Another Sunday of fun.

Had my second Sunday Funday Fatbike ride yesterday, it was good fun. Only two other people showed up, but that is okay. We rode around the river bottoms, goofed off, and crossed the river. It got colder the more we were out there. By the end we were ready to head back, but it was still a lot of fun.

I will be holding these every Sunday and anyone is welcome. Fat bikes are recommended but the gal that came yesterday did it on a single speed 26 inch wheel mountain bike, so if you're hardcore it can be done. The trail is pretty hard pack now, lots of tracks though looking out my window it seems there is quite a bit of fresh snow, so choose your bike wisely.

We meet up at the Midtown Freewheel at 9:30ish in the morning and we roll out at 10. The idea is that we take the train to American Blvd and then ride back. If people want to ride out and back I am cool with that, it is a pretty democratic group ride.

You can find the details here.

Now for some photos.

Joe gives the thumbs up for fun.

So happy she had to close her eyes.

I've never seen this sign until yesterday.

Smiles and closed eyes again.

Joe couldn't handle the hill.

Crossing the river!

Climbing out of the river by 494 after crossing both rivers.

Overnight at the wreck.

Last night I went camping with Death Rider at the wreck. The wreck is an old abandoned car that has been turned into a fort of sorts. It is pretty awesome, let me tell you.

We set out on a short but really nice ride. The conditions were perfect. We rode some, pushed some, carried our bikes some, and descended a super slippery treacherous hill. Eventually we reached our destination.

We set up shop and got the wood stove going. It got nice and toasty in the car, it was quite the deal. We made and ate some dinner and then sat around trading stories and sharing a few laughs. It was closing in on midnight before we called it a day.

The wreck was certainly big enough for a couple people to hang out in, but not for them to sleep in. I slept just outside the car, which kind of sucked. Not so much because it was colder outside, but because the whole area was in a ravine and no matter where you went, it was sloped. Josh didn't have much luck with that aspect either.

I woke up a few times through the night because my feet had slid off the sleeping pad inside the bivy sack and started getting cold. Other than the feet the only other problem was my breath was freezing on the inside of the bivy, causing frost that melted when I breathed again and thus making my sleeping bag wet. Luckily I brought a really warm one so I never ended up getting wet.

Morning came and I was ready to get up. Josh got the fire going right off the bat and I hauled ass inside and we made and ate breakfast. We let the food sit for a bit then packed up and headed out. My gear set up was freaking ridiculous. I need to refine my system big time, but that is why we do this, to learn. It took me an extra 10 minutes or so to pack up than it took Josh.

We took off and rode for a bit before we got back to the river bottoms and rode across the swamp by 494, it was super fun. We came across some snow geese or trumpeter swans that were going ham! They were honking like it was rush hour traffic in a movie.
Eventually we made it back to our vehicles which did not get towed, that earned a big sigh of relief. After a fist bump and a handshake we parted ways and the adventure came to a close.

I had a ton of fun and learned quite a bit for my first winter bike camping trip. I can't wait to do some more!

Turning snow into water with my klean kanteen!

Gnarly deer skull.

Fully. Loaded.

Josh on the tracks.

Riding on the swamp.

Frozen river bottoms.

Winter Bike Expo 2013.

Well, it happened. The third winter bike expo came and went and... it was AWESOME!

First of all, mother nature dealt us a helping hand of snow well before the day of the expo. Then, we had one of the largest stocks of fat bikes in the Midwest. We had a ton of winter gear to look at and try on and sales. Every fat bike manufacturer we sell was there representing their bikes. To top it off we had some truly inspiring folks come and talking about their adventures all over the world. Even with the -15 degree weather we had a HUGE turn out.

I showed up to the expo at about 9:30 in the morning. About an hour and a half after it opened. There were already a lot of people outside riding our test fat bikes. I was expecting to walk in and it would be pretty sparse, but I was wrong. The place was already hopping, people looking at all the bikes, clothes, drinking coffee from the cafe, or just standing around chatting. I made my way to the service shop to drop some of my stuff so I could wander around and they were all hard at work trying to put studded tires on bikes. There was about two bikes per mechanic at this point. I couldn't believe it.

I got myself situated with a hot cup of coffee and my camera and started meandering around. I already was seeing a lot of familiar faces. I made my rounds stopping by the Surly tent, the Salsa tent, the Trek tent, the 45Nrth tent, the Borealis tent, and the Lazer helmet tent. By the time I did that I hit the test ride station to check out how that was going. Most of the bikes were already out on the course. It would stay this way for the majority of the day. At any given time we had almost 35 fat bikes being test ridden out on our course. It was amazing. I decided to talk to some of these folks as they were coming in, so I headed outside.

I started talking to a few folks who were out on test rides. Everyone was telling me how much fun it was. I remember riding a fat bike for the first time, I remember the impression it left with me. I walked out to the course and watched people ride for a while and I started to notice something. Everyone, at least of the faces that weren't covered by a balaclava, had smiles on their faces. Here it is, 15 below 0, and people were having a riot on these bikes. It was very gratifying. That is the exact reason I love this job.

I went back inside to go check out what else was going on and it was about that time that my general manager asked if I could clock in and start working, it had gotten pretty busy. I punched in and went out on the sales floor and started talking to folks. Most folks were looking for new gloves or mittens, which was totally understandable. As a person who spends way too much money on bike stuff, I feel comfortable recommending things to people because I have field tested a good number of the products we sell in varying conditions. I buy all that crap for two reasons. One because I am looking for the right gear for myself, second and most important to me I want to believe in the stuff I am selling.

The new HED carbon tubeless fat bike wheels were being sold left and right. They really are a sight to see. We have them at all the locations, even if you are not planning on buying a set or don't even own a fat bike, you should check them out. One rim laced to a rear hub is lighter than the lightest front wheel I own, it is mind blowing. Same with the Borealis bikes, they are nutso. A 21 pound fat bike, wheter that is your thing or not, is pretty awesome.

Salsa made a bunch of updates to their Mukluk line this year and the Beargrease went carbon. People were really happy and impressed with them and the Salsa fellas, Brian and Benton really came through for us.

Surly is Surly and still makes rad durable bikes that are fun to ride. They use economical build packages and you will always have a smile on your face when you ride one. There is not much else to say about that.

I met a couple of super fun ladies who were at the expo riding fat bikes together. After the giant smiles wore off, they sat down and made a list of pros and cons and were weighing out the options of what they would need. They loved the bikes and are super into cycling but they just couldn't bring themselves to pull the trigger. They hung out for quite a bit and we talked off and on and they took off bikeless.

Sister Species had started playing and they were also a lot of fun. They were smiling and having a good time doing their thing and it showed because people were gathering around and listening and smiling and having a good time.

I personally did not have the time or opportunity to sit through any of the presentations, but it was my understanding that everyone killed it. A big thanks to all of those people who presented and shared their passions with everyone.

The race started about 6 PM. I was already intoxicated as it had been a long day and suddenly there was a couple cases of beer for us. I partook after not eating all day. It all went downhill from there.

The race was fun to watch/heckle. Adam Froeming ending up winning with his little purple Pugsley with a rack and trunk bag on it. Hilarious. Everyone was having a good time and then we moved inside for the awards and door prizes.

After that took place it was just a big ol' party. Everyone was partaking and things got a little out of hand. I don't remember when we actually closed it down, but I remember having a couple regrets the next morning.

After breakfast I headed back to the expo and sure enough, it was snowing and there were still a ton of people there! Not as many as Saturday, but it certainly was enough. I got on the clock immediately and started walking around talking to folks and helping them out with gear.

I saw a lot of faces from the day before, people were coming back on Sunday to buy stuff it seemed. Even my new friends who I had talked to multiple times the day before came back. They bought a Mukluk 2 and a Mukluk 3 and outfitted them with all the goodies. They were super stoked and all smiles. I hope to see them on my Sunday Funday Fat bike ride.

All in all it turned out to be quite the spectacle. It was a bit of a zoo, but it was a ton of fun and from what I could see everyone else was having a good time too. We strive every year to make it bigger and better than the year before. I think we succeeded this year as well.

If you have never been to the winter bike expo before, even if winter cycling is not your thing, I recommend you come next time. If I had to sum up the wbe in a sentence it would be this: The winter bike expo is a place where your friends and the friends you don't even know yet, congregate to see what other people are doing and share their passion for cycling.

I saw a lot of friends I knew and made a bunch of new friends this year, as I did last year. Spirits were high and good times were had. To all those that made it out, I thank you. To those who didn't, I hope to see you next year.

Lots of bikes going out the door.

Jess, Jon, and Ben talk about fat stuff.

Sister Species

Sister Species

The awards!

One man after party.

Bear hugs for my general manager.

Dreams can come true

Unless you live under a rock, you probably noticed the copious amounts of snow that fell from the sky recently. You probably also noticed that it is really freaking cold. Perfect riding conditions.

Earlier today a couple of buddies from the shop and I went to the river bottoms for an early morning romp. It was pretty cold, however we were making first tracks so it was a lot of work and kept us pretty dang warm. We didn't go too far because it was pretty slow going.

Eventually we stopped and had a little bonfire and and drank coffee and schnapps and watched the sunrise, it was so cold that there were sun dogs! We goofed around and made a couple videos for our winter bike expo and then headed back to the train and went into work.

Rides like this remind me why I love bikes. A great ride with awesome friends helps make a foundation for a rad day.

Riding in.

Getting that fire going.

Toasty feet.

Sunrise with dogs, you can't see them too well but they are there.

Obligatory ice beard shot.

Turkey Day

I just wanted to say that I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving! I think I'm going to start the day with some single track and then pig out with the family. Afterwards, getting tipsy with the friends. Then camping for the weekend. What are you doing with your time off?

Sunday funday and other adventures

Yesterday saw the coming and going of the first of many Sunday funday fatbike rides. All things considered I think it was a success. Only 4 people showed up, but with the weather and it being the first ride, I think it went well. We had an age gap of about 50 years and everyone was laughing and smiling, you can never lose with those kind of results. It was definitely a little chilly and the wind was pushing back on the way out there, but the clouds parted, the sun came out, and it really turned into a beautiful day for a ride by the river. We rode down to the river bottoms via the low road and then biked out to the Cedar bridge and then biked over to American Blvd and hit up the train. We went our separate ways for the most part but a couple folks rode back to Freewheel with me. I hope we start seeing more people. I think the plan from now on will be to take the train out to American Blvd and then head out from there and we can either head up to 35W and then back toward 494 or what ever everyone is feeling. I had a lot of fun and I need to give a big shout out to those who came out. Thank you!

Photo by Ben Hovland

Photo by Ben Hovland

Photo by Ben Hovland

The gang. Photo by Ben Hovland

I am still super stoked for the Freewheel Winter Bike Expo! We have lined up even more awesome guest speakers including Josh Peterson A.K.A. Death Rider! There will be door prizes and all sorts of other goodies including a band! I can't talk too much about it, but I was there today and the new features are going to be super fun! I highly recommend you pop in whether you want to test out some studded tires, your next fat bike, or just come see some friendly faces. It will be a good time.

In other news I am going camping this weekend. Partly because I love to camp and partly to test out some of my new sleeping gear to see how warm it really is. This is just in time too because Freewheel is planning a winter bike camping trip. Don Clark, a very experienced winter cyclist and camper is going to be leading the adventure, I couldn't be more excited. The location of the camp site will be kept secret, but it will take place the weekend after the bike expo. Don will be giving a talk at the Expo and will show his gear and talk about what to expect.

I also recently signed up for the Minneapolis Fat Bike Loppet. I've always wanted to ride on some of the cross country ski trails... so this should be pretty fun! Also look out for the Freewheel Frozen Frolic, which usually includes 3 fat bike time trials at Murphy plus the Minnetonka Ice Race, we've got a pretty sick beer sponsor this year. Stoked.

December and Janurary should be pretty damn cool. Let's hope we get some snow soon...

Stay warm and keep pedaling.

It is almost that time again....

Alright winter bike heads, it is almost time for the 3rd annual winter bike expo! Every year Freewheel puts on a winter bike party and it is open to the public.

Do you want to learn how to commute in the winter? We've got classes for that. Do you want to hear stories from Eric Larsen? He's booked. Want to test ride the newest fat bike from Surly, Salsa, Trek, or Borealis? We've got them. Test rides, seminars, local businessess and artists, friends, family, and much much more.

Here is a link with the details.

I hope to see your smiley shining faces out there!

New fat bike ride.

So last year Freewheel had a fat bike group ride and it was a lot of fun. It was fun but it was a bit fast for my taste, I've never been a speed rider. When I ride my fat bike I like to have fun and meander, adventure, and explore.

Anyway, the fella that was running the fat bike ride last year got transferred to another shop so it became hard for him to do the ride so it ended. This year I will be leading the ride and I am going to push to do it all winter long.

The details: Sunday the 24th, meet up at 9:30 for coffee at the Freewheel Midtown and roll out by 10ish. Fun pace, no drop ride. The folks who like to crush it can ride ahead but I am out there for the fun and to include people who want to ride fat bikes with other folks.

Here is a Facebook event link: Click here for link. (you can still view this even if you do not have a Facebook account)

I will have waivers and stuff to be signed and we will be exploring the idea of going out for some foods/drinks after the ride.

Mountain bikes should be fine but you might have a problem with a cross bike, not in the first half but if we go closer to 40 miles, we will be hitting the really sandy stuff.

I am really excited for this and I hope you can make it out!

Why do you ride?

I was looking back over my previous posts and I realized that I don't do a lot of adventuring anymore. Where I used to hop on the bike and have a general idea where I was going, I would head out and go explore new places. Now it seems I am just riding to ride. I keep doing the same loops or the same commute, it almost feels very routine now. Bicycling has not lost any of its magic for me, so I wonder why this is happening.

It was at that point I started thinking about why I ride. I have a tendency to purposefully avoid making things into a routine. So if biking is becoming somewhat routine, why do I still do it? After a couple days of thinking about it, I have my answers and I want to share them with you.

When I got out of the Marines, I really let myself go. I had a lot of mental anguish about my time served and also the stuff going on in my personal life when I came back. It all culminated into a lot of stress and depression, which I let go unchecked for quite a while. When I left the Marines, the construction industry fell off a cliff right along with the housing market, I was damn near homeless and working 3 minimum wage jobs to try and make ends meet. After a while of that I finally saved up enough tips and got my three pay checks at the same time, I sold some of my less valued possessions and had enough money to come back home to Minnesota. I didn't even have to pack the car up because I was already living in it, I left California and never looked back. When I got back here the stress and other issues didn't go away, they just kept growing. After a couple years of waiting and gaining a lot of weight and becoming a 2 pack a day smoker, I finally said enough is enough.

I used to live on my bike as a kid and I remember those days being very happy. So I got myself a cyclocross bike from bikesdirect.com. I didn't understand the idea of quality etc, but I was pretty broke at the time as well so it was what I could afford. I took to biking in a big way, the first year I got that bike I pretty much rode it into the ground. After about 14 months the thing was just busted, I think I did almost 4000 miles on it. I loved it for so many reasons.

It gave me time to think, time to get away from all the distractions in my life and just wrestle with my problems using a clear head that was not filled with booze or tobacco. I had quit smoking and started shedding pounds, it was great. My entire outlook on my life changed and in general I became much healthier both physically and mentally. I managed to work through all of my problems and riding bikes still gives me an outlet to do that.

In addition to being able to get away from distractions I also enjoy being in nature. I know riding a bike down a city street is not being in nature, but some of the bike paths and especially riding my fat bike or my mountain bike off road in the woods will get you there. There is just something about getting away from cell phones, computers, cars, and all the other crap that is supposed to make life easier but somehow doesn't always and getting out into the woods and listening to the birds sing and having wild life encounters that is very relaxing and rejuvenating.

Another reason I love to ride is that it reminds me of some of the better points of being a kid. The freedom you had as a kid on a bike was just freaking insane. Then you grow up into a teen and you fall into the great American trap, you want a car like every other schmuck and then boom your whole world opens up. For a while at least. Then you start commuting by car, because you can. You spend more and more of your life sitting in traffic and the next thing you know, you hate to drive. When I get on a bike and I stand up on the pedals and coast down a hill and weave back and forth it just reminds me of a happier time and place and all the freedom that goes with it. Now as an adult I can pretty easily hop on my bike and ride 40 miles somewhere, the freedom factor is even better now.

Riding bikes with friends is a great activity for so many reasons. When you ride with someone you can either try to challenge each other or just ride nice and talk to each other. The possibilities are almost endless of where you can go and what you can do. Just this Thursday we had fifteen people out riding around by the river bottoms and then we went to the dog park and made a nice big bonfire. That kind of adventure is something people remember, you don't remember all the times you just went to the bar to hang out with a few friends because there is nothing remarkable about it. Not to mention the people you meet while riding bikes. I am an extremely lucky guy to know and have met so many incredible folks, simply because I ride a bike.

Every mile I ride my bike is a mile I don't drive my car which saves me money and doesn't put that much more carbon into the air. It is not super significant, but it adds up and that is what is important to me. I am not a huge environmental crusader, but I do think it is important and I do try to do my part to not add any more damage to the pot.

These are all the main reasons I came up with. There are a few more but these are the core. Biking is never a routine, it is totally different every time and I still love it. I think I just have been utilizing my time improperly, so I'll fix it. Bikes will always hold a special place in heart.

It felt good to think about why I ride and what I get out of it, it was a good reminder as to why it is so important to me. So I thought I should write about it and share my stories with you, but I would like something in return. Leave a comment below about why you ride. What motivates you? I want to know. There is no judgement here, tell your story or just put something simple, it doesn't matter to me.

Racing at night

A couple of days ago the Murphy night race took place, I came in DFL but I had a blast.

The whole day was really cloudy and windy which made it very chilly. I was not totally prepared for the weather but it was alright. The race started at like 6:30 and they gave us a few seconds in a staggered start. I decided to go last because I knew I wouldn't be a very strong rider. When I ride, I usually put in miles and almost never worry about speed. While I was out there I was running faster than usual and I was well beyond an anaerobic, I felt like my heart was going to flop out of my chest.

I've ridden Murphy once, but I did not do a lot of the course, I just kind of whisped around on a demo Cannondale bike. It was much different at night with one light. I found that I kept staring off into darkness. I believe another light for my helmet may be in my future. Everyone had a lot of fun and Freewheel provided some pizza and drinks for everyone. We had a little fire going but we were all sweaty and it was cold, so we were cold. No one hung out for long, we gave out door prizes and such and then everyone pretty much went on their way. All in all, it was a great night.

Last night I picked up a pair of Fasterkatt's. I am sick of cold feet and I hate booties with a passion, so I decided to bite the bullet and get them. I wore them around the house last night and they are on my feet right now as I write this. The weather actually seems like it is going to be pretty nice for the next few days and since I run a little hot anyway, I don't plan on using them this weekend but I am sure when it cools down next week I will put them to good use. When I get some good miles on them I'll write up a little review.

The CrossCheck is still down but will be undergoing some major surgery tonight. I've got some new Paul Engineering Components touring cantilever brakes and some new SRAM Red shifters I'll be tossing on there, along with new cables and such. My Rival shifters are soft and gummy. I've tried to flush them out but it did not help, well after I bought the new shifters I found that I could have just bought a rebuild kit. Oh well, live and learn.

I plan on doing a ton of riding this weekend and you should too. It will be the last hoorah of good weather I suspect. Get out there and enjoy it!

Hot diggity damn

This week saw the coming and going of my 31st birthday. I decided to pull the trigger on a mountain bike as a birthday present to myself. The titanium El Mariachi that I had my eye on was a little too rich for my blood, so I settled for the El Mariachi 2. I ordered it Tuesday and it showed up Wednesday. A couple of the guys from the shop helped me build it up at the Midtown location. The tires took a little work to get to seat up tubeless, but we got it eventually.

All together.

Yesterday I went down to the river bottoms with one of the guys from the shop. We first went east and then turned around and went down towards 35W. We probably rode roughly 40 miles. I was extremely happy with the bike, it is much more nimble and responsive than the fat bike. I was also blown away by having suspension, things that I could never ever do in the past were now an easy task. All in all I am really happy with my bike and I had a really good ride with my colleague. Afterwards we stopped off at Lucky 13 for a beer and some food. The rain held off until we made it back to my car and we got loaded up. It was a good day.

Muddy Mariachis.

A little bit of riding and a lot of mud.

I went out on a ride with a few folks from work last night. We are trying to set up rides for all of us to get together and do some mountain biking and such. Last weekend was the first official ride and it was raining, so we hit up the dog park. Luckily I had the foresight to ride the fat bike instead of trying to take it on the cross check.

Outfitted in full rain suits, except one of us, we bombed down into the dog park and made our way to the spot where we usually have a fire. It stopped raining for a few minutes and then it started again. We went sliding around in the mud while traversing the sketchy trails that lead this way and that around that area. It was a little dangerous but it was all fun. Everyone made it back just fine and we changed the location of the fire so that we had more tree cover. Eventually another fella from the shop joined up with us and we got the fire going and had a couple beers and made smores' and chatted about this, that, and the other. Good times were had by all.

Batonning my knife to split the wood, everything was wet.

Smore patrol.

Heading home.

Lake Itasca (Day 3/4)

I awoke the third day feeling refreshed and I proceeded to just lay in my tent and read a book for a little while. I eventually got up and made myself some breakfast and sat with my coffee reading some more. After my breakfast had settled I got dressed for a bike ride and took off on my fat bike. Fall was now in full swing by this time. Reds and yellows poked out everywhere between the greens, it was truly amazing.

I rode down the bike path some and it was fine, but the fat bike was not the appropriate bike for the job. I thought I might get to do some off road stuff but the park ranger I asked said I couldn't bike on the snowmobile trails that were not being used by anyone else. Well crud. I threw down about 8 miles of riding around lakes and such and started heading back to the camp site. I hit the registration office to register for one more night, I just couldn't leave. On the way back towards the camp area, I saw this random unmarked trail.

I shrugged unknowingly and proceeded up the steep rocky hill. I rode around a bend and found the poo lagoon, I wondered if the salamander I was holding the night previous came from here. I continued to ride, taking in all the colors, sights, and sounds. As I rode through the forest I saw an owl of some sort, it was far enough away that I really couldn't get a clear shot of it with my camera. It was also far enough away that I couldn't identify it. Along this unmarked trail I saw a lot of signs that bears were in the area. A lot of missing bark from trees, some smaller stumps or sign posts that had arrows on them, were all scratched up, there was overturned logs all over the place, and there were a few holes dug near big fallen trees. Upon further investigation of one I saw what looked like bear scat and there was some black fur wedged between the bark of one of the trees. I became slightly more alert, but mostly excited. I really wanted to see a bear.

Just as quickly as the path had come out of no where, it had ended and spit me out right into the campsite. Looking back at the trail head, there was a sign of a bike with a circle and a line through it. Woopsy.

I went back to the campsite, locked up my bike, and then headed to the showers. They had hot water at this place, I thought that was weird but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. After my shower I headed back to camp and fixed up some lunch. I sat and read my book for a bit while the food settled. I was out in the woods near my tent looking for some dry twigs for kindling for later when I saw a little sapling that had been felled by someone and then just left to sit on the ground. I took it back to camp and carved it up and turned it into a nice hiking stick.

I then drove to preachers grove and went for a nice long hike. I was breaking in the new walking stick and it came in handy more than once, the trail was on the side of a cliff and was fairly narrow and I am a clumsy jerk so it worked out really well. As I was walking around not paying attention to anything except the sounds and colors, I stepped on a rotten log and my foot went right through it. As I withdrew it something bolted out of the other end of the log and into some tall grass. I got a little apprehensive because I was worried it might be a skunk at first so I started backing up and then the culprit came out of the grasses, it was a porcupine. That made me even more apprehensive. I kept backing up and so did he, butt first, with his bacteria ridden quills pointing right at me. He had a pretty good top speed while going in reverse and I kept bumping into things and almost falling, I was running out of useful ground really fast. I didn't want to turn and run because I didn't know how it would react. I used my walking stick and flipped the little guy over and immediately tried to pass him but he flipped over pretty quick and started trying to back into me again. I backed up a good distanced, put the point of the stick on the ground and waited, when he was next to my stick I scooped him off the ground and flung him down into the ravine, I heard him moving around so he was okay, I proceeded to bolt out of there. I finished the hike and headed back to the campsite laughing at the experience with the porcupine.

I did the usually nightly ritual. I got the fire going, cracked open a beer and made some dinner. I was glowing with positive energy. I was thinking about all the stuff I saw that day and I may have gotten myself a little paranoid because of the porcupine and all the bear sign I saw on the trail that was very close to the campsite. It was windy that night and there were noises all around me. I kept turning on my headlamp and staring into the woods. There was never anything there, so eventually I stopped. About an hour later I had heard a bunch of noise just off in the tree line and I ignored it because I thought it was just the wind. The wind died down for a moment and the close noise continued, I flipped on my head lamp and there was the biggest raccoon ever. This thing was well fed. I stared and him and he stared at me. Then he just started entering my camp site like he owned the joint. I tossed a little stick at him and he took off. I got up to get another beer and when I sat back down I heard a noise in the woods, this time in front of me, and this time much faster. I turned on my head lamp and it was the same raccoon! He thought he would be slick by running off and then double backing for my cooler. I got a picture of the bugger then chased him off with the walking stick.

It started to sprinkle a while later so I pretty much packed everything up except my tent and then called it a night. I was laying in my tent with my headlamp on and reading my book when I heard some very slow foot steps. I turned my light off and just listened. I heard slow, dragging steps, walking around by the fire and picnic table. I heard the table move a little bit and then the foot steps were coming toward me, as they were I started to hear a weird sound almost like gravel under a tire. As the steps got closer I identified the strange sound as sniffing. Even though my light was off and I could not see outside the tent, I could tell there was something very large outside the tent. I don't think I've ever stayed so still in my entire life. Eventually the foot steps departed and I just closed my eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next morning I awoke and examined the area, sure enough there was big pad prints with little claw indentations all over the ground. I had been visited by a bear, I was bummed that I didn't actually get to see it.  I fixed up some breakfast and coffee then proceeded to sit and read some more while just basking in the warmth of the sun peeking out through some scattered clouds. Fall was in full swing now. Leaves were all over the ground and the colors were just crazy. After a bit more reading I packed up my campsite and headed for the hills.

I stopped on the way out at one last hiking trail, it was getting a little late in the day and I still have a few hours to get back home, but I did have a deadline, I had to be in class by 6. I couldn't resist though. The last trail I took was another interpretive hiking trail and it was amazing. There were giant pines that were rotten at the base and leaning over the path. I pondered my own mortality for an instant before I realized I needed to get away from that tree as it was still really damn windy. As I made my way down the path my thoughts got weirder and weirder, I started thinking about how noisy it was from the wind and how it might mask the sound of my approach to a bear. I would not want to accidentally sneak up on a bear. I grabbed a stick and started to hit trees on my way out and I began to whistle "The Entertainer" from the movie The Sting. I was in the throws of full blown bearanoia.

I eventually made my way back to the trail head and couldn't help but laugh at myself for how redicilous I had been. I got in my car and drove off into the sun set. During my time at Itasca I watched fall go full bore, I had crazy animal encounters, I got some good exercise, and I had a lot of time for reflection. My experience was amazing and I would recommend it to anyone.

Flowery fungus.

The hive sans occupants.

I'm lovin' it.

"Interpretive" hiking trail.

Those colors...

Poo lagoon.

Obligatory fat bike on ground shot.

300 year old tree.

Bastard.

Preachers grove, so awesome.

Towering giants.

This was two minutes from my tent.

Heading home.

Lake Itasca (Day 2)

I awoke Sunday morning to the sounds of birds and leaves rustling. I had an important decision to make before the end of the day.

I got up and started the coffee. Everyone started crawling out of their tents and we started making breakfast. We had the largest blucy's I've ever seen. I ate the whole damn thing like a pig and I regret nothing. We sat around and chatted about what we were going to do with the rest of the day before we headed back to the cities. I was sad at the prospect of leaving this place. After the rain and the cold that came with it the leaves had started dramatically changing color. Everyone started to pack up, it was then that I decided I was going to stay another night.

Everyone packed up except me and we all headed to the visitor center. We parked and hit some of the hiking trails to go around one of the lakes. Leaves were starting to fall at this point. The red and white pine trees were standing tall and proud. We hiked around Lake Maria, taking in the sights and sounds and capturing the memories with pictures. The colors were super vibrant and the pines across the lake were all in patches, it looks marvelous. Eventually we ended up back at the visitor center where we parted ways. I was in a hurry the day before to get back to the park and forgot some things I had meant to grab so I had to go back to town.

I got back to the campsite and it was early evening. I had a little snack and then outfitted myself for a little sunset hike. I was walking down one of the interpretive trails and it was amazing. I saw a mushroom that looked like a giant chalice, it was about 2 feet tall. I saw a wolf as well, it was way out in the distance and it looked at me. It was alone and I got a little bit too paranoid from all the stupid television and movies I've seen in my lifetime so I started heading back towards camp because it was getting dark and I didn't want to know where the rest of his pack was.

I got settled in for the evening and got the fire going and cooked some dinner. After I had fixed up some food I just sat by the fire relaxing with my eyes closed. The animals were all talking to each other in concert and it was fabulous. I heard owls, red squirrels (which were everywhere), and wolves way off in the distance. As I was relaxing I heard some rustling maybe five feet away from me at the end of the picnic table. I turned on my headlamp and there was a raccoon slowly creeping toward my cooler.

The raccoon looked right at me and it could see that I had seen it. What did it do? It started walking toward my cooler a little slower. I talked to it. "Get out of there." I said. The raccoon just looked at me and slowed down a little more. This time I raised my voice a little "Hey! Get out of there." I commanded. The raccoon maintained its course. This time I yelled at it "GET OUT!" it ran to the cooler and put a hand on it. I stood up with the fire poker and waved it at it and it finally left. It did not run away, no. It waddled away as casual as your please as if to say "I didn't want your stupid food anyway, dick.". The raccoon didn't have any genitalia that was determinable to me, but it had balls never the less. A few moments later I heard more rustling directly behind me, I leapt out of my chair and turned my light on, knife in hand. I couldn't see anything. I thought I was getting paranoid so I laughed at myself and then turned the light off and sat back down. A few moments after I sat down I heard it again, right behind me! I got up and turned the light on high and started looking around. I still couldn't see anything. Then as I was looking back and forth something shiny caught my attention on the ground. It was a Salamander! I scooped him up and he just chilled in my hand for a bit. He was not slimy though he looked it. I named him Rufus, then put him in the woods and sent him off in the direction of a large puddle I remember seeing in the woods.

With that I tossed the cooler in my car, washed my hands, and retired for the night.

Moldy age rings.

Wow.

Fall, for sure.

Lake Maria.

Lake Maria.

I see the pad but no frogs.

Erosion control.

'Merica.

My buddy Rufus.

Giant shroom cup.