OK SO I AM SLACK

Well I just thought a note was called for to try and explain me neglect of this blog. After much thought I realized there is none. I could say I have just been busy or that I have been involved in some new adventure which all would be true, yet I could have found time if I had tried. I am going to be throwing alot of back articles and information on here all at once as I want this permenet record to be complete, so if you get tired fo the up dates feel free to just click DELETE.

October 16, 2010 Alone?

Cool, quiet and with a hint of dust in the air I stepped out of the door and into a world that I had not visited in some time. The air was filled with a light haze that lay in layers across the horizon. Everything seemed completely foreign to me and I felt as though I was the lone survivor in a world that once was filled with life. The sun was just breaking over the tops of the trees that surrounded a lake to the east of me and at it was apparent that it was the beginning of another beautiful day. The winds were light and there was not a sound to be heard except for an occasional bird chirping here and there. The quite was somewhat surreal and seemed to surround me. As I ventured out and began looking for other signs of human life I could not help be think about how different this place had been the last time I was here. The hundreds of people that were here, the dozens of barking dogs and the sounds of kids playing had once filled this place with a kind of life to be envied. What had happened? Where had everyone gone? Was I alone in this world? Was I dreaming? The buildings were all there right where they had been, an empty swing moved ever so slightly on the playground where children once played and there were signs of the past presence of life everywhere. Rows of canoes someone once used to paddle the nearby waterways lay in long rows, empty dumpsters where people once disposed of their garbage lined the streets, a small pile of firewood someone had left behind reminded me of the late night fires that had burned here and an empty amphitheater all showed signs of a past presence of life. Now there was no one. Alone I walked along looking for any signs of life I could find, nothing. On I went in quest of another human being. As I walked I could not help but think back to a trip I had made to New York some time back and how different the two places were. In New York I was surrounded by tall skyscrapers, here only big old Oak trees. Cars were everywhere and the smell of the exhaust and the blare of honking horns were your constant companion, here nothing but quiet and crisp air. In New York I was shoulder to shoulder with people all in a hurry to get someplace, here I was only accompanied by my own shadow, two different worlds existing on a singular planet. The question still reminded though, was I all alone. Was I the sole survivor of some catastrophic event? Then out of now where a familiar smell filled my nose, bacon, fresh hot sizzling bacon. I was suddenly filled with a new hope. I followed the aroma of to the west and there just around a bend was a welcome sight. There was a family sitting down to breakfast, together enjoying each other and their breakfast. I was relieved to know I was not alone and that my original evaluation of my situation had been accurate. I was not the sole survivor of some catastrophic event. No it was just another day at a South Dakota State Park in the middle of October.

October 7, 2010 Change We Can Count On

There are many things I like about fall including the beautiful fall colors, the cool temperatures, the lack of humidity and the knowledge that winter is on its way. Yes, I said and the knowledge that winter is on its way. Kind of twisted I know, but when you live here in the great north you know it, winter, is coming and we can’t get to the next big summer of activities until it is over. It is the start of fall and winter activities. It is the return of football and the end of camping, at least for most people. It is not however the end of outdoor activities. There is still a lot of good riding, paddling and one of the best activities in the fall is hiking. Walking along with the crunch of the brittle leaves under foot and taking in the increasingly different view of the world one has once the leaves are off the trees. Sometimes we see things we never knew existed, things once hidden by the dense foliage on the bushes and trees. It is like a new awakening, the dawn of a new cycle in Mother Nature’s wonderful bag of tricks. I know that many of us, me included, from time to time whine and complain about winter and lust for a place where it is 75 degrees year round. It is nice to dream about, but I am not sure that the reality would be as rewarding as we think. Having lived here all my life I am not convinced that I would not miss the annual changes in the seasons that announce the beginning of so many things in our lives. The coming of longer days the melting snow announces, the promise of new flowers the spring rain promises or the family picnics and outings the warmer temperatures motivate us to share. The blossoming of the trees foretelling of the sweet fruit we can look forward to in the fall, the smell of freshly turned dirt indicating the start of new life and the bountiful crops we all pray for. The shortening of the days letting us know that is time to head back to the gym and the first snow bringing us thoughts of Christmas. I am not sure how I would feel if the seasons did not change? I am not sure I would feel the same, appreciate the same things or look forward to things the same way. There is a very common saying you have probably heard. There is one thing you can count on and that it change. So what changes do you make when fall and winter arrive? Is it time to enjoy relaxing more and watching your favorite television shows? Is time to catch up on your scrap booking or organize your summer photos? Is it time to spend some time in your woodshop with some other hobby you have neglected all summer? What ever your plan is make sure to include some time for some outdoor fun. Some time getting a little exercise while enjoying the great outdoors. Maybe it’s just a walk around the block or maybe it’s flying down a hill on a set of downhill skis. What ever your choice you will be better for it. For me it is time to start planning my schedule for next summer. Time to dream.

October 3, 2010 It Will Be OK, I Promise!

Well as much as it pains me I guess it is time to think about heading back to the gym and slowly getting myself back into my winter mode. This is a difficult time of year for me for a couple of reasons. The obvious one is I will have to give up kayaking and biking outside for the most part until spring. Second, although I hate the thought of winter I do like the change of seasons due to the fact it forces me to change what I do and it allows me to catch up on some things I tend to let go all summer. So let’s look at this change a bit more closely. Like anything else getting started with a new routine is more of a mental challenge often than a physical one. One must be ready and able to concede defeat to Mother Nature, to give up ones control and accept the reality of change. After feeling sorry for myself if I just take a moment to sit back and really think about it I realize just how good this annual change is for me. It helps me re-establish a bond with my couch and with my refrigerator while not having to worry about washing and lubing my bike or making sure I have enough water proof snacks for my kayak. Yes it is a time to just relax and veg out. Well that’s the way it used to be, before we realized how much more fun can be had even in the winter. One of the best parts of winter is heading back to the gym. Yes I know I have complained about having to be inside, but I did not tell you how much fun it is to see our instructors and fellow gym rats again. To find out what everyone has been doing all summer and to set goals for the winter. It’s nice to experience once again the energy in the spin room, the enthusiasm of the circuit training class and the support of everyone around you. The only down side to heading back to the gym is realizing that no matter how active you were all summer there is a whole set of new muscles you must not have been working very hard, oh the pain of it all. And when not in the gym there is ice skating, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing, or hiking. There are all kinds of winter things you can try. A good place to experience some of these is the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls. Give them a call or checkout their website to see what they have to offer. As for myself I think the one new thing I want to really explore this year is snowshoeing. There is something about this age old practice that intrigues me. What a way to experience the outdoors and see it from a whole new prospective. I keep imagining the Mickelson Trail by snowshoe. I guess my advice is this. If you have not ever tried enjoying the great outdoors in the winter give it a shot. Who knows you might just surprise yourself and like it.

September 25th, 2010 All for One, One for All

Saturday we made our annual fall pilgrimage to Spirit Lake, Iowa to take part in the nineteenth annual Oktoberfest Ride around the lakes of Okoboji. Our thoughts as we drove over were entangled in a web of optimism and disappointment that the rain seemed to be following us all the way with not an apparent end in site. As Bruce drove I kept very close watch on the National Weather Service Radar on my phone and kept encouraging everyone with my analysis that predicted the rain to end before our ride began at 10AM. I must say I was not winning them over very easily as the outward signs all indicated no end to the rain in sight. Well for the sake of keeping this article short I will only say move over Jay Trobec. The rain ended at about 9:45AM and we headed out on what was to be a beautiful fall ride. One thing about rides like this one that I love is the diversity of people they attract. As I was standing there straddling my bike waiting for our police escort to start the ride I could not help but look around and smile at the individuals making up the riders. Next to me was an elderly lady dressed in her sweats and in front of me a young man, obviously very athletic in his spandex shorts and riding jersey. Across the way was a family of four, mom, dad and the two children maybe 10 and 12. There were couples on tandems, mountain bikes, hybrid and the sleekest of road bikes all poised to embark on the one thing they had in common, the love of riding. It is one of the things that makes this past time so wonderful, it can be enjoyed by people of all sizes, shapes, abilities and ages. It can be enjoyed on a $50.00 Huffy to a hi-tech bike costing thousands, it really does not matter. And the one thing that binds all riders together is the ride and the support they have with each other. Just get a flat tire and see how much help you are offered. Not a bike goes by without the rider asking, “Got everything you need?” “Need some help?” “Got a pump?” everyone willing to do their part to get you back on the road. How comforting to know you are in such capable hands if you need them. If only the whole world could learn from this. It is one of the great benefits of riding in these organized rides, meeting new people and making new friends, riding along enjoying the fall colors and the feel of fall in the air. Riding along and coming across a cluster of wild turkeys and a bit farther down the trail a couple of deer. Stopping to watch the deer as they stand ridged starring at you trying to decide if you are a threat or not, exchanging eye contact until they wonder away looking for another place to graze. It is nice to know I will have another small brief connection with nature and its amazing beauty to be stored in the back of my mind to be pulled out some long cold winter night when I begin to become impatient for spring and hitting the trails again. Yes the end for this year is in sight and our return to the gym is at hand. It is time for us to pack away our summer riding gear and exchange it for our thermals and stocking caps, finding some peace in the knowledge that it will soon be time to start planning our rides for next year. Hey, hold on a minute. Sorry I drifted off into my self pity there for a moment. We are not done. We have lots of rides left this year. We will have nice weather. We will be riding for another two months. We will have time for making more memories on the trail. There I feel better now.

August 20th, 2010 Up Hill and Then Some

I remember watching the old westerns on television and seeing the train robbers riding along side a train looking for that perfect monument to jump on it and rob it. That’s how I felt as I rode along Old Hills City Road to Keystone our first stop on our way to Mt. Rushmore. The 1880 train with its black smoke billowing out of its smoke stack runs almost parallel to the road and crosses it about 13 times, so it was fun to race it to the next crossing sometimes winning, sometimes loosing. Although you never really lost because you got to enjoy all the people on the train waving and taking pictures as they went by. It was Sunday morning and the weather was beautiful as the four of us ventured out on this ride. Up one hill and down another we rode trying to make the best of the down hill momentum to get us up the next hill. Using ever gear we had to climb some of the more robust inclines. I soon realized what we call hills around Sioux Falls are really only bumps in the rode. Past glass blowing shops, antique stores and even an old mine we rode. No traffic to speak of so we were able to really enjoy the morning. We could hear the trains whistle as it approach each crossing and see the smoke from the engine raising above the trees even when the train itself was out of sight. As we crested a fairly big hill we caught or first glimpse of Keystone and knew we were about to have to make a big decision, continue to Mt. Rushmore or not? Well as we stopped and enjoy a break and some cold water we went back and forth, tossing around the options, all of us knowing we wanted to do it, but not sure we were up to the task of the three miles of 10% upgrade to get us there. In the end there was no real decision made we just found ourselves doing it. Now if you are familiar with this road you will understand or plight. We began the upward climb doing pretty well, but as we reached about the half way point we began to struggle. Between not having enough gearing and the altitude we were, well let’s just say not having much fun. We pushed as hard as we could until yes, I will be the first to admit it, we had to get off and walk for a while. So the last half of the ride was walk a bit, ride a bit, walk a bit, and ride a bit. We were very humbled by the mountain. The mountain had won this one. That said we did finally reach the main gate to Mt. Rushmore to find out that our efforts were not totally in vain, admission to the memorial if you’re on a bike is free. So we rode up to the entrance found the bike rack and headed in. Now the bike rack should tell you something. It had only places for six bikes, think it might be an indicator of how many people actually ride bike up to the memorial. We spent some time enjoying the grandeur of Mt. Rushmore and having some Almond Praline ice cream before heading back. The ride down the hill back to Keystone was not without its challenges. It would be a test of our breaks and our grips to keep ourselves under control as we descended. Riding our breaks we headed down. Letting up for only and instant and you were thrust into warp speed and back on the breaks. It only took a few minutes to make the trip down the same road that almost took its toll on the way up. At the bottom we stopped to collect our thoughts and noticed right away the break dust all over the front forks of our bikes. We had put them to good use. We headed back retracing our morning ride, up one hill and down another. The sun was much warmer and the ride seemed much longer than it had in the morning. Back in Hills City we headed for some food and water and found ourselves already looking back at our decision to ride to Mt. Rushmore. It was easy now that we had done it to sit back and enjoy our accomplishment. Something we will always remember, something we almost past up. It was another adventure, another great ride, a great day to be alive, and most of all, another great day with our friends.

August 28, 2010 Cool Deadwood Nights Here We Come

The third day of riding in the Black Hills began early as we had planned to do two rides in one day. It was brisk and the sun was just beginning to warm the air when we reached Custer where we were leaving my truck for our son Chase to pick up and take to Deadwood for us. The plan was to ride from Custer to Hills City, shuttle to Rochford and then ride from Rochford to Deadwood in time for Cool Deadwood Nights. The first ride of the day is one I look forward to as it is one of the easiest. A short four mile climb takes you out of Custer and to the entrance of Crazy Horse Memorial. It is a spectacular ride with Crazy Horse in the background as you catch glimpses of it through the trees as it is slowly unveiled at the top of the hill. Then from the main gate of the memorial the fun begins, it’s all downhill the rest of the way into Hills City. It is one of those times you can sit back and enjoy the ride. Not long on exercise, but long on fun. It does not take very long at all and before we are back in Hills City and sitting down for breakfast before we began ride two. Nothing like some eggs, bacon, hash browns and pancakes to get the fuel take filled up and the energy levels back into riding levels. For leg two or our ride we had engaged the services of a shuttle service to haul us and our bikes to Rochford. Loaded in a cargo van we made our way through the trees on a ruff gravel road. It was not long before I noticed it was getting harder to breath and the road dust was sifting through the van. It was a miserable ride all in all. It was like being reborn when we stepped out of the van and back into the fresh mountain air. Back on the trail we went headed for Deadwood. The ride from Rochford to Deadwood is a pretty stead climb the first 12-13 miles and once at the crest the views are magnificent. This is a very pretty section of trail with dense trees and some rock cliffs. There are spots where you can see forever, passing creeks with people panning for gold, old mines on the side of hill and always looking for the animals that inhabit the area, hoping to see an Elk, some deer, maybe a mountain goat or two yet hoping not to see a Mountain Lion. We have seen one lion from our car that was good enough.