BHCC 2013: Full Size and Mixed Geology

This is the final post from the Black Hills Cruiser Classic in July 2013. I don’t know if the organizers planned it this way, but the final trail was mixed 4-5s over a varied terrane near the camp.

This trail started on some alluvium near a creek and climbed thru a fault zone with Paleozoic LS and pC basement rocks, but no granite on the outcrop map. We were too far north for the Harney Granite pluton to be exposed except possibly in faults…

Off we go, thru the creek, which was a sign of water everywhere but NO mud, for those who h8 mud!

and a stop in the vale to air down (most were using ~10 psi)…

I never saw the white pickup on the trail; I think there were plenty of exits on this trail…

Then we traversed some faulted and weathered LS along several gullies. One of these had a 5 feet ledge for the left wheel and a LARGE rock (house size) on the right that gave a lot of problem to limited articulation suspension systems, e.g., a vintage FJ40 ahead almost never got over one. I made it but smashed the right rear corner. It was so scary I didn’t notice at the time.

Then we climbed out of the gully (i.e. fault zone) and were in pC crystalline basement (really HARD rock). I wimped out and took the easier routes after realizing the damage I had already done.

It was hard enough that a group of photographers collected.

I wish (almost) that I had done those 4+/5 challenges. Oh well, there’s always next time! These rocks were more like Jake from the first day. I didn’t get images from the “rock pile”, which was an erosional feature at the base of a cliff in the pC metamorphics, but I saw a lot of teetering (high centered on top of a pile of rubble) by those who opted for it.