Rose Pedals . . .: Crazy Horse, George, Thomas, Theodore, Abraham & Art

Sunday, July 21, 2013
Day 15 - Custer, South Dakota to Rapid City, South Dakota
45 miles
2,857 feet of climbing

Today was a much-needed recovery day for me. A 75-mile route was scheduled, but we were also given a shorter, 45-mile option, both of which brought us to our final destination for the day, Rapid City. I opted for the shorter route in favor of providing as much relief as possible for my strained achilles tendon on my left foot, which was really hurting me at the end of yesterday's ride. I could hardly walk on it yesterday afternoon, and was worried I would not be able to ride on it today. But Lon taped it up for me this morning, which stabilized it enough that it wasn't painful today. It was a pleasant climb out of Custer toward the Crazy Horse Memorial, where we not only saw the massive mountain carving, but also visited the Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Cultural Center. It was fascinating to learn about the history of the monument and how it came to be. The monument is being carved out of Thunderhead Mountain on land sacred to the Oglala Lakota. Construction began in 1948 and continues today. After spending some time at the museum, we then made our way to Mount Rushmore, where I met up with Art, who opted for today's longer route. I had seen pictures of Mount Rushmore, but nothing compares to seeing it with the naked eye - it was amazing. The monument was packed with people, so we only stayed long enough to snap some pictures and then headed on our way. The rest of the route consisted of a few little climbs and rolling hills, and ended with a sharp descent to our hotel in Rapid City. We were again blessed with gorgeous weather today - sunny and warm. Tomorrow we head to Murdo, South Dakota - just a mere 148 miles away. I better bring my headlight! : )