Updated Bike Camping with Jared

Some wet trail

Poor photo of two Trumpeter Swans

This is how Jared rolls.

The old Trek 950 did well on the trails. My one by eight drive train had me pushing more hills than Jared, but still worked competently.

Jared fat biking through some rough stuff.

My bivy and bike.

Jared's bike set up. I couldn't even feel his bags when I rode the Pugsely. This bike is in its element.

A panoramic shot of the North woods and trail.

Bike camping with Jared

2013 GTR

Drove an amazing car today, 545-hp 2.7 seconds 0-60. More info. Cruised around the lakes of North Central Minnesota on curvy roads with few cars. What a vehicle.

Breaking Rocks

Memories of Riding Around Taipei

Aboriginal wood carving at the Sheng Kai Shek memorial on the west end of the city and Taipei 101 on the east.

Ride Today

I have three camera apps on my phone. None of them worked very well getting the image of this pair of eagles. Top is regular camera app. Below is from the HDR sans zoom. The final is ZOOM fx. For me it doesn't matter, these pictures will help me remember seeing the birds on a great ride; I can add mentalpixels. Wish I could post memories.

Artcrank 2012

04.14.12

Minneapolis

Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art

5:00PM

Link

Bird Man is a Hoax

I feel a bit better about being duped knowing that Wired Science also got taken in.

Flying like a Bird( Some people are Smart and Brave)

Or as Jared says, "gullible."

Happy

A collection of last years mums and bits of our holiday tree spell out the feelings of my daughter on this 70+ degree, mid-March day. "Happy" formed the center piece of our patio dinner including pie. Not a typical Minnesota spring.

Old School Touring Minnesota Style

Here are William Fay and Bob Drake on a 600-mile bicycle trip through northern Minnesota ca. 1935. Imagine the adventure and fitness requirements of single speed coaster brake touring.

I found this picture searching the image data base of the Minnesota Historical Society. The image search homepage is here. I really appreciate these old photos. Is anyone still submitting them?

Minneapolis Ride

Jared and I took advantage of the 66F weather to do an Urban ride. We met by the closed Sabo Bridge and headed east on the Greenway. Then headed north on River Road. Walked across this RR bridge sans tracks and railings; very cool

Bikes on the Stone Arch Bridge; Jared's carbon LeMond single speed and my heavily geared steel Long Haul Trucker

We had lunch at One on One, cream of mushroom soup with bread.

Here's a map of our route from my phone's Cardio Trainer app. Lots of stops and good fun.

Cuyuna Lakes Whiteout 2012 (Jared's a Yeti)

Turn it up, expand it and watch it in HD.

Anticipating Cuyuna Lakes Whiteout

My excitement for the upcoming weekend adventure is contagious. Loading skis, bikes, kites, snowshoes and bivy gear starts the fun. Not sure what I will need, but seeing me packing my favorite toys got Claire motivated too.

Link to the fun

Taiwan Photos 04-05

Teddy Bear Hunt Club

43 degree Feb. day in Minnesota warrants a little archery. Shannon, Daniel, Claire and Harris all did great. The stuffed animal targets didn't have a chance against this Teddy Bear Hunt Club.

Feb. 18th Ride From Sibley House to the Cedar Bridge

About 10 miles round trip on a muddy soft trail. Great to get out. The temperature was in the upper 30's with calm wind and full-on sunshine. My bike is a Mid 90's Trek 950 and a friend's is an early 90's 930 with drop-bars. I run a 1x8 drive and the 930 is 1x7. Both bikes did well, but I saw "Larry Tracks." A fat bike would have been perfect.

Test from phone

I'm loving the new phone. Funny it's still called a phone when that's what I've been using for the least. I've recharged 3 times today because of how much I've been playing with and learning the potential of different apps. This picture is my first blog post via phone.

I Know Everything for $1/day

I'm diving into the smartphone world. Picked up my Galaxy Nexus by Samsung today. It is capable of more things than I can conceive; I look forward to expanding my imagination.

An Afternoon of Nordic Skiing at Trollhaugen

Snow Bunnies

The result of two kids sharing one set of skis

Harris' first time on skate skis; he rocked'm!

Way to go Claire

Claire did well in a race for new skiers at the Classic Suburban Conference JV Championship. She took 2nd place! It has been a blast having her on my team.

High altitude cycling - Lichtenstein, Saxony, Germany, 09350 - Guinness World Records Photo - Home of the Longest, Shortest, Fastest, Tallest facts and feats

High altitude cycling - Lichtenstein, Saxony, Germany, 09350 - Guinness World Records Photo - Home of the Longest, Shortest, Fastest, Tallest facts and feats

Here's How I'm Spending my Days.

Step Back and Try It

Kite Skiing on Rogers Lake

Took the kite and my Nordic touring skis out on Rogers Lake today. Was able to cruise for about 500 meters along the SSE side of the lake. The wind was from the West at about 15 mph with some gusts into the mid 20mph range. It was a blast skiing, but I didn't want to get too far away from Harris, my 10 year old son, who skied in support. He took the photo.

I'd like to get out more in the center of the lake with a little stronger wind. I was hoping to figure out how to ski out and then tack back. Maybe next time out. Lots of fun, and my touring skis made getting back easier than walking.

Super fun to use the wind to glide along the lake. I think of it as a real life video game balancing on legs to ski while being pulled and keeping the kite flying in the power band. Crashed once trying to tack; not very graceful trying to fly the kite and get up at the same time.

新年快樂

Best wishes for the year of the Dragon

Here's our Chinese New Year Spread. Every dish was as good as it looks.

From a French artist Shaka. Would this post be illegal under SOPA?

Overnight trip to Afton

My brother, Jared, and I decided around noon Sunday to camp-out for the night. We loaded up and headed toward Afton. Stopped at a bar to watch the Packers lose to the Giants. We weren't in Wisconsin, but you can see it across the St. Croix River in the picture below.

The River is iced up with little snow covering it.

Likewise, little snow for ground cover. Couldn't use a snow-stake or pound regular pegs in the frozen earth. Made do with a chunk of firewood.

Spent the evening sitting around the fire. Temp. in the mid 20's with a bit of a breeze.

Packed up and headed home. Not very eventful, but sure glad I got out anyway. It's good to be at a point in my gear and knowledge, where I can quickly throw my kit together and be warm and comfortable on a January, Minnesota night.

Looks Fun

Link