Up North in Minnesota... eh

Out on the roads in the morning, the ride to the river. the water is clear and running fast through the woods. This is a nice 27 mile round trip ride, to the river and back. Sometimes we continue on around the lake, Whitefish Lake, for a good 37 mile ride.

This day, I was able to grab a lunch after the morning ride and get out on a true North Woods mountain bike ride in the afternoon. It is out to a remote lake, about 6 miles from the pavement, it is a rolling 4 mile pavement ride to the dirt. About 20 miles round trip. The challenge of this ride is not the distance, rather it is the swamps and mud. The beavers have dammed up the creeks that link the swamps together. It creates thigh deep, nearly waist deep, murky swamp water sometimes 30 yards long. I can ride most of the flooded trail, the unknown is the hidden rocks under the surface. The deep water over the ATV trail keeps this trail pretty much untraveled. Good Times!! Get back to the cabin and just jump in the lake.

Wyoming in May

The new helmet protecting the new face hardware.

The view from the cockpit of the Wyoming snowscape.

Natures art.

Sidehilling in the fresh pow, making my own trail.

Sled meets tree.

30 minutes later, sled is free and tree is slightly trimmed. That is why you should carry a shovel and folding wood saw.

A sweet 60 MPH wind.The snow was deep for May 2nd.

One of the local Wyoming guys I rode with on Saturday catching some air.

12,000 foot ridge.

With the Snowy Mountains in the mirror, I was heading home on Saturday, May 2, after riding all day. This was a good Wyoming sled adventure.

I left home Wed. night , sledded Thur., Fri. and Sat.. Got home Sun morning by noon, 2100 round trip miles later. In those 4 days in the mountains there was a blizzard that dumped about 18 - 22 inches of snow with winds up to 70 MPH. Good times!!

COLORADO

Made the decision today. Got to see the snow covered mountains once more this winter. Leave Wed., it's going to be snowing Thursday. This will be an exploratory trip. Get in quick and get out quick, be home Sunday night. Hit Wyoming Thursday and maybe Colorado Friday. See about Saturday, go with the flow. There is still up to 12 - 14 feet of snow up high.

Later

Adversity is Good

This is the difference a year can make. The big challenge of an injury is to maintain some form of fitness and repair. With the roof of my mouth broke and my teeth totally rattled, along with my jaw being broke. The fact is a soft food diet. A person can't take in enough calories. The body has to repair itself, but you are not as active. I lost about 15 pounds. Plus my energy level was down.

One of my intake of calories and nutrients was the protein drink and carbohydrate drink that Jeff and I use. Also the Power Bar gels. We use them for bike racing and I use them for my winter activities, snowboarding and snowmobiling.

The great thing about the energy drinks and Power Bar gels, is that they are full of the nutrients that a body needs for rebuilding and repair. I added some soups, yogurt and peanut butter. Also, beer can be a part of the liquid diet...ummm, beer.

I gained back some weight and have regained some of my fitness. I want to get on the bike here soon and get in better shape than I was.

Life can be like athletics. Adversity is a factor that can help the drive and one can learn from those experiences that are tough. Then keep in mind your larger goals that will help you maintain your cycle back. You just have to react along the way and adjust.

Mountain Cat

The Arctic Cat sold this week. It was a good sled, we had a great first year exploring the Snowy Mountain Range in Wyoming with the Cat and the 800 RMK. I had the Cat for 3 years, went out West 5 times each of the first 2 years, so we spent some good time out there.

The above pictures, were before the Minnesota Northshore hit. The below pictures, were with replacement parts, hood and seat.

There hasn't been any big adventures since February. With the face on the heal, it has been recovery time. I had 3 sledboarding (snowmobiling into the backcountry with the snowboards) trips planned in March and April. Had to put them on hold. I have never in my life, been injured for this length of time. Two months..."Knock on wood".

I want to keep up my fitness. Did some good hiking in the woods, swamps and hills of my youth. Several 3 - 4 hour outings, used the time to set up my GPS unit. With this extended Spring it was still snow and ice covered, here in Minnesota. I still have 5 weeks of vacation, so there will be trips and adventures to come. The snow will last for a couple more months out West and there is always mountain biking in the mountains and around here.

GOOD TIMES!! Keeps ona Snowing

The face is on the heal and I will be coming out of "retirement" for one last year at the plant. Time just keeps on, I missed 2 trips out to the mountains that I had planned. It was annoying but, this is the way it is. I'll get back out there. From what I have been reading, winter is going to last till June in some areas. You are hearing it from here, Global Cooling, I've got the gear for it. Maybe I should keep the Arctic Cat Mt. Sled. It might be worth alot more next winter.

Having this time off gave me a chance to see the grandkids in action.

Gota have a good backpack this snowy winter.

I saw this in a snowmobile add clip, they made the snowmobile disappear beneath the rider. J. is actually riding a bike next to Jr., I just made it disappear.

Have not even ridden it yet, pick it up soon. Going back to old school mountain biking for my flat-land swamp bike. The full-suspension bike will get some time off till the mountains.

Rigid fork, 9 speeds / 1 sprocket in front and 9 in rear, steel frame and 29" tires. Looks like a great mud bike. Back in the day that was the best part. On a rainy day, grab the bike and head for the woods. Get back, hang the bike from the front wheel and let the mud drip off and dry. It might be 40 degrees, but I would use the garden hose and spray down the dog and all my clothes with me in them. Everybody has done that a few times, I'm sure. Then before the next ride take a quick brush to the chain, brakes and derailleur, knock off the big chunks of dried mud. Squirt the moving parts with WD-4o and go do it again.

I'll never forget the time down by the Minnesota river, by Chaska, it was in 1984. The river had flooded and the backwater was running through the woods by the old railroad bridge. I started across with my dog, well by the time I was half way across, the dog and I were both swimming and I had ahold of the bike behind me. Well we made it across, but I remember taking a different way back. It was about 35 degrees that day, GOOD TIMES!! That wasn't the last time I had to cross backwater in that river bottoms.

Picture of the green Arctic Cat.

Transformed into the black Arctic Cat. This sled is for sale. It is a mountain sled with 144" track and 2" paddles. A 2004 / 600 cc, 114 HP machine. 1550 miles EFI. It is the extra snowmobile, we still have the 2 Polaris RMKs.

Spring Fling 08

Spring Fling 08