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Highlighted in June ’06 Bicycling
"Spin/Cool Ride" of the month
"Finishing the 109-mile
one day Big Mick ride had been a dream of mine for many
years, and I was very fortunate to ride the whole thing
last year... The Mickelson Trail, an abandoned,
crushed-gravel railroad bed in South Dakota’s Black
Hills, runs from Deadwood to Edgemont. God must have
lingered a bit longer here—the rock formations, creeks,
and pines make spectacular scenery. Go back in time as
you bike through four hard-rock tunnels and more than
100 converted railroad bridges, and 3% grades. Fourteen
trailheads along the route have plaques that provide a
wealth of historical information. But be prepared for
all kinds of weather—ride day temperatures have ranged
from 31 to 105 degrees.—
Jeanne Kirsch-- written 3-06"
Join us for the
annual "THE BIG MICK"-
A Mountain Bike Ride on the George S. Mickelson Trail
starting at the Lead Trailhead and following the old
Burlington Northern line that took trains from Edgemont,
SD to the gold mines of the northern Black Hills area.
This year the ride entails 104.6 miles of the Mickelson
Trail, with the ride finishing in Edgemont, SD.
Rides available include:
"The Big Mick is a great early season ride, with
fantastic views of South Dakota’s Black Hills. We rode
the metric century which started in Hill City and ended
up in Edgemont. The trail is an old railroad bed and a
mountain bike is the best bet for handling the trail.
Although there are no steep inclines, there are a lot of
long gradual climbs along the route. The ride offers
great rest stops, as well as, a fine lunch; however, it
is a good idea to be self sufficient since some parts of
the trail are in the boondocks.”
Jeff Kaplan- written 3-06
HINTS FROM
PAST RIDER:
"One thing I've seen for the past 2 rides that may be a
good thing to warn out of towners about is, there still
seems to be alot of riders starting out at 5am that
don't anticipate how cold the first 4-5 hours of the
ride are because it's not only early in the AM but also
we continue through the part of the trail that is mostly
shaded. We've loaned out extra gloves and such many
times and I always feel bad for anyone not knowing ahead
of time because most seasoned riders have all the gear
already at their disposal at home and just need to be
aware enough to bring it (in lieu of having to buy it
once they get to SD)."
Sherry Thurston, ND posted
3-2011
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