The smells of wild sage and pine perfumed the southern Black Hills air on Friday as cycling enthusiasts from as far away as Florida sweated their way through the first 45 miles of the three-day, 109-mile Mickelson Trail Trek.

Sioux Falls-area farmer Gregg Fossum was one of 517 riders from 26 states enjoying what Fossum called an easy ride from Custer to Edgemont under near-perfect conditions - a cloudless blue sky and 80-degree temperatures.

"I kind of like the wide open spaces," Fossum said of the foothills and prairie landscape that dominated the first day of the ride. Those wide-open spaces give way today to thick stands of pine and spruce trees as riders pedal their way through the heart of the central Hills from Custer to Rochford.

"It's all gorgeous," Janet Rose-Perrenoud of Rapid City said. "Each part of the trail has its own kind of beauty."

Rose-Perrenoud is a regular user of the 109-mile recreational trail that runs from Deadwood to Edgemont, but this is her first time on the Trail Trek, a supported ride that includes a trail pass, shuttle service, commemorative souvenirs, refreshments and meals. Now in its 11th year, the ride celebrates the completion of the rails-to-trails project in 1998 and is named after the late Gov. George S. Mickelson.

Mike and Gail Lenney are full-time RVers from Niagara Falls, N.Y., who spent two months this summer working as Mickelson Trail volunteers three days a week, hauling a 500-gallon water tank to fill cisterns and maintain bathrooms at the 14 trailheads along the trail. They know well the beauty of the entire trail and said the Sheep Canyon trailhead outside Edgemont is one of its most scenic spots.

"This is our favorite spot. We often stopped here to eat our lunch and enjoy the wildlife." Gail said.

That included bobcats, elk and more than 100 species of birds, including a family of golden eagles they watched nest in the red-rock canyon.

"And the wildflowers this year were amazing," Gail said. "I never took so many pictures of so many different wildflowers in my life."

To prepare for this year's trek, the state Game, Fish & Parks Department had to reinforce damaged spots on the trail through Sheep Canyon after heavy rains washed it out earlier this summer, when more than 2-1/2 inches of rain fell in a short time Aug. 5.

Pat Rowland, a police officer from Omaha, Neb., was "having a blast" on his first Trail Trek, but he also found time to "protect and serve" a stray dog along the trail Friday. He returned the animal to some passing motorists on U.S. Highway 385 after the dog escaped from their car and briefly joined the bike ride.

Rowland said he rides often around Iowa, but he was enjoying the southern Black Hills scenery so much he plans to return with his whole family for the 2009 trek.

"We're used to riding past cornfields. This is much more scenic," he said.

For information about the 2009 Mickelson Trail Trek, call the Black Hills Trails office at 584-3896.

Contact Mary Garrigan at 394-8424 or mary.garrigan@rapidcityjournal.com