George S. Mickelson Trail – Part I

I planned to participate in a 400k brevet in Colorado on May 31^st.  I awoke at 1:30 a.m. that morning in time to drive to Colorado Springs to make the 3:00 a.m. check-in.  I had even turned south onto I-25 at exactly 2:00 a.m.  All was set.  My gear was on, the bike was ready, and all I needed to do was to arrive, get my bike cleared by the RBA, fill my bottles with water, stretch a bit, and mentally prepare for a long day in the saddle.  No problem, right?

I turned around at the first exit and headed north through downtown Denver.  My reasoning came to me just as I started to drive south.  I had slept approximately 10 hours the last three nights and was understandably tired and admittedly a bit grumpy.  The upcoming brevet had 17,000+ feet of climbing, meaning a very challenging day lie ahead.  Finally, my work schedule had changed such that I had to be back in the office on Monday, no excuses.  How was I going to ride 20+ hours in an already fatigued state and then drive home (safely) on Sunday?  I concluded it wasn’t worth the risk.  I would have to reschedule a 400k later in the season.

Disappointed by the situation, I thought about how I might salvage part of the day by riding somewhere along the route back to Bismarck.  Before I arrived at the Wyoming border, it struck me.  I’d ride part of the Mickelson Trail!  It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, the weather was good (no rain forecasted), and my schedule was favorable for getting in a good ride.

The George S. Mickelson Trail is a 109 mile crushed limestone trail through the Black Hills of South Dakota.  The trail follows the historic Deadwood to Edgemont Burlington Northern rail line, and as such, is one of the longest ‘rail-to-trail’ conversions in the United States.  The full length of the trail formally opened in 1998, and is named after former South Dakota Governor George Mickelson, who was early supporter of the trail’s development.

My ride started in Edgemont, which serves as the Mickelson trailhead.  Arriving at approximately 8:00 a.m., the weather was cool following a significant rainstorm the previous night.  After driving six hours, I was eager to get underway.

(Start at the beginning.  At the trailhead in Edgemont.)

From Edgemont, the trail travels east and then north past Hwy 18 (to Hot Springs).  My new tires absorbed the increased rolling resistance from the limestone, as I made good time into Pringle where I stopped to rest my shoulder/back and enjoy the local ‘art’.

(New Compass tires provided a smooth ride on crushed limestone.)

(Looking to the southwest approximately nine miles outside Edgemont.  Wyoming in the distance.)

(Bike ‘art’ in Pringle.)

The trail was quiet for most of my ride, having passed only two cyclists en route to Custer.  This allowed me to fully enjoy the scenery without having to worry about traffic along the trail.

(Bison grazing lush grass just south of Custer.)

After a little over three hours, I entered the town of Custer.  Here I decided to turn around, but not before refueling with lunch and cold water in my bottles.  The temperature was rising fast, and when coupled with the dry air, I was sure to need ample hydration on my way back to Edgemont.

(Harbach Park Trail head in Custer.  Time to find lunch!)

(I didn’t have to go far.  Baker’s Café was just around the corner.)

Instead of retracing my path along the trail, I chose to ride back on Hwy 89 and 18.  I had ample room along the shoulder and traffic was light, so the ride was enjoyable (minus my aching shoulder/back).  The decreased rolling resistance of the pavement was also welcome, and I returned to the Mickelson trailhead by 3:00 p.m.

(Final downhill stretch into Edgemont along Hwy 18.)

Following a shower at the Spearfish City Campground and a tasty burrito from Barbacoa’s, it was smooth sailing all the way home.  Not a bad way to salvage what started as a disappointing day!  I hope to return soon to complete the Custer to Deadwood leg of the Mickelson trail.

Ride Report – Fishtail 300k

Three weeks after the Northern Pancake 200k I headed west with the family to Laurel, Montana for the next brevet of the season.  Starting with three other riders at 06:00 in the parking lot of the Laurel Walmart, the weather was perfect for what was to be a great day in the saddle.

The route took us to Columbus along the Yellowstone River then south to Fishtail, Red Lodge, and Belfry, before turning north to Bridger and then back to Columbus via Joliet and Hwy 421.  It was a wonderful ride with great roads, scenery, and riding companions.

(Riding with Jason Karp, Montana RBA, with the Yellowstone River to our left)

(First control at Fishtail General Store)

(En route to Red Lodge, with the Beartooth Range to the south)

(Highlight of my day…  A quick lunch with Susan and Sarah in downtown Red Lodge)

(Refueling with Jason and Ken in Joliet)

(Leaving Columbus on the last leg to Laurel...  ...now the Yellowstone River is to our right)

Overall, a great experience.  I’m hopeful we can return to Montana for the next brevet of the season in mid-July.

For additional photos and a more thorough ride report, see Jason Karp’s webpage.

Ride Report – Northern Pancake 200k

The first brevet of the season took me to northern Minneapolis on May 3^rd for a nearly flat 200k with 30 other randonneurs.  The temperatures were ideal for riding (50s°F), but a shifting wind made for some challenging sections.  Finishing in just over nine hours on my Specialized Roubaix was not unsurprising given the lack of time I’ve had in the saddle so far this year.  Needless to say, this was a ride of ‘base miles’.

(Riding together prior to the second control)

Still, I enjoyed connecting with a few riders from last year’s Munger Bungo, and even managed to meet a couple folks due to some unfortunate circumstances (helped one rider switch out tubes following a double puncture within the first 15 miles, and then stopped following an unfortunate crash by another rider also early in the brevet).

(Refueling at the Princeton, MN SuperAmerica – Control #3)

I expect to return at least once this year to participate in another brevet organized by the Minnesota Randonneurs.  They do a great job with planning and communication (now with a Facebook page).  I’m fortunate they are within a seven hour drive of Bismarck.

(First 2014 brevet in the rear view mirror)

A Slow Start to the Riding Season

Unseasonably cold temperatures and untimely precipitation has made accrual of base miles particularly difficult this year.  Moreover, my dad has been hospitalized since early March (fell on ice, hit his head, multiple subdermal hematomas, three brain surgeries, 12 days in ICU, etc. etc.).  His situation has created a significant learning curve, and the transition in assuming numerous new responsibilities has been time consuming, to say the least.  I’m hopeful some degree of consistent riding will commence once the weather improves and I’ve adjusted to this ‘new normal’ in my personal life.

In the meantime, I’ve been out for a few good rides and even managed to sneak away to Europe for a brief visit to Warsaw for work. Below are a few photos from my experiences the past seven weeks.

(Watching the sun rise while enjoying coffee at Rolling Hills truck stop)

 (Shadow rider)

(Bike share program in Warsaw)

(This bike has seen better days!)

(MCDS, Mobile Caffeine Delivery System aka 'The Bike Cafe', Warsaw, Poland)

Bike Build in Progress

In 2013 Specialized announced their intention to sell a heavy-duty ‘all everything’ bike made from Reynolds 725/520 Co-Mo tubing.  Referred to as the AWOL, the frame is designed with a split seatstay for multiple drivetrain options, three water bottle mounts, and disk brake compatibility.  I was intrigued with the possibility building up a randonneur bike for the 2014 season using an AWOL frame and a mix of new and used components.  Realizing that if the bike didn’t work for randonneuring it could always be used for commuting, I decided to order a frame after the Munger Bungo.  Now, over five months later, I’m still waiting on the frame, though I have assurances it will arrive later this month (a novel marketing campaign by Specialized has generated significant interest in the AWOL).

Here’s a photo of the bike (with a non-standard, tripped-out paint job), courtesy of the 'Team AWOL' Tumblr.

I hope to be sharing a photo of my AWOL soon.

Winter Conditioning – Cross Country Skiing

In 2012 I shared a set of eight exercises focused on strengthening abdominal muscles.  While those exercises serve to provide core strength needed for long days in the saddle, they do little to promote aerobic capacity.  Maintaining some semblance of aerobic fitness during the winter months in North Dakota can be challenging, particularly if you detest spending time on a stationary bike (as I do).  Fortunately, most winters here provide nearly continuous snow cover from December through mid-March, thereby allowing for outdoor activities such as snowshoeing and cross country skiing.

Though snow conditions so far this winter have been mediocre, I’ve been skiing periodically at my favorite trail located at Bismarck’s Riverwood golf course.  With groomed snow, mostly level terrain, and wide, sweeping turns, one can get into a good rhythm on the skis, thereby facilitating an excellent workout.

Depending on snow conditions and the number of skiers on the trail, one lap takes 20-25 minutes.  Sometimes, however, it’s nice to slow down and enjoy the scenery.  Deer and fox are common on the course, and the prevalence of large trees provides a comfortable feeling of being enveloped by nature.

(Double-tracks this year facilitate additional skiers)

2013 Mileage

As it turned out, that ride on November 30^th was indeed the last ride of the year.  While there were a few reasonable days for riding, most temperatures throughout December were well below 0°C.  Coupled with the unseasonably cold weather was two weeks of out-of-state travel, which pretty much put a kibosh on physical activity.  So much for having good ‘form’ going into the holiday season!

Despite the lack of riding in this December, my annual mileage was well above the record set in 2012 (3579 miles; an increase of 18%).  Most riding was allocated to commuting and randonneuring (including training for the Munger Bungo)...   …definitely something I’m happy with.

So, a good year!  Achieved a major milestone (600 km brevet), avoided major crashes/mishaps, and set another record for cumulative mileage.  Here’s to keeping the momentum in 2014!

ANNUAL SUMMARY - 2013
			Ride time	Mileage
		Ride	Cumulative	Cumulative
Bike		count	hh:mm:ss	km
Road		12	30:23:55	756
Mountain		4	7:54:35	151
Commuter		68	92:29:09	1944
Gravel		19	34:37:11	708
Randoneering		40	95:03:47	2199
TOTAL		143	260:28:37	5759