Category Archives: Mickelson

Day 4 6/3/2025 Hill City to Custer to spur trail into Stockade Lake/Custer State Park then back to Hill City Stats: 38mi. AIS: 3:45 Elev: 1071     Mph: 10.1 The trail out of Hill City mostly paralled the highway with a big bridge over the road and then a tunnel under as we climbedContinue reading “Beautiful… then wet!”

Day 3 6/2/2025 Hill City to Mystic and back Stats: 30 mi. AIS: 3:13 Elev. 1528 Avg. Speed: 9.2 mph Short drive into Hill City this morning to the trailhead. We were the first to arrive at 8am but people rolled in shortly after. We had our earliest departure at about 8:30 but Jim didContinue reading “Absolutely delightful day”

Day 2 Sunday 6/1/25 Mystic to Dumont Stats: 36 mi. AIS: 3:47 elev gain: 1282.  9.6 mph You know it doesn’t seem to make us any quicker in the morning sleeping in the van! But it is a lot simpler and warmer and convenient making breakfast in the van and getting dressed standing up. IContinue reading “Let’s climb a railroad grade”

Day 1 5/31/25 Dumont trailhead to Deadwood and back This the highest elevation of the trail. We reached 6236 ft.  Stats: Distance: 33mi. AIS: 4.09 hrs*. Speed avg: 7.9mph Climbing elevation  1919 ft.  *To any new followers AIS stands for Ass In Saddle. It doesn’t include stopping time. (It’s important to know that cell coverage isContinue reading “Welcome to the Black Hills! It’s not all a tourist trap.”

South Dakota Total length: 109 miles Deadwood SD to Edgemont SD Railroad abandoned in 1983 Trail established in 1991. Completed 1998 Destination 300 miles from home We will cross up and over several river drainages before we get to South Dakota Drive Billings to Hardin then to Hwy 212 Bighorn Battlefield turnoff. Crossing the BighornContinue reading “Riding the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills”

Day 2 and 3, January 9-10, 2025 Hopkins is a small village on the Belize mainland. It’s a quiet place that one local ex-pat described as “a drinking village with a fishing problem”. The village runs long and narrow along the shoreline… at most it’s maybe 5 blocks wide. The homes are colorful, really brightContinue reading “Hopkins, Belize”