Bike ride with the Clouds

Yesterday I rode on my bike route, the Mickelson Trail.  I've been busy with projects in the house and the garage and I had also decided to whack at my driveway weeds with a scythe in the morning.  I needed some play time!  

So after yoga (core yoga... I may have taken on a bit that evening),  I drove south toward Custer to access the trail.  There are trailheads along the roads- some a bit less accessible than others- this "road" was a gravel for almost a mile and then it became dirt and went over a steep edge to get to the path.  I was grateful for my all wheel drive vehicle! 

But once I got on the trail- what a great ride!

Look at those clouds!
I thought about a hat or a visor but it was late, I wouldn't get sunburned....

This cannot capture how white that cloud was against the blue sky.
I love South Dakota!

I cruised along and in about 20 minutes, arrived in the town of Custer.  I zipped through the back alleys avoiding "traffic"- mostly tourists who might not be watching for a bike.  Oops- forgot my bike lock back at the car so I left my bike right by the door, rushed in for a banana and protein bar.  And some GORP- good old raisins and peanuts.... or in this case- raisins, peanuts and M&M's.  Dinner and some energy for the trip back.


Good idea, it turns out.

Any time you cruise along a bike path in "21"- three on the left gear handle and seven on the right, means... you are in gear twenty-one. You are going DOWNHILL!  Duh... I thought about it only as I got into Custer and the path took  a sharp dip down onto the street.

But I had ridden partway to Custer before. A friend and I left Hill City and rode UP about six miles toward Custer before we turned around.  So... I have ridden UP toward Custer... skipped the summit, obviously, and ridden DOWN toward Custer for the the next four miles.

So the trip back north to Hill City, at the end of a rather long day, was ALL UPHILL.
In gear five, not twenty-one.

And into the setting sun.
A visor would have been handy.

That's not a white sky- it's the sunshine in the camera.

So I had to stop- frequently... for pictures.  And a handful of peanuts.

Beavers create a pond for reflection. 

The clouds continue their magic.

More magic

A barn just past the sunset- I'll have to come back to watch that light again. 

And a bit of history. Whew- I needed a break anyway.

Custer was here. 

These contrasting photos are fascinating. 

And Cleveland was here!
I resisted the urge to carve my initials into a tree.

And that field is full of deer- stealth, invisible deer.  They'd pop up on the trail, look at me and jump off into the meadow. Never close enough to photograph. 

One last rest- and another gaze at the clouds.  And my trusty bike.

The clouds reflecting the colors of the sunset as I look toward  the highway to Custer.
A great ride- even uphill.