Maah Daah Hey trip

[AA]

Just got back from a week trip to North Dakota to ride the Maah Daah Hey trail with Western Spirit. The trip was beyond my expectations. The trip was 97 miles in 5 days, 99% singletrack. There were ups, downs and more swithchbacks than I have ever ridden. Here are some pics..

1st look at the trail

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share the trail....

This is active cattle grazing land so we saw plenty of bovines

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more trail..

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follow the posts

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nice view

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scenic..

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Emily (Guide) climbing to a switchback..

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grassy area, look for the rider in the distance

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camp #1

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sunset night #1..

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Susan on the singletrack

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riders on a bench cut trail

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Maah Daah Hey trail marker

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petrified stump

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ridge line

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more cows... you dont want to spook them, they get nervous and crap right on the trail.

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Its hard to describe the landscape. It can be grass land, wooded or even like the desert. These cliffs reminded me of the desert.

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steep climb (hills never look steep in the pictures). I didn t make this little grunt.

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Simon (Guide) was the only one to make the climb & he did it on a singlespeed.

[Sci Teach]

Nice pics...glad you enjoyed it.....they bring back some great memories from my journey on the Maah Daah Hey.

Western Spirit does such a nice job with the trip.....the campsites are super. So, who were your guides.....Emily and Simon?? If you had Simon, did he tell you any tank driving stories!!??

Oh yeah....don't spook the cattle....the stampedes are not fun...and way too much green goo ends up on the trail...then you!

[AA]

Devils pass, at one time the only way to get across the badlands. Many horse pulled waggons fell off of this over the years.

[ArmOnFire]

Looks and sounds like a great trip AA

Did you convert your IF to SS?

-dan

[AA]

Nice pics...glad you enjoyed it.....they bring back some great memories from my journey on the Maah Daah Hey.

Western Spirit does such a nice job with the trip.....the campsites are super. So, who were your guides.....Emily and Simon?? If you had Simon, did he tell you any tank driving stories!!??

Oh yeah....don't spook the cattle....the stampedes are not fun...and way too much green goo ends up on the trail...then you!


Yep we had Simon & Emily as guides, no tank driving stories but a good story about a 30 hour beer run (the beer was free). Cows are pretty dumb, they get scared and litterally crap themselves (as a defense?).

[AA]

Looks and sounds like a great trip AA

Did you convert your IF to SS?

-dan


Yep the IF back as a SS and was a blast to ride on the trail.

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camping @ devils pass

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view from one side of devils pass

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turn around and the view from the other side of devils pass is totally different looking

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some of the singletrack was wooded..

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Susan making the climb out of devils pass. Way in the background is the truck were we camped.

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@ the 1/2 way point.

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group photo

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view after climbing up from the Little Missouri river

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riders in the grass...

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these were the only other tracks on the trail... deer & coyote

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above the Badlands

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flowers..

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Camp from night #3

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cow pie tossing competition...

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our guides Simon & Emily

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Susan @ a cattle gate.

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Susan on a big climb

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bike on a petrified stump

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camp #4

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prickly pear cactus, you dont want to ride off the trail

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You actually have to get off the Maah Daah Hey trail where it passes into Roosevelt N.P. There is a trail around the south unit of the park called the Buffalo Gap, this trail has a different marker.

[C.P.]

Nice AA ...Great pics! Maah Daah Hey's been on my list for a while now, I'll have to share these pics w/ my wife - maybe this 'll be our next vaca.



:)

[Jisch]

Nice! only 8 hours from the in-laws house in MN.

[DVRider]

Nice pics. Looks like a good time. I've wanted to do the Maah Daah Hey since I saw it featured on a clip of Bike Mag's TV show about 5 years ago. My riding style has definitely changed since then, but I think I'd still like to give it a go.

[splat]

Nice , Looks like fun! sounds like the weather co-operated with you as well.

[AA]

we got lucky with the weather. I guess if it rains the trail (all clay) turns into an unridable goo that sticks to everything. At night we did see lightning off in the distance (you can see for hundreds of miles) but it never got close to us.

[treelaka]

Looks Great. Did you encounter Tatonka?

[minkhiller]

Good show AA. I just got back from the North Rim. I don't think Western Spirit is capable of putting on a bad trip. I'm looking forward to a 3rd trip with them next year.

[AA]

Looks Great. Did you encounter Tatonka?


unfortunately no, but I did see some from the highway if that counts

[jh_on_the_cape]

wow. looks like a great trip.
thanks for sharing.

[BostonMan]

sweet trip, pictures and all. good job with the photos.