What's Fred Up To Now?: Mickelson Trail Bicycle Ride

I was up very early on Monday, August 31, and arrived at the Edgemont Trailhead (TH#14, milepost (MP)-0) around noon. After changing into my bicycle clothes and filling my Camelback, I was riding by 12:30 pm. There is trail construction at the beginning with a detour back out to US-18 and over the existing railroad tracks to a point about a mile up the trail. It was a gradual uphill and I stopped several times to make adjustment to my mountain bike seat and handlebar grips. At about MP-4 I noticed that I left my seat bag, which contained my spare tire tubes and CO2 cartridges, in the van. I haven't had many flats so I figured what are the odds of having one in the 32 miles to and from the Minnekahta Trailhead (TH#13, MP-16.2). With two more miles of some considerable climbing, I looked down and my rear tire was nearly flat. I at least remember to put my hand pump in the Camelback so I pumped up the tire and pedaled back downhill as fast as I could towards Edgemont. I made it back after stopping three more times to pump up the tire. Once back at the trailhead I fixed the flat and decided to drive to the Minnekahta Trailhead (TH#13, MP-16.2) and cycle south back towards Edgemont to the point where I had the flat. After pedaling downhill to MP-9 (6 is where I had the flat), the sun angle was starting to get low. Not wanting to get caught up to 7 miles from the Minnekahta Trailhead should there be any more bike problems, I decided to head back to the van and return to finish this first section on Tuesday. I made it back without any bike problems, but the uphill getting back to the van took its toll. I was bushed by the time I got back and loaded the bike. I had a motel reservation in Custer, SD and arrived there at about 6:30 pm. After a pizza dinner, I decided that the trail surface conditions should allow me to ride my touring bike the next day so I switched the bikes around on the car bike rack and switched all the gear from the Camelback into one of my panniers. A few photos from day one are included below.