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2015-10-11 tl;dr: I finished up the Mickelson Trail in Deadwood and continued on into Spearfish. My theory was not incorrect. I was just too lazy. I left my camp in the dark by way of a fun little log bridge. Five miles later I had achieved 5900 feet, and suddenly it was warm as the inside of a tauntaun. I topped out at 6200 feet where I was shedding layers as the sun came up. From there it was mostly downhill to Deadwood, where the Mickelson Trail ends.There are so many deer along the Mickelson Trail! And turkeys. I ate breakfast in Deadwood, and I considered stopping there for the week, but I had neither cowboy wear nor biker leathers, so I wouldn't fit in. I also had no desire to gamble. The town was very claustrophobic. So I climbed a crazy-steep road out of the town and headed into Spearfish. By the time I arrived in Spearfish, winds were gusting up over 30 mph, knocking me around the road. No matter, I have to stop, because the next hotel is some fifty miles down the road. |
 log bridge  deer eyes   yet more turkeys  downhill to Deadwood  the butchered hills of Deadwood  Maitland Road  goodbye Black Hills National Forest |