Recently took a trip home and went on a long ride with a friend of my father. I was raised in Rapid City, South Dakota near the Black Hills, though I left for the Navy about 15 years ago and took up cycling in the meantime.

It is an awesome area to ride with world class roads and views. The cycling community is rather small, even for a town of 60,000. There can't be more than 20 hardcore riders, but there are plenty of recreational riders and families/kids on the MUT.

This particular ride was heading west out of town, then south past Pactola and Sheridan Lakes to Hill City where we climbed the backside of Mount Rushmore before bombing into Keystone, rushing into Rockerville and taking highway 16 back to Rapid. Total mileage was right at 75, with an estimated 8-9K of climbing. I had hoped to take lots of photos and post a mountain bike ride, but my trips were limited and when I ride, I prefer not to stop too often, so there aren't as many pictures as I'd like. Anyway, on to the photos.

1) South Dakota sunrise.

2) Pactola Lake from the dam. After eight straight years of drought the water level's dropped significantly since I was a kid. You can see the old water level where the trees stop.

3) Shad, my riding partner, on the way up to Mount Rushmore. Kinda weird riding without a helmet, but I guess he just doesn't wear one, despite some 45-55 mph descents.

4) These little things can climb! Here, though, they're grazing on the flats.

5) Riding through the Rushmore plaza. There were very few tourists that time of day and especially after Labor Day.

6) Yours truly at Rushmore.

We used to go there for vacations. Did you enjoy living there? I've often wondered if I should end up there...so beautiful.

...Did you enjoy living there? I've often wondered if I should end up there...so beautiful.

Yes and no. It can be a wonderful place to raise a family, but as a tweener town (not big, not small) it has its share of problems.

Native South Dakotaoans (and maybe most Plains Staters) have a really unique perspective. They stay relatively in touch with the rest of the world's goings-on, but everything is filtered through a "how does this affect me?" outlook that I find sorta quaint and not in a great way. That said, there has been a large influx of people moving from more expensive areas of the country like California and Colorado, and these folks seem to be bringing a more worldy view, which is nice to see.

It used to be all ranching and tourism with some help from the local airforce base that drove the economy but since I've been gone a lot of medical facilities have moved in to serve folks between Denver and the Mayo Clinic. It also has a world-class technical school that draws a lot of Indians and Middle Easterners.

The weather is a drawback for me now. It's usually got a stiff breeze going, summer or winter, and there is a significant difference between winter and summer, though the winters have become milder with much less snow than when I was little. Still, it's not uncommon to have weeks of 20* or less during the winter with lots of slush on the ground, while the summers usually have many days in the 90s and 100s. No humidity to speak of though, so that makes it a bit easier. There are many kick-ass thunderstorms that roll through during the summer afternoons to knock the edge off the heat.

IIR, you are in medical school, no? Perhaps it would be a good place for you sometime down the road.

South Dakota, we don't get a lot of photos of there (Scot_Gore posted a thread a long time ago if I recall correctly).

You make it look.

BTW I was born in Belle Fourche, left at about 3 weeks and have never been back except to visit granny (who died years ago). Maybe we should add it to the list.

Riding in the Black Hills is magnificent, and incredibly difficult. I think the natural beauty of the Black Hills surpasses much of what I've seen of the Rockies even. The mountain biking is excellent as well.

After visiting a few years back, I also considered the prospect of living in Rapid City. After further thought, though, it's really, really far away from anything. I was amazed to see that Denver is the nearest major metropolitan area . . . and that's a long haul.

My grandfather grew up in S. Dakota, and when he was a teenager, would go with his friends to his family's cabin in Silver City, because there were no jobs to be found for them during the depression. They would spend the summers living on the trout they were able to catch from the stream. Occasionally, they would make the trek into town to purchase sugar, salt, bacon and flour. Silver City (as of a few years ago) still had no paved road in the town, and the City Hall had a small memorial to my grandfather's family.

I very much look forward to visiting that part of the country again.

...After visiting a few years back, I also considered the prospect of living in Rapid City. After further thought, though, it's really, really far away from anything. I was amazed to see that Denver is the nearest major metropolitan area . . . and that's a long haul...

Yeah, that's the major thing for me. It's really a destination and not really on the way no matter where you're going (unless you're heading to say, Bismark).

Cost of living is pretty expensive, gas is pricey. I fly there about every six weeks to see the kids and it's getting rare to find airline tickets for less than $450, no matter how far out in advance you buy.

BTW I was born in Belle FourcheI got food poisoning in Belle Fourche while on my way to Miles City. That was 20+ years ago and I still can't look an open-face hot turkey sandwich in the face.

BTW, really nice pics. I love the SD sunrise shot!

Thanks for the report. You should post the Mt. Rushmore pics in the photo-tag thread. How many of us live near national monuments?

I haven't been up that way in nearly forty years! I remember visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial when it was just getting started. I wonder if it will be finished before I leave this mortal shell. This brings back alot of memories.

Have you dug Wall Drug?

Nice to see a different part of the country.

I transported their football team last weekend for a game at Youngstown State. Spent 2 days with them.

That sunrise shot is one of the coolest photos I've seen on this site. Nice stuff.

I haven't been up that way in nearly forty years! I remember visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial when it was just getting started. I wonder if it will be finished before I leave this mortal shell. This brings back alot of memories.

Have you dug Wall Drug?

Crazy Horse is getting there. I don't have any shots on my new computer but if you google it surely you'll see the progress. It's come a long ways since I was little.

Interestingly, I was sitting next to the president of the Lakota Sioux tribe on a recent flight back and he's not too keen on the idea. Even though Korzyk (sp?) had grand plans for a university and special indian site, the president would much prefer the sacred hills, Paha Sapa to them, be kept as pristine as possible.

Wall Drug, like many of the hills' attractions, is as tacky as they come.

I transported their football team last weekend for a game at Youngstown State. Spent 2 days with them.

Nope, the other end of the state.

That first photo is awesome.

Don't forget the Badlands, either. We drove out West a few years back, camping along the way, and spend 4-5 days in the Badlands and Black Hills. Beautiful country. I didn't have a bike with me, but we did a lot of hiking. I really loved the Badlands, although it can get very hot and dry. The Black Hills are like an oasis in the middle of the Great Plains. "Hills" is an understatement. They really are mountains, at least compared to anything in the East. The amount of wildlife there is incredible. I have never seen so many bison, mountain sheep, antelope up close. The hiking trails are also very nice. I would love to bike in that area, although I imagine the winds could be a challenge. Another nice area that is not too far from the Black Hills is Devil's Tower.

I live in Rapid City. I posted earlier this summer about my commute to work.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=98093

There are so many great rides here in the hills. The only problem is that it's hard to find an "easy" ride. I ride alot, road and mountain, and many times I find myself just plain wore out from all the climbing. It's still fun.

There are not alot of serious riders in Rapid. However, those who are serious, are good riders. I try to be a serious rider, but I do more for recreation than anything. I ride centuries, long distance mt bike races and just completed a race across the state, Gut Check 212 recently. If anyone heads out this way again, feel free to contact me for a ride or directions or whatever. I'd be more than happy to assist.

The MS150 W.R.A.T.H ride is coming up this next weekend. I rode last year but can't this year due to other obligations.

That being said, there are plenty of orgainized rides in the hills, the only thing is that you have to search out for them.

Another thing that is very disappointing about living in Rapid City is that it really isn't a bike friendly community. There are no bike lanes and usually if you meet a car, they try to wave you off the road or tell you to move. Most of the drivers are just plain rude. I just visited Denver and Ft. Collins this last weekend and I was really jealous about all the bike lanes I saw. I hope Rapid can move towards a more bike friendly community someday.

That sunrise is beautiful. It was good to see you in St. Louis.

Great shots! As a native South Dakotan, and frequent returner I want to say take these down, don't let the secret of the hills out! haha.

I spent a week in the Hills in June and I was actually surprised by the number of cyclists out and about. Several touring groups and what looked like some group rides.

I rode single and still managed to get dropped on some hills by some fast squirells running ahead of me.

Just some great riding there. There aren't any bike lanes, but a few rides have some shoulders that help, but yeah, drivers aren't greatly forgiving. Plus, with so many tourists, you have lots of gawking, map searching, and general poor driving anyway.

Here's mine.
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=441
It's getting a little old now, but still one of my favorite all time rides. I had a ride report for a Wind Cave Ride and a Badlands ride before the V-bulletin software change here on RBR. This one is one I posted to "test" the new software when it first came up. You can see that it's post 441, and this post 107531, a little bit of water has gone under the RBR bridge.

Scot