Going to Visit a Park Ranger Friend of Mine

When I heard that my friend was going to be a ranger at Wind Cave in the Black Hills, I knew I would go and visit. What I did not know was how much of an amazing experience it would be to drive out there and spend time biking through the Black Hills.

I also have been going on a few bikepacking trips recently (more write ups to come!) and after hearing about a fantastic trail, I knew I had to bring my bike.

So I drove out with another friend and we spent a couple days camping in the Badlands and then drove up to Bear Butte outside of Sturgis, SD to begin the our ride on the Big Mick. The Mickelson Trail begins in Deadwood so we had some biking to do to get to the start. We had about 140 miles in total from Bear Butte to Edgemont ahead of us and after fueling up with a rotisserie chicken, we were ready.

What ensued were about 140 miles of the most beautiful biking I have ever experienced. The Big Mick is 109 miles of perfectly maintained trail built on an old rail bed. I spent most of the next three days saying, “wow.” Trying my best not to sound like an Owen Wilson montage.

I got my first flat tire on day one because my tire pressure was too low, I hit a bump and got a pinch flat. The remaining 80 miles went smoothly, and it was fascinating to see the terrain change from pine forest to something more like a desert.

We spent the last night in Edgemont at the one motel in town with the rail crew that was getting ready to start their weeks long shift on the train. A hot shower and a proper bed were in order after camping and being covered in dust by the trail for the past three days. The next morning, we got back on the trail, this time Wind Cave, about 35 miles away.

The trail wouldn’t have us, however, as I proceeded to get four flat tires in the first 12 miles. I used all my tubes and patches and even a spare tube given to us by a fellow biker, they all popped in the same way. And so, we waited for my friend to pick us up after he was done at the park.

We then spent a couple nights at the park, going on cave tours and driving around the massive topside of the park. As pretty as the land and animals above are, the park is called Wind Cave, and the cave did not disappoint. I could not get a photo that captures the beauty of this cave but it is worth the trip.

One night we went to a rodeo, my first, it was a blast and a great way to spend an evening. I got a couple of nice shots from this outing on my Fuji X-Pro 2. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to go and visit my friend and to see such a gorgeous part of this country. I highly recommend visiting the Black Hills via the Mickelson Trail.

Cheers, Sam