The Road Less Traveled: Canadian Rockies '18: Day 17

START LOCATION: Billings, MT
END LOCATION: Murdo, SD
MILES TRAVELED: 628.7
TOTAL MILES TO DATE: 7822.4
WEATHER: Pleasant to rain to hot

In the original ride plan, this was supposed to be another of those "head down / cover as many miles as we can / get as close to home as we can" kind of days. As I was reviewing the route one day, I noticed that we were going to literally be skirting the top of the Black Hills, another motorcycle-riding meca for many - especially those who frequent the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. We were routed to ride a lot of these great roads the last time we were in the area, and inclement weather caused us to get a sampling of the area and head out of the region. This was disappointing. Also considering the fact that Junior had not been to Mount Rushmore previously, I suggested we ride the Black Hills. The other guys liked the idea - so we planned a dip south into the mountains.

Time was a real factor on this day. First, we were covering a lot of miles - just north of 600. Next, the speed limit in Montana and South Dakota is 80. The burn rate on fuel is not so good on Harleys above 3,000 RPM, so we had to plan extra fuel stops. And I really wanted to be off the road by sunset due to the possibility of wildlife on the roadways. So we made it a point to hustle all through the day.

The roads we added in to the mix included:

The Spearfish Canyon Ride is a very scenic ride in the Black Hills area. The ride has astonishing views of epic cliffs, streams, and tumbling waterfalls. Most of this ride is made up of long, sweeping curves.
The Nemo Road Ride us made up of a picturesque ride through Boulder Canyon. This route also includes rides through the resort town of Nemo and an old mining ghost town.
Needles Highway proved to be one of the highlights of the day. Oh, my goodness! I've said in another post - and often say in conversation about our rides - that one of my goals is to find the hardest roads we can find and the ride them as fast as we can. If I ever ride another technically challenging road in my life, I think I can say with this one I rode the mack-daddy. The Iron Mountain Road part of this ride is 17 miles long and contains 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 intense pigtails, and 3 single-lane tunnels. This motorcycle roller coaster makes the Tail of the Dragon seem like child's play! I'll post video of this ride when I get a chance to do some editing.

We stopped in at Mount Rushmore as planned, then made our way to the last of the National Parks we would visit. Badlands National Park is a wonder unlike anything I've ever seen before. I'll let the pictures describe this one for you.

Leaving the Badlands, we set our sights on Murdo, South Dakota. Arriving safely, we found our Best Western less than satisfying - but we just needed a night of sleep. I spent quite a while trying to kill flies in my room. I finally went to bed having disposed of all but one who managed to elude my every effort to send him to insect heaven. While our hotel left much to be desired, the pizza at Prairie Pizza was better than expected, so all was not lost in Murdo, this curious little place on the road less traveled.