified route from the envisioned cross-state gravel ride:  Custer to Deadwood on the Mickelson Trail, a circuitous gravel route to and around Spearfish, and then the original gravel route of the Black Hills BackBone from Spearfish back to Custer. A support van hauling camping gear and provisions greeted them each night at a campground. Great plan for that group.

While preparing for the trip, Michael found a Bible verse that he thought appropriate for their anticipated struggles on the extended climbing on the BackBone route. He learned it was all that, and much more.

Here is Michael's report from their September 2025 ride. I hope they return soon.

Part of their camp at USFS Rod & Gun Campground at the end of Day 3.

We made it back safe and sound... little more rain and lots more food... lol.  Those guys were incredible!! 

I was not expecting all the food, hospitality, and Brotherhood... at least not on the level experienced.  

Last fall, in the infancy phase of planning the trip, I knew anyone that joined Chris and I (ourselves included) would not likely have experienced climbing like we would if we rode through the Black Hills.

A verse jumped out to me one morning during that time...2nd Corinthians 4:16-18. I thought of it in light of struggling up hills... bigger than we'd ever ridden, and focusing on the sights around the corner, or the descent, or the camp at night.

 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (New Living Translation)

This spring, that verse kept coming to mind as planning progressed and it started to look like it just might happen and I started to put that passage to memory.

Then I broke my collarbone in April... and I got off my memorizing routine... but after a while, planning resumed and the group got bigger, and bigger. .. and the route (true Black Hills BackBone) changed after I drove it and our logistics got way too big to overcome.

Thank God it did... we would have been in way over our heads with that many non-experienced bikepackers.

Anyways, fast forward to mid-trip. 

I wasn't able to sleep the third morning at Rod & Gun Campground much past 4am...I laid there and suddenly that verse...or bits of it came to mind...I tried and tried to pull the pieces together, but couldn't clearly. 

My phone never got reception there, in my tent, although a couple guys got very limited reception, out away from camp, the night before, briefly. 

 

Low and behold, I had a crumb of reception laying there in my tent, and frantically tried to remember the exact chapter and verse to look up in Bible app... over the next couple of hours, I read pretty much the entire books of 1 and 2nd Corinthians... lol... when my phone would cooperate and give me a bit more.  

Then I found it, and immediately saved a screenshot shot of it.

Screen shot from Michael Grussing.

When I laid there and started to meditate a bit on the passage, I realized that those men put such a deeper meaning to that passage...much deeper than the shallowish biking metaphor I'd thought of last spring. 

 "That is why we never give up"... the THAT mentioned in verse 15... God's grace reaching more and more people, great thanksgiving and more and more glory to God... was shown to me over and over by that group of men... those men whose words I barely understood most of the time... by their actions, generosity, care for each other and me,  hospitality... and so much more... all without preaching or going out of their way to express their faith out loud... except for prayers before eating and before riding. 

Those guys where a reflection of THAT... and much glory was given to Him, through those moments, as well as when we struggled with the climbs, break downs and weather... all temporary... but the THAT is everlasting.

This Is Amazing Grace, Phil Wickham (2013)

Addendum. This group of old and new friends came together for a challenging week of pushing their boundaries by riding all day, all week through unpleasant weather on unknown back roads. I hope to hear more of their stories.

24 HOP - Something Makes Me Turn Around

Look at us, baby, up all night

Tearing our love apart

Aren't we the same two people who live

Through years in the dark?  Ahh-ah

Every time I try to walk away

Something makes me turn around and stay

And I can't tell you why

I Can't Tell You Why, Timothy Schmit, Glenn Frey, Don Henley (1978).

Racers drop to the finish of another lap at 24 HOP, with 24 Hour Town awake all night.  
(image by Epic Rides)

The 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo in 2024 was just too much fun. I loved everything about it. See, 24 HOP - Back At It; 24 HOP - Sticker Smiles; 24 HOP - Race Report; 24 HOP - Whiskey Tree; 24 HOP - People Make The Place. I also re-connected with Tyler Pearce (vlogger VC Cyclist), who shared his experience as a first time solo racer. 24 HOP - What A 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race Feels Like.

So, I returned in 2025, with great anticipation and mixed results. The event, venue, and people were great and I enjoyed volunteering on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during the lead-up week. However, my conditioning and health were sub-par, resulting in a disappointing race. 24 HOP 2025 - Report.

But the 2025 clouds delivered a silver lining. As a 2025 race volunteer, I could enter in 2026 a week before entries opened to the public. That's a significant perk, as the field filled last year in about an hour. So, during the last week of September, I had to decide whether to go back for another solo 24 hour mountain bike race.

My modest solo base Camp in 2025. Same as 2024. Likely the same in 2026.

Probably not all that surprisingly, I decided to go back. I'm not in any position to do so. But there it is.

And I can't tell you why. 

I Can't Tell You Why, Eagles (1978)

2025 Bounty - Packing Redux

Last week I posted a Gear List of what I plan to carry on the 2025 Black Hills Bounty bikepacking ride. Here's how I packed all that gear on my Jones 29+ mountain bike. Every bag has some extra space, providing easy and flexible packing during the ride.

Slimmed down the front by moving the sleeping bag back onto the top of the rear rack.

As part of drafting my Gear List, I loaded the bike much like I have in the recent past and spun around town. Oh, no. My new, bigger sleeping bag did not fit right.

Since 2016, I have used a Brooks Range Mountaineering Alpini 30 sleeping bag for summer rides, supplemented in 2019 with a Sea To Summit Reactor Extreme Liner for rides into cooler temperatures and higher elevations. That flexible combination worked well over the years, but as the bag and my body aged, I more and more found myself wanting more warmth.

So, over the winter, I bought a much, much warmer sleeping bag - the Western Mountaineering VersaLite rated at 10 degrees. Although highly compressible 850+ down and just 2.0 pounds, the VersaLite is significantly bulkier than the old Alpini 30. It just squeezed into the handlebar bag, creating a much wider, much taller profile at the leading edge of the bike. Worse, the added bulk stretched the front derailleur shift cable enough to impair shifting.

So, I moved the sleeping bag out of the handlebar bag and onto the top of the Old Man Mountain rear rack. To maintain fore/aft weight balance, I moved all the clothes out of the right rear Nano Pannier bag into the handlebar bag. That leaves both Nano Pannier bags for water, food, kitchen, and hygiene bag. 

More importantly, the front derailleur shifts fine and the front profile into the wind shrinks dramatically.

Here's a run-down of how I currently plan to pack for the 2025 Bounty. It may well change.

Truss Fork Bags (forks): In addition to being light and strong, the Jones truss fork provides a built-in structure to support a pair of bags. Recognizing this potential, Jeff Jones teamed with Revelate Designs to create these bags, each offering nearly the capacity of a seat post bag. For quick access in inclement weather, I pack the rain jacket in the left side bag, along with the pump and sleeping pad. I pack the tent and pillow in the right side bag.

Harness + Pronghorn bag (handle bar): On the left side, I pack arm warmers, leg warmers, and SmartWool stocking cap for easy access. Then, moving to the right side, I pack the down hoodie, camp clothes, and all the other clothes, except liner gloves and skull cap.

Loop Hole H-Bar bag (handle bar): This bag fits into the space between the lateral tubes of the Jones handle bar. It's bigger than you think, is a great use of space, and is on the bike full time. In it I carry chain lube, toilet paper, journal, pencils, and Bible.

Mountain Feed bag (handle bar/stem): In the left side bag, I carry a 26 ounce water bottle filled with water, with lip balm in the outside mesh pocket. In the right side bag, I carry a 26 ounce water bottle filled with trail mix (almonds, peanuts, M&M's, raisins). No bear spray on this ride.

Mag-Tank 2000 bag (top tube by the handle bar):  This handy bag with a magnetic closure allows easy, one-handed access to 2,000 calories of on-the-fly snacks.

Jerry Can bag (top tube by the seat post): This sneaky little bag holds an entire tool kit, including a tubeless repair kit, patch kit, tire plugs, CO2 cartridges, valve cores, valve stem, extra chain links, quick links, spare derailleur hanger, multi-tool, tire irons, extra cleats, and LeatherMan tool.

Frame bag (main triangle): The frame bag is divided into top and bottom compartments. The right side of the top compartment holds a 38 ounce water bottle, peanut butter, honey, tortillas, and a spork for easy access for lunch. The left side of the top is a relatively thin sleeve that holds wallet, phone, battery, and cords. The bottom compartment holds a spare tube wrapped in duct tape, water filter, spare water bladder, liner gloves, and skull cap.

Down Tube Cage: Strapped to a Salsa Anything Cage on the bottom side of the down tube is a stuff sack containing my Jet Boil MiniMo stove, fuel, and cook pot.

Waterproof Stuff Sack (on top of Old Man Mountain Rack):  The sleeping bag is stuffed into a waterproof stuff sack strapped to the top of the rear rack.

Nano Panniers (both sides of the Old Man Mountain Rack): On the left side, I pack a 38 ounce water bottle, a 26 ounce water bottle, a hygiene/first aid bag, a kitchen bag, and breakfast. On the right side, I pack a 38 ounce water bottle, a 26 ounce water bottle, food for snacks, lunch, and dinner. 

In addition to the bags and their contents, I mounted on the handle bars a Garmin 530 GPS device, Lezyne 800 XL head light, CatEye cyclocomputer, Stem Captain compass, Timber bear bell, Kong Oi bell, Ergon GP3 grips, and some stubby bar ends near the levers.

That's the latest. And it's always open to change.

2025 Bounty Gear List

Here's my gear list for the 2025 Black Hills Bounty. Well, for the initial 3 days/2 nights.

This year, the week breaks into smaller pieces, so that more folks can work at least some of it into their schedules. We'll start with a three day/two night self-supported bikepacking trip on a freshly created route that will push the remoteness envelope for some. Then we'll shuttle for an unloaded tourist day to Mt. Rushmore via Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road. Finally, we're back for a 2 day/1night victory lap to a remote USFS campground.

As this will be a late September ride, I included a few things for cooler nights and mornings. Including the 30 pound bike, this all weighs about 68 pounds, with 3 days of food and 4 liters of water.

Like my bike, and me, this kit's built for comfort. It aint built for speed.

68 pounds fully loaded to start the 2025 Black Hills Bounty.

Sleep Kit:  Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 1 Bikepack tent, Western Mountaineering VersaLite sleeping bag, ThermaRest Elite NXT pad, Outdoor Vitals UL stretch pillow.

Clothes:  2 pair Voler bib shorts, Voler jersey, 2 pair SmartWool socks, Pearl Izumi X-Alp Summit shoes, Voler arm warmers, Voler knee warmers, Voler wind jacket, Showers Pass Refuge rain jacket, Marmot down hoodie, SmartWool camp shirt, nylon camp shorts, SmartWool liner gloves, Bontrager cycling gloves, Voler skull cap, SmartWool 250 stocking cap, Oakley Aero5 helmet, Oakley M-frame prescription sunglasses, Oakley athletic prescription glasses.

First Aid/Hygiene/Personal:  Ace bandage, gauze pads, large & small bandaids, butterfly bandaids, alcohol wipes, zinc oxide, Neosporin, lip balm, aspirin, ibuprofen, Tums, toilet paper, hand towel, toothbrush/paste, soap, phone, wallet, Spot X tracker/messenger, battery, cords.

Tool Kit:  Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HV pump, Lezyne SV-16 multi-tool, spork wrench for brakes, Lezyne Tubeless CO2 Blaster repair kit, 2 ounces of sealant, 1 tube, 2 valve cores, 1 valve stem, patch kit, 2 tire irons, Leatherman Skeletal CX, Jones derailleur hanger, 4 chain links, 2 quick links, chain lube, duct tape, zip ties.

Navigation:  Garmin 530 GPS device, USFS Black Hills National Forest paper maps, Stem Captain compass, Cateye cyclocomputer, Lezyne MicroDrive Pro 800XL head light, Mountain Miser thermometer, Gideon's pocket Bible.

Documentation:  Phone camera, paper journal, pencil.

Hydration (about 7 liter capacity):  2 x 38 ounce Soma Further water bottles, 3 x 26 ounce water bottles, 1 liter backup bag, Sawyer Squeeze filter, iodine tablets.

Food (3 days):  instant oatmeal/coffee (breakfast), peanut butter/honey/tortilla (lunch), nutrition bars/Hammer Gels/Snickers/trail mix/Hammer Fizz (during the day), freeze dried entree (dinner).

Kitchen:  Jet Boil MiniMo stove, fuel, matches, lighter, 2 SeaToSummit collapsible bowls, 2 sporks, GI Joe can opener, salt/pepper.

Although I make some modifications every trip, this gear list is not all that different from the first four years of the Black Hills Bounty, as well as my rides of the Black Hills BackBone Grande (2023), Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (2021), and Cloud Peak 500 (2020). In any event, it's always good to review gear.

Water on the Bounty

Old black water, keep on rolling

Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shining on me?

Old black water, keep on rolling

Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shining on me?

Black Water, Patrick Simmons (1973).

McKenna Spring is located at the dead-end of USFS Low Standard Road 277.2A.
In autumn of 2022, water ran out of that pipe. Not so in September 2025.

When creating routes for the 2025 Black Hills Bounty, I thought the group would enjoy disperse camping near an obscure spring along a dead-end USFS Low Standard Road. And then start the next day scrambling up an abandoned road to connect with (somewhat) better roads leading to a fire lookout tower. 

I stumbled across such a spring and connector while scouting for the 2022 Bounty. See, Connecting. Now three years later, I thought I should check on that spring before sending a dozen or so trusting friends to camp there this year. Good thing.

On a gorgeous autumn day earlier this week, I ventured deep into the southwestern Black Hills on seldom traveled Forest Service roads and near-roads. Bouncing my way back to McKenna Spring, I found the pipe leading from the spring dry, as well as most of the tank. Well, we either dry camp there or find another spring and campsite. I wasn't about to give up on that route.

Water Draw Spring, just 3 miles north of McKenna Spring along USFS Low Standard Road 277.

USFS paper maps for Black Hills National Forest identify a large number of springs sprinkled throughout the Black Hills. However, like USFS Low Standard Roads, many of the identified springs no longer exist and many springs exist that are not identified on the maps. You must get out there to know.

Scouring a USFS map around the area of McKenna Spring for an alternative water source, I found but one anywhere near. Water Draw Spring. I hope that pans out, or I'll be facing some serious scouting.

I start back up the planned route along USFS Low Standard Road 277. Three miles pass, mostly through private ranch land, without a whiff of water. Crossing into the National Forest, I spot a tank just a bit off the route.

It's Water Draw Spring, running strong and just 3 miles up the route from the currently dry McKenna Spring. With ample space to disperse camp on USFS land and right along the planned route, this should work for Day 1 of the Bounty. Whew.

Cattle tank fed by an unidentified spring along USFS Low Standard Road 284.5A along Sled Canyon.

Onward to Day 2 to confirm an end-of-day water source and campsite, somewhere along USFS Low Standard Road 376 in Red Bird Canyon or 284.5A in Sled Canyon. Again, USFS maps identified several springs in the area, but all were significantly off route and uphill from the route. Hopefully, I can find something better.

Rolling north through Red Bird Canyon and then Sled Canyon, I see scant signs of surface water and few promising campsites. Eventually, near the northern end of this remote stretch of canyons, I spot not one, but two unidentified springs filling tanks with water. Better yet, both lie along the road of the planned route, with space to camp. Either should take care of Day 2. Alright. More luck than skill.

With water and campsites previously confirmed for the remaining days, the 2025 Bounty route should be good to go.

Now, to pack. And then the easy part. Ride a week with friends.

Black Water, Doobie Brothers (1973).

Awake and Alive

When my faith is getting weak

And I feel like giving in

You breathe into me again

I'm awake, I'm alive

Now I know what I believe inside

Now it's my time

I'll do what I want, 'cause this is my life

Here (Right Here), right now (Right Now)

Stand my ground, and never back down

I know what I believe inside

I'm awake and I'm alive

Awake and Alive, John Cooper and Brian Howes (2009).

Don't overthink this.

Trust God. He'll show you the way. 

Be still. Listen. Your path lies in front of you. His light will show the next step.

For me, it's pretty simple, for now. 

Ride, Write, Repeat.

Awake and Alive, Skillet (2009).

A WarmUp on the Mickelson Trail

Guess who just got back today?

Them wild-eyed boys that had been away

Haven't changed, haven't much to say

But man, I still think them cats are great

The Boys Are Back In Town, Phil Lynott (1976)

Enjoying the shade and cooler temperatures through a Mickelson Trail tunnel.

The Mickelson Trail is a 109 mile rails-to-trails treasure that winds through much of the Black Hills of South Dakota, from the gold mines of Deadwood to the railroad center of Edgemont. Folks travel from all over to ride it, and many locals ride it over and over.

Although I've ridden it many times, in many different ways, I have not been out there this year at all. In fact, since my truncated 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo race in February, I haven't ridden much of anything longer than an hour or two. For some reason, I always find a reason not to ride long these days.

So, when long time cycling friend Mark Almer of Colorado (finally) retired and announced he was (finally, no really this time) riding the Mickelson Trail, I suggested a fully loaded bikepacking tour from Edgemont to Deadwood to Edgemont. In addition to riding every bit of the entire trail, both directions, such a multi-day bikepacking ride would also be a nice warmup ride before the upcoming Black Hills Bounty.

The Mickelson Trail is a natural gear shakedown ride for an aspiring bikepacker like Mark:  no navigation, no technical riding, very few road crossings, frequent trailheads with water, multiple re-supply opportunities, and little motorized traffic other than the ubiquitous e-bike rentals around Hill City. With all that simplified, Mark can focus on gear, the bike, and time in the saddle, while enjoying the off-road experience of a beautiful rails-to-trails system. He readily agreed.

Just a week after that conversation, we eagerly pedaled north out of Edgemont on our little excursion. Four hot summer days and 218 trail miles later, we returned sun scorched, less than fully hydrated, and perhaps a bit saddle sore. But we're fully charged for a run at the Black Hills Bounty next month. 

Not every ride is epic or life changing. But this was my best ride this month. And I can't wait to get back out there.

The Boys Are Back In Town, Thin Lizzy (1976).