Minnesota Mountain Bike Racing / St. Croix Woolly Mountain Bike Race

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An early season sighting of Jeff Hall in the woods with a number plate zip tied to a mountain bike. It has been several year since Jeff and I have been at a Minnesota Mountain Bike race this early. The plan is to race the Minnesota races and contest some of the major midwest MTB events. The tent came out of storage and we're back on the MTB circuit.        

 Jeff's son Owen and I were the crew today, setting up the camp, handing up water bottles and snapping a few pictures. Owens' riding a Salsa Cycles bike, I've got a Surly Pugsley and Jeff is racing on a Foundry Tomahawk. Representing 3 of QBP's bicycle lines, the fat tire, 26"Salsa and Jeff riding on 27.5" wheels.

 Race conditions were dry, sunny and warm with temps in the 70s. The course was dry and fast with some flat sections out in the wind. Hollywood got the holeshot and led the elite field onto the singletrack. It broke down into a 3 man race at the front.

   Top 3 in the woods, mid-race.

 

 They have a good trail network in St Croix Valley, we were able to ride between sections of the race course. Owen putting the hammer down to keep up with the Pugsley.

 Jeff taking it home for 3rd place finish.

Good to go out for a cool down ride after the race. Good day on the bikes.

Ride On!!

Father Winter Blasts Into Minnesota / We Blast back on the Mountain Bikes

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The season of Father Winter...Game on!

 Timing was great, the snow started as I was driving to the trailhead and nobody out. Got a good 3 hour adventure ride in. These are the days I live for, adverse conditions and a means to explore. The Puglsey is awesome in these conditions. 

 The Beaver house is now surrounded with ice and the geese have moved to the river with what is left of open water.

 I'm always in awe of the massive trees in the river bottoms. The starkness of early winter and a new snowfall give the trees center stage.

 The Canada Geese are on the river for the last of open water. At sundown they congregate on the river after feeding in the fields out in the country.

As the darkness settles in I take a break and watch a couple of deer in the woods. I picked up the reflection of their eyes in my headlamps. It is good to be in the solitude of the woods, miles from my truck. The night is when ones world is pretty much closed to within the reach of my lights. 

Arriving back at the truck after a good bike adventure and enjoying the solitude of the river bottoms, I take in the sight of the last fragments of the early winter sundown over the river.

Good Ride!

  A Week Later More Snow and Temperatures Below 0 Degrees 

Hooking up with my son Jeff Hall on a brisk -5 degree afternoon with fresh snow and a packed singletrack trail along the Minnesota River. Me on my Surly Pugsley and Jeff on a Salsa 29er.

The trails were narrow and packed in so that Jeff was able to run along with the 2.5" tires, I'm running 4" fat tires.

Rode up close to these whitetails at sundown. Their dark winter coats blend in well with the trees.

Back at the truck after 2.5 hours in -5 degree temps. Another good adventure along the river.

Ride On!

Singletrack Mountain Biking One Year Later / Now 26"/4" Pugsley / Then 29"/2.2" Salsa / Both Good Times

 Above / November 25, 2013 / Surly

Below / November 29, 2012 / Salsa

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Best time to be in the woods on a mountain bike, the Fall and at sundown, into the darkness. I'm riding a new bike this Fall. A Surly Pugsley. A bit of change after becoming accustomed to my 29er.

 The good and different. The Salsa with 29 inch wheels and 2.2" tires are great for rolling over obstacles and carrying your speed.

The Surly Pugsley with 26 inch wheels and 4" tires have a much larger contact patch so I feel the trail. The actual diameter is more like a 27.5 because of the large tires. I feel like I can ride it more like my motorcycle, lean it over and let the knobs grab the trail.

 Above / November 25, 2013 / Surly
Below / November 29, 2012 / Salsa

 At sundown, I pulled off the trail and rigged up my light system.

A helmet light and 2 handlebar mounted lights. I set up the whole system that I had in my backpack. Changed batteries and mounted the helmet light, using zip ties to secure it to the helmet. Mounted the handlebar lights, had a quick snack and 20 minutes later, I'm on my way in the darkness.

 The top picture is with a flash on my camera, the bottom picture is the view I have with my light system.

As I am riding, I use the head lamp to look ahead and around turns. The handlebar mounted lights light up the trail right in front of the bike. That is why it is a good idea to have both systems in place off road where the trail is twisty and you need to see around the corner.

Ride On!!

KNOBBY

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Knobbies on the brain...

 

 Start em young...knobby.

Timber Wolf / Mountain Biking Adventure

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A good day to be in the woods. With all the rain the past week it made for my kind of Fall riding adventure, mud and water. I like having a day off on the mid week days, it is quiet and I have the woods to myself for the most part. Was up in an area about 50 miles northwest of Lake Mille Lacs. I was traveling stealth in the woods this week, mountain bike and on foot.

The past 4 weeks have been exciting getting back on an enduro motorcycle, the 400 Suzuki DRZ. I am able to cover many miles in a single day. Traveling on-road to an area and exploring off-road, then moving to another area.

I always check out the mud holes and soft sand for signs of animals that have been in the area. In 2 trips to this area I had seen signs of wolves and 1 set of tracks that I believe were a Bobcat. My objective this trip was to catch sight of a wolf... 

Hunting the Timber Wolf...

Logging roads turned into swamp roads as I rode deeper into the forest. I was now into the area that I had observed the 3 sets of wolf tracks 2 weeks earlier. Since that time the area had received rain, the trails were flooded and I felt in my element.

I had traveled several miles to get this deep into the forest, keeping my senses keen on my surroundings. Checking all the mud holes as I pedaled through and around them for tracks or signs of wildlife.

I pulled off the trail to eat a snack bar and hydrate. I was hunckered down behind some bushes and I sensed some movement down the trail. It was surreal...I watched in amazement as a wolf sauntered down the trail towards me. Unaware that I was there, the wolf slowed and turned broadside to me and I saw the distinct shape of it. Long legs, a large head and the bushy tail. I slowly unhooked my camera and waited. The wolf turned and headed towards me still unaware. Then it froze, lowered it's head and stared in my direction. I knew I had been had...With just a instant I snapped a picture hoping that I had captured an image. Then the creature disappeared into the thick woods. I was pumped, not knowing where the wolf would go to, I stayed as quiet and still as I could for the next 40 minutes. Thinking that maybe I could catch another glimpse of that wolf or maybe another one. Then I moved forward to check for the tracks in the mud.   

The fresh tracks from wolf were exciting to observe, knowing that I had accomplished what I had set out to do...shoot a wolf in the wild with my camera.

Goal accomplished!!

 A break in the deep woods to grab a snack and soak in the late afternoon before the ride out.

 It is great to be out in the forest during the Fall, listening and observing wildlife and gettin' down and muddy.

Good Times!!

Me and my shadow livin' life.

Dang, it was a good day on the mud bike...earned a cold one today.

Later...Ride On.