When the Sky Went Black: Mount Rushmore, a Derecho, and the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon
When the Sky Went Black: Mount Rushmore, a Derecho, and the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon
Hear all the details: Episode 20 of Marrying Your Passions: The DINK Travel and Adventure Podcast
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| Mt. Rushmore! |
Some trips go exactly as planned. Others involve a billion-dollar windstorm, a canceled marathon, a hotel with no power, and cheering your partner through 26.2 miles of Black Hills trail with food poisoning. This is one of the latter, and it is one of the most unforgettable chapters in Nathan and Alicia’s 50-state marathon journey. Join this DINK (dual income, no children) couple as they tell you all need to know about this Black Hills, South Dakota adventure.
The Plan: Denver to South Dakota
Our South Dakota chapter started in May 2022. We were living in Denver at the time, and with a move back to Florida on the horizon that summer, Alicia had a very clear directive: "Nathan, as part of your quest to run a marathon in all 50 states, you are going to run as many marathons out west as you can before we leave." The Brookings Marathon was on the calendar, and we decided to turn it into a full Black Hills adventure by stopping at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on the way.
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| The standard National Parks/Lands pic by the Mount Rushmore sign |
We stayed at the K Bar S Lodge in Keystone, South Dakota, which sits close enough to the memorial that you can actually see it lit up from the property at night. That alone was worth the stop. We had dinner at the historic Powder House Restaurant nestled into the Black Hills and walked the Presidential Trail the next morning through tall pine trees with almost no crowds. Mount Rushmore delivered everything we hoped for and more.
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| The Presidents |
Then we got back in the car and headed east on I-90. What happened next changed the entire trip.
The Derecho: When the Sky Went Black
We were driving east toward Brookings when the sky started doing something neither of us had ever seen before. Dirty, sideways clouds. Then pitch black in the middle of the afternoon. Then wind that stopped traffic on the highway entirely.
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| We were caught in the May 2022 South Dakota Derecho. It was terrifying. |
The May 12, 2022 derecho was a catastrophic inland storm with winds over 100 miles per hour and 19 tornadoes across South Dakota alone. It was classified as a 2.8 billion dollar presidential disaster. We watched a travel trailer get twisted into nothing on the road in front of us.
The Brookings Marathon was canceled. The town had no power. We ate packaged food in a dark hotel room and started figuring out what came next.
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| A park in Brookings, SD the day after the derecho |
Deadwood: The Unexpected Answer
What came next was Deadwood.
A few weeks later, the day after Alicia ran the Revel Rockies Half Marathon in Morrison, Colorado, we made the drive back to South Dakota and landed in Deadwood, South Dakota, one of the most unique towns in America, to run the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon. Deadwood is the kind of place that almost does not feel real. The wooden storefronts, the history layered into every block, the sense that you have stepped into a different century entirely.
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| Downtown Deadwood, SD is great way to spend a day or two or more! |
We had dinner at the Deadwood Social Club inside the legendary Saloon No. 10, the bar where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed in 1876. What we did not expect was to walk into the middle of a street shooting reenactment right outside. We looked around and nobody else seemed remotely surprised. Just us, clearly the tourists, watching a gunfight in the street with wide eyes. Deadwood does not take itself too seriously, and that is exactly why it works.
The Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon
Race morning begins with a bus ride. You load up and wind through the Black Hills as the sun comes up, and by the time you reach the starting line you have already seen scenery most people never experience. The course follows the Mickelson Trail through some of the most impossibly green landscape in the region, a point-to-point route that rolls through tunnels, over trestles, and past views that make you forget you are out there running a marathon.
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| A tunnel on the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon course |
Nathan ran all 26.2 miles with food poisoning from food back home. Alicia was at the finish line. He got there. It was state number 34 on the 50-state journey, and we will never forget it.
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| Nathan finishing state #34! |
For the episode we got the opportunity to sit down with race director, Emily to talk about what she has built around this event. Race weekend in 2026 is June 6 and 7. She is very excited (as are we) about The Wild West Legends Shakeout Hike on June 6, the day before the marathon. It is free and open to everyone. It sets the tone for the whole weekend with a guided hike and stories along the way of historical Deadwood figures. That same day you can also participate in the Spring Volksmarch at the Crazy Horse Memorial. It is only $4 to participate. The marathon has also earned Xterra Trail Run World Championship qualifying status, which brings in the trail running community from across the country.
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| Part of the marathon course toward the end! |
Emily has built something that goes well beyond the finish line, and it shows in every detail of the weekend experience. She strives to make this weekend not just about a race, but to make it a whole experience for runners and their family and friends. Put the race on your list if it isn’t yet!
Building the Ultimate Black Hills DINK Weekend
If you are planning a trip around this race or just exploring the Black Hills, here is how we would build the weekend now that we have done it:
• Stay at the K Bar S Lodge in Keystone for the Mount Rushmore experience, including the memorial lit up at night
• Walk the Presidential Trail early in the morning before the crowds arrive
• Drive into Deadwood and spend time downtown before race weekend begins
• Do the Volksmarch at Crazy Horse Memorial on Saturday morning (check the date if not walking in 2026)
• Join the free Wild West Legends Shakeout Hike the day before the marathon
• Have dinner at the Deadwood Social Club inside Saloon No. 10
• Run the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon and let the Black Hills do the rest
The flexibility that came from the derecho canceling our original plans is ultimately what led us to Deadwood. We said yes when the plan fell apart, and it gave us one of our favorite weekends of the entire 50-state journey.
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| On the bus to the starting line. It was sooo green! |
DINK Takeaways
This trip taught us a few things we come back to often. First, when something gets canceled or derailed, there is almost always something better waiting if you are willing to stay flexible. Second, kindness matters on the road. The people in Brookings who had no power and were dealing with a serious disaster were still patient and helpful. A special thank you to the My Place Hotel in Brookings for welcoming us without question the night the lights went out. That sticks with both of us. Third, say yes to the unexpected detour. Deadwood was not the plan. Deadwood became the story.
As a married DINK couple with the freedom to pivot, we are built for moments like this. No school schedules, no nap times, no complications beyond the two of us deciding what comes next. That is the gift of this life, and we do not take it for granted.
Places and Resources From This Episode
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
K Bar S Lodge: Keystone, SD
Powder House Restaurant: Keystone, SD
Hampton Inn Deadwood at Tin Lizzy Gaming Resort
Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon
Saloon No. 10 and Deadwood Social Club: Deadwood, SD
Xterra Trail Run World Championship
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| Nathan, Peppermint Patty, and Alicia |
Marrying Your Passions is hosted by Nathan and Alicia Adams, a married DINK (Dual Income, No Kids) couple who travel, run marathons, scuba dive, and eat their way through life together. Whether you are a DINK couple, empty nester, or anyone ready to adventure now, this podcast is for you. New episodes every other week. Subscribe, leave us a five-star review, and keep adventuring.
The Hampton Inn Deadwood at Tin Lizzy Gaming Resort was a great home base. The Mickelson Trail is the perfect place for a marathon. So, so beautiful! It was eerily quiet on the street of Brookings after the 2022 derecho. We loved learning about the memorial at the Mount Rushmore Visitor Center. Runners gathering at the start of the Deadwood Mickelson Marathon Alicia enjoying the beauty of Mount Rushmore. We of course had to find the Florida flag on the avenue of flags. We saw deer on property when we stayed at the K Bar S Lodge in Keystone You can see the Memorial from US-16 outside of the park.
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| Our pup, Ellie (and Chance, not pictured) loved walking the beautiful grounds at the K Bar S Lodge including this historic Black Hills railroad station. |
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| The Presidential Trail is a wonderful and beautiful way to explore and view Mount Rushmore. |
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| Nathan getting ready for state #34! |
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| Historical marker in Deadwood, SD |
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| Another great view on the bus ride to the start of the marathon. |
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| Nathan finishing strong |
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| Yet, another beautiful piece of nature that greets you on the marathon course. |
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| Alicia ran the Revel Rockies Half Marathon in Morrison, CO the day before Nathan ran the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon in SD. |
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| Welcome to Deadwood! |
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