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Starry Night in the Black Hills
Where constellations guide and wilderness whispers
The Black Hills weren’t originally on my cross-country cycling route — but the best moments of a bicycle journey rarely appear on the initial map. I’d been pedaling for weeks, my loaded touring bike becoming an extension of myself as I crossed state lines and terrain that transformed mile by mile. After countless roadside motels and crowded campgrounds along the designated cycling routes, something in me craved true wilderness with a desperation that surprised even myself. So I veered northwest from Rapid City as the afternoon sun began its descent, my legs tired but my spirit hungry for solitude.
Finding Solitude
Cycling through the Black Hills National Forest is therapy in itself. The road winds between ponderosa pines that stand like silent sentinels, their trunks ruddy in the fading light. The effort of pedaling uphill is rewarded with exhilarating descents, my bicycle tires humming against asphalt as I breathe in air so fresh it almost burns my city-accustomed lungs. Each revolution of my wheels feels ceremonial — each mile dissolving another layer of stress, each curve in the road leading me further from the planned route and closer to something essential.
