Daily Update for Cycle Across America

July 16

July 16, 1999

Rapid City, South Dakota to Newcastle, Wyoming

Brian’s Ride Miles Biked: 80.9 Average Speed: 14.4 mph Max Speed: 31.6 mph Time Pedaling: 6 hours 46 minutes Total Feet Climbed: 5970 Start/Stop Time: 8:30 am to 6:30 pm Wind: North switching to east. Weather: High 64oF, overcast changing to partly cloudy skies.

Comments: This was it. The first big mountains of the west on this bike trip: the Black Hills of South Dakota. I was nervous not knowing if the gearing on the bike was sufficient or how my legs were going to respond. Yesterday, I bought a new rear sprocket set with lower gears but didn’t have time to put it on. But, yesterday, I had a day off so my legs were rested.

Black_Mtn990716-018.jpg (21460 bytes)

Out of camp the climb began and in about 12 miles I climbed from about 4700 to 5850 feet above sea level. I felt pretty good and stopped a few times to admire the scenery (perhaps rest too). At this point, the road rolled up and down until I reached Hill City at 4900 feet. Hill City is a quaint little town nestled in the Black Hills that I will have to return to. From Hill City, I took the Mickelson Rails-to-Trails Path for 16 miles to Custer and climbed steadily to 5900 feet, the peak for the day. This bike path is 114 miles long. The portion I did traveled along side US 16/385 and veered off into beautiful gulches (gulches was a word not previously seen on maps during this trip. The path was slow going because of the soft crushed gravel surface. The cool temperatures for the day were a welcome relief from the previous 90s and helped make the going easier.

>From Custer to Jewel Cave National Monument, I encountered more rolling and two steep ½ to 1-mile climbs while hovering at 5600 to 5800 feet. One climb was a narrow two-lane winding road with very little gravel shoulders. Thankfully there was a shoulder because at one point, I quickly steered to it after spotting a huge semi-trailer truck with 22 wheels in my mirror. In South Dakota and Wyoming, the trucks are longer, have more wheels and sometimes pull a trailer.

The Black Hills are beautiful but I had to leave them. Now the descent began and I rolled into Wyoming at about 4500 feet.

Entering Wyoming, the terrain and landuse changed from the area east of the Black Hills and Rapid City. Instead of mostly flat and horizon to horizon wheat and hay fields, I road though huge valleys surrounded by hills and covered with prairie grasses with some grazing animals.

Joan’s Version

The Lazy J RV Park was a clean, efficient place with a major perk…free internet connections! Shelley stated that my basic needs are food, water, shelter and internet connections! We finally left camp about 10:30 and drove toward the Black Hills.

Driving through the beautiful terrain filled with millions of pine trees interspersed with mounds of dark rocks, we soaked in the amazing scenery and looked down from the highway onto a winding stream as it meandered around large rocks and tall grass. We marveled at the picturesque landscape and as we rounded a corner, we saw a flash of bright orange and realized it was Brian riding on the bicycle path below us. I imagined his sheer enjoyment being enveloped in serenity and beauty. I hope this ‘mental picture’ never fades from my memory.

We drove a few miles to where our road and his bike path met. After waiting several moments for him to appear, we finally beckoned him on the CB only to discover he had dismounted the bicycle to savor the surroundings. After a brief interlude with Brian, Shelley and I explored the quaint town of Custer. Upon seeing the office of the Custer County Paper, I promptly put on my "public relations" hat and introduced myself. A very nice and evidently "hungry-for-news" woman jumped in her car to find and photograph Brian.

Venturing on, we found a campsite in Newcastle where the friendly owner told of her frequent visits from cross-country cyclists. Within moments, a man appeared on some sort of "quad-cycle" that Brian called a quadraped, as it was pedaled with 4 limbs. We immediately invited the gentleman for dinner, as his bike was loaded with enough stuff to know he was travelling long distance. Ed Potter from Sheridan, WY was on a 2-week trip through some very hilly terrain..Some of the same hills Brian would soon encounter. He spoke of 30-mile hills and 9% grade…scary statistics, but necessary for mental preparation.