April 2019

       

 April turned out to be mostly about kayaking, the kayak has slowly drawn me in to become an equal with the bike. To start, our family did a three day camping trip on the Buffalo National River in Arkansas. This river is truly a gem with towering cliffs, clear blue-green water, and an abundance of gravel bars for camping. From our starting point at Ponca the river was swift, the frequency of rapids and riffles kept us on our toes and the excitement level high. We could be heard cheering each other on as we passed through the tricky sections not knowing if we would simply get a lap full of water or go for a swim.

Getting ready

Pee break?

  Through the three days no one dumped it, but everyone ended up pumping or sponging excess water. Camping along the river is super easy, find a spot that looks suitable and set up. Our first night was about 50 yards from shore in a semi established site used most likely by hikers on the Buffalo River Trail that exists on both sides of the river. Our second night was on a long gravel bar. We hid out there under a tarp, sheltered from light rain as we devoured our dehydrated meals and whatever else we hadn't rationed for the next day. Our final day was the warmest and sunniest, as we pulled into our take out it was kind of a bummer to be done so soon. I will definitely be back.

Needed to warm up mid-day after light rain got us all pretty cold

First time needing/using Cooke Custom Sewing trap...I'm a believer. We all sat and ate dinner under it in a light rain....so nice 

Camp second night

I got two decent gravel rides knocked out in April. The could not have been more different in terms of weather. The first being the Lime Grinder, when mother decided to bitch slap us with snow storm the night before. It was 50 plus miles of wet sloppy slush over dirt soup, but the company of the other riders was so good I hardly noticed I should not be having a great time. The second, only a week later was a magnificently sunny, splendid day on the bike in the driftless region of southwest  Wisconsin...The Dairy Roubaix. While I would have loved to ride the 100 mile route I needed to get home unexpectedly sooner than I had wished, and thus settled for the the 100K ish route. I will try and make this happen next year and extend the weekend to include kayaking and MTB (Upper Iowa River and Decorah) riding in the vicinity.     

Yuck

There are pastries inside 

I think I need some new bearings....all of em'

Start of Dairy Robaix ...I guess it's not a race. I was told people already left at this point

This is the iconic cliff overhang that initially drew me in to want to ride this thing 

 As April rolled on, the kayak made it's way out a couple more times on the Minnesota as well as the Mississippi at flood stage.  Paddling the flooded backwaters can be a little sketchy (dangerous) but, super fun. I was pleased to get my wife out, she hates cold water. I also got sAMMO out for a short jaunt after work one night.

ArcFlash is always up for a good time 

4-5 feet below me is a mountain bike trail

A lot of folks take pictures here...usually with their feet on dry ground 

sAMMO on the mighty Mississip'

Urban exploration beyond?

D Rider...................................................out

Hungry Bear 100

The Legend was spotted at the Hungry Bear sign-in....can you see him 

 Just a little over a week ago I was in Cable, WI for my second consecutive weekend of gravel road riding/racing.The Hungry Bear 100 is a gravel road race with 100 mile and 100 kilometer options. It just wrapped up it's second year and is part of a collection of races put on by The Green Tunnel (Tim Kruger of Advocate Cycles and the Angry Catfish).

Mr Gibbs haming it up 

   I chose the 100 k option because I'm fat, wanted to have fun, and wanted to be able to drive home afterwards. Although I chose the shorter route I worked it as hard as I could ending up in 7th place. Typically I like to start fast and just hang with the lead group as long as possible and see where it goes from there. During this race, after a few breaks in the peloton, falling back into the second group, I was able to bridge back and stay with the top ten or so riders. With approx 12-13 miles to go the hills came on one after another. I stuck with Craig and Jill while the really fast guys rode away from us. I was happy to finish where I did, with Jill pulling away at the end and Craig  and I riding in together.

There wasn't much pavement on the route, but this was the only spot where I could get my camera out for a pic....at approx 25 miles per hour

custom cue card holder, I call it the D.R.U.N.K.  death riders ultimate note karrier 

Second best, or perhaps best.... part of the day............ wood fired pizza out back in the sun. 

  Luckily the Mayor and I carpooled since I fell asleep on the ride home anyway.  The Hungry Bear was a good race and well worth putting on your own calendar for next year. Ending it at the Rivers Eatery was pure genius as well.    P.S. there aren't any pictures of actual gravel road racing because I was riding way to hard to ever get my camera out...you'll have to see the route for yourself.

D Rider ..........................out

Filthy 50

 Filthy 50......x3.  I've done the Filthy 50 three times now but have not shared the story about the free gravel event in Stewartville MN....... I just ran out of time to post it when it might be relevant.

My Homies      Vandy,Triumph, The Mayor, and Best in Schow

Yeah...it was super dusty this year.....like following a car, dusty

 As the name suggests it's roughly 50 miles and is a gravel race/ride in southern Minnesota. Although it's half as long as the typical 100 mile standard that most gravel events consist of, it's far from easy.....at least at the front of the pack. Fifty miles just means you go way harder and don't need to pace yourself for a 5-6 hour event.

The bridge. The first two years the bridge next to it was not there

New coat of dust for my old wagon

Filthy 50, 2014....much colder than 2015....rode with V for most of it

   In all three races I went out hard with the lead group which then typically splinters into numerous smaller groups. I usually end up in the second or third of these smaller packs. Things fell apart for me in the latest installment of the Filthy, and I found myself taking a break just beyond the halfway point, located on an old bridge. The bridge and a downhill section entering a steep valley are the two most scenic spots of the route (IMO). The cliff lined valley comes too soon in the course to stop and admire so the logical choice is to stop at the bridge.....besides that they had soda,beer,and food.

Start of Filthy 50, 2013. Trenton giving last minute words

Stopped briefly to wait for a friend and snap some pics.

The friend I was waiting for.....Pat Sorensen of Penn Cycle

 The rest is pretty typical of gravel events.. ride hard, get covered in dust, ride with your friends, make some new friends, and have fun.  Do yourself a favor and get to the Filthy 50 next fall...........I'll see ya there

D Rider...........out

The bridge the way it used to look without a concrete eye-sore next to it......no free drinks or snacks though