Images from my Minnesota 7 Day Remote Winter Camping Trip / Four Wheel Camper / Part 2

Met da local loggers this morning… ha! 

That’s why the road is plowed out so good.

All good, they are currently cutting logs for a log home up towards Walker. 

They couldn’t get their tire chains on… well I happened to have an add-a-chain link in my truck so I helped them get the chain on the tire.

I befriended a logger, had some extra individual chain links, I gave them to him to help mount the chains on their semis. He told me about an area they just finished cutting. The logs are for a log home building company in Walker. It's about 4 miles off the pavement, they basically cut a new road, so it is remote. 

Ice fishing village out on a lake in the area. Good times driving the ATV out on the ice.

Big time logging tractor to access the remote timber the loggers were cutting for the log homes.

Safe travels and good adventures to you’all. 

Heading to Montana for some good mountain snowboarding.

Ride on!
 

Bear Country / Four Wheel Camper Dispersed Camping

It was a good adventure week across northern Minnesota.

Started with me working at a mountain bike race the first 2 days, Saturday & Sunday in Detroit Lakes. Then dispersed camping about 100 miles to the east in a couple different locations over the next 3 days and nights. So it was a bit of mountain biking and driving the RZR. 

Arrived at the mountain bike race site about 11:00pm. Popped up the Four Wheel Camper and unloaded the bike, mounted up the headlight and headed into the woods for a single track night ride. Kinda a traditional night ride before race day, I’m not racing, but it goes back to the Jeff Hall racing. It has been something I’ve been doing for about the past 26 years... haha! I always make it back to the truck.

Minnesota Mountain Bike Race Series site at Detroit Lakes.

Traveled east across the state after the race on Sunday. Decided on a forest road that I was familiar with, about 1 1/2 miles off pavement. Woke up to this setting. Birds chirping and a sunny day. Needless to say, there was an abundance of mosquitoes, deer flys and ticks. Long sleeves, long pants and balaclava on neck and head.

Took a day in small town to bike around and get a shower at a local campground. Grab a good lunch.

After a day in town, headed into the forest again later that night for a couple days.

Drive the RZR out of camp the next day. Headed north into pretty remote section of forest about 12 miles from any towns. These are a set of fresh bear tracks. For comparison I placed my boot next to track. Pretty good sized bear. Hung out in the area for about 45 minutes to see if he would pop out of the forest. Didn’t see him. 

A small remote lake was a welcome stop off a side trail on this 92 degree day. After throwing water over my head, I rinsed out my balaclavas and they cooled me down.

Bonus time! I pushed a bit further on this adventure and stumbled on this small town bar/grill, jeez the ac felt good and I ordered a burger and fries. Good stuff!

Like I’ve said in the past, the mud holes tell a story. It’s interesting that there is a fresh set of wolf tracks and a set of bear cub tracks in this mud hole... Needless to say I quickly checked around to make sure Mama bear wasn’t in the vicinity.

Back at camp for one more night of camping before heading back to the Farm Base Camp in southern Minnesota, 185 miles south.

Ride on!
 

Rolling the RZR / Camp Cooking / Fitness Program / Northern Minnesota Camp

First big day/night out in the RZR from my base camp in farm country.

The whole motorsports fleet out in the sunshine at base camp.

Good Spring weather, cooking up some eggs, gonna be using the outdoor Coleman stove.

Breakfast 

A late night cruise on country roads, found a good route into town using gravel and pavement county roads. Joined Anytime Fitness, seems as though it’s gonna be a good fit for my lifestyle. Get in a workout and a shower after.

Eyes on ya...

Keep it simple and get in a good workout.

Gotta fuel the passion... 

Got away for a 4 day camping trip up northern Minnesota. Mountain bike riding and getting some chores done. Was able to get some laundry done and capped off the last night with a 3 mile trip down to a bar/grill on the lake.

Last breakfast in north camp before heading out. 

Ride on!
 

Snowshoes and Fat Bike / Morning after Storm

Mid January / Mid Winters Fat Bike Ride

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With it snowing the evening before, gotta ride in the morning...

 Snowing the night before, chance to get some fresh trail snow on the fat bike.

 Outta bed at 4:15am to get on my Fat bike by 6:00am. Gives me an hour and a half of dark to start the day on the bike. Right away I was riding on the fresh coyote tracks, looked like a pair of them traveling the trail.

 It was a crisp 14 degrees with the fresh snow. The moon was still up in the western sky.

This ride , I was experimenting with a lighter weight head lamp setup mounted on the bike. The light I was using this morning was a "NightRider Lumina 900". There was plenty of light, I used the third highest setting @ 700 Luminas. I used it for 1.25 hours and still had a strong light. On night rides that will be longer, over 2 hours. I use a "NightRider Pro 1200. The 1200 has a separate battery pack that fits in my water bottle cage. The separate battery gives a longer and more powerful burn time. These lights are rechargeable. I like the idea of the lighter 900 light for this type of ride where I am riding into daylight.   

 Sunrise and the coldest part of this day. Stopped for a break in the woods to hydrate and snack on a Cliff Bar. Another stop on the River bank to capture the sunrise.

 Wasn't ready to wrap it up after 3 hours, so headed out on another loop along a swamp. The trees, both standing and laying on the ground never cease to amaze me by their size and, almost artistic shapes... Almost 4 hours in the woods along the Minnesota River. From the dark transitioning into the daylight. A very good day on the fat bike.

Ride on!

Jeff Hall / LAMERE Cycles

Winter Boondocking Day / Fat Bike

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 Good winter day to dink around the swamp. Saw a prehistoric tree that has seen more water then a whale. The fat bike decided to hop up and throw out a couple poses, dang poser... Haha! 

The past summer this was all under water with the flood waters engulfing the river bottoms. This tree has all it's bark scoured off. Natures art forms are created over years of just hanging around. Could be 2 years, could be 100 years. Been wandering the Minnesota River bottoms for 47 years, give or take. Amazing that I can be within 20-40 miles from a huge metropolitan city and be standing by a tree listening to nature, oh and maybe a train or a few planes overhead. Bottom line is that ya make an adventure outta what ya got in front of ya.  

 The River Royalty keepin' an eye on me as I ride past on the swamp ice. They be thinking that if I slip and fall, lay there. Then they've got a fresh carcass... well I disappointed them because I'm running a good set of studded tires.  

 Ducking down into a creek bed, catching the sundown.

Ride on!