Looking For Black Hills Bounty

Sweet dreams are made of this

Who am I to disagree

I travel the world and the seven seas

Everybody's looking for something.

Sweet Dreams, Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart (1983)

Scouting back roads in search of the Black Hills Bounty.

The Black Hills Bounty is my name for a 5 day, remote, rough road bikepacking tour of the Black Hills of South Dakota that I am designing for cycling buddy Paul Brasby. Later this year, I plan to ride it with Paul, along with a few other friends from Nebraska. Afterward, I'll post a ride report with pictures and digital maps.

For now, I'll describe the daily rides in mileage, elevation gain, and road type so that Paul and his friends know something of what lies ahead and can prepare. To preserve an element of surprise and discovery for them, I'll wait to reveal the details of the route until shortly before we start.

As currently configured, the Black Hills Bounty bikepacking route covers about 300 miles and gains about 25,000 feet of elevation gain over 5 days, with little deviation. In other words, it's about 60 miles and 5,000 feet of elevation gain every day for 5 days. Overall, the mileage is split pretty evenly between USFS Primary, Secondary, and Low Standard roads, with the exception of one day that is primarily paved. For descriptions and illustrations of what those types of roads look like in the Black Hills, go to my prior post The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.

As I confirmed this route, I kept adding more rough Low Standard roads to connect things and to dive a little bit more remote. So, mileage is reduced from earlier drafts, but the degree of difficulty per mile is increased. For me, this is a mountain bike tour, for tires and gearing, except for the primarily paved day.

Here's the overall outline, with one photograph somewhere along the route for each day and a break down of mileage of each type of road for the day. Further changes, if any, are likely to be minor.

Day 0  Disperse camp off a Primary road deep in the Black Hills.

Day 1  (62 miles/5,268 feet) 3 miles paved/21 miles Primary/26 miles Secondary/12 miles Low Standard.

Day 2  (68 miles/4,280 feet) 1 mile paved/29 miles Primary/16 miles Secondary/22 miles Low Standard.

Day 3  (57 miles/6,220 feet) 48 miles paved/9 miles Primary.

Day 4  (60 miles/4,398 feet) 11 miles paved/32 miles Primary/11 miles Secondary/6 miles Low Standard.

Day 5  (43 miles/4,636 feet) 1 mile paved/15 miles Primary/4 miles Secondary/23 miles Low Standard.

5 day Total = 290 miles/24,802 feet. Or, about 58 miles/4,960 feet of elevation gain per day average.

Day 0. Disperse camp deep in the Black Hills off a Primary road like this one.

Drive to camp along a ridge with panoramic views.

Day 1 (62 miles/5,268 feet) 3 miles paved/21 miles Primary/26 miles Secondary/12 miles Low Standard.

Rougher roads earlier, with steady, not crazy steep climbing to disperse camp with big views.

Day 2 (68 miles/4,280 feet) 1 mile paved/29 miles Primary/16 miles Secondary/22 miles Low Standard.

Rougher roads early, then tunnels and an abandoned gold mine, with a downhill finish to Custer.

Day 3 (57 miles/6,220 feet) 48 miles paved/9 miles Primary.

Unloaded bike day, riding a paved/fast gravel loop starting and ending in Custer.

(Yes, that's Mt. Rushmore as you ride through a one lane tunnel)

Day 4 (60 miles/4,398 feet) 11 miles paved/32 miles Primary/11 miles Secondary/6 miles Low Standard.

Fast gravel onto buffalo patrolled prairie, then back into the forest, rough road to disperse camp remote.

Day 5 (43 miles/4,636 feet) 1 mile paved/15 miles Primary/4 miles Secondary/23 miles Low Standard.

Fast gravel warmup, then steady climbing on rougher roads all the way back to the start.

So, that's what I've been working on.

What fun, memorable, challenging routes lie waiting for you to create in your neck of the woods?

Sweet Dreams, Eurythmics (1983)