Trail Angels in the Black Hills

Trail Angels. They're not just on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

Tales of Trail Angels fill the annals of Great Divide lore. Many who live along the route offer water, food, and even shelter to bikepackers riding by. Some Trail Angels are now legendary, after years of rider testimonies of their selfless service. The Ovando Jail, Lost Llama Ranch, Brush Mountain Lodge, The Resort at the River, and Toaster House were "must-stops" for me on the Great Divide.

Here are links to prior posts that tell a little about those special places and people. Kathy and the Ovando Jail; Barb & John at Lost Llama Ranch; Basin Community Center & Strawberry Safety Shelter; Kirsten at Brush Mountain Lodge; Sylvia & Joe at the Canon Plaza Summer Store and Goldie at The Resort at the River; Nita and the Toaster House in Pie Town; A-F Ranch. There are many more, such as Hanson Livestock Ranch, TLC Ranch, and Hachita Community Center, places I missed, and new places since. 

The first one-lane tunnel of the day, on the climb of Sylvan Lake Road toward Needles Highway.

Another kind of Trail Angel exists that are not connected with any establishment, but rather simply appear randomly at the most unexpected place out in the middle of nowhere particular. Those kind, caring, generous, friendly folks are just out there in the backcountry, maybe playing, maybe working, maybe in need of something themselves. But they notice a solitary bike rider plodding along.

They don't just drive by. They stop to check on you. Are you OK? Are you lost? Do you need anything? Can I give you some water? Are you sure you're OK? Where did you say you were going? And you started from where? On a bike? Are you sure you don't need anything?

I could not tell you how many encounters like that I had on the Great Divide. I'd say most days, except perhaps through the busy, distracted, more developed area of Central Colorado between Kremmling and Como. Perhaps not coincidentally, that was my least favorite section.

Here are links to prior posts that tell a little of a few of those special Random Trail Angels that divinely appeared on my ride. Again, there were many more. Marlene & Paul in Grizzly Country (my most profound Trail Angel experience); Jeff & Colleen at Como; Rock Hounds Barbara & Dave; Dropped Camera Returned; Dawn the Campground Host at Hopewell Lake; Tom Atop Polvadera Mesa; George the Elk Hunter. 

Granite infused hills approaching Sylvan Lake.

Random Trail Angels are not restricted to big, cross-country routes through remote backcountry.

I enjoyed that experience right here on a moderately busy, paved highway in the Black Hills of South Dakota near Mt. Rushmore on a hot day after the Fourth of July weekend. 

RideWithGPS file for my Mt. Rushmore Loop (Hill City)

On little more than a whim, last Monday I decided to ride a favorite, mostly paved loop out of Hill City. It climbs Sylvan Lake Road to the Needles, threads the Needles Eye Tunnel, screams down Needles Highway, meanders along somewhat graveled Camp Remington Road and single track Iron Creek Trail, connects with Iron Mountain Road (aka PigTail Highway) for another climb and then quick descends to Peter Norbeck Scenic Highway (Highway 244), climbs to Mt. Rushmore, rolls to USFS Low Standard Road 356 to connect with Old Hill City Road, and returns to Hill City. 

All told, that's 44 miles, with almost 5,000 feet of elevation gain. It's not a route to just hop off the couch to ride, unless, of course, that's what you do.

I've ridden this loop many times over the years. Some question riding those roads due to the level of car, motorcycle, and tour bus traffic. But they were built for tourism, not for buzzing from Point A to Point B. As a cyclist, I've never had a bad encounter there.

Riding through the one-lane Needles Eye Tunnel, with a pickup escort.

Starting late morning (I know, I know) from Hill City, the initial climb up Sylvan Lake Road to the Needles takes more out of me than usual, due to my relative lack of conditioning and inconsistent riding of late. But the growing heat and relentless sunshine pile on.

Screaming down Needles Highway amp up the average speed and cool the jets. In no time, I turn onto Camp Remington Road, a gravel-sprinkled dirt road that quietly slips into two track and leads to the single track Iron Creek Trail. This smooth stretch trends gently downhill and is often shaded, making for a very nice break from the paved busyness of Sylvan Lake Road and Needles Highway.

Then I'm back to pavement for the climb up Iron Mountain on PigTail Highway.

Camp Remington Road.

One of many creek crossings on Iron Creek Trail.

Now, it's downright hot. 90-some degrees, bright sunshine, little wind. I'm sitting at Mile 23, about halfway around this loop and at the lowest elevation spot of the day. 

The grade is up, but steady and moderate. The views are inspiring, including occasional glimpses of Mt. Rushmore in the distance. This is normally a nice, smooth spin to the top.

Not today. The exertion and heat hammer my speed and psyche. I reach for another gel to find but one left. I reach for a drink to find just a bit left. Even though I'm approaching the summit, I know the warning signs of heat exhaustion. It's time to stop before cratering.

Out of a tunnel, the pigtail goes over, and then under, a bridge.
Or, from the other direction, under a bridge, over the same bridge, and through a tunnel.

I pull off the road, grab the remaining gel and water bottle, and plop down against a pine tree in the shade. I just need to cool off. Take a short break. Finish this climb. Carve a fun, quick descent before a final, nasty pitch up to Mt. Rushmore. Then roll back to Hill City. No problem. Just cool off a bit. 

A pretty steady stream of car and motorcycle traffic drifts by. Most probably don't even notice me sitting under a tree. All good. I got this.

Cooled with multiple Cokes and re-fueled with a buffalo burger at Mt. Rushmore.

Then a car with Alabama plates stops. A 30-something year old man leans out his window and yells, "Hey! Are you OK?"

I smile, give a thumbs up, and wave, thinking that would send him on his way.

But then a woman from the passenger side chips in, with concern in her voice, "Are you sure? It's really hot. Would you at least like some water?"

Well, I must of looked worse than I felt. And how do I turn down such kindness? So, I walk over to that young couple, accept two, ice-cold bottles of water, and share a delightful conversation with them. 

I tell them that they are my Trail Angels today. And they just made my day a whole lot better. 

America 250 !

O, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?

Defence of Fort M'Henry, Francis Scott Key (1814)

Star Spangled Banner - Whitney Houston 1991 Super Bowl

The United States of America is exceptional. 

Exceptional among today's societies. Exceptional among societies throughout human history.

We are blessed to be living during the Great American Experiment, in which the people proclaimed that God created all equal and endowed each person with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The people then created a government limited to protecting those inalienable rights. This concept was revolutionary in 1776, and still is today.

Imperfect people in a fallen world cannot live up to those lofty principles, but the American people work toward them anyhow. To form a more perfect Union, as our Constitution eloquently says. Our track record through history proves it. And we continue to strive to do so.

Now, 250 years later, the United States of America still stands. A miracle, perhaps. Divine intervention many times, for sure. This is a milestone worth celebrating. And we can celebrate joyously, while still working to improve.

A group of cyclists riding Bikecentennial '76. 
(image by Adventure Cycling Association)

Fifty years ago, the nation celebrated its 200th birthday, from the smallest village to the largest city. It was a nation-wide party affirming our shared history and heralding our hopeful future. The country was ablaze in Red, White, & Blue. What a time!

On July 4, 1976, I was enjoying the summer before my senior year of high school in Yankton, South Dakota, a farming community of about 12,000 people. After the parade through downtown, folks meandered over to Fantle Memorial Park for a host of patriotic festivities lasting all day and into the night.

At the park, I spotted a booth where one could register to vote. Because my 18th birthday was less than three months away at the time, I registered to vote for the first time. On our nation's Bicentennial!

I then wandered around the park, past an assortment of tables of other groups and vendors, many promoting events happening all over the country. Wow. I had no idea. Remember this was 1976. No cell phones. No internet. No email. No cable tv. We had a local daily newspaper, a few weekly national magazines, and ABC/CBS/NBC broadcast news. The only thing streaming was the Missouri River. 

The flyer for one event leapt off a table. Bikecentennial '76. A few dreamers were riding bicycles across the country! All the way from Oregon to Virginia! As I later learned, over 2,000 people completed the entire cross-country route, and almost 50,000 people rode along at least part way. See, Bikecentennial: Summer of 1976.

Across the entire country! On a bicycle! Wow! 

Jubilant finish of my 2021 ride of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.
(image by Cyler Groseth)

That seed landed on fertile ground. Right then, I knew that someday, somehow, I would ride my bicycle across the country. I might even create my own route, thinking East to West through the heartland, like the pioneers.

So, I followed the Bikecentennial group, as best as I could, from information gleaned off flyers posted at the occasional bike shop I encountered. Over time, that group became an established non-profit that created and developed bicycle touring routes all over the country, including several other cross-country routes. In 1993, they changed their name to Adventure Cycling Association ("ACA").

Later, with the sport of mountain biking exploding in popularity, the ACA embarked on a radical plan. Create a new cross-country route for mountain bikers, from the Montana/Canada border to the New Mexico/Mexico border, on primarily remote, rough gravel/dirt roads tracking the Continental Divide. See, Genesis of the Great Divide.

The ACA first published the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in 1998 and it immediately caught my attention via a relatively new thing called the information superhighway. Wow. The imagination to dream up such a route! The dedication to map it! The audacity to even consider riding it!

This is next-level cross-country!

Is that even possible? How? Boy, if I could ride it, well, that would be something. But for a married professional with two pre-school age daughters, it was way out there. Beyond reality anytime soon. But, someday.

That's when my dream of a cross-country bicycle ride re-ignited, decisively turning away from the paved East-West Bikecentennial route to the primitive, backroad, remote, North-South ride along the spine of the continent through the heart of the Mountain West. For me, it had to be the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

Forty five years after learning of Bikecentennial '76 and twenty-three years after learning of the Great Divide, I finally lived that dream. Unreal. See, Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (2021).

And it all started with a flyer in a small town park at our Bicentennial party. 

What a country!

 

Paul Brasby's Mammoth 450

And it makes me wanna take a back road

Makes me wanna take the long way home

Put a little gravel in my travel

Unwind, unravel all night long

Take A Back Road, Rhett Atkins & Luke Laird (2011)

Endurance cyclist and bikepacker Paul Brasby is back at it!

He created a new adventure bicycle route that explores 450 miles of his favorite backroads in and around the Loess Canyons of Western Nebraska. And right now, he's out there sharing it for the first time with a group of friends. I can't wait to hear their reports and see their images.

Paul calls it the Mammoth 450, as the route passes the dig site of the world's largest mammoth fossil, "Archie." And, contrary to impressions from Interstate 80, the terrain outside the Platte River Valley in Nebraska is not flat. Far from it. The Mammoth 450 gains almost 18,000 feet of elevation, much of it on steep, loose, rutted, non-maintained remote roads through rolling ranch land. Small towns, indeed even buildings of any kind, are few and far between. Riders will need a sense of adventure, along with plugs and extra sealant for goat heads.

Bikepacking through the Loess Canyons of Western Nebraska.
(image by Paul Brasby)

Paul has been at this backroads bicycling thing for awhile. Back in 2014, he created the 120 mile Pony Express Gravel Dash out of Marysville, Kansas, which remains a fixture on the Northern Kansas gravel cycling scene. Then in 2019, he added the unique Pony Express Bikepacking Adventure, an Overnighter with both social and competitive components. See, Pony Express - The Power of One; Inaugural Pony Express Bikepacking Adventure (2020); Pony Express Bikepacking Adventure (2022). 

Over many years, Paul also has been instrumental with other locals in the development and maintenance of the popular Potter's Pasture park, campground, and system of single track trails. He regularly camps out there, while working on the park and leading visitors through the maze of trails. See, Potter's Pasture FaceBook Group. From Potter's Pasture, he created a series of progressively longer gravel road routes in the surrounding hills to challenge every level of gravel cyclist. See, RideWithGPS files for Potter's Fruit Loops. If you're visiting Potter's Pasture, Paul's the guy for the straight scoop.

Paul Brasby leads out the inaugural Pony Express Bikepacking Adventure in 2020.

Most recently, Paul worked with Gravel Worlds co-founder Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey to create the Western Nebraska part of the Great Plains Gravel Route. See, GPGR (Nebraska) - RWGPS File. Not surprisingly, Paul confirmed his nearly 500 mile section before submitting it for final approval. That entire cross-country route opened this year and several through-riders have since completed it. See, e.g., Single Speed on the GPGR - Andy Phillips.

All this comes as no surprise to his family and friends.

Paul has a lifetime of cycling accomplishments and, now well into his 50's 😎, he has shifted in large part to bikepacking. For example, Paul was the first to finish and still holds the Fastest Known Time on the Cloud Peak 500, a 500 mile bikepacking route in and around the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming. See, Cloud Peak 500 Page; He's a veteran of 36 days riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. See, Great Divide Mountain Bike Route Page. He was one of the first through-riders of the 421 mile Black Hills BackBone Grande. See, First Through-Ride of the BackBone Grande; BackBone Grande/Double Grande Page. And he was the inspiration behind an annual weeklong bikepacking group ride now entering its sixth year. See, Black Hills Bounty Page.

So, when Paul Brasby creates a route from his favorite roads in his backyard, you know it will be something special. 

The Mammoth 450. A great add to the bikepacking scene and certain to be a memorable experience to those riding it. Wish I were there. 

Take A Back Road, Rodney Atkins (2011).

The Heavens Declare The Glory Of God

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)

One Of A Kind - The Jones LWB for Bikepacking

One of a kind love affair is

The kind of love that read about in a fairy tale

Like the sun that shines on a rainy day, it's a cloud of love

One of a kind love affair is

While your down is up when your up is down

But love stays around

And when you know you're right, but you got to make a little sacrifice

You make it love

Whoa-oh, yeah

One Of A Kind (Love Affair), William Jefferson (1973). 

Jones 29+, fresh off my 2026 solo 24 Hours In The Old Pueblo, ready to outfit for bikepacking.

Yes, I love my Jones 29+, which Jeff Jones now calls the Jones LWB (for Long Wheel Base). Since 2018, I've grabbed this bike for all my mountain bike rides, practically all my around-town rides, and most all my bikepacking rides, at least on anything rougher than domesticated gravel. 

If I had but one bike, it would be the Jones 29+. And for me, it's the perfect bikepacking bike.

My first ride on the Jones 29+ in 2018.
(image by Chani Tretbar)

To call the Jones 29+ unconventional is an understatement. It is so long, so tall, so wide, and challenges a host of conventional dogmas on bicycle geometry. For a peek behind the curtain of the mad machinations of bicycle design deconstructed by Jeff Jones, go to his website, JonesBikes.com. The library of videos and articles of his musings is altogether fascinating, especially to this retired patent attorney who for years worked with inventors and other imaginative kooks. I love his child-like creativity, innovative experimentation, and unwavering conviction. And the result is a bike that is pure joy to ride.

Admittedly, it took a leap of faith to order a Jones bike, not knowing anyone who owned one, or ridden one, or even heard of anyone who had owed one or ridden one. Zero chance for a test ride, as he only sells direct from his small shop in Ashland, Oregon. But I studied his material and connected with his analytical process, counter-intuitive challenges to conventional thought, fearless experimentation, and passion to pursue his convictions. Eventually, in the Spring of 2018, I ordered a frameset and asked Jeff to build up my idea of a primo bikepacking bike. See, Jones 29+ - The Build; Jones 29+ - What It Is.

Not catalogue copy. Jeff Jones sent me this picture of my bike after he built it up in 2018.

Oh, my. On first impression, that was one big bike. No, not just big. Mammoth.

And mammothly different. For me, the biggest adjustment to riding the Jones 29+ was adapting to the radically upright, hands back body positioning, somewhat like riding a beach cruiser. It felt so odd after many years of aggressive, low handlebar, forward positioning on competitive road, cyclocross, and mountain bikes.

But somehow it all works together to produce a controlled, superbly comfortable ride. The Jones 29+ is so balanced and centered, on such a long wheelbase, on such wide tires, that I simply do not spin out a rear tire and do not wash out a front, even on those loose steeps that typically wreck havoc. I am also amazed that not once in 8 years and tens of thousands of miles have I felt that unnerving sensation that I was about to launch over the handlebars, which happened on virtually every ride on my racing hardtails. Maybe most telling is that I did not crash once in 7 weeks of riding practically every day on the crazy combination of conditions on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Not once. Not even close.

More specifically, I feel much more control and far less fatigue than a conventional bike, particularly when negotiating obstacles and braking hard during long, difficult descents. I believe that the radically swept back Jones H-bar handlebar, with Ergon GP2 grips, contribute significantly to the effortless control and long distance comfort, most clearly felt when riding loaded over rough terrain.

A rare side shot of me riding my loaded Jones 29+ in 2021,
here standing to peruse the nasty descent of Fleecer Ridge on the Great Divide.
(image by Paul Brasby)

For good and bad, the aggressively upright body position dramatically changes relative pressure on the body contact points. With practically no weight on the hands, I feel much more in control of the bike, even when heavily loaded for multi-week touring. Perhaps just as important, I do not experience typical hand, wrist, forearm, shoulder, or neck fatigue. Not at all. The forward, downward pressure on everything is gone. On the other hand, that upright position puts significantly more weight on the saddle, so I recommend greater attention to saddle fit and bottom care.

I believe that the upright body position also changed my pedaling movement, as I clearly have reduced power on steep climbs and long climbs. Even on short power bursts, it feels more like I'm pushing the pedals forward and backwards, rather than up and down. Sliding forward to the nose of the saddle, or even standing, doesn't seem to make much of a difference. I just can't get on top of it in the same way as a conventional bike, perhaps also because the wheelbase is so long (about 47", compared to 43" for a medium Salsa CutThroat).

I felt the difference immediately on my first ride in 2018 and thought I had adapted to it with regular 3-5 hour rides throughout 2019 and 2020. Then in August 2020 I rode my first week long bikepacking ride, the Cloud Peak 500, and struggled on the long, steep climbs and felt bottom soreness. Also, for the first time ever, I experienced some real hip discomfort, which went away after the first two days and never has returned.  So, I think my body just had to adapt to a body position and pedaling motion significantly different from all those years on conventional bikes.

By the way, that upright body position brings along another side effect that is less easy to address. You get to enjoy every puff of wind! Fill the fork bags and a large handlebar bag for a veritable snowplow into the wind. It's a very real thing.

Jones 29+ loaded for bikepacking in 2019.

The truss fork is another unique aspect of the Jones 29+. Many people ask about it, assuming that it is some kind of springy suspension fork. Not hardly. It is rigid and it is stiff. As Jeff Jones explains, the truss design results in a lighter, stiffer fork that eliminates fore/aft movement of the fork under hard breaking pressures, resulting in greater control. No shimmies, ever. No need for an expanded diameter or tapered headset. Jeff Jones Talks Truss Fork. Even on long, technical descents when loaded, I have always been able to comfortably control the bike, and stop if necessary, with basic Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes. An engineering masterpiece.

As a bonus, the Jones truss fork provides a platform to strap two big bikepacking bags directly onto the fork legs. Recognizing this early on, Jeff Jones teamed with Revelate Designs to craft semi-custom bags, each holding about as much as a medium seat post bag. I love mine, but will have to baby them a bit, now that they no longer make them.

Part of the bike's BarcaLounger ride comes from the steel frame, which is relatively heavy in large part because it is so big. Despite the weight, I did not see a positive cost/benefit weight savings with a titanium frame/fork for a bikepacking bike that still would approach 70 pounds loaded. Instead, I slashed weight from the wheels and tires. 

In 2018, Jeff Jones built a wheel set for me with 45 mm rims to seat 3.0-3.25 inch tires. I liked that set up for one day single track rides and loaded bikepacking on really rough dirt roads. However, they were very sluggish on better roads, like many miles on the Great Divide and the Black Hills Grande.

So, after three years of experimenting, I built a second wheel set on much lighter 30 mm rims to seat 2.2-2.8 inch tires. Now with 2.4" Vittoria Mezcal XC Trail tires on that second wheel set, my Jones 29+ drops over 3.5 pounds (to just under 30 pounds) and rolls much, much better. 

On the left, Vee BullDozer 700 x 3.25 inch tire mounted on WTB Scraper i45 rims.
On the right, Bontrager XR2 700 x 2.35 inch tire mounted on RaceFace ARC Offset 30 rims.
Same diameter rims, but different rim widths and tire widths! (2020)

For drivetrain components, I specified Shimano XT everything, for durability and field service. Because I wanted both a wide range of gears and relative close spacing, I insisted on a 2X drivetrain. So, I landed on a 24/36 crankset coupled to an 11 speed 11-46 cassette. That results in a low gear of about 15-16 gear inches, depending on the size of the tires, which gives me a fighting chance of riding up that last pass at the end of a long day. Admittedly, with that grandpa gear, I'd probably be just as fast walking, but I like the option.

The Jones 29+ presents a versatile platform for a variety of bikepacking bags, with and without racks. I've tried many combinations, depending on the nature of the ride and the time of year. The bike is capable of comfortably carrying so much gear in so many combinations of bags that the biggest challenge is fighting the temptation to over-pack. On many rides, I start with most every bag about 3/4 full, which allows great flexibility to changing circumstances on the road. For a recent example, here's a link to a post of how I packed for the 2025 Black Hills Bounty ride. 2025 Bounty - Packing Redux.

Jones 29+ at the end of the Great Divide in 2021.

Overall, the Jones 29+ is one superbly comfortable bike, which is perfect for me for all day rides on rough roads repeated over many days or weeks, while carrying all my bikepacking gear. 

So, yes, I love my Jones 29+ and grab it for all single track rides, practically all rides around town, and most all of my bikepacking rides. I also have ridden it the past three years as a self-supported, solo racer at the 24 Hours In The Old Pueblo mountain bike race in Arizona. 

If I had just one bike, it would be the Jones 29+.

Jones 29+, loaded for the 2025 Black Hills Bounty.

Addendum. Notwithstanding my glowing endorsements of the Jones over the years, none of my bikepacking friends ride one. Instead, a high percentage of them ride a Salsa CutThroat, a nice, popular, conventional bike for bikepacking. I might prefer a CutThroat if I rode more domesticated roads, or maybe a full suspension mountain bike if I rode more technical single track. For my preferred rough road riding, I'm all in on the Jones.

One Of A Kind (Love Affair), Spinners (1972).

One Of A Kind (Love Affair), Spinners live (1976).

Single Speed On The Great Plains Gravel Route - Andy Phillips

Shout out to Andy Phillips, endurance cyclist extraordinaire and good cheer ambassador from Topeka, Kansas.

Andy is powering his single speed bikepacking bike across the country from the Texas/Mexico border to the North Dakota/Canada border on the new Great Plains Gravel Route ("GPGR"). That's about 3,500 miles with about 130,000 feet of elevation gain straight through the heart of the great plains, primarily on gravel roads. Self-supported, of course, re-supplying as he can along the way.

This route is new. Unlike the long established Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (1998) or the TransAmerica Trail (1976), the GPGR does not yet feature bike specific hostels or well-known campsites, recognized water/food re-supply spots, established alternative routes, or even locals familiar with scraggly bikepackers wandering along their backroads.

Andy is a pioneer blazing the trail for others to follow.

Andy Phillips rides into the sunset on Day 23 of his ride of the Great Plains Gravel Route.

I caught up with Andy earlier this week as he climbed out of the prairie and into the Black Hills on Pilger Mountain Road (USFS 317), a bit north of Edgemont, South Dakota. Although he had started riding that day at 5:00 am, he planned to keep pedaling for several more hours, even as the sun was setting and more storm clouds gathered.

That's how he's rolling over 125 miles/day for his first 23 days. Long days, often before sunrise and well after sunset. Short nights. Quick meals. Occasional showers. With thunderstorms and rain softening the gravel roads. And incessant winds, with little relief on the open prairie.

Always with a big smile. As in a "I-can't-believe-I get-to-do-this" smile. 

He's quite a sight to behold.

Andy Phillips climbing into the southern Black Hills on Pleasant Valley Road (USFS 715).

Just look at these images. 

By the time I caught up with him that evening, he'd already been on the road for about fifteen hours, weathering a series of fronts pounding the prairie with wind and rain. Some sections of gravel roads became too muddy to ride and even difficult to push, with clogging mud preventing the tires from rotating.  The rapidly moving fronts also brought stiff winds, sometimes tailwinds, but often not.

You'd never know any of that, from his beaming smile and infectious enthusiasm. The conditions do not detract from his joy. It's all just part of it, and he's just out doing what he loves to do.

Andy Phillips is all smiles topping off the climb up Pilger Mountain Road (USFS 317).

I hope to catch up with Andy sometime after he completes this journey and share more of his story. In the meantime, here's a link to follow his GPS tracker as he makes his way toward Canada. Andy Phillips - 2026 GPGR.

The Family of BackBone Bikepacking Routes

Ooh, you're simply the best

Better than all the rest

Better than anyone

Anyone I've ever met

Simply The Best, Michael Donald Chapman & Holly Knight (1988) 

Black Hills BackBone roads - simply the best.

This time of year I regularly field questions from folks planning to explore the Black Hills by bicycle.

For bikepackers, here's the progression of my family of Black Hills BackBone bikepacking routes (90, 205, 424 and 902 miles), with links to posts with descriptions, images, and RideWithGPS files. For these rough road bikepacking loops, I would start and finish in Hill City, which is an easy half hour drive from Rapid City.

1. BackBone BreakOut (90 miles)

For a 2-3 day ride (at 30-45 miles/day), I suggest the BackBone Breakout, a 90 mile loop out of Hill City. A 2 day/45 mile per day rider can camp at USFS Black Fox Campground. A 3 day/30 mile per day rider can camp at USFS Castle Peak Campground and then USFS WhiteTail Campground at Deerfield Lake. Of course, the BreakOut is also a great one day, 90 mile ride on an unloaded bike. BackBone Breakout; BackBone Breakout - RideWithGPS file. 

2. BackBone Buffet (205 miles)

For a 4-5 day ride (at 40-50 miles/day), I suggest the BackBone Buffet, a 205 mile loop out of Hill City that follows the first 50 miles or so of the BackBone Breakout before venturing deeper into the Hills. Introducing The BackBone Buffet; BackBone Buffet Update - It Gets Better; BackBone Buffet Update v.2 - New Single Track; BackBone Buffet - RideWithGPS file.

3. BackBone Bonanza (a work in progress, currently 424 miles)

For an 8-10 day ride (at 40-50 miles/day) or a 6-7 day ride (at 60-75 miles/day), I am finalizing a new route to be called the BackBone Bonanza, a 424 loop out of Hill City that combines parts of the BreakOut, Buffet, Grande, and Double Grande with new connectors. The Bonanza follows the first bit of the Breakout and Buffet, bursts out of the Northern Black Hills on the Grande, sling-shots around and back into the Black Hills on the Double Grande, stretches further into the Southern Black Hills, and eventually climbs back to Hill City on the Grande and Buffet.  I'll post detailed information and maps as I confirm this route over the Summer.

4. BackBone Grande & Double Grande (902 miles)

For an 18-22 day ride (at 40-50 miles/day) or a 12-15 day ride (at 60-75 miles/day), I suggest the BackBone Grande/Double Grande, a 902 mile loop that combines the Grande (NE border to ND border) with the Double Grande (ND border to NE border). To make the start/finish of this loop more accessible than those remote border spots, I suggest starting from Hill City, ride northbound on the Grande to the ND border, connect to the Double Grande to ride southbound to the NE border, and then re-connect with the Grande to climb northbound back to Hill City. Of course, one could start from Custer or Spearfish, or even Edgemont or Buffalo, or anywhere else on the loop, for that matter.

The BackBone Grande/Double Grande is the granddaddy of them all. 

It's what I consider to be the best of the best of Black Hills rough road bikepacking. 

BackBone Grande & Double Grande Page; BackBone Grande & Double Grande + Alternative - RideWithGPS files.

The Black Hills BackBone family of bikepacking routes.
BackBone BreakOut, BackBone Buffet, BackBone Grande & Double Grande, and all their alternatives.
The BackBone Bonanza will be added later this year.

Simply The Best, Tina Turner (1989)

Simply The Best, Jimmy Barnes & Tina Turner (2013).