The Long Way Home

The long way home through the Brick Yard

The Brick Yard  isn't really on my way home I just really like going there

The long way home through Crosby Farm 

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3 hours in the boat 1 hour for the  bike ride home

All three kids are in school now and since Lynn (aka my wife) is a teacher she is back to work. This is good for a couple reasons,#1 is more money,#2 is I get to ride more. Lynn's school is about 1.5 miles from my work so we carpool in the morning and I ride home, the long way. It's good for her too, she can leave work at 2:30 (1 hour before me) and either ride trails or go the the gym before the kids need to be picked up from daycare. You might be thinking "oh those poor kids stuck in daycare" the fact is they love it there and get pissed when we pick them up early. The good news is everyone comes home happy and also a little tired. Friday I took the extra long, round about, way home via kayak and bike when I got to leave early from work.

Getting Ready for Fall Gravel

It's been a long time since I have thrown a leg over the gravel grinder. It's also been a while since I've trained for longer rides so tonight was an ass kicking that I needed. The bike has not been ridden since Almonzo and still has lots of gravel mud on it, specifically the inside of the cable housings and all the bearings that make it go forward. I didn't do much gravel/dirt (mostly pavement) but found this really cool sign and noticed the spelling of Mother was incorrect. I also wonder what the THC stands for Hmmmmm those crazy kids what will they do next.

Couch Flambeau

Nothing brings a family together like roasting marshmallows over a burning couch. It was the couch's destiny to be brutally dismantled and set ablaze after only a few short years of a hard life. On it's first day in my living room my brother's dog climbed to the top cushions and pissed all over them. Being the cheap piece of crap that it was, the cushions were not removable (for cleaning). Instead we dried them as best we could and avoided the area, and let guests unknowingly relax on that end of the couch. And so it would be the downward spiral of the red couch. In it's brief life it would be barfed on,spilled on (with numerous liquids and solids),jumped on countless times and torn in several areas to retrieve toys. The boys even used it as a napkin and kleenex wiping soiled hands and even runny noses. RIP red couch

Corn Feed 2011 Mystery Cave

Brian on Dragon Jaw Lake
I think this is called the Three sisters
G man passing through the Dragon Jaw
Sunlight after six hours underground

The annual Corn Feed was this past weekend down at Forestville/Mystery Cave state Park. It's organized by the Minnesota Speleological Survey not the Park so don't go down there thinking you will see any of this stuff on the tour. Lynn took "Big D" and "Super Y" with her on a more low key trip, although we ended up in the same area. Brian and I went a little longer more advanced trip with "G man" and three others including our trip leader Paul. We had a blast going to a couple different areas that were not in the original plan. They included areas with strange names like Enigma Pit, Tree Roots and Dragon Jaw lake. "G man" is becoming quite the companion caver for me. It's great to do things together where both of us are getting the same thrill of the adventure. BTW, There was a lot of corn to be eaten on Saturday night after all the caving was over.

Black Dog Time Trial

This is what's left of Black Dog road. They used to run time trials down there a few years ago(on road bikes). Since then Mother nature decided she wanted the river bank back. I think it's better now, no cars and peaceful .

Midnight Rider

Towing the boats down to hiding spot

Pile of boats hidden in the tall grass under camo tarps before setting out

Cathy, Chris, Kim, Dale, Dave, Death Rider

Six of us came out for the full moon paddle in the swamp. The PLAN, bring boats to secret predetermined hiding spot in daylight, meet at my house for BBQ and trip plan, leave house at 10 pm, park at gas station, ride to hidden boats, paddle said boats in swamp and observe full moon in unique suroundings, paddle back to bikes, hide boats,ride back, asleep by 2 am. I was very suprised that five others would agree to this sceme of mud, stinky water and posible theft of kayak and gear.

The water was very low so the route I had in mind would not be possible. We had fun anyway, we got into a large body of water and explored it, and the perimiter. The skies were somewhat cloudy but completely opened up for a short period of time. The experience was awesome, we all sat quitely and still, tring to take it all in. I have plans for another full moon stealth kayak ride that will be much longer and not be dependent on river levels.

Minnehaha Creek

Flooded= More Fun

Dale near the only section of whitewater. We played here for about 15 min.

I dumped my boat here a few days later and smashed the hell out of my

foot and shin on a boulder

Lynn and Ray, Lyndale Ave

It's safe to say I've burned myself out on Minnehaha Creek for the year. In a period of eight days I paddled it four times. I did 2 solo trips, one trip with Dale, and one trip with Lynn and Ray covering about 35 miles total. I/we used our bikes as a shuttle to get the vehicles with every trip ending near Minnehaha Falls and the farthest trip sarting near Methodist Hospital in St Loius Park. The river was very high and made for some very tight squeezes under the many bridges along the route. I don't know shit about whitewater paddling but the river was moving quite quickly and made for a very exciting ride.