2 Wheel Adventures the Week of the 4th / Fat Tire Surly or Fat Tire BMW

 CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

Good mountain bike riding on the Murphy trails. These are the trails you can ride all afternoon and get back to the truck and savor the ride. Eat a sandwich and take your time packing up. A good way to spend a day of my weekend.

 The more I ride the Pugsley, the more I enjoy the fat tires. Kinda like riding the Suzuki 400 with the big knobbies.

Riding the BMW 1200 GS on Northern Minnesota Backroads

 So much rain this season. Everything is extra green and growing. Even the beaver house is sporting a green mossy looking roof. The swamps and Beaver dammed flowages are right up to the edges of the roads or in some cases, flowing over the dirt roads.  

 Got back on some remote dirt roads in northern Minnesota and caught a glimpse of tracks. Cranked the big BMW over and backtracked to the tracks and found some good prints of a large Timber wolf track alongside a set of whitetail deer tracks...I set my x-large glove along side the tracks. These are a good size set of wolf tracks.

 The foliage along the dirt road is tall and thick. Saw this deer alongside the road and was able to capture it before it disappeared into the woods.

Just me and the deer flys along this stretch of backroad...sipping on a Rockstar energy drink and eating a Cliff Bar...

Good Times!

The Beemer and I packed up for the road. Temps were in the 80s, bought a new pair of Olympia riding pants. they are vented with good protection, padded knees and tough http://olympiamotosports.com/catalog/mens-airglide-3-mesh-tech-overpant-2/ . These pants are a real addition to my gear for adventure motorcycling.

Riding along Mille Lacs Lake, staying ahead of my shadow...

Timber Wolf / Mountain Biking Adventure

 CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

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.

Wolves in the Woods / Breaking Trail with the Suzuki DRZ400

 CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

Day 1

Arrive up north with a clean freshly lubed motorcycle and truck...

 Gotta love a good knobby.

 The exploring this trip got into some remote and overgrown trails. By the end of the summer on the untraveled trails, the foliage covers the trail leaving a faint path to navigate through.

 By exploring the path least taken, one is treated to sights such as this remote pond. As I crept up to the opening I noticed a pair of Wood Ducks on the far shore, it's great to be out observing nature. 

 This is a set of tracks that I believe are wolf tracks. Large and traveling in a straight line down one of the logging roads. I followed the tracks for over a mile down the trail before they cut into the woods. 

 Day one was a good riding and woods experience. Exploring new areas, seeing the signs of wildlife and gettin' dirty.

Topping the end of the day off with a good supper at a local bar and grill with Weezer was good stuff.

Day 2

Day 2 started out rolling down some logging roads and opening up the 400 a bit.

I turned off on a smaller narrow trail and came upon some more, what I believe were 3 sets of wolf tracks. The tracks appeared to be fairly fresh.

As I travel down the trails I keep an eye out for any signs of tracks in the mud. This day I was several miles west of the riding on day 1. I have heard that wolves have moved into this general region. It would be exciting to have a wolf sighting this fall.

The Suzuki in it's element...blending into the foliage.

As I headed farther north, I came upon a pond that a beaver family had dammed up. Along the dam I observed a fresh set of bear tracks in the mud. It's great to be able to ride into these remote areas and be close to the wildlife and know that I may get a sighting of some elusive critter.  

In this picture I am standing on the beaver dam which is about 5 feet high and in the corner of the pond I could see the massive beaver house.

Exploring is my passion and the 400 Suzuki is a great means of backcountry travel!

Meanwhile back at the cabin awaits an ice cold Montana beer, "Moose Drool" to refresh after a day in the saddle.

Good Times!!