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Riding out in Deadwood, South Dakota
- Thread starter ac600sp
- Start date
Thinking about heading out to the black hills next winter with some friends. Has anybody been out there riding and can you recommend a time of the yr that usually good sno depth for some trail riding and off trail play too. Thanks, any info would be appreciated.
Hello AC,
Your post is interesting as I watched the S.D. snow/trail conditions like a hawk this past winter as I wanted to ride in December/early January this past season (the UP was green). From what I gathered, the S.D. snow/trail conditions were worse than the UP's.
In addition, if you like to put serious miles on like me; the trail system is not like that and you are more limited to deep snow (when they actually get it) off piste riding and short trails that are less than 100 miles in length that criss-cross each other.
Also, I ran into a business associate that lives in Rapid City two weeks ago who said he rode twice as snow was very lacking. For what it is worth, he says riding the deep is usually very fun.
For me, I would drive the extra miles to Colorado or Wyoming to ride if I wanted a mountain experience. S.D. seems too limited for the bother.
Respectfully, Bear
I have been out there many times over the years. Probably Mid to late February is the most consistent, but that is not saying much. We no longer will book trips out there months in advance because the conditions vary so much. So, now we watch the conditions and just book a week or 2 in advance. There are a lot of landmines out there offtrail (rocks and stumps) so, they need several feet of snow on the ground to avoid hitting these. (we have damaged a number of sleds over the years including 2 new ones that were totaled) I don't think they had enough snow at anytime this winter for good offtrail riding.
If you are looking for reliable deep snow and a true mountain riding experience, I would also recommend going further west. Our group refers to the Black Hills as kindergarten mountain riding. That being said, they have about 350 miles of trail loops that are groomed almost every night, and are very scenic. It's a great place for less skilled riders, kids, wives, etc. to learn some mountain riding skills, and the offtrail meadows, valleys, and hills out there can be a lot of fun when the snow is sufficient. Plus, very minimal risk of avalanches.
If you are looking for reliable deep snow and a true mountain riding experience, I would also recommend going further west. Our group refers to the Black Hills as kindergarten mountain riding. That being said, they have about 350 miles of trail loops that are groomed almost every night, and are very scenic. It's a great place for less skilled riders, kids, wives, etc. to learn some mountain riding skills, and the offtrail meadows, valleys, and hills out there can be a lot of fun when the snow is sufficient. Plus, very minimal risk of avalanches.
All I've ever heard is the trail and off-trail riding is awesome there, but the conditions can be hit or miss. I'd definitely try to go there if I lived in MN. From when I've been out West in general - it's not the place to go if you want to pound out miles all day and night.
I've been there several times and I'd say mid February is probably the safest time. We've always had very good conditions when we've gone. The northwestern area of the hills is the best. My wife came out with me one time and she enjoyed the trails offered along with all the forest roads I took her down. Now that I have both kids riding we've talked about taking a family trip out there. Its a great mix of on/off trail riding.