![]() ![]() The Black Hills formed from an uplift of ancient rock layers that leaves these expansive granite cliffs exposed above the tree line. It is the unique geology of the region that inspired these massive sculptures. ![]() Today there will be massive rock sculptures! We will head back over to the Mickleson itself and ride south to the junction with the Needles Highway, before a short shuttle takes us to the Mt Rushmore National Memorial. From there, yet another great spot for a swim. Either way, they left us with some great routes through this beautiful area and today we will continue right into Hill City and on to our camp at Sheridan Lake. Hard to say who made more money the miners or the railroad folks. When the coast to coast railroad companies didn’t build fast enough, the locals themselves laid tracks and created several branch lines. You might think it was needed to transport the gold discovered in 1874, but it was the miners and all their supplies that inspired the investment. This section has 4 tunnels and more than 100 bridges, all built for this branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Line (the Burlington for short). Today there will be tunnels! We begin by making our way back to the main Mickelson Trail and head south to Rochford. ![]() A gentle gravel road will take us to this 'off the beaten path' Black Hills National Forest campground, which happens to be a great spot for an afternoon swim. After lunch we will enjoy the descent along the Mickelson until we reach the turn off to our lakeside camp at Roubaix (pronounced by the locals as Row-bay) Lake. ![]() We are headed for our highest point of the week, but with just a 4% grade at our arrival in Dumont, the top of the climb will be a great place for our trailside lunch buffet. After meeting in Rapid City, we will shuttle to Deadwood to see some of its historic buildings before we head out on the Mickelson Trail. ![]()
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