Maah Daah Hey the lazy way

[ryno lite]

I'm just posting this up to see if there would be any interest. I've always wanted to do the Maah Daah Hey with Dakota Cyclery hauling a trailer with the groups gear, food, etc. from camping site to camping site. I know it's the lazy way, but sounds like fun. To make it affordable you want a group of between 6-10 people. The price is $600 for two people and $75 for each additional person up to 10.

6 people= $150 per rider
8 people= $132 per rider
10 people= $120 per rider.

Anyway, you throw all your gear, coolers, whatever else you need in their trailer and they drive you to the trailhead and for each of three nights you roll into the campsite and the trailer is there waiting for you. That way you could ride light and have some camp luxuries.

If there is interest, I would love to do it. For something as expensive as this, I'd need people to commit to it by putting the money down in advance. I don't think the price is so bad for what you get. I am pretty flexible to when I could go, but I'd prefer to miss the heat of summer if possible. Post up if you're interested!

[waitabit]

So the $600 is for just 2 people and the other prices is for one day, or for each day?

[Oddbjorn]

Depending on when, I might be up for this.

:kiss:

[ryno lite]

So the $600 is for just 2 people and the other prices is for one day, or for each day?

The $600 is for two people and you add another $75 for each person in the group (this is for the full trip - 4 days, three nights). The more people you get, the cheaper the package is per person. Ten people is the max. This is a four day, three night deal. So they drop you off the first day and take your gear and move it to the next campsite. They do this for a total of three nights and the last day takes you to Medora where your vehicles are parked. It's about 100 miles in four days. The three campsites are evenly distributed along the way. They are simple sites, but have a pump for water. The outfitters move the trailer and it's locked and they give you a key. You get there and set up camp, in the morning you break camp and throw all your crap in the trailer and lock it up and they pick it up and move it to the next site. Sorry, I was a bit vague, just trying to gage interest.

My prices listed in the first post are the individual price for that group size for the whole trip. So if we had 10 people, we would all pay $120 for the whole trip. This can change a little for gas prices and if the river is too high for the outfitter to cross (which is unusual) making them travel much further to cross the river to deliver your trailer. I've hiked and backpacked quite a bit out in the badlands out there and have done day rides. I'd love to ride the whole trail.

[waitabit]

Thanx Ryan, keep me updated, Im up for this for sure.

[bakkeb]

Depending on the date I might be up for this as well.:etard:

[bikeoutback]

Depending on dates and if I can get the time off I'd be interested.

[Fast1]

What is the milage and elevation changes between each camp site?

Also are there any good water sources between camp sites?

[ryno lite]

I'll get the mileage/elevation info and link it here. There are no safe water sources between the campsites. You cross the Little Missouri, but that is considered unsafe even after filtration.

[KleinCrazy]

... There are no safe water sources between the campsites....

Oh come on Ryan....

drinking out of the cattle troughs is perfectly safe....

[ryno lite]

Oh come on Ryan....

drinking out of the cattle troughs is perfectly safe....

I actually wonder what the heck we put into the water to make a whole river way out in the boonies unsafe even with filtration. It's pretty sad!

[bakkeb]

I just saw the post with the vid. of Maah Daah Hey. It looks like it would be fun. Now we just need a whole bunch of riders to make it really cheap.:etard:

[jitterjepp]

Oh come on Ryan....

drinking out of the cattle troughs is perfectly safe....Oh, now with the mocking...:)

[Arlyn Aronson]

We've done this wonderful trail twice and plan to do it again this fall for likely our last time. Following is a few pointers we've picked up from our past adventures out there. If it's warm out, like 80 or more we couldn't possibly carry enough water to get us to the nest CG without using water tanks or having the sag meet us at a road crossing. (We did try!) The little Missouri water is so muddy I believe it simply plugs filters. The cattle tanks may be safe (we didn’t get ill) but even if it's filtered it tasted sooooo bad you might puke anyway. With that experience we'll now have sags meet us at a crossing least if the weather is warm but it's nice to grab a bite to eat from them anyway. We've attempted to skip CG's but found the trail was so demanded that after 30+ miles with over 3000ft of climbing the fun was gone and we sagged the remainder. After that we simply rode CG to campground and did all the side trails which kept it fun rather than a death march. Whatever the case its s super, super nice trail to see. If you care to see some of the photos our group took during past MDH rides go to http://tinyurl.com/yedwox To see just Maah Daay Hey photos install that into the seach engine there

Good luck Arlyn Aronson

[jitterjepp]

We've done this wonderful trail twice and plan to do it again this fall for likely our last time. Following is a few pointers we've picked up from our past adventures out there. If it's warm out, like 80 or more we couldn't possibly carry enough water to get us to the nest CG without using water tanks or having the sag meet us at a road crossing. (We did try!) The little Missouri water is so muddy I believe it simply plugs filters. The cattle tanks may be safe (we didn’t get ill) but even if it's filtered it tasted sooooo bad you might puke anyway. With that experience we'll now have sags meet us at a crossing least if the weather is warm but it's nice to grab a bite to eat from them anyway. We've attempted to skip CG's but found the trail was so demanded that after 30+ miles with over 3000ft of climbing the fun was gone and we sagged the remainder. After that we simply rode CG to campground and did all the side trails which kept it fun rather than a death march. Whatever the case its s super, super nice trail to see. If you care to see some of the photos our group took during past MDH rides go to http://tinyurl.com/yedwox To see just Maah Daay Hey photos install that into the seach engine there

Good luck Arlyn Aronson I've been a bit reluctant to post this because I don't want to hijack the thread and I don't think there is anything wrong with sagwag trips. (and the price for the support in this post sounds very good!!)
But...
It would really suck if some person who couldn't afford sagwag support read your post and determined that it was not possible to do this ride without sagwag support. This ride is completely doable without sagwag support.
Even if its 100 degrees you can carry enough water to get between campgrounds. I carried 370 some oz. of water on a 107 mile trip in the desert that had absolutely no rivers to cross, no cattle trofts and no campgrounds or water pumps and it was over 100 degrees and I finished with a full water bottle and a bit more. The furthest distance between campgrounds is about 22 miles and you cross a river (water) on that section.

If you properly plan you can and will have enough water to last between campgrounds and thousands of people have accomplished this.

The water in the cattle trofts can be filtered and it shouldn't taste so bad you want to puke. Right now they have $70 iodine and charcoal filtering systems that a person could filter water from a cesspool and hardly know the difference. The cattle are drinking from the troft they are not peeing or defecating in them. After running it through an iodine and charcoal filter it should be just as good as Minneapolis tap water. I don’t know what kind of filter you have but if the water made you want to puke after filtering it there is something seriously wrong with your filter and you need to have that looked at.

The water in the Missouri river is NOT too muddy to filter and it's not going to immediately plug up your filter. Even if it did because you jammed the filter into the sand at on the bottom of the river for the majority of filters you can screw out the actual filter from the unit and just rinse off the silt and then screw it back in. The things are made to be plugged. It's their job. That’s why they sell replacement filters. That river is no worse for filtering than any of the many iron rich lakes and creeks in the BWCA that hundreds of thousands of people have filtered water from or the glacial slit streams in the mountains that millions of hikers, climbers and campers filter water out of every year.


Two of the biggest obstacles in adventure sports and people getting into them is people not believing they can actually do something or not believing that it is within their reach. That could be through not being able to afford the sagwag support and thinking because others tell you who have been there a few times that you can't do it without the support.
Many many people are already quite nervous about being ok on trips like that. Saying you can't possibly carry enough water is untrue and makes it seem impossible for some people.
This can be done and the last time I was out there it was over 100 degrees and we didn't have support and two of the people I was with had snowshoed the thing a few winters before without support.

This is the Maah Daah Hey and the water stops...
North to south -

CCC Campground - Bennett Creek Camp~ 20 miles (Water Pump)
Bennett Creek Camp - Magpie Camp ~ 20 miles (Water Pump)
Magpie Camp - Elkhorn Camp ~ 22 miles (Water Pump you also cross the little Missouri river at about 11 miles south of Magpie. You can filter water there or if you want to take a risk you can just use iodine tabs)
Elkhorn Camp -Wannagan Camp ~ 20 miles (Water Pump)
Wannagan Camp - Cottonwood Camp ~10 miles (Water Pump)
Cottonwood Campground - Town of Medora ~ 7 miles (water, beer, gas, lodging, beer, shuttles, beer)

I'm not dissing sagwag trips. I kind of like the idea of food and beer wagon following along and not having to carry everything. It would be nice to have burgers and salty chips and beer after a days ride rather than more of the same old trail mix and GU. It would also be cool to have water at some of the road crossings so I only had to carry two water bottles or a camel back. I also like solo and unsupported group trips too.

Again I'm not dissing sagwag trips. I just don't like it when people make it seem like people can't do things that are well within their reach and discourage them from trying.

[ryno lite]

For some reason, I actually would like to do it with a trailer pulled by an outfitter and one day I'd like to go unsupported with a BOB trailer. I think both would be neat in a different way!

[ryno lite]

I agree with you Shawn. I think people need to know what they are getting into and be well prepared, but people shouldn't be scared to try. If you are well prepared a thing like the Maah Daah Hey is possible. I'd hate to see people become scared of trying something like this. That being said, I like going backcountry with people who have some backcountry experience, have good gear, and are not afraid to use their common sense. I've Backpacked all over the western deserts and mountains and have experienced temps from 10 to 100 and been in many areas with no water and have had no issues. My groups have always had a good time because we were always prepared. I wouldn't take the Maah Daah Hey lightly becaue I know it's a huge challenge, but if you take it seriously it can be done safely and a lot of fun can be had!

[c'dale600dsc]

I've heard a lot of good things about MDH, I am interested in doing this supported epic ride. For several people the price is reasonable. Have you set a definite date for this. If the date is right, I may have to arrange for my leave. Coming north of I 35 will be a longer drive for me. I have a 4 runner and a yakima powder horn good for 5 bikes. I'd be willing to carpool and share the gas (considering the price). PM me if ever.
JD

[Specialeded]

Just ride it all in one day....:eyeroll:

Not like it has never been done.

[ryno lite]

I've heard a lot of good things about MDH, I am interested in doing this supported epic ride. For several people the price is reasonable. Have you set a definite date for this. If the date is right, I may have to arrange for my leave. Coming north of I 35 will be a longer drive for me. I have a 4 runner and a yakima powder horn good for 5 bikes. I'd be willing to carpool and share the gas (considering the price). PM me if ever.
JD

Haven't made a date yet. Just gaging interest. I'll throw some dates out there one of these days.

[davideo]

i'd be up for it in august. i'm trying to plan an unsupported trip but.... anyway, a group of four or five sounds good. one way or another i'll be out there riding in august. email: davideoz66@yahoo.com

[davideo]

What is the milage and elevation changes between each camp site?

Also are there any good water sources between camp sites?

lowest pt to highest: around 600 ft
forest service trail map has a graphic showing elevation for the entire trail.
there is water between camps. there are artesian wells used to fill tanks for cattle. this is clean potable water. it's well water, it's just not tested on a regular basis so the forest service can't tell you to drink it. fill your bottles or bags straight from the pipe. river and creek water is nasty cuz it's shallow warm water full of cow poop. i never carry a filter, just a few iodine tabs in case of an emergency. city dudes are so scared of wilderness....

[Trevize1138]

Oh come on Ryan....

drinking out of the cattle troughs is perfectly safe....

We did it. :) Pack a filter and there's plenty of water.

Ryan,

I'd love to do this with ya, bud. But, my schedule this summer just got a whole lot more mysterious. I haven't been back to do an epic MDH ride for a few years now. Gonna have to get on that again!

As for the "just ride the whole thing in a day" comment, the idea here is to get new riders to try out the trail without feeling intimidated. You don't say to someone interested in mountaineering to start out climbing Everest, do ya?

[Lezgo Cycling]

As it seems to have been said before... depending on dates I would be up for this. I get my new bike in the next 2 weeks so a little riding around here then a long trip sounds great.

[THUMP!]

I was just looking at this supported trip earlier today and would definitely be up for it. I personally would prefer May or September to avoid the heat but would think about any date. Lemme know!

[OvertheBars]

Hey Everyone, My brother and I were just talking about this ride. We had 4 guys interested but due to family issues they can't make it now, so it's just myself and my brother. If we could get a small group of people to make the trek that would be great. We've thought about it unsupported, but are leaning toward supported. The dates that we are stuck to are 6/29-7/3, thats all I have for time off. We initially thought about a 4 day get away, 1 day getting out there, just riding for 2 days, get as far as we can, and 1 day back to MN.
Interested? Ideas? Thoughts?

Mark

[davideo]

jitterjep speaks the truth....and there is clean safe water between camps....it comes out of pipes that humans stuck in the ground....put your bottle under the pipe and fill it from the pipe, not the tank. These are flowing wells, god made the water, man stuck a pipe in the ground. It's called "well water"! The deal is that the forest service doesn't test this water so they can't gaurentee it and they can't gaurentee a given well is flowing. They can slow to a trickle or even dry up. Ask people when your out there if there are any artesian wells not flowing. Dakota Cyclery knows what's going on regarding the trail. Also, alot of this has to do with liability, so the only water people talk about is the wells at the camps. These springs (artesian wells) are marked on the forest service maps. You have to use common sense, carry alot of water, carry water assuming a spring might be dry, but don't be afraid to drink it if it's flowing clear. Don't drink creek or river water, it's got cow poop in it. Even if you had to drink from a livestock tank, so what, most of them have a continual flow of water going through them, algae isn't going to hurt you. Algae's a good sign. Also, bring a few iodine tabs and/or a good filter, just in case of a real emergency where you would have to drink creek/river water. Anyway, I was just out there, it's green, the river is up, they've had above average rainfall. So I'm guessing the springs will be flowing all summer. Lots of summer flowers starting to bloom. Use common sense!!

[Trevize1138]

Ryan,

I'm starting to think I might want to join up for this myself. Talk me into it. :) After my trip out West with my wife and opting for the Subaru with A/C instead of the old VW Bus I'm itching to take the bus out for a trip like this sometime this season and before my daughter arrives.