Tuesday 21 May 2013

Deadwood to Keystone & Mt. Rushmore

Woke up this morning and guess what...

Yup, Still raining.

Popped down for breakfast.

Stocked up on Chocolate Bacon and Bacon & Maple Donuts.  I love America.

Headed off from the Deadwood Gulch Gaming Resort around 9.30 in the 'sweeper group' a little while after the first group.  There was a lot of doom and gloom about the ride today... "oh it's all uphill..." "oh it's going to rain...." "oh it's going to snow..." and so on.

My chest was heaving the first uphill which lasted for about 4 miles out of the hotel, but think I have to blame having polluted my body so badly on Sunday night.  The rain actually held off not long after we got out of town.

Was a pleasant ride all said, undulation hills, lots of pine forest.  Had a break near a reservoir where the store owner kindly provided us with coffee and I devoured my Bacon Donut.  It was a bit chilly on the downhills or when we weren't peddaling.

Bacon & Maple Donut
Colour up ahead

We rode on to Keystone.  Again pretty pleasant ride, gentle pace.  Lovely cruise down into the town, straight through and back up the other side for a 2 mile climb up to the Mount Rushmore memorial and visitors centre.

A few pictures.  Then storming back down into the hotel.  I was in my rapha 'city gear' being 3/4 length shorts and lapelled jacket so I was warm (and stylish) around the monument.  Getting past 45 mph on the decent passing a bunch of Harleys in that clobber was quite a proud moment.

I went to Mount Rushmore
Stony faced

So, things are well.  Had a few laughs, went for a bike ride, didn't get drenched, saw a national monument, ate bacon products, had a dip in the spa.  Listened to some tunes.  Pretty good day all round.

Though I am tired.  Think my 'excitable puppy syndrome' has run it's course, where I've been running around like a wide eyed excitable spaniel for the last month at all the sights and sounds.  I don't want to get complacent and treat any of this as 'normal' but the couple of days bad weather, combined with an almighty hangover and the general exhaustion form all the physical exertion caught up.  Lets see what the rest of the badlands have to offer.

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