Spent May 23-25 cycling the Mickelson Trail from Deadwood to Edgemont. I will break this into a post per day. Me, 63, didn't have many base miles but at least live at 3200' so the elevation change didn't totally finish me off. Day 1 was from Deadwood to Oreville Campground. Elevation high point of the day was 6200', trail was soft due to recent rains and hail. I didn't choose wisely when I came to fork in the trail and went left, no longer the 4% grade of a railroad but had one 17% and one 20% climb (walk for me). This was a great time of year to be on the trail, I saw people throughout the day, trailheads have very clean vault toilets, water and shelter; in between trailheads are shelters where you can get water and sit in a shelter to update your ride diary. I was the only recumbent seen, there was an a guy on a small frame, fat tire, electric assist bike I saw two days near Custer, SD. The bike also folded, weighed 62 pounds and had a range of 20 miles for electric assist. He was not a happy camper when the power died and he had to pedal "this behemoth," I would guess he was late 70s in age and still out riding. Pictures are from day 1. South of Rochford there are numerous mining claims being worked so I had to take a picture of the posting. Mystic trailhead has tools and air pump available.
Vick drove our Roadtrek, met me for lunch in Rochford and then went on to our campground. This was a long day of cycling. Confession, steep climbs aren't for recumbents, I pushed the bike up the steep climbs and the climbs that lasted an hour I would break up, thirty minutes of riding and then 10 minutes walking. I'm not 50 anymore.
Leaving Deadwood
Recent rains had washed over the trail just outside Deadwood.
How the trail looks south of Deadwood, shade is welcome. I did carry pepper spray (kept Vick happy) since we have 200 mountain lions in the Black Hills and someone didn't want me to become a snack. I sure wasn't going to outrun one.
Effects of mining on this hillside.
This is a typical shelter, you have these between trailheads and most have water available.
Read this way too late, I had already taken the "short cut" which just about did me in. I met a trail patrol rider later in the day and he guessed half of those who plan to ride the whole trail stop after this point thinking the whole trail is going to be this difficult.
Another dream of wealth.
You pass through 4 of these on your first day if you ride to Hill City.
Lunch, Vick had a long, out of the way drive to meet me here but since the local cafe owner closed for an appointment I appreciated the effort on my wife's part. 
I rode through several areas like this where you can easily see how criminals could rob a train. No effort to jump from rocks to passing train and overtake the engineer.
They were attempting to live trap this beaver and relocate him.
Mystic Trailhead comes equipped with tools and an air pump. Every stop on the trail was spotless and ready for the upcoming busy season.
There are still many working claims along the trail south of Rochford. The owners prefer you don't bother anything.
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