Post date: Aug 8, 2016 3:28:46 PM
On the agenda today was riding the Needles Highway and exploring Sturgis and the famous Black Hills Rally.
The Needles Highway is an fine road upon which to view the splendor of the Black Hills. The vista is a bit of a contradiction with large boudlers protruding straight up out of the earth surrounded by tall timber and grasses. It's really beautiful. At the north end of the highway you, "Thread the needles," as the road winds in between these immense rock formations that jet up into the sky. Wonderous.
From there, it was a short jaunt up to Sturgis. I arrived early in the day, and instead of setting up camp, I decided to ride through Deadwood, Lead, Spearfish Canyon, and what the heck, I decided to throw in Devil's Tower too.
I arrived back in Sturgis in the early afternoon, and the line to get into the campground at Hog Heaven was long. Eventually though, I made it through and found a nice piece of real estate in the shade to make camp.
Hearing that there was a bus to shuttle people from the campground to downtown Sturgis, I set out to find such transportation. I was taken aback though when I was told that the fee is $25 per day or $75 for the week. First, I'm only here for a day or so. Secondly, it's two miles to downtown. I decided to hoof it because not only am I a cheap SOB sometimes, I needed the exercise. I hadn't been on a hike in days, and I ended up doing 12 miles that evening. The walk was great - downtown Sturgis, not so much.
There didn't appear to be any ryhme or reason to the layout of retailers in town. Manufacturers are scattered here there and everywhere. Peddlers selling the same thing are scattered the same. Food vendors specle the gaps between the aforementioned and the plethora of saloons. I was not impressed.
Arriving early for the festivies, there were a number of retailers and manufacturers setup; however, there were an equal numbr, if not more, who were just getting setup. I guess I expected more from an event that's been occuring for the last 76 years. When I come back, it will be later in the week when things should be in full swing.
I headed back to camp and hung out with my neighbors until really late. I met a few folks from Saskatchewan, Texas, and Switzerland.