Bob Runs the Deadwood Marathon (26.2 miles), and Susan Walks the City of Lead 10 km (6.2 mi.) Volksmarch - Part 1, Sunday, June 5, 2022

Bob is a machine! I thought after yesterday's 10 km hike to Crazy Horse at a high elevation, that he would be worn out this morning. Not so. We'll see how he does with a full marathon today.

We were up and at 'em early this morning so I could drive Bob one hour, partially on gravel back roads, to his start point at the Mickelson Trailhead in Rochford, South Dakota by 8 am. LegendsofAmerica.com calls Rochford "the friendliest ghost town in the Black Hills". Click on the link above for a full history of Rochford.

A sense of humor pervades this little piece of history. According to the deadwoodmickelsontrailmarathon.com website, Rochford is home to the historic Moonshine Gulch Saloon, Mall of America, and Rochford University. Let me translate. There really is a Moonshine Gulch Saloon. We all know that Mall of America is in Bloomington, Minnesota. Rochford has the Rochford Mall and General Store, AKA The SMALL of America. Rochford University is a seasonal business that rents bicycles and ATVs and sells (or used to sell) South Dakota State University's ice cream. 

At last count, the population of Rochford was somewhere between 10-25 people. It is an unincorporated community not tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau.

This little town is at an intersection of two back roads. We made it to the marathon start just in time for Bob to get ready to go. The marathon course description reads, "The Marathon is a point-to-point course beginning in the old mining town of Rochford…After a quick run through town, you find yourself on the George Mickelson Trail and on your way to Deadwood…The finish line…is the Deadwood Trailhead."

I couldn't drive to Lead (pronounced Leed), South Dakota until the marathon started and everyone went by because the marathon runners were on the road. I went down the only road open to me, turned around, drove back to the stop sign, got out of the truck, and there was Bob. I was just in time to see him start the marathon. Good timing!

Bob stopped for a quick 
photo shoot at the
beginning of the marathon.

After the runners passed by, I was able to make my way to Lead for my 10 km walk. The walk started at Lynn's Dakotamart grocery store. It was very cloudy and foggy when I got there. I double-checked the weather and found there was a 50% chance of rain. I debated whether I should dress warmly and take my umbrella. I hate getting wet, so the umbrella (and windbreaker) came with me.

From the parking lot at the grocery store, I crossed Glendale Dr. (U.S. Bypass 85) in Lead and headed up into the historic Sunnyside Loop Neighborhood. 

Beautiful ironwork fence at the site
of the old railroad roundhouse.

Black Hills Roundhouse Restaurant.

I love this handsome elk
weather vane.

A view of the Homestead Mine.

A few blocks into the walk, the rain poured down and the hilly streets became their own waterfalls. My feet got soaked. Sigh. I hate wet feet. My shoes squeaked for most of the walk.

A beautiful Tudor home.

This is a very artsy birdhouse!

The fog crept in over the mountain.

The walk meandered around the hills in this neighborhood and returned down to Glendale Drive. I walked along U.S. Byp. 85 which turned into U.S. 14A at the Lead-Deadwood High School. It kept on raining. 

I was questioning my commitment to doing 10 km in this rain. But, I kept thinking about Bob running 26.2 miles in this downpour. I hoped he was doing okay. I'm sure he was happy with the cool temperature!

This beautiful clock is
across from the high school.

It was 53° at the high school. You can 
see how wet the pavement is!

Lead's welcome sign.

Lead-Deadwood High School
entrance.

The high school gymnasium.

I continued around the high school and the Golddiggers football field behind it. The rain stopped and the fog moved lower, down into the surrounding trees. It was very surreal. 

The walk went around a number of hills. I couldn't see them too well, but I felt the ups and downs. It was very lonely and quiet out here on a Sunday morning. Only a couple of cars went by. Then I went by a cemetery and an abandoned mine building. Spooky! In the cemetery, deer were watching me, and then they took off running.

This is downhill.

The deer are aware of me.

Abandoned mine, I think.

South Lead Cemetery.

Next, I headed uphill into the historic English Neighborhood. When I crested the hill and started down, the Homestake Mine filled my line of sight. This pit also included the Caledonia Mine (later sold to Homestake) and the 1878 shaft of the Old Abe and Giant claims (abandoned due to subsidence issues in 1935). It's impressive!

The Homestake Mine.

Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center.

At this point in my walk, I stopped and immersed myself into the world of neutrinos, matter, antimatter, SURF, DUNE, WIMPS, "the next big thing," particle physics, LUX dark matter detector, supernovae, black holes, proton decay, the Majorana Demonstrator experiment, nuclear astrophysics, and the underground research facility that makes all these experiments possible. It's all here right under our feet! In fact, this stuff is so interesting, I am doing a Part 2 of this blog that will be only about this research facility and the Homestake Mine. Read tomorrow's blog and find out what all those acronyms mean!

I am including outside photos of the mine here.

See photo below.

The "ring" described in the
photo above.

Spiral concentrators.

Hard to read, but interesting. 

After spending a couple of hours in the museum, I resumed my walk in historic downtown Lead. Back in the day, this town was very wealthy. It had to do with a certain George Hearst and his wife Phoebe from San Francisco who bought out the interests of many of the mines here. George Hearst had experience from working mines in Nevada and bought up as many claims as he could in Lead.

What lead up to the mines at Lead.

George Hearst, the Titan.

George's wife, Phoebe, was a philanthropist
 and women's rights advocate. She 
inherited George's holdings, including 
the Homestake Mine after his death.

So let's take a look at historic downtown Lead...

An adorable boutique.

I fell in love with this colorful dragon
in front of the boutique.

1912 Lead City Hall and
Homestake General Offices.

City Park.

The First National (Norwest) Bank.

A bench made out of old skis.

A mill stamping press in the park.

A great mural titled "Miners and Merchants,"
by David Scott Livingston, 2019.

City of Leed clock in downtown

The Homestake Opera House and
Recreation Building.

Black Hills Mining Museum.

Compressed Air Locomotive #9.

This present City Hall was a Works
Progress Administration project.

There are nice trail markers.
This one is downtown.

I liked the bikes on this wall.

Mine cars used as planters in a park.

Denver is not the only mile-high city.

Victorian homes in downtown Lead.

Formerly, the 515 Main Street Manor Hostel.
It was listed for sale. Sale is pending.

Mural by David Livingston, 2017.

City park.

U.S. Post Office in Lead.

U.S. Post Office in Lead.

I walked past this trailhead
just before I passed the fire
department.

The rest of the walk wound around an upper neighborhood on the opposite side of the highway from the high school. I didn't take any photos there. I was hurrying to finish so I could wait for Bob at the marathon finish line.

When I returned to the car, I drove a few miles into Deadwood. It looked like almost everyone had finished the marathon. All the booths were down, the food was gone, and the band was packing up. But the Finish Line was still operational!

I figured Bob must be coming in soon so I took off walking the course backward to connect up with him. I walked and walked and walked thinking surely he must be close. I finally found him after 1.3 miles (2.6 miles roundtrip). He looked beat! He was walking hunched over, limping, and was obviously hurting. 

We talked on the way back to the finish. He only had a few sprinkles on the marathon course. He couldn't believe it had poured rain in Lead. We walked to the finish line together. I'm so proud that he made the finish just before they closed the course. (He was the last one in.)

Mile 26, almost there!

The company that runs the marathon.

Bob with his medal at the 
Deadwood Trailhead.

You did it. You da man!
Congratulations!

This is the beautiful back side of the
Deadwood Trailhead sign.

When we finished in Deadwood, I drove us straight back to the RV. Bob slept the rest of the day. I can't blame him, he walked 17.4 miles more than I did!

Good job, Bob! I'm happy you made the time you wanted to on the marathon course. 

See Part 2 for a look at the informational signs in the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center. They are so interesting. You will learn so much if you're inclined to read them all. I will attempt to put them in logical order.