Wet Ride to Duluth

Jared and I rode to Aerostich's Open House Saturday.  Rain and temps in the lower 50's to lower 40's provided ample opportunity to try out my Darian Jacket and AD1 pants.  I won a MSR titanium two pot set set, and purchased a back protector and a t-shirt.

Sunday morning we had round two of gear testing.  Despite being wet on the outside, I stayed warm and dry inside my jacket and pants.  It was cold enough at home to turn on my furnace to warm the house and help dry out my gear.

Here's some info on the pot I won as a door prize.  It's a sweet titan titanium two pot set from MSR sans handle pliers.

Overnighter to Pipestone

 Hoping for a quick overnight motocamping trip, I pulled up a map of Minnesota looking for a novel destination.  I decided on Pipestone, Mn.  I know about the historic significance, but had never visited.  I called Jared, and he was able to both join me and plan the route.

 The two of us rode through the Laura Ingalls Highway to the West.  On the road, I thought about Mr. Edwards and the US-Dakota War of 1862 that emptied the the region of settlers and Natives though ethnic cleansing.

 The weather was nigh perfect.  Sunny skies, bright moon and moderate temperatures combined with no bugs made for a pleasant trip.

 We arrived at the Pipestone National Monument at about 4:30 pm.  Toured the inside exhibits and went for a 30 minute walk around the ancient grounds.

 We camped 6 miles south at Split Rock Creek State Park.  It was nothing fancy, but sites were available near the lake.

 We took a detour to ride up a gravel road toward a wind farm.  I wondered what geological structure made building wind towers particularly appealing here.  According to the Pipestone Chamber of Commerce.  "This area of Minnesota, called Buffalo Ridge... is a glacier-deposited ridge that runs diagonally accross the state.  Because of its higher eleveation of 1950 feet, the area experiences continual wind speeds of 18 mph.  This and the plentiful open farm and pasture land make it an ideal place for wind turbines."  

We arrived back at Jared's for a special late lunch of foie gras, brie, french bread and other charcuterie.