Tuesday, July 8th: Custer, SD or ...a day of careful cycling

After breakfast in the motel in Lead, my woman must use all her muscles again to go back to the man on top of the hill (remember his picture). Once on top we take a left on a smaller country road with some nice rollers. Next to us lays the George S. Mickelson trail - it's not paved but my woman wants to cycle it, but she isn't sure where it's going. More info on the trail! At mile 18 we can quench our thirst. Cycle America staff does know how to pick great water stops! 

And for those who are eager to go shopping - there is a mall!

The next 10 miles is like riding on eggs: careful, woman, I do not want to fall on this gravel road. A few nasty climbs make our speed go down - way down. But the views we finally get are awesome. 

4 co-riders are also struggling with the terrain and the road surface: they jump in the van which is riding next to them. Even the very steep downhill, followed by steep uphill do not change my woman's mind. Just as we get to the paved surface we join the Shuli-woman! It's nice to see her out riding her bicycle. Together we struggle the last 3 miles to the picnic station at Deerfield Lake.

Staff Shelley and Tom are there to great us with some goodies. Once my woman's energy level is high enough, we leave this great spot. Another climb - all alone again - and then rolling terrain on the way to Hill City. Here I tell my woman to stop at the gas station. It's still 16 miles to Custer along a busy highway - luckily there is a good shoulder. Again, a bike path runs along the highway ... The noise of the cars thundering over the surface of the highway is a big contrast to the ride in the morning. A strange road sign gets my attention and believe it or not...

... a chopper just flies over our heads. Some miles further my woman gets a smile on her face, as she reads this sign:

At the top of the climb out of Hill City we reach the road going to the Crazy Horse Memorial. The rolling road to it discourage my woman to go and visit it. From a distance we take a picture:

Its a fast down run into Custer, where my woman cycles toward the High School. The Green Turtle is placed on the grass fields of the school. A shower for my woman and off she goes to dinner in a van of Cycle America. The dinner is excellent: chicken and ribs ("Hey woman, can I have a good bite?") and ... corn on the cob. The daily evening meeting, where the route for the next day is explained, takes way too long. Once back at the school, my woman feels how tired she is. We crawl in the tent and go to sleep - dreaming of the rolling roads!