Rider February 2024 | Page 26

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1 . The Hitch Rail Bar and Restaurant in Pringle is a great lunch stop . 2 . The presidents at Mount Rushmore represent key aspects of U . S . history : Washington symbolizes the country ’ s birth , Jefferson represents expansion , Lincoln signifies development , and Roosevelt signifies preservation . 3 . We rode into Deadwood covered in Black Hills dust just like they did 150 years ago . 4 . Spearfish Canyon was the filming location of the final scene in Dances With Wolves . 5 . There ’ s an old mining town at the bottom of Pactola Reservoir , which was completed in 1956 .
Black Hills Gold
If you love off- road adventure riding , you ’ ll love the Black Hills BDR- X , which was like discovering a vein of gold . There ’ s gravel , rocky two- track , mud , and epic pavement . There ’ s majestic scenery , wildlife , and history . You can ’ t see and do it all in one trip , so like the four of us , you ’ ll want to come back . It ’ s fun but by no means a stroll in the park , and it ’ s the difficult stuff that sticks with you for a lifetime .
On Day 3 , it was raining , and we opted to do the optional hard section over Bear Mountain . The route was rutted , rocky , steep two- track . The slick mud packed up on our tires , turning them into Teflon- coated slicks . Bill christened this spur route “ Axle Grease Alley .” On the final bit , I chose my line and went for it , twisting the throttle to the stop , desperate for the tires to hook up , every muscle in my body fighting to keep me and the Kawasaki upright .
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26 / FEBRUARY 2024 / RIDERMAGAZINE . COM