The Black Hills gave me so much love.

I'm sitting in yet an other public library, my first though, in the state of Wyoming. I am in the town of Moorcroft. I started in the Black Hills foothill town of Spearfish,SD.

I arrived to the Black Hills on Saturday, and didn't leave until Tuesday. That should tell you something, when my original plan was to just pass through. I had some of the biggest ass kicking climbs of my bicycling life, and some of the gnarliest winding downhills. Not to mention the hospitality I received from strangers all 3 nights I was in the hills.

Saturday: Hitched a ride with my broken bike, with a couple (Al and Charli) from Florida in an RV. In short, they brought me all the way to Rapid City to get to a bike shop. Later this day, after some exploring of the local beer scene, I cruised on into the hills (by "cruised" I mean granny geared it). I made it up to Rushmore, with a little bit of exploring, all the while a storm dropped 2 inches of rain in the hills. That evening I dropped down into a pay to camp campground by Horse-Thief lake, and the first thing that happened was I was offered to camp on someone else's lot, so that I wouldn't be charged. I spent the evening hanging out with this group of people from Eastern South Dakota. They had a few friends from India with them who cooked up a mean meal of spicy rice and soy. This group of people told me that they were going to do something called the volksmarch which is a walk up the Crazy Horse Monument, and they invited me to tag along the next day...

Sunday: ...and I did. I decided to run though, my parting was bidding them farewell at the bottom of this incredible sculpture, to give you an idea of the generosity and trust these people had in me, we put my stuff in their vehicle, locked it up, and they gave me the key.
Leaving this monument, I wandered yet again for the remainder of the morning and a bit of the afternoon, and stopped at Miner Brewery in Hill City. Here I met the next great person to treat me well, Bruce. He came up to me, like many others have done, to ask me about my story. And he was particularly intrigued, and asked to sit down for a beer with me. well we chatted and chatted and eventually he offered me to stay with him at his place just outside the Notional Forest land, and I accepted, and I spent the evening, hot-tubbing, showering, swapping stories, eating burgers, and don't forget the keg that he so happens to have, what hospitality. He showed me around his place, sharing many of the different pieces of furniture that he has built, the extension of his home, gladly answering my questions.

Monday: I rode the hell out of the Black Hills. The best bicycle ride of my life, really. meandering back roads topping out well over a mile high, exploring old mining towns, blasting down strawberry hill and aztec hill. Culminating the ride with a 20 mile gradual down hill through the beautiful, bold Spearfish Canyon.
Well the Library is about to close... so in attempt to do Justice to the people I met In Spearfish, I will save it for my next post.

With love, pure exhaustion, and high spirits,
Lance Parker