Frank's Adventures on Bike

ABCFL - Ashland-Bayfield-Cable Falling Leaves Bike Tour Oct 8-11, 2011

2011-10-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

ABCFL Bike Tour – Oct 8 to 11, 2011 – SuperiorBikeTours.com
Ashland to Cable to Bayfield to Madeline Island to Ashland, Wisconsin

I don’t know how many lucky horseshoes I have left in my ABC cycle tours, but I got another one for this years ride. Even though we had heavy head winds (especially on the first day where we had 50 to 80km/h head winds (30 to 50 mph)), but we had sunny, dry and a high temps of 30C (85F). Holy Toledo!!!

The day before the ride had even stronger winds which de-foliated probably 75% of the leaves, but as we biked towards Bayfield, the beauty of the changing leaves was still there to greet us. And, the same held true on Madeline Island.

There was a strange weather pattern in this area of USA because it was in the midst of a small heat wave. The night before the ride the temperature was 27C (80F) in October!?!?!?
But the temperatures even got higher when we got to The Pavilion in Hayward where Molly and the Danger Band were playing. I met them earlier this winter and was given the opportunity to play my harmonica with them. Then again in September, I was given the opportunity to play with them. After that Molly gave me a standing invitation to play with them anytime they are on stage which is almost every Friday and Saturday night throughout the year.

Kathryn, Randy and I got there, and were joined by Andrew from Madison. James and Deb were already there taking in the music and sharing a drink. I was able to play about 5 songs with them and inbetween they were joined by a woman named Danielle who sang an awesome Janis Joplin with so much passion. She brought down the house!!!

Just after their last set, in came Doug, Margie and Lori. They missed the tunes by only a few minutes.

We all stayed at the newly purchased (and massive) Telemark Resort. It is still in the midst of renovations but definitely liveable. I’m glad that they were able to open up again, with the same affordable prices.

Saturday, Oct 8, 2011, Day 1
The next morning on day #1 of the tour, Margie, Doug, Lori and I headed out early to mark the rest of the route. I had already had about 1/3 of the marking done with Marcie from a trip in September, so the job was not as daunting. Lori was my spraying assistant. It was a lot faster when I had someone else help me mark the route. She learnt the technique quickly and was a star pupil and assistant.

By 10:00am it was already 23C (73F). Remember, this was in October!!!

We saw steady stream of vehicles heading north on Hwy 13 towards Bayfield which was holding it’s annual Applefest which explodes the population of the quaint (formerly logging and fishing) community from 600 to over 50,000!! How to they fit them all? I guess that the nearby Madeline Island, Washburn, Red Cliff and camping all help accommodate the thousands. But also, a lot of them are probably one day visitors.

I purposely scheduled the bike tour so that it we would not be in that area until after the fest. It’s quite a zoo and most (if not all) accommodations have a minimum stay of 2 nights. At the end of day #2 of the ride as the cyclists were riding in from the south, there was a steady stream of cars leaving Bayfield on hwy 13. Fortunately, the heavy traffic was on the other side of the 2 lane highway.

By 11:15, most of the riders were at the visitor’s center. I did my introductions and safety/courtesy spiel, then by noon we were on our way with 10 riders and a SAG driver (SAG means Support and Gear). We were expecting two more riders to join us the next day. In my talk I encouraged the riders to smell the roses and to touch the water of Lake Superior. Well, only 4 km into the ride, we already witnessed Kathryn standing in the lake at the beach at the artesian well.

The head wind was sometimes quite challenging, but the scenery of the rolling pastureland then cottage country made up for it. And, as we neared the smaller lakes at the southern section of CR-D (county road), the angle of the low sun shining through the (mostly bare) trees, combined with the fluttering/falling leaves, and the primarily orange forest floor made for a spectacular sight during this early part of autumn.

Half way through this 85km day, the temperatures were quite high. Some of us had to lie in the shade to cool off a bit while I encouraged everyone to stay hydrated. It is funny because I packed about 4 extra pair of thin hats and gloves to give to riders who might not have been prepared in case the weather got cold. A few days after the ride, the high temperatures were barely reaching 10c (50f).

We had three tailgate stops along the route. Near the end of the ride, on Frel’s Road, as Randy, Doug and I were reaching the end, we found ourselves all of a sudden in the midst of a lynx (or bobcat) attempting an attack on some deers. We were just chatting idley when all of a sudden a white tailed deer leaped across the road and the other went the other way with the lynx in close pursuit. This was all just 20 feet in front of us. I think we might have botched the lynx’s hunting.

At the Telemark Resort we were surprised to see two fellow bike riders from Thunder Bay, Lori and Graham. Ha!!, what a coincidence!!! After a break and a refreshment we were on our way to the River’s Eatery in Cable, who stayed opened longer for us. I’ve always offered this great stone oven pizza joint to the riders. On one hand they keep the operations simple, but on the other hand the décor and funkiness of the place makes it a “must visit”. Mic and Beth and Carly and Lillie do an awesome job and always treat my groups with extra zeal.

Sara Balbin and her husband Gary were at the Eatery to meet us. I’m always bragging about them and want my riders to meet them both. I want them to meet Sara because of her great metal art. She is often involved in a ribbon cutting somewhere in the country where she’s been commissioned to design, build and erect a piece of her work. But, on all four of my tours, she’s always been in Cable and eager to show my tour riders her workshop. Not only are she and Gary open to showing us the epicentre of her work, but they also have freshly made muffins ready for us. Sara’s work can be seen at http://www.sarabalbin.com/.

Gary, in addition to being a strong proponent in helping Sara with her work (and administration), is also the founder and director of the very well known mountain bike tour called the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival (http://www.cheqfattire.com/). This annual event is a staple in Wisconsin which draws thousands of mountain bikers from all over the mid-west and the rest of the USA (and a hand full of Canadians).

Sunday, Oct 9, 2011, Day 2
The next morning we headed out by 8:30 am. The temperature was perfect, and there was not a wisp of wind in the air, but it did build up later in the day, and (dang it) it was a head wind, but not too hard. Most of us rode to the Brickhouse in Cable for a great breakfast, then were off to Sara’s “Dragonfly” studio to see some of her work and have some of their muffins. They are in the midst of building a bigger workshop to enable a bit more elbow room. Sara has lately added “car hood” art to her medium options. She will take a car hood and do her magic on it. I love the creativity and resourcefulness that she utilizes. Car hoods and old drapes are two of her resourceful media.

Fearing that Kathryn and Andrew might miss the driveway to the studio, I asked Margie to park on the road so they’d see the SAG vehicle. Margie ended up having to drive down Blue Moon Road to catch them. They were glad that they didn’t miss the scene.

Onward north we headed. Cable’s cell phone coverage is not very good, but I’m glad that I left my cell phone powered on because as I headed up the beautiful and sparsely driven Delta-Drummond Road, I was notified by a text msg. My brother Sam and Jeremy were in the neighbourhood and trying to track us down. A few minutes later, when I turned to see if the elusive Delta Diner (which always had a very long wait), I was greeted excitedly by Doug and Margie saying that we had seats. Yes, the Delta Diner on an early Sunday afternoon actually had room. The God’s were on our side!!! Between my text and Margie’s broken voice msg, Sam and Jeremy found us in the middle of our gastric abundance in the Diner. What an awesome surprise. Many of us immediately offered some of our shrapnel (left overs) to them because we just had so much to eat. Their special was a PBLT – Perch, bacon, lettuce and tomato. But the gaspacho soup was also to die for. And many went overboard with the malted shakes.

The temperatures never got too high, but the sun came out for the majority of the day. I was the last to leave the diner and enjoyed the pastural scenery as I rode by Frosty’s bar. We always stopped there because the Delta Diner was always too full for us to go in. But this time we were all too full for any need to stop at Frosty’s, so north and east we continued.

I love the Moqua bar and when I saw two bicycles leaning on the plywood walls amongst the motorcycles, I had to go in. Kathryn and Andrew were sharing a cool one and making up limericks. And, I joined in like a dirty shirt. The owner says that even he feels the pinch of the recession in his little joint.

County Road G which heads east is where I met Sam and Jeremy. Earlier, they drove to the visitor’s center and started riding west to meet some of us. As I looked up a hill towards a couple of cyclists, I realized that it was them waiting for me. So, onward hoe!! Not long after we started, Jeremy got a flat. He had an old bike that had nut/bolt hub, so I needed a couple of wrenches to get his wheel off his bike. I had them!! The five of us hung out as I patched the flat. Onward hoe. The route took us only 500 metres from first day’s starting point, then we hung a left and again headed north to be greeted by Margie and Deb at an old closed down school. Fruit, cookies, chocolate, apple cider and other goodies were available for our consumption. We still have not seen James, Elaine and Dave since this morning in Cable. Elaine ended up riding the entire 115km. Good for her.

I jumped in the SAG with Margie to do a bit of shopping and arrange the sleeping accommodations. Margie was going to cook for the group in one of the condos. The condos that we are renting are those of Larry Carpenter whom I met several years ago at the Red Rock Folk Fest. We kept loosely in touch and now here I am renting out his places in Bayfield.

Bayfield was emptying as we entered it, but it was still very busy in the town. Roads were still blocked and rerouted. And there was a Milwaukee Brewers game and a Packers game on TV, so many were hanging out to watch the games. Normally the area fully clears out after the Applefest, however, occasionally the festival weekend falls on the same day as Columbus day. This year they landed on the same weekend, so Bayfield did not empty out as much as usual. There were still vendors stalls in the middle of the streets, and we had to drive really slowly and carefully to get to our condo’s parking lot.

It was a long but rewarding day. Lori and Elaine did all 115km. For Lori it was her first ever over 100km, and the day before it was her first ever over 85km. In fact before this trip, her longest day’s ride was 50km. WOW. I think her running really helped Elaine and Dave got a head start on the group and passed by Sara Balbin’s Dragonfly in their successful attempt to stay ahead of the group. But, they stayed ahead so much that we never saw them. But that’s OK because they have the freedom to ride at their own pace.

Also, James, Doug, Randy, and Andrew did the entire trip. Actually James got in so early that he had time to hang out at the used bookstore and bought three books on downhill skiing.

Getting into Bayfield had it’s pros and cons because it was the last day of the Applefest when the population of Bayfield explodes from a quaint 600 to a massive 50.000! As Margie and I approached this little gem of a town we were diverted inland up a steep hill by the police. In a vehicle is wasn’t too much of an imposition, but for the cyclists, it was quite a tough end to the ride. Well, not for all the riders. James, Randy, Doug, and Lori took the main route and did not heed the signs, but Dave, being a conformist, when up the hill followed by his wife Elaine who felt she had no choice. LoL. But after only climbing one block they came to their senses and turned back onto the main (and flatter) route.

We stayed at the Washington St. Condos (and one small room at Greunke’s at the other corner of the block).

Margie recruited a lot of helpers to prepare a wonderful dinner. Pasta with veggies, garlic bread, abundant salad, serbet/cookie dessert mixed with wine and beer. What added to the great food was the spirited discussions, especially about who had seen the most wild animals. I had two contests going. One was “who could count the most number of wild animals”. Birds counted only if they were landed. A group of animals would only count as one. Lori claimed that she saw 12, then Elaine returned by saying that she saw 47 squirrels. She said that we don’t ride as slow as she does, so, at her slower pace, she’s able to see a lot more. Lori did not believe her, (and it did sound like a of an exaggeration). I could not discern whether Elaine was just playing, and I was influenced by Lori’s boisterousness, enough to give the prize to Lori. Maybe I just gave her the prize because she was the loudest. One thing that I do know was that I definitely did not have control of the discussion, LOL. It was a lot of fun!!

After dinner, Margie brought out four of her home made wines. They were ?, ?, ? and ?. I think that ? was my favourite.

Most were in bed in the two condos (and one room at Greunke’s) by midnight. I fell asleep on the couch while Andrew and I were flipping channels and watching Family Guy amongst other surfed shows.

It was a good day.

Monday, Oct 10, 2011 – Day 3
In the early morning, as I looked to the north to the other side of Washington St, I was presented with the brilliantly illuminated foliage of the oak trees (and other trees) across the street as the sun was only one degree above the horizon. Deep rust, combined with sharp oranges and brilliant yellows offset with the evergreens lit by the rising sun gave me a splendid sight.

Here the trees still had most of their leaves unlike the scene just 90km south in the Cable and Drummond area. I think that the windstorm and the colder night air farther from the lake probably contributed to the lack of leaves in the south section of the ride.

Most of us started the morning with our traditional breakfast at our favourite “Eggtoss” restaurant. It was nice chatting and getting to know some of the riders more. Jeremy who is a professional actor told us stories of his dad (who was even more of a professional actor) told of stories of his dad’s being famous by acting on one episode of Faulty Towers. Everyone had something to bring to the table, but for some reason the waitress thought that I was doing most of the talking. I told her that I wasn’t, and said that when I stopped talking then I’d call her and tell her that I was not talking, but I would have had to talk to tell her that I was being quiet. Boy, can I ever talk myself in circles sometimes, kinda like a dog chasing his own tail. LOL.

The ferry ride was pleasant, but we were a bit concerned when about 4 of the other riders were left behind because the ferry departed about 8 minutes early. When I asked the captain if he could wait for the rest of our group he assured me that the main ferry was leaving 10 minutes later. We were on the extra one. Whew!! It cost $6.00 one way for a person and $3.00 for a bike. It cost $25.00 (both ways) for a vehicle (and extra for each passenger).

Doug, who was driving the newly appointed SAG vehicle (Sam’s), and I (on my bike) went on ahead to the main office of the Inn on Madeline Island to check in. It was before noon so I wasn’t surprised that our condos were not yet ready. Amity, our very gracious host warned us not to drink the tap water in the bigger condo because a bit of contamination was detected in the water, so they had water bottles and stuff to compensate for the temporary setback. It was nice to finally meet Amity because I’ve talked to her several times over the last few years when booking accommodations on the island.

I booked 2 condos with the Inn on Madeline Island. One was Lakeside and the smaller one was 300 down the road. I guided Dave there so he could have an idea on how to get there later.
Some of the riders stayed back at Bayfield to explore and shop while the rest of us were on the roads of Madeline Island by noon. In less than 4 minutes Jeremy got his second flat. I knew that Margie and Lori were leaving for home in only a couple of hours. And, since they were in our current riding “pelaton” I did not want Jeremy to miss the opportunity to ride with them. So, I told him to take my bike and I’ll stay back and fix the flat. He was very gracious and I sent him on his way. Just as he was 200 meters and out of sight and earshot I realized that I only had my pump while the rest of my gear was on my bike trunk which was on my bike, which Jeremy had. Dang, I was in a quandary.

I decided to try to pump up the tire and hope it would hold the air. No such luck. So, plan B was for me to walk the kilometer back to the condo and hope that it was opened, otherwise I was going to walk all the way to Tom’s burnt Down Café in hopes that he’d open early for me. As I was thinking of my options, and older couple (Doug and Cindy) who live on the island 6 months of the year and in a small town near Milwaukee the rest of the year, offered me help. I accepted. Their van easily fitted my bike and off we when to catch my group of friends that were 5 minutes up the road. I found Jeremy then thanked and said good-bye to my drivers, got my patch kit, wrenches, a tube and, again sent him on his way.

After everyone left I settled down to the task of fixing the flat. Just as I was getting started I stepped in this super slippery muck on the side of the road. It was that kinda reddish stuff that’s kinda heavy, slippery and tenacious but it looks dry before you step in it. Dang, got the guu on my shoes. Anyway, I got down to fixing the flat, but it did not dampen my spirits because I was in such a beautiful milieu of rusty auburn, oranges, yellows and greens. I found a spot in the shade on a road where a car might pass by every 10 minutes. But in a very short time, I was passed by a vehicle who offered me help. My goodness!! In 15 minutes I was offered help twice. This island does a good to people’s eagerness to lend a hand to an ailing brother. I graciously declined and continued on.
This was Jeremy’s second flat in as many days. Both times I was with him. I wonder if I jinxed him? Yesterday I fixed the flat on Jeremy’s front tire, and today, he also had a flat on the front tire. I thought the flat might be on the same patch that I fixed yesterday, but it was not. I did not want to take off his tire so I listened for the air leak, then pulled out the tube in that general area. I only had 9 inches of the tube exposed. Maybe it was an old tube, old tire or both LOL I got the patch on and hoped that it would stick and be effective. And, fortunately it was, because it lasted the rest of the day, and the next.

The cool story about Jeremy’s bike is that it was borrowed/rented from the Bicycles for Humanity (B4H) organization in Thunder Bay. B4H takes donations of old bicycles, then fixes them and sends them to Africa. Jeremy gave a nominal amount to B4H to let him use the bike for the extended weekend.

Back on the saddle I went, but goodness, I did not like the saddle. I’m usually not very picky, but this one definitely did not agree with my anatomy.

It was nice to ride down the quiet South Shore Road, then onto Hagen Road in the full fall splendour. When I turned into Big Bay State Park, I asked the park gate attendants if they saw any cyclists. They said, “No”. So I thought that I was going to be by myself for a while and just took my time and enjoyed the solitude. At the end of one road I decided to try to ride the bike in one of the paths, but after negotiating a few roots I decided to turn back.

Next I went towards the beach and picnic area and met Sam, Jeremy, Kathryn, Doug and Randy. It was a Party!!! Kathryn and Randy went in for swim. Good for them. I eagerly traded my bike back with Jeremy. He said that it was nice to ride a higher end bike. Actually in the cycling club kinda scene my bike would be considered lower to mid end bike, but definitely not high end.

We then headed off to the other side of Big Bay to the Town Park part of the bay which was on the northwest end of the bay. There we all walked on the sandy beach and got at least up to our knees in the water that had a temperature that reminded you that you were alive (I mean cold!!!). But, the legs got used to it. But everyone touched the water. That’s something I encourage everyone to do – TOUCH THE WATER!!! Yahoo!!!

As we headed up the wooden stairs back to the bikes, we ran into Molly Otis (the owner and singer at The Pavilion in Hayward). What a nice surprise!! I eagerly told her that I had my harmonicas and that I’d totally be open to jamming with her at Tom’s Burnt Down Café. She already had plans but did not fully write it off. Unfortunately it never happened. But the rest of the day was still great.

As some of the group wanted to ride to the end of County Road H, I decided to head to Tom’s Burnt Down Café (TBDC) because he was opening up just for us. I tried to text him but had no service whenever I tried. When I got there (on Middle Road), there were quite a few people in addition to some of our group. He planned to stay opened for us for three hours, and ended up staying opened even longer into the dark (7:00pm). James, Deb, Dave and Elaine were already then, then over the course of the next hour, everyone of our group was there, except for Lori and Margie who had to head home early. They jumped on the 1:30 ferry back to Bayfield and on their way home to get to work on time for the next day.

I asked our bartender, Kelly, if we could bring up our tailgate food. I told her that if we could then we’d most likely stick around longer and give them more business (by ordering more drinks). She had no problem with it. I also invited her to share in our bounty. I went to Tom’s office to say hello. He let me in and told me that he was glad that their 15 year old cat died today. He was glad because he and his 4 year old son were allergic to it. He said though that he’d still have to get cat out of his carpet. He’s such a character, who always seems to be busy and on the edge of some crisis of his own or someone else’s. He’s also creative and loves to talk and share his ideas. Randy and Doug had the pleasure of meeting him in his office just after I did.

Tom came out to the open-air bar (remember that it burnt down twice). He shared some magnetic car ribbons that said something like “we have a friend in cheeses” (this is Wisconsin afterall), and “Lord save us from your followers”. Goodness, LOL.

I put my bike on the bike rack of the SAG vehicle because it was dark and drove with Sam the ½ km to the Lakeside Condo of Inn on Madeline Island. It was quite nice and roomy. It has a beautiful southwest view of the lake towards the mainland. After watching a bit of a “Dancing with the Stars”, some of us headed to the bar next door for a drink and great pizza. The pizza was $13 and the wine was on Monday night half price sale. Cool!!

In addition to the comraderie, we were entertained by ? the lady from Bulgaria. She was quite animated and excited to talk to us. She and her husband spend some of their summers in Silver Islet which is very close to Thunder Bay. WOW!!

Jeremy, who takes dancing lessons with his wife, and had to see the finish of the show, joined us after the show, but could not stay long because the bar was closing down. Back in the condo, I applied some of Andrew’s lotion for my back which was kinda irritated and itchy from what I thought might have been bug or spider bites.

Sleep came kinda early as Sam and I fell asleep on two of the couches and the rest of the group chatted in the living room.

It was another great day!!

Tuesday,
Looking southwest from the balcony of the Inn on Madeline Island’s Lakeside condo at 6:45am (dawn) was a vision of serenity. The sky was clear with the greyish top of the very gently lapping lake under the darker tones of the mainland, under the blueish grey sky which gradually morphed to a violet, then pink, then very light blue sky. It’s quite amazing how this majestic lake can take on moods that swing from innocent looking docility to a raging uncontrolled fury.
Today we had a quiet lake.

To the left was the lighthouse bar/restaurant only 50 yards away where we had the great artesian pizzas the night before.

Mission Hill café was the place that everyone went before our ferry embarkation. Some of us made it a point to say hi to the proprietor, Maria, who joined us for dinner last year.

Outside the café was a beautiful two and a half year old black lab named Irving. A fella told us that it some how got onto a ferry when it was about 8 weeks old, was found astray and has called Madeline Island his home ever since. And, Irving (aka, “Crazy Irv”), did not even have to pay a one way fair LOL. At one point Crazy Irv was to be taken to create some pups, but to add to the infamy of Tom’s Burnt Down Café, Crazy Irv could not wait and did his duty with another dog in the middle of Middle Road outside the café – so the story goes.

Lois, who worked at the visitors center, next door to Mission Hill was nice enough to take a group shot of us before we headed to the ferry. She said that we might make the front page of the newsletter. Cool!!!

On the ferry, we met Doug and Cindy (the one’s who helped me out yesterday). We got them in a group shot with us. I got to know Doug a bit more, and when I found out that he used to be a mechanical engineer for 40 years, I had to introduce him to Randy, who has the same profession. Doug who finished highschool on a Friday and started working at GM the following Monday worked on many interested projects, one of which was involved with the Apollo missions. WOW!!! He and Cindy were celebrating their 59 anniversary. They live on Capser Road on this island for half the year, and in a small town near Milwaukee for the rest of the year, and travel a lot inbetween.

Back on our bikes, highway 13 seemed loud even though, for a highway it had relatively little traffic, but after riding the back roads like Ondossagon, Big Bay Rd, and Delta Drummond Road, even a car every 5 minutes seemed like too much. Dave and I caught up to Doug who got a flat tire by riding over a broken beer bottle. The leaves were still very stunningly brilliant as we continued to Washburn where we stopped at the growing Coco restaurant. It’s a funky place that has doubled in size since last year. It’s at a good spot because it’s at roughly half way to the finish of today’s ride, but it’s also at a bad spot because it’s before an optional big climb. When we turn right onto County C the route climbs substantially (but with some declines mixed in). But if someone was inclined (no pun intended) to try and even tougher climb, they’d go up another few kilometers on County C then turn left onto Church Corner road. I remember as Sam looked up the hill “Is that all?”. And he wasn’t joking. It’s funny how we could be visually deceived sometimes. It’s a climb of about 1.4 km, but the steep part (about 500 metres), is maybe 12%. I’ll have to actually find out the true grade sometime.
Then, we had an exhilarating downhill where I hit a max speed into the 70’s. After turning onto the next road, I assured Sam that probably 85% of the remaining route was either downhill or flat. He joked in how I have such exacting estimates. Well I kinda proved myself right when we reached the top of Ondossagon Rd where I treated everyone to a beer at the Top-Side Bar. Goodness, a big pitcher of Michilob draft cost 6 bucks!!

We finished in the 2:30-3:00pm range to be greeted by Hannah with awesome oatmeal/chocolate chip and coffee cookies. Hannah and her friend Alissa, just barely 20 years old rode their bikes around Lake Superior this past May. They found out about my warmshowers.org offer to put up cyclist for free and stayed at my home during their journey. We kept in touch and hoped to meet again… and it happened.

I thanked Penny at the visitors center for letting us park over the last four days. It’s a nice spot to start/end journeys such as this one. After hugging all the riders, Sam, Jeremy and I together headed back to Thunder Bay.

Thanks Margie for being such a great SAG driver and cook, and Debbie for often pitching in. And Elaine, Dave, Andrew, Kathryn, James, Randy, Doug, Lori, Sam, and Jeremy, thanks for adding your personalities into this extended weekend’s adventure.

It’s been yet another successful ride, good memories, good people, good food, good times, good riding…
-Until next time
-Frank Pollari
-SuperiorBikeTours.com

July 1-4, 2011 Superior BIke Tours - Keweenaw Tour

2011-07-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

Oh goodness!!! Where do I begin???
Do I talk about the great weather and tail winds? Do I talk about the live music that Ken and Jim brought along, or the beautiful beaches? Do I talk about the excitement of the windstorm that took out our power, or the beautiful Haven Falls where Doug F. and I got “get wet” contest points, or the watermelon that was sucked up in 5 seconds flat, or the great glass sweeping job that Chris/Liane did for the ride.

See photos at:
https://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=100000407416834

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2239017577471&set=at.2239017177461.133938.1308984036.745681717&type=1#!/media/set/?set=a.2239017177461.133938.1308984036

We recently finished the SuperiorBikeTours.com Keweenaw MK4 Bike Tour from July 1 to July 4, 2011

As in other years we started in Baraga in a flippant temperature that tossed back and forth from 19 to 30 C. As we headed northeast up Hwy 41 we would feel the coolness of the Keweenaw Bay water then sometimes felt the sweltering and humid heat from the inland air. We would weave in and out of this cool/hot front as we rode straight up the highway.

The Green Light Bar in Chassel was ready for us and coincidently had an all-you-can-eat fish fry which some of us took advantage. It was a great “first stop” where the group had a better chance to get to know each other. While we were socializing in Chassel, Bruce and Bev already got to the Travelodge, so we got Doug P. (who selflessly offered to be our dedicated SAG, and was going for a bike ride to be sure that a flat tire got fixed) to get there fast.

As we continued towards Houghton, the temperature again got hot. Hot enough for me to jump in the adjacent Portage Lake. Cristine joined me but she didn’t go in all the way. Jet skiis and power boats were whizzing along in the middle of the lake.

My swim inspired me to set up a “Get Wet” contest. If you went in the water you would get a point. If you went in with very little clothes (you figure it out), you’d get an extra point. Later I added another point potential – if you went in the water with a group of ten people, then everyone would get an extra point. No one was ever able to get a group of ten together, however Nancy, Ruth and Wendy got together and got wet and have a very intriguing photo to prove it. The points on this contest were on an honour system. If there was a tie, then the tie would go to whomever had the most events witnessed. I presented this idea to the group while having pizza and beer at the Keweenaw Brewing Company. They have these take-out beer containers called “growlers”. I told everyone about the point system, and told them that I already got a point (and so did Cristine). Well after much playful dissent and complaining that I started the game before telling the group, I had to concede my first point (and Cristine followed suit) so that everyone started on an even keel. The winner after the entire weekend, with 14 points, was Doug F. followed by Mary Ellen with seven. Both were very worthy participants and winners. And they both were awarded.

Some of the group gathered for refreshments on the second floor patio at the Travelodge. I felt compelled to play Oh Canada on my harmonica to honour July 1. Then I was able to get Alyssa (the front desk girl), to get a chocolate donut for me (that was for the next morning’s continental breakfast). Liisa helped light the candle that I stuck on the pastry, then we walked onto the patio, playing “Happy Birthday” to Pam. Everyone else joined in then we passed the donut around and each took out a chunk to eat.

Not long later, there was a big wind and thunderstorm that hit Houghton with little warning at 11:00pm. We had to leave the patio immediately because everything was getting blown around, and the rain started falling hard. We heard the next day that a tormado hit the Copper Harbor area. All of Copper Harbor lost power which was down until maybe 7:00pm. Due to the power outage, we had no showers (that were supplied by pump). Not knowing when the power was going to return, a number of the riders got more “get wet” points as they used the chilly waters of Lake Superior to rinse off the day’s ride’s sweat.

Saturday’s ride was with a very strong tail-wind day with temperatures into the 30’s.
The local talk was that at least 40 trees were down on route M26 (our route), and that a mini-tornado hit the night before. Repair crews were along the route removing trees that were laying on the road and on the downed power lines. The wind was so strong that Vicky and Tim were finished before 2pm. They actually hurried because Vicky had some swelling problem with her cheek. They decided the next day to take a short cut to Calumet to seek medical attention. It all worked out in the end.

Doug P and I did some grocery shopping for the masses as they hung out at the 5th Street Café and watched the “Pasty” parade. Doug F. took a turn SAG driving because he forgot his prescription sunglasses at McClain State Park. Unfortunately he never retrieved them. As always, I visited the bike shop in town and met the owners who said that many of our riders already visited them.

I set up the first tail-gate in Eagle Harbor along the very popular beach where many tourists were playing and sun-tanning. Earlier, many stopped at the ice-cream place in Eagle River and some checked out the Jampot by Jacob’s Falls.

Some rode the challenging but beautiful 700 vertical foot climb (approx) of Brockway Mountain while others took the lake hugging route along M26 where the crews still were not finished at 6:30pm.

Due to the heat, I left a cooler outside our cabin full of refreshments for people to enjoy before the SAG vehicle arrived. An hour or so later, Jim D, Ken and I jammed on the Cabin 5 deck, while others were chatting and laughing and sipping beer, wine, and Gatorade, and eating various munchies.

Later a sing-song ensued in our cabin with a big portion of the group, but I missed it because I had a late dinner with a few of the fellas.

On the third day we again mostly had a tailwind which was quite a blessing because it was going the opposite as the day before. As always, Hwy 41 was enchanting with it’s 15km of rolling, tree-canopied, new asphalt top.

Many of us had breaky at the Pines and were served by someone the some said was kinda cranky. I found out later that she was living in a tent with her 2 kids.

The Lac Labelle road has an exciting downhill beside Mount Bohemia. We flew downhill for quite a distance and felt the thrill of the descent, but then after quite a thrill we then were presented with a sign stating “steep road ahead”. Holy Cow!! Gail walked down the hill because her arms were getting sore holding the brakes.

From there we had a nice rest and tailgate stop at Haven Falls where Doug F and I got more “get wet” points. He got two points, I got one. Along the road heading towards Gay there were tropical like views of Lake Superior. Some lakeshore with knee deep flat stone and some with soothing white sand. This year, the water seemed extra cold.

The Gay Bar continued with it's reputation of “not-so-hospitable” hospitality. Hopefully this will turn around in the future because it is in such an opportune spot for us. Jim, who is a gentle and soft spoken man asked timidly something like "May I order some sloppy Joe's" and was replied with "Well you can order them", implying "but you might not get them". And several times when asked for water she barked "you want water, you get it yourself, I'm not getting paid to server water". But at least she let us take it. This stop gives us something to talk about.

Many of us stopped a De La Terra's on 9th st in Lake Linden. Sarah and hubby (the owners) were very inviting as well as their exuberant employee Marianne. Many of us did not notice the happy hour which started just after most left. I was still there and took advantage of the happy hour soup and frits (French fries in herbs and cheese with a pesto dip – super yummy!)

At the latter half of the day, Chris and Liane offered to SAG and did a great job. And, they selflessly swept the glass off the last tough climb from Lake Linden to Calumet. We were able to borrow a broom from De La Terra’s management.

I will try to contact the Chambers of Commerce for next year’s ride to have them sweep the glass from the shoulder of the road.

Ruth had an interesting run-in with an eagle. As she rode along, an eagle was after a squirrel when the eagle flew into her spokes!! It bounced off Ruth and into Wendy, then flew off. They don’t know what happened to the eagle, but hope that it wasn’t hurt.

Later she saw another squirrel and yelled at it so it would not get run over and to lessen the chance of another eagle swoop. The squirrel stopped in it’s tracks and stayed safe.

After having a very filling dinner at the Michigan House, a bunch of the group headed to Luigi’s pub where I jammed with the great guitar picking player and good singer, George. First I started with “Heart of Gold”, then as the evening continued, even got into some improvising jamming. It was a blast. I met George the night before the tour at a bar that had a bowling alley after Ang and I marked the course (which took about 8 hours). We had so much fun playing music together that he invited me and the group to come again (but at Luigi’s).

As we walked back to the Americinn, we saw the Lake Linden fireworks for the American independence festivities. One of these days we might go down to the festival.

The last day was deceivingly hot which made it an extra challenge. And with the route going up the steep Military Road in Houghton, it was enough to make it difficult for some riders. Some actually took a longer but flatter route to avoid the steep climb. There’s a quaint deli/store at the Finnish hamlet of Tapiola that came in handy to us because the adjacent Feed Mill restaurant is always closed on July 4 (and Sunday’s). The fella that I’ve come to know (Joe) has a calming demeanour about him that makes the Karvakko’s experience even better. He is passionate about his sandwiches and salads. It was 91 F in the shade at noon at the deli. Goodness.

Most riders were in by 1:30. We said good-byes to new and old friends with smiles of great memories of vistas, food, Lake Superior, hospitality (for the most part LOL), music, and cycling.

People have asked me to try to have an option of a longer ride (more days). I will be checking out the possibility of having a “pre-ride” of maybe 3 days that will take us up to the Porcupine Mountains and the enchanting Lake of the Clouds. So, for next year look for the same ride with a possible option to start a few days earlier.

Thanks to Doug P for doing a great job as the dedicated SAG.

-Thanks everyone for participating in another very successful Superior Bike Tour at the Keweenaw Penninsula.
-Frank Pollari

Check out http://www.superiorbiketours.com/ for upcoming rides.

Day 4 Keweenaw Penninsula Ride - The Adventure Begins

2010-07-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

Day 4 – 83 km Calumet to Baraga

Another hot day.
I sagged all day. As the morning warmed up we were starting to meet the riders after we gassed up Big White (The big support vehicle). By 10:30 am it was already over 30 celcius.!!!

I got ahead of some of the riders to check on the arrows that I put on the road. The chalk ones were already worn off, so I re-chaulked them. The climb out of Houghton was substantially difficult (something like the Duffern St climb in Thunder Bay, but longer).

Once we were out of Houghton, the arrows on the road which I spray painted 3 days earlier, really came in handy. These arrows really make it easy to navigate without a map.

There was a tough south/southwesterly wind which made the ride tougher but probably cooled them down at the same time. Tapiola was a great place to stop and only 24 km to the finish.

During other rides we usually stopped at the restaurant in Tapiola, but it was Sunday and they were closed, so I notified the owners of the grocery store next door that we were coming. It’s called Karvakko’s Market..

The owner and staff were wonderful and had, “yes, we can do that for you” attitude. Many of the riders sat in the shady grass across the street and ate the awesome sub sandwiches from the Market. They also had tuna/potato/pasta salads. It was a great find. I’m glad it checked it out before the tour started.

I bought cool beer and pop to add to the Gatorade to take to the end of the ride at the Baraga Casino. Kathy and Susan F. who took the shorter route were already arrived, while the bulk of the group started trickling in about 1:00pm. The group started to grow and joined in a great and final tail gate party which we were able to enjoy on picnic tables. I made sure that I hugged all the riders who came in.

People were talking and laughing and chatting about the tour and generally having a good time as we all took our final photos, another cookie, a last hug and back on the highway home for a 650km drive back to Thunder Bay.

We were the last to leave – Ang, Doug, Theresa and Louise. It was 3:00pm. Half hour after we left it started to rain. What perfect timing!!! It stopped raining two hours before we started our tour three days ago and today it began to rain two hours after our tour ended.

All in all it was a great trip. This tiny section of USA is a very special, scenic, low traffic, affordable and ridable area that not too many cyclists experience. Coupled with a group of people who like adventure, chatting, laughter, and, of course riding bicycle, this again was a trip to remember. More will come.

Check out http://www.thunderbaytab.com/.

Until our next tour on another of our "The Adventure Begins" bike ride...
...Sincerely - Frank Pollari

Day 3 Keweenaw Penninsula Ride - The Adventure Begins

2010-07-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

Day 3, July 3, 2010 Copper Harbor to Calumet - 89 km

We started with a substantial climb out of Copper Harbor towards the Golf Couse. By about 3 km, we were at the top. It’s always such a nice ride under the canopy of trees at this beginning portion of Hwy 41.

Then there was the famous left turn off 41 towards Lake Labelle that was missed by a number of the fast riders. They (Al, Tom, Miriam, etc) got creative however and met the group later in Gay, but took a different route (and may I suggest – NOT the scenic route LOL). The hill down towards Lake Labelle was big and steep. At the beginning we are already moving fast, then there’s a road sign saying “Steep road” – What??? It already was steep, well, it got steeper. So steep that Donna got off her bike, so steep that Bill almost missed the turn at the end, and so steep that Doreens forearms got sore from holding so dearly to her brakes.

Some of the group stopped to view the famous row of mailboxes then got back on the route to Haven Falls. It was a great place to have a SAG/tailgate stop. Robbie did a great job with the spread and was helped by Debi who decided to have the day off. What a spread – cookies, cut up fruit, Gatorade, water, even watermelon!!! Thanks Debi for buying the watermelon. It was a perfect place and distance to stop.

The road got much flatter on this section of the route with awesome tropical-like views of Lake Superior and the Keweenaw Bay. At one point a bunch of us stopped for some more refreshments and were given some great yoga stretches by Donna. Then Doug even showed us some inverted moved – standing on his head!!! Quite a few went into the cool water to drop their body temperatures. It was starting to get hot and everyone started to feel it by the time we got to Gay.

A substantial number of us went into the well known “Gay Bar” and had some of their famous hot dogs. I had the “Have it your way” – and thank Doug for buying it for me. Some of the riders hung out across the street in the shaded area of a open area, where another tailgate stop emerged. It was real nice to have Robbie heading the tailgates, and have Debi as company and a helper for her was a bonus.

I, Gene and Doug were the last ones on bicycle out of Gay. After a few kilometres, they took the alternate left turn and I decided to go straight. I had another dang slow leak even after changing the tube this morning. Time for a new tire. I should have done that before the trip. I passed by Donna and Elaine who were trying to cool down in the shade, and I gave them some of my water. As I continued towards Larium, the temperature continued to rise. I actually briefly felt a brief spell of nausea, then later found out that two other riders actually vomited due to the heat. Later on, at 5:00pm, Doug noticed a thermometer which read 98 degreee F. Holy Cow, that means that earlier the temperatures were probably over 100!!!.

Well as I rode into Larium I spotted the SAG vehicles and a bunch of the riders trying to get out of the heat in the backyard shade of De La Terre restaurant/bar. They were very gracious to us, and eager to have us come and have dinner later that evening and even offered to drive us from Calumet to come to that evening’s street dance. They were celebrating the 4th of July even though it was July 3. We were tempted, but decided to stay in Calumet.

Then, we had a substantial climb up to Calumet. Roger Q’s chain broke. Fortunately the SAG was around. There was rumble on the climb which often had glass in the indentations. It started steep but eased off as we got higher. Gene and I caught up to Louise who was having a shade break. At some points as we were climbing up that hill I felt like I was going to boil over.

Then, at the top some of us made the wrong turn but were diverted back and only two blocks down, we were at the Americinn.

There were riders cooling off with cool beer inside the lobby and laughing and visiting and enjoying the coolness inside. Susan was working on arranging everyone to eat at the Michigan Inn, while others went for a swim/hottub.

Everyone to enjoyed dinner at either the Michigan Inn or Carmelita’s. We had a visit outside of Carmelita’s for a while then had a nice 5 minute stroll back to the hotel. We had fun with Theresa, who left her purse on a chair at Carmelita’s. Louise picked it up and we had a bet as to how long it would take before she noticed that she did not have it. What a hoot!

When we got to the hotel, we were in a perfect spot to see the fireworks of Laurium below. Inside was a meeting room where we were able to visit and make a bit of noise after 11:00pm

Day 2 - Keweenaw Penninsula Ride - The Adventure Begins

2010-07-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Day 2 July 2, 2010 – Hancock to Copper Harbour 100km

Sun and tailwind, what else can you ask for?
I found myself all alone because I still had to eat my continental breakfast. Surprisingly, I met Cristine and Carol who haven’t yet let either. Yippiieee, I had company!!
After two danishes, a hard boiled egg, some yogurt and juice, followed by slapping on some sunscreen, I was ready to join the two women for a fun-filled ride to the tip of the peninsula.

We started on hwy 41 which exited directly onto the nicely shaded route 203 which took us by FJ McLain State Park. I took them to see the lighthouse. The air temperature at 10:30 am was perfect – maybe 20 Celcius. So we hung around on the grass and did some stretching and showed each other some new moves. As we rode along the great lake, I had to do my “touch the water” routine. So I got off my bike and walked over the beach into the very refreshing (ie: cold) water. That will sure wake anyone up.

Next was the substantial climb up the waterworks road towards Calumet. Unfortunately, at the top, I got a flat. I was surprised to have been offered help by a passerby jogger. It was such a nice gesture, however I had an extra tube and a pump so I was OK.

I thought I had lost Cristine and Carol but I found them lounging at the ? Café in Calumet. What a quaint little find (in the shade) that Ang had made. Their homemade soup and rhubarb squares were delicious. It was funny however, to realize that it was also a drivethrough. I don’t think I’ve seen many funky spots that has this “rolling” service.

After a stop at the local bike shop (for me to pump my tires hard and Carol to buy some new socks) and meeting the owner (Rick, I think) we continued on our way through Ahmeek to Five Mile Point Road. We had a wonderful downhill through some of the tiny mining ghost towns of ??? and ???.

The ice cream parlour was being served by Dave, a man of great one liners. In his manner of complimenting Carol’s trim body, he said “You are so trim that you’d have to dance in the shower to get wet”. Cristine and Carol helped him behind the counter. As my pistachio ice cream melted as I enjoyed my favourite flavor, I ran into two fellas (Mark and ???) who are from Madison, and know some of my friends (like Kay and Harry), and actually I’ve had breakfast with them in Hayward before and after the first annual Birkie Tour (not to be confused with the Birkie Loppet/Race). They were doing spoke tours based out of Copper Harbor.

Anyway, we continued to be fully at the back of our group of riders.
Onward ho! Our next stop was at Jacobs Falls where we got a cool shower under the rushing flow. Then, next door was the Jampot where the monks sell fresh jams, breads and other baked goods. It sure smelt good in there. I’ve always chat with a brother on previous trips, but this time it was a priest, Father Basil. We had a nice chat about global warming and how he’s noticed a change in the seasons.

We bought one carrot muffin to share amongst all three of us and ate it just before the formidable 670 (approx) foot climb. I unfortunately discovered a slow leak in my back tire (the same that had a flat), so every 10 minutes had to pump it up as hard as I could with a hand pump (maybe 70 PSI). I tried to lean forward as much as I can to put as little weight as possible on my tire.

Before the climb, I had a quick jump in the water at the sandy beach. This cooled me off, but contributed to a diaper rash that I got as I continued riding with the wet pants.

So, there we were at the base of Brockway Mountain. With a little encouragement, we gave Carol the confidence that she could do it. And, as I remembered, it was a series of ups and some downs, then some steeper ups, to a point about 1300 feet above see level. I think we started at approx 630 feet. It was 8km to the top where we had great 360 degree views of both the peninsula, the valley, the ridge to the south, and the magnificant lake.

The shorter ride down was exhilarating, but a bit scary (with some steep climbs as well).

At the stop sign at the base we were in Copper Harbor and headed to The Pines Inn Resort. It’s funny because it kinda seemed empty with only 3 vehicles in the parking lot because we all came in bikes and had the entire place booked to ourselves (except for one cabin). I was bit weary from the sun so it felt nice to relax with everyone in the common room outside the motel rooms. Yes, I said “everyone”. This was the first time in the entire day where I met with the rest of the group. It was 6:30pm. They were feeling a bit concerned about me, but I usually arrive even later. I like to stop and smell the roses.

Ang and Al (and maybe others) conquered the Brockway climb from the Copper Harbor (eastern) side. That would have been much steeper than the other side because it is considerably shorter (approx 5 km). And, some of the riders who took the lake route around the mountain were driven up by Ang.

I met fella who’s responsible for cutting the world famous bike trails here in Copper Harbor and am on a quest to find his name.

It was a great day!!!

Day 1 - Keweenaw Penninsula RIde - The Adventure Begins

2010-07-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

Day 1 - July 1, 2010 – 50km Baraga to Hancock
Photos by... Pam Dawes :: Eugene & Roberta Vandal :: Jim Restall :: Debra Spear :: Pat Jokela & Jim Sidlar
Our timing for dry weather was impeccable. On the first day, the rain stopped at 1:00pm (2 hours before the start), and started again at 3:00pm on the last day (Sunday), just 2 hours after the last riders rolled in. We had 2 hours buffer on either side – whew!

On the morning before the start of the tour, as I was marking the route at 11:30 am, the rain started coming down. At first it drizzled so I was still able to spray paint the directions, but as the rain got heavier, there was no use painting anymore. The paint was hydroplaning and flowing downstream. This paint is cool because it only lasts a few months.

Louise and Theresa were riding their bikes and helping me out before and during this deluge. As we checked out the Green Light bar/restaurant in Chassel, we saw the weather forecast. I looked closely at the radar movement which indicated to me that the rain was close to finishing. With this knowledge, I bet both girls that the rain would stop before the ride start, and, low-and-hehold, it did! They both owed me a beer.

By 1:30 a significant number of riders had already arrived, and some (Elaine and Dave) already got a head start and were on highway 38 (at the Baraga Casino) by approx 2:00pm. Eager beavers – actually, it was Elaine’s first multiday ride. She wanted to have a bit of a lead before the stronger riders got going.

More and more people arrived and it became almost like a reunion party in the parking lot of the Baraga Casino. As always, the casino has graciously lent us the space to park our vehicles in their parking lot. People were greeting each other, pumping tires, loading Big White (Ang’s truck) with their baggage. Fortunately Roberta Vandal (aka Rob or Robbie), volunteered to drive her (and Gene’s) SUV and be the SAG/tailgate support. For Big White, Louise and Theresa were the first to volunteer to drive.

By the time we started, the road was dry. We headed down hwy 38 and turned left onto hwy 41. The road was a bit busy, but we had a nice wide 2 meter shoulder (with rumble) to separate us from the traffic. During the first 10 km or so we were riding along the picturesque pines trees and views of L’anse Bay which is a the southern end of the bigger Keweenaw Bay (pronounced Key-when-aw), which is on the biggest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Superior.

It was overcast with a slight headwind. Al and I were the last ones to leave, but two others – Barry and Christine underestimated the time to get from Duluth to Baraga, so they were about 45 minutes behind us. We are a hardy group who promote and encourage a “can do” attitude. Barry and Christine did not whine, instead they took matters into their own hands and drove right to the Green Light in Chassel where we were gladly being served pitchers of beer and brats. Get this – a pitcher of beer and two brats (which include a piece of corn on the cob and potato chips) costed $19. Ang discovered this place during the woman’s ride just a few days ago.

A funny thing about the time is that the Keweenaw Penninsula (KP) is in the Eastern Time Zone which caught many people by surprise. We are used to crossing the international border and changing from Eastern to Central Time, and usually don’t go far enough east to get back into Eastern Time. I’ll be sure to remind everyone next time.

In Chassel, Barry and Christine loaded Big White with their gear, drove back to Baraga and started riding one or two hours after us, and caught the group at the Keweenaw Brewery Bar in Houghton (pronounced Hoe-ton).

The people in the bar were very friendly and boisterous and inviting to our big group of Canadian visitors (for the first time, my ride had no Americans). Some of us got a bit stuck down below the Brewery at a free live music concert just beside the bike path which paralleled the Portage Canal. The previous approximately 5 km of the route took us along this more scenic and much quieter.(than hwy 41) road.

The Houghton-Hancock bridge with the ski hill nearby is quite a site, but the traffic can be, at times daunting. Daunting for maybe 100 metres, but daunting none-the-less. Getting off hwy 41 means crossing 2 or 3 lanes of sometimes impatient drivers. We also had to be a bit careful of the expansion joints on the bridge, where some thin bike tires can potentially get caught. We suggested to walk those two little sections. This area is steeped in mining history.

Ryan, the receptionist at the Best Western Copper Crown did a great job in directing all 41 of us. Some noisy, some quiet, famished (if they did not already eat in Houghton) and many were ready for a sauna, hot tub, swim, or shower and, of course more visiting. At one point, in the parking lot of the motel, the two Rogers – Roger K and Roger Q exploded out of a taxi with Q dangerously brandishing a fat bottle of beer of which he immediately offered me a swig. Many of us now look to them for advice if we need local rides in vehicles. I had a taste of the beer, it was good.

We were fun and kind of loud, but we had over ¼ of the rooms of the motel, and were out of there before dark in search of gastric appeasers (food).

Many people splintered into different directions. I found myself with a handful of others eating at Nutinni’s on Route 41 just a two minute walk from our motel. We had a blast, and met another 10 of our cyclists there. The food was great, filling and affordable. Some of us were having exuberant fun, in fact if you had your just been listening you would have thought that our side of the establishment was the bar side. We got there just 10 minutes before closing, but instead of being rushed out, the owner thanked us for our business and we thanked him for serving us so late.

The day was only 50km but a lot of fun was packed in that short distance.

TAB Wisconsin ABC July Ride - Summary

2009-07-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

It was a great adventure. 45 riders from North Carolina to Winnipeg - but most from Thunder Bay. Here are some of the images that stick in my memory…

• Running down the road to spray the route directions on the road
• The headwind on the first day – Yikes! 85km of perseverance
• Making a mistake on the shorter route. I thought it was 9km shorter, but it was only 2 km shorter. Jeeeeeeeeeeese.
• The tailwind on the second day – Yahoooooo! 110 to 136 of paradise
• The first tail-gate food stop outside the closed Four Seasons Bar – then meeting the girlfriend of the owner who tried to track him down to open early
• The beauty of Garmisch Road and East Cable Lake Rd
• Telemark resort – tailgate party and jamming with Ken
• The pizza, salad, potato salad, lasagna, draught root beer at the charming Ideal Market – with Micheal (Mic), Beth and twins Libbey and Carley (13 years old) pumping out the food from their stone oven.
• Sara Balbin’s Dragonfly Studio and Gary Crendall with her graciousness in showing us her workshop and sharing their muffins. A number of our riders could not leave without purchasing some of her great work
• The smoothness of the newly topped Delta-Drummond Road
• Tailwind on County Road G
• The 32km of Forest Road 236
• Frosty’s Bar – Brian and Jamie, the owners were surprised when asked about what kind of filler they put in their burgers. Their burgers were great and have no filler whatsoever. Brian also does boat/fishing excursions in Bayfield
• The village of Moquah and the bars, Moquah Bar (plywood palace) (means “bear” in Chippewa/Ojibwa), Neps Bar and Pine Creek Pit Stop
o A bylaw allows only two of the three bars to sell beer and liquor. Neps Bar is run by an 86 year old lady. Moquah Bar is in major need of repair, but has a beauty in it’s decrepedness. The outhouse is interesting and the juke box has great older music. These two bars hold the beer and liquor license, while the Pine Creek Pit Stop (not very close to Pine Creek) can only server beer and wine. The Pit Stop is open the most. They are waiting for the woman at Neps to kick the bucket so the Pit Stop might be able to get the liquor license. However, the Neps liquor license might get passed to a relative when she dies. She’s hardly ever open, but to keep a license, an establishment must be open at least two hours per month. That’s not a mistake – two hours a MONTH!
o Neps and Moquah Bar were not open, so we hid our bikes in the tall, tall grass, jumped into Shamu (Bob/Jeanne’s van) and drove over the gravel to get there and have my favorite new beer of Bud Light Lime and a burger
o Lots of smoking still happens in the bars until the law prohibits it starting July 2010
• The view of the lake from Nevers Road and Wanneboo Road and the awesomely steep drops toward Hwy 13
o I decided to try the steeper Wanneboo where I hit 76 kph with my brakes on
• The character of Greunke’s First Street Inn was charming
o We had the entire place to ourselves for two nights
o Judith, the owner has just as much character
o Watching everyone in lawn chairs sharing a beer, munchies and many laughs
• Diane, Lynn, and Susan had a great condo across the street
• A number of riders had their longest ride ever
• I tip my hat at Carol and Cynthia who attended even though they had some relatively recent physical challenges
• Kenny and the kitchen staff hanging out and chatting with us in the back yard
• A the end of Greunke’s driveway, listening to the bibigua – a native flute which has a haunting drone chording while playing a melody.
o Several of us bought his (Michael Charette aka Fireflyfox) bought his CD and had it signed
o I was given the honour to play along with him and his buddy, Clark (on guitar)
• The little 4 year old boy named Jonah outside Maggie making a harmonica request for “Keep on Rocking in the Free World”
• Maggies
• Louise’s nine dollar meat and cheese tray that was only worth maybe $2.00
• Shrapnel (leftovers) that were offered to me (and eaten) at Maggie’s
• EggToss Restaurant with it’s funky and creative culinary morning cuisine
• Voodoo Daddy at the Big Top Chautauqua
o The mayhem at trying to buy tickets (it became practically sold out)
o The great swing music with some tribute to Cab Caloway
o The standing ovations and encores
o Echoing the words to Minnie the Moocher (Hidey, hidey, hidey, hie)
• All the deer crossings
• The dog with the googles in the convertible
• The P4 race on Madeline Is
• Discovering the beauty of South Shore Road on Madeline Is
• Jumping in the lake at the Big Bay Town Park – Doug and I did it and we heard that Diane and Ken went in as well
• Theresa and Louise renting mopeds and touring the island, and their florescent “read between the lines” glasses
• The great comraderie and excitement at sunny and funky Tom’s burnt down café
o Playing harmonica with the two fella band at Tom’s
• White fish livers at Greunke’s
• Fish boil at Greunke’s
• My checklists
• My little “versatile” tool which can fit many sizes and is always hard (actually it is my bike multi-tool)
• Converging at Church Corner with Cynthia, Cristine, Liisa, Ken, then Theresa, Ang, and Louise, then a bit further down, meeting Peter Zenti
• The tough climb up the hill at Church Corner Road
• The good-bye tail-gate at the visitor center

All these memories and more made the tour a great experience.

There were so many that helped make this ride a success. First and foremost thanks goes to my brother Angelo who was indispensable with his ideas, hard work, respect, humour, keeping things in running order, and offering his vehicle. Bob/Jeanne for also letting us use their van named “Shamu”; Louise for helping establish a picturesque and eventful route; Louise and Theresa for taking the lead with our first “tail-gate” stop; and all others who took over the rest of the SAG driving and tail-gating setup. Also thanks everyone for pitching in whenever needed. You saw the need and took control and made the whole job easier and more enjoyable for all.

I also appreciated everyone’s attention and respect when I had something to say. Even when I thought I was talking too much Gene stepped in and said “wait, Frank has something more to say”. Keeping a flexible, respectful, and objective attitude made the entire journey a great memory.

Again to everyone – thank you, I hope to see you on more adventures.
-Frank Pollari

Day 4 The Adventure Begins - ABC ride

2009-07-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

49km
It was a beautiful sparkly blue sky day with a bit of a tail wind - good timing or what?

Like yesterday, people were up and around by 6:30 am, and some who planned to take the longer Cornucopia loop decided to leave at 8:00am. No problem with me. So I drove (yes, I drove again), the vehicle from the parking lot to our grassed backyard and set up the back to start loading.

Had pancakes with strawberries at Greunke's but had to share some with Michelle because it was just too much for me. Carol and Bob sagged to Ashland.

On our ride back Doug's tire got caught in a concrete expansion joint. I'm glad he was able to keep his composure and didn't go down. His seat needed a bit of an adjustment from that close call. When he asked me, I told him that I had a tool that can handle many sizes, was flexible and hard. This was spoken in front of a female store clerk. I explained that it was my little cycling multi-tool.

A number of us converged at the corner of CR C and Church Corner Road. Church Corner was a tough steep climb. I’m guessing that it has something like a 10 to 13% grade. On the other side was an exciting 2 km downhill. I hit 73kph without trying!

Photo below, the other side of the infamous Church Corner Road.

As the group turned right on Odossagon, I went left just to explore another route for any future rides and found that McKinley Road is a great choice. It adds a few kilometers but avoids the major hill of Never Roads, and keeps us off Hwy 13 for a while longer.

On my flight (slight tail wind and slight downhill) down Ondossagon, I heard a call from someone. It was Peter Z who joined our group yesterday. He made a wrong turn and fortunately happened to be a the right place at the right time to meet me on the way back.

At the visitor’s center there was about half our group. The tail-gate table spread was already laid out. We shared, beer, pop, wine, fruit, laughter and good-byes.

It was a great trip! Nothing but good (and new) friends, weather, food, drink, and riding memories. Many thanked me and greatly appreciated the ride and will come on more “site unseen” rides that I organize. I was also told from a seasoned rider that he enjoyed it more than a very well known ride across Wisconsin. These kinds of words encourage me to continue. And, I will!

Happy riding!

Day 3 The Adventure Begins Wisconsin - Ashland/Bayfield Ride

2009-07-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

38 km (for me)

What a magical day. sunny, bright, chirpy, happy, windy, exciting, busy. I was up by 6:15 and decided to go for a walk. Ran into Al and Mary Ellen and grabbed a tea/coffee next door to Greunke’s. Then we ran into others and all went to the very popular Eggtoss Bakery Restaurant. It was getting full already at 7:00am. I saw why it was so popular. The choices were fabulous. I had an omelette with smoked trout, spinach, tomatoes, etc. Wow!

After breaky, I took a collection and tried in vain to contact the Big Top Chautauqua to get tickets for the night’s show – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. I was more successful when I borrowed Greunke’s land line and bought 11 tickets for $24 and $32 (plus tax). During that episode, a woman drove by in a convertible with a big shaggle dog - with goggles!. Picture Time!!!

I got on the ferry ($17/return with a bicycle) at 11:30 with a number of other riders. It’s a nice 25 minute float to the community of LaPointe on Madeline Island. The wind picked up dramatically in the last hour, so the water was choppy with white caps.

First we checked out the remarkable wood carving/natural shaped tables and benches. Then chatted with some of the participants who were entered in the P4 quadathlon – pedal, paddle, plod, plunge. The water was cold and the wind was high. It was not a picnic. People from as far away as Minneapolis took part.

I talked with them so much that I lost the other riders. Only Doug stuck around. We took a route that is not noted as being one to ride on bike called South Shore Road. It was awesome. Nicely wooded, but you can see through the forest, sometimes all the way to the lake. There was almost no traffic (and the little traffic there was moved real slow), paved and smooth, and sheltered from the wind. What else can a cyclist ask for?

Photo: Doug on South Shore Road

We came out on Middle Road and headed to Big Bay State Park (free for cyclists). There are quite a few people riding rental bikes or rental mopeds. We checked out the beach. The water was cold, cold, cold. I don’t know how the quadathloners swam 250 yards in the water this morning..

Big Bay Town Park was much busier than when we visited it during the woman’s ride. But today was sunny, warmer, and a weekend. A bunch of our group was there earlier, and Gordie and her friend Susan were still relaxing on the beach. I got the nerve to fully immerse myself in the water, only because Doug did it first, and I heard that Ken and Diane did it as well. As I was gathering my courage to jump in, Theresa and Louise appeared all excited because they rented mopeds. Wait did I write Theresa and Louise? Maybe it should be Thelma and Louise!

Doug and I rode towards Tom’s Burnt Down Café. As we left the beach, we noticed underwear and swimming clothes on the side of the road. What happened? Maybe fresh lake air brings out the wildness in its visitors.

Tom’s was buzzing, 75% of the people were our riders. It was such an exciting stop. There was a two man band playing very familiar old and newer tunes, with some of dancing. I didn’t see it but the word is that Doreen was pole dancing. I was able to play a couple of tunes with the band. It was great. Tom’s is a must see. The eclecticness of it will attract people. The others were tourists, pleasure sailors, and hippy types. All the nuggets of sayings posted in every corner will have you laughing, crying, and saying “that is so true!”.

I searched out Tom but could not find him. It was difficult to tear myself away, but the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy tickets were purchased earlier, so we had to get back to the mainland to see the show.

Photos below: Bibiguam player FireFoxFly outside Greunke's and Inside the ferry from Lapointe, Madeline Island to Barfield
Some of us ate dinner at Greunke’s. It’s funny that many of us never really thought of eating dinner there. I think it was because most of us wanted to explore other venues. Well, dinner was a pleasure. I had to try the white fish livers that were made famous by Greunke’s in the mid 1900’s. They tasted like regular liver but smaller and easy bite sized. Doug ordered from the fish boil which was white fish, onions and potatoes.

At precisely 7:15, two small busses came to Greunke’s to take us to the Big Top Chautauqua. I was so excited because I heard of the Big Top way back in 1992 when I rode my bike around the entire Lake Superior. I did not go because I was unsure of the darkness. This time I was with my friends that would help me out.

The tent holds 900 people. If they sell out, then people will be allowed to sit outside the tent and look in. The high cost seats were sold out so we got middle cost tickets ($32) and got row S. The others of our group paid the lowest price ($24) and got the bleachers which were actually kinda better than row S. They were able to stand and dance in their place without hindering the view for anyone.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was hot. They had five brass instruments, a drummer, steaming piano player, an extroverted base player, and a lead singer/rhythm guitar player. They played a mix of their original hopping songs and tributed Cab Calloway. He’s the writer of the famous Minnie the Moocher – the Hidey, Hidey, Hidey Hi song. We all echoed those words when they played it. The brass players (saxes, trombone, horns, occasional clarinet), had a lot of fun moving around as they played. They’ve been together (from Minneapolis) since the early 1990’s and it shows (er… sounds) because they are so tight. Even though there was one main singer, most of them had the chance to sing a few notes and were quite impressive as well. I wish there was room to dance.

On the way back, only some of us got on the busses before they were filled. After waiting about 30 minutes, another came back for us. We thought we were forgotten. One couple that was waiting with us said that they indeed were forgotten at a previous show.

Back at Greunke’s there was a gathering of people in our room. Wine and Bud Light Lime and tail-gate cheese and crackers and tostidos and salsa were out. I also dipped into the cookies. As we chatted into the night, the room slowly diminished with people and we fell asleep watching the Tour de France. I awoke the next morning still in the position lying horizontally at the end of my bed.

Another great day.

Day 2 The Adventure Begins (TAB) Wisconsin - Ashland/Bayfield Ride

2009-07-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

110 to 136km

The wind continued today, but it was at our backs! Yahoooo! What a flight. It seems that south and west (and everything inbetween) are fairly common in this area at this time of the year.

The morning started muggy and sunny. Before breaky I checked out and drove the truck nearer the resort to make it easier for loading. Yes, I drove the truck (in a hushed tone: “don’t tell anyone, tee hee”). Our breakfast waitress was kinda overwhelmed. I’ll write a note to myself to ask the resort to be more ready next time. On the last trip we even helped wait on the tables.

Don and Pat offered to drive the SAGs. I sent Don on a grocery store mission to get more fruit, ice and beer for the next tail-gate on Delta-Drummond Road.

I’m glad that I had a checklist of riders because we almost left of them at the resort.

In lieu of Telemark restaurant, some ate in Cable at the Brick House.

I got a jump on most of the riders in order to mark parts of the route that I did not have opportunity the day before. In some cases I was just a few metres in front of some of the riders.

The ride along the 4 km of East Cable Lake Road is one of my favorites. There’s something about the forest that gives it an allure to me. Last fall while studying this section of the route, the brilliant yellow of the falling leaves made a grey day seem sunny.

Next we had a visit to Sara’s Dragonfly Studio. Many were enchanted with her work and her aura. She and husband Gary were gracious enough to wait for our group even though they had to prepare for a big presentation in Seeley the next day. Fortunately we had SAG vehicles because some people bought some of her metal sculptures which would have been too difficult to carry on bike. Some even drove back after our tour to pick up their purchases. Check out her website at http://sarabalbin.com/

Sara’s very eager for me to organize a bike tour in her original country of birth, Cuba. It could happen. Keep your ears to the rail.

Onward we continued and the southwest wind strengthened and encouraged us to ride on. Don was a bit behind some of the cyclists because he was held up at Sara’s. So when the riders waited for him on Delta-Drummond Road, they flagged him down, swarmed the truck and had the table, food, refreshments spread out and in their tummies and thirsty mouths in record time. Something attracted to me to the grape flavored Gatorade. I downed two of them.

Delta-Drummond Road was freshly paved last fall, so the smoothness, low traffic, forest beauty, and the tail-wind made it a dream to ride. It was very little time to get to Frosty’s Bar on CR H. It was buzzing with our riders. Some were watching the Tour de France, some were basking in the backyard sun, some were enjoying a burger (with no filler), and some were enjoying a Bud Light Lime. It was a great stop, what a great scene. Brian and Jamie, the owners were surprised when asked about what kind of filler they put in their burgers. Their burgers were great and have no filler whatsoever. Brian also does boat/fishing excursions in Bayfield. Half day for up to 6 people for $500 or full day for $700. He’ll even fillet the fish for you.

Photo below: Frosty's Bar - with the backs of Pam, Carol, and Christine S.

From Frosty’s, most of the riders went through Moquah (pronounced “Makwa”). It means bear in Ojibwa (and maybe Chippewa too).

Moquah, a gem of a place is an old railroad town. I’m guessing that the population is maybe 40, yet they have 3 bars. They are (in order of seeing them as you ride by from the west) Moquah Bar (plywood palace), Neps Bar, and Pine Creek Pit Stop.

A bylaw allows only two of the three bars to sell beer and liquor. Neps Bar is run by an 86 year old lady. Moquah Bar is in major need of repair, but has a beauty in it’s decrepedness. It is said that you should drink out of the bottle or can, and even make sur the can’s top is wiped off if you drink from it. The outhouse is interesting and the juke box has great older music. These two bars hold the beer and liquor licenses, while the Pine Creek Pit Stop (not very close to Pine Creek) can only serve beer and wine. The Pit Stop (which is in very good shape) is open the most. They are waiting for the woman at Neps to kick the bucket so the Pit Stop might be able to get the liquor license. However, the Neps liquor license might get passed to a relative when she dies. She’s hardly ever open, but to keep a license, an establishment must be open at least two hours per month. That’s not a mistake – let me say it again “two hours a MONTH”!

Neps and Moquah Bar were closed, so we hid our bikes in the tall, tall grass, jumped into Shamu (Bob/Jeanne’s van) and drove over the gravel to get there and have my favorite new beer of Bud Light Lime and a burger. The bartender’s name was Desiree so we had a lot of fun talking about Neil Diamond and singing his hit song. In fact, Bob pulled out his MP3 player, took out the speakers and played the song in the bar. Lots of smoking still happens in the bars until the law prohibits it starting July 2010.

The main route went right beside the visitor’s center, so a number of people arranged to get their vehicle to Bayfield. Other’s dropped off their Sara Balbin creations in their vehicle.

The few DFL’ers (Doug, Jeanne and I) missed the tail-gate stop at Cherryville Road, so we took the long gradual climb up Ondossagon Road, to Nevers Road. Instead, I talked my riding mates to go one road further to Wanneboo Road. It was steeper and shorter than Nevers. I hit 76kph while breaking! The top was smooth, but it got rougher and scarier near the bottom. I’m glad my brakes worked because Hwy 13 came fast. What a flight!

The three of us were the last to ride into Greunke’s First Street Inn in the bustling tourist town of Bayfield. A smile went on my face when I saw a big contingent of our riders in lawn chairs sharing a beer, munchies and many laughs in the green space of the backyard of Greunke’s. That’s what this is all about. Even Kenny (cook) and the kitchen staff were hanging out and chatting with us as we relaxes after the ride.

The character of Greunke’s First Street Inn was charming including Judith, the owner. She showed me a photo of herself and Ronny (woman), when they were in their early twenties. She said that they were trouble. I believe that. She also increases the average number of husbands – she’s been through a few.

It was so cool to have had the entire place to ourselves for two nights. Like the previous trip I was in the Wildrose Room which was the easiest one to access at night.

Diane, Lynn, and Susan had a great condo across the street. Nancy H. could not make the trip last minute, so the other three moved from the Bayfield Inn rooms to the spacious condo.

A number of riders had their longest ride ever today. Some (Peter, Sophie, Wendy, and ???) took the longest alternate route which took them up the enchanted Forest Road 236, then CR C to Cornucopia, throught Redcliff, then to Bayfield. I tip my hat at Carol and Cynthia who attended even though they had some relatively recent physical challenges.

Many of us had dinner at Maggie’s. We had big laugh when a little 4 year old boy named Jonah outside Maggie’s making a harmonica request for me to play “Keep on Rocking in the Free World”. Ha, I was expecting something like Twinkle, Twinkle.

Dinner was good. I was fully before dinner because I accepted all the shrapnel (leftovers) that were given to me. Louise was taken aback when she was charged $9 for an appetizer of a few meager slices of cheese and meat and a bit of bread. We were kinda insulted, but never got the nerve to complain about it – we thought it was maybe worth $2.

Gordie showed up with her friend Susan, and Jim S. also joined us that evening, while Dick from North Carolina had to leave.

It was a good day!

Day 1 The Adventure Begins (TAB) Wisconsin - Ashland/Bayfield Ride

2009-07-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

82 and 84 km

The morning before the ride greeted us with a bright sunny a slight southeast wind.

The first thing on my todo list was to mark as much of the route with the upside-down white spray can. I always tried to be discreet about spraying so no-one would report me to the authorities. Fortunately the paint is not designed to last a long time.

From there Ang, Theresa, and Louise quickly dropped into the Country Kitchen to say hello to some of the riders, while I did my last spraying. Next we headed to the Northern Great Lakes Visitor’s Center on County G.

Photo below: Thelma (oops) Theresa and Louise reading between the lines.

By noon, there were already at least a dozen riders there getting prepared for our first day into what appeared to be a strong south wind. I made contact with Penny and Monica in the visitor’s center and confirmed that we may leave our cars parked for the next 4 days.

We were 42 in all from as far west as Manitoba (Cynthia) and as far east as North Carolina (Dick). One unfortunately had to cancel out.

I got everyone to tag their bag handles with my avery letter labels. They work pretty well.

The early starters were on the route by 12:30 while the last one’s (Ang and I) were on our bikes an hour later. Bob from Brainerd and Theresa/Louise were the first to drive the Support and Gear (SAG) vehicles.

At 4 km into the ride, Ang and I refilled our water bottles with the great artesian water from the ever-running well pipe only metres from the Lake Superior shore. When we turned right onto 112 we were slapped in the face by the stiff south wind. Perseverance had to be put into practice. Half way to Sanborne we caught up to Donna, then Doreen. Then on County Road (CR) E we caught up with at least half the group in the parking lot of the Four Seasons Bar. I was so glad to see everyone chatting, laughing and sitting in the shade. Theresa and Louise pulled out the table and put out a great spread. The oranges and apples went in a snap. That’s very interesting because on the woman’s ride, the orange’s did not move. On this ride, they cut up the oranges, while in the woman’s we kept them whole. That was a learning experience for me.

It was only 2:45 pm. The Four Seasons opened up at 4:00. Karen (the girlfriend of the bar owner) was all excited that we were there and enthusiastically tried to get the place opened earlier. No such luck. We were back on the straight and hilly CR E on our way to Hwy 63.

I caught up with Jeanne who was stumped on guessing a plant that appeared to be in seed near the side of the road. I took some photos and shared them with the bartender and other patron’s at Liz and Doug’s in Grandview. They didn’t recognize the plant either. Neither did Doug by golly.

The mystery plant that stumped Jeanne and others.

Many stopped for refreshments at the grocery store in Grandview then got onto CR D. Here the route took a dramatic change, from open fields earlier to cottage and lake country on CR D. The Pioneer Bar was the last refreshment and food stop for most of the riders before the end of the day’s ride. Charlie Best, the bartender gave us (Doreen, Donna and me) a free Bud Light Lime as a welcoming from Canada, so his tip was much higher. At this point the riders had a choice of continuing south on CR D or turn left (west) onto Pioneer Rd. I told everyone that the Pioneer Rd option was about 9km shorter. Boy was I ever wrong! I took the “short cut” which ended up being maybe 2km shorter. Sorry everyone. It was beautiful however.

The last turn onto Telemark Road was mostly a climb that opened up to the golf course and the impressive Telemark Resort. There were many signs on the way up pointing places for cyclists to go and park. I realized that it was part of another bigger six day bike ride that was starting in two days. It was the Northwoods tour as part of Bike Wisconsin.

There was a tail-gate party at the side of the resort. Most of the people were already checked in (I gave a list of two people/room to the front desk ahead of time). After a bit of relaxing and a quick clean up we got 34 of the riders to the Rivers Eatery in the Ideal Market for an “all you can eat” pizza, lasagna, salad, potato salad buffet for $15. They’re place is so charming, with a stone oven and high ceilings. Their draft rootbeer from Point Brewery (of Steven’s Point) was refreshing and full-bodied and hit the dryness spot for me. Mic then offered free root beer to the remaining cyclists near the end of the night. We hung around and watched part of the Tour de France on their big screen above the bar.

Ang, Doug and I met them last year when we started checking out potential routes for this ride. We saw two bikes with trailers pulling kayaks outside the Ideal Market. We inquired inside what the bikes/kayaks were all about. Beth told us that her twins (Carley and Libbey, now 13 years old) did not want to be dependant on their parents to go kayaking, so they saved up for the trailers and can now go whenever they want.

Ang came up with a generous idea to give the kids a gift of Canadian buffs and a book on Canada of which many of us signed.

Photo below: Libbey or Carley, Beth, Carley or Libbey, Mic, Me (Frank), Ang at the River's Eatery at the Ideal Market.
Mic does the kettlebell exercises just like Liisa and Ken, so they made an immediate connection.

We headed back to the resort, grabbed a bottle of wine and Ken and I jammed a bit in the common room outside the swimming pool. A cheery caretaker told us of the bears he had to scare away that evening. Three young kids and their mom and cousin hung around and listened to a 12 bar blues tune. They came to the resort to go quadding.

Bedtime came just after midnight. It was a good day, tough wind, persevering riders.

#17th Annual Mini GO Ride 2009

2009-05-29T23:54:00.000-07:00

It was another great ride, and the weather totally co-operated. It was sunny through and through.

More than 60 cyclists, young and old, participated in the 3 different distances. Most rode the middle distance of 17 km. A few of the younger folk rode the short route of 4 km from the second food stop (at the old Riverdale Store) along the quaint Riverdale Road and 20th Side Road. And a few of the more experience riders chose the newly introduced 37 km route.

The longer route went through our beloved Chippewa Park, along chilly and pwoerful Lake Superior with the occassionly view of the Sleeping Giant, through Brulie Bay via the causeway. into an east-coast like underneath the formidable cliffs of Mt. McKay, through the Fort Willian Indian Reserve, then back onto the main route to indulge in some of the refreshments and snacks put on by Bicycles for Humanity (B4H), and Camp Quality (CQ).

Another added bonus this year was Paul Morallee's video recording of the event. He captured the ride and connected it to one of the 60 inch screens in the Neebing Roadhouse bar for everyone's enjoyment. He captured the essence and spriit of the event. It is on YouTube at the following link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRwMcNxiBNA

There was another surprise: Dilico had a protest on the Swing Bridge. Fortunately the road was still passable. And, also on the Swing Bridge for the first time in MGR history, a train came over the bridge while we rode over the history Kaministiqua Rive. Lots of action on that bridge.

At the Neebing we were greeted with the soulful sounds of Caleb Hawkings playing his original songs accompanied by his guitar. Then the main act of the blues duo of Southern Comfort. Dave Jonassen on slide guitar and Smedley B on piano. What a great duo! Both acts brought more colour to the evening. I had the fortune of sitting in with them for a few songs with my harmonica. Also, even my nephew Russell filled the air with some of his guitar playing prowess when the band had a break. Very exceptional playing for a 17 year old. Classical Gas was one the tunes he played. Way to go Russell. His sister and cousin came up to the front to hear and encourage him - he's got fans including me.

Another added twist. Charlie Wilkins, a renouned Canadian author gave away eight of his books as draw prizes. Not only did he donate them, but he was there to sign them. Cool huh? Only a few months ago he was nominated for the Steven Leacock award, and right this minute he is a nominee for the prestigious Trillium award. And, by golly, he was there! The two sets of books were "Circus at the Edge of the Earth" and "Walk to New York".

Oh, one more twist. We had way too many draw prizes. It was fun to auction the Victorian Inn's Free night's stay and breakfast for two. We had a flurry of bidders of which the sale went to Mike Yuan, who's a B4H volunteer. Enjoy it Mike.

Amongst all the fun, we raised.$1200 dollars! Yahoo!

I thank everyone who participated, donated, and volunteered. Terri and Jennifer for setting up and operating the first food stop (B4H). Paula and her kids at the second food stop (Camp Quality). Darlene with managing the prizes. Joelle for helping with the prizes and accepting the donations. Paul for doing the video. Caleb for playing his music. Dave and Smedley for there awesome blues, and Neebing for supporting us again and helping with some of the expenses.

It was another great ride.

See you next year.
-Frank Pollari

. .

South East Asia - Thailand - Phenom Sarakhem to Sa Kaeo "Vely Dangeles"

2009-01-21T19:21:00.000-08:00

2009-01-21 Wednesday Phenom Sarakhem to Sa Kaeo (approx 85km)
- Vely Dangeles -
This was another day over 38 C.

As we were getting our bikes ready, I started to get some verbal exchange going with who I believe were the cleaning women. They were hanging out in where our bikes were stored. They were trying hard to help me.

It’s funny their language is so tonal that you can say all the correct syllables and vowels, but if you don’t change the tone of your word, it could be totally wrong. You cannot be shy when trying to speak their language. You must make the intonations correctly or you might be trying to say “water” and they might hear “zebra”. I used whatever I could of the Lonely Planet Guide’s language section. Some of the wording was kinda small, so I photographed them and would show the words to someone on my camera (zoomed in) and it really helped.

Breakfast was at the same outdoor food court that we went to the night before. It did not seem apparent to me that the menu was different. Again I had veggies and some meat on white rice. We also had some fruit. I was a bit nervous of it because it was already cut. It’s always risky to eat fruit that has been cut by the locals. One will often have to hope that the bacteria on the knives and serving dishes etc, don’t have enough bacteria to harm you. It’s best to peel your own fruit.

Today the route was a bit more hilly as we continued east. We also had to buck a head wind. Ward did a great job drafting for us. We did not ride fast. We roughly rode at 20-25 km per hour. I liked that the road had kilometer stones. We could not read the name of the city, but the numbers were Arabic. AM’s butt and mine still hurt. I put on a good helping of Vaseline.

Seems that all vendor’s buildings had some type of shrine to Buddha I believe (Buddism is quite predominant here). And there were signs that people were getting ready for the Chinese new year, which I think was on January 26 of our calendar.

At one point we made a right turn onto what I think was Hwy 359. The traffic dropped noticeably and I really wasn’t all that bad in the first place. I remember though, being frustrated with those trucks/busses that had those real loud honks – kinda like those things they use at hockey games. As we headed east, the surroundings seemed to be getting a bit more green. I drank more Fanta to stay cool at a roadside stop. A very helpful man told us that the road to Poipet is “Vely dangeles”. It took me a moment to figure out that he was telling us that it was very dangerous.

Near the end we made a left turn (north) which took us an even lower traffic road. We passed by a lovely looking little village only a kilometer or so before Sa Kaeo. There was sometime about the home structures and vegetation that enchanted me. It only took one minute to ride past. I wish I stopped and took a photo.

We decided to stay the night at the second hotel that we checked out. If I remember right, the cost was $20/room. Again the rooms were quite adequate and clean.

People often had their faces covered. I think it was to keep from getting a dark tan. Also people wore what looked like surgeon masks. I think maybe because of the pollution.

Unlike the night before, we first cleaned up before heading out for dinner. In the dark (sundown was roughly 6:15-6:30pm – and sun up about 12 hours later). We headed across the street and were not sure what or how to order. There was raw looking meat/seafood behind a glass counter, but couldn’t really figure it out. A very busy looking man/waiter eventually came to us. We pointed to “what they were having” and we had it. Whatever it was was pretty spicy hot. I hung in there, but definitely did not fill my tummy.

When we returned to the hotel, Anna-Marie encouraged us all to have a Thai massage. So Ward and I complied while Jacky decided to catch up on some journaling.

The massages costed 300b for 2 hours (about 9 bucks). They came to our rooms. Two in our room and one in AM’s. I said that I wanted the one in the pink top. Anyway, it was an interesting experience. My masseuse turned on the TV to a soccer match.

Ward and I stripped down to our undies. When my masseuse started on my feet, she started gagging. She took me to the bathroom and washed my feet! The hilarity of the situation overcame my embarrassment. When she got started, she got her whole body into it. She was doing leg presses on my quads. She also stood on me sometimes. Sometimes I’d hear Ward groan in pleasure – then in pain. At one point her feet were very close to my hands, so I thought – “what the heck” – and started massaging her feet. She didn’t not argue. Then a few times she seems interested in my nipples and flicked them. The other masseuse also came and flicked my nipple too. I did not understand, but it was fun. And at one point where it was at a relaxing point, I fell asleep. Ward did not call me to wake me up and I guess the masseuse was OK with it.

We paid them and gave a tip. $15 each in total. I might have been too generous. I got a kiss on the cheek.

AM told us that her massage was pretty good, but when her masseuse stopped after an hour AM said, “Hey, I’m paying you for two hours”. The masseuse did not want to continue, but AM insisted. So her masseuse started to be really brutal. She stood on her back and yanked her arms back, and did weird and aggressive pulls on her neck to the point where AM submitted and said, “OK fine we’re finished”. I know that you could drop a house on AM’s back and it would not disturb her, so if AM submitted, I truly believe the woman must have been brutal to her.

AM and I tried to explore the street but it was kind of quiet, so we just shared a beer outside on the hotel steps. I noticed some moquitoes for the first time.

South East Asia - Bangkok to Phenom Sarakhem 79km "The Adventure Begins"

2009-01-20T22:24:00.000-08:00

2009-01-20 Tue. Bangkok to Phenom Sarakhem 79km
The Adventure Begins

Ward woke us up at about 9:00am, and, in the generous Ward style (he’s a pro bike mechanic), started assembling our bikes. Jet lag did not seem to affect us. I came down to help him a bit, but he was doing well alone.

Met Jacky for the first time in the breakfast area – had an egg/ham/toast breakfast. We had a great hug, and I gave her the Mary K Cream Formula 2 from Vancouver.
Ward helped us adjust our bikes.

Behind the hotel were old corrugated tin long shacks. I saw one guy peeing outside there and clothes were hanging to dry. There were some multi-unit buildings in the distant background hills..

I had the new Arkel Bug bag which was designed for commuting and doubled as a backpack on one side of the rack that I bought for 60 bucks from home. And I used a smaller and older green Arkel bag on the other side. AM had a pannier that I ordered for her in Canada – it was a combination back pack, pannier and it had rollers and a handle to pull in the airport. So cool! And, it only costed $50 Can.

Ward/Jacky were not all that happy with their Schwinn bikes that were given to them free. It seems that bikes couldn’t stand the rugged riding. I think the spoke were very light.

I think we took hwy 304 almost all the way. I had on my cycling tights, but I ass bones sure hurt later in the day.

We got on the road and on our way at 11:45 at 100 degrees F (Jacky has a thermometer on her bike computer). I was a bit nervous of the traffic (which rode on the left side), but I kept behind Ward and AM, while Jacky followed behind. The road signage to upcoming cities and distance were very common and helpful.

The traffic was not really too busy, probably because we started on the outer eastern edge of Bangkok.

The awnings on the shops were all dusty and dull looking.

In less than maybe 30 minutes, we were in a bit of rural area. Sometimes a motorcycle or biker would ride on the shoulder against the traffic. It was potentially dangerous, especially for me.

We would sometimes call “sawa dee krup” (from males) or “sawa dee ca” (from femailes). Often people would call back according to their gender. I found that “sawa dee” seemed to work well enough. In a number of scenarios, men would end their words with “krup” and women with “ka”. Thank you is “kup coon krup/ka”.

I was a bit surprised that people didn’t seem very interested in us as we rode by. Eye contact was not used often.

Gas costed about 19 baht/litre, which equated to about 60 US cents/liter. I think they also sold gas in 1 or 2 litre pop bottles, or whatever they could get a hold of.

The country side and road was flat and kinda sem-semi arid, and, for the most part, unremarkable. I think some trees were eucalyptus.

There often were vehicles that had very, very high loads, I think especially when hauling sugarcane. A very dangerous thing I saw were people riding on top of the truck cabs. What would happen if the truck had to make a sudden stop?

The heat continued. When we stopped at our first roadside restaurant, I started my trend of having Orange Fanta. It often costed about 10 b (30cents). It gave me some flavor, sugar (for the calories) and hydration. We also had water bottles filled with tap water treated with Pristine. Ward loaded the big 4 litre bottle on my rack.

Our first Thai meal was some type of noodle soup, with some type of meat. A brown lady with a red apron served us. We couldn’t speak but hand motions to the mouth worked. Chop sticks.

The meal with about 3 Fanta’s cost about 2 bucks. It definitely was not a fancy place. She gave me a bottle and put a straw in it. I thought, “Egad, she infected my drink, but touching the straw then putting in the bottle!!” I just took out the straw and drank. Ward and Jacky had a coka-cola and a Leo beer. I think a Leo cost 20b (60 cents) – that’s for a 640ml bottle..

AM and my ass were starting to hurt after maybe 30-40 km. I wore cycling shorts. It seemed that my sit bones were the ones that were hurting, more than my skin. AM’s was having the same pain compounded by skin chaffing. It wasn’t pleasant, but she’s a trooper.

There sometimes were nice looking buildings/compounds.

After another drink at a roadside stop, there was a truck on it’s side. I didn’t see it, but there were cops and such around. We just continued on.

AM got her first flat which ended up being the only flat we got on our trip. Ward and Jacky did a great job in finding the piece of metal that caused the flat. It was stuck in her tire, so she would have gotten another flat if they did not check.

The sun was waning as we entered Phenom Sarakhem. It was hard for us to find a place to stay, but after some perseverance we found a hotel on the other side of the highway

It seemed desolate. No vehicles on the outside (I was thinking in North American standards). It was a big concrete building. The lobby was wide open, some women were sitting on a couch. I went to figure out the cost. A woman came to me and offered a room for 650 b. I asked for 2 rooms and she (with no haggling), dropped the price to 450 each, totally 900 b ($30 total). Then I said “one moment please”. I just wanted to tell the others that the price is very affordable. But the woman thought I was leaving and never-ever coming back. She was so distraught. I probably had more bargaining power, but I did not take advantage of it.

They let us bring our bikes into a narrow room that had table/chairs and some type of TV at the end. We locked our unloaded bikes there.

Our rooms were nice. I slept on a Ward’s thermarest type mattress on the floor. Anne-Marie (I called her Anna Maria throughout the trip and she called me Francesco) always slept in a separate room because she’s such a light sleeper – and I sometimes snored (so did Ward).

We headed out to eat immediately. There was an outdoor food area with lot’s of food stands. We had rice dishes with veggies and meat. I bouight some pop and beer on the way back to the hotel. Jacky helped me with her arm on the way back.

In the room that we stored our bikes, there was lot’s of things going on. A bunch of fellas excitedly offered me drinks of some hard mixed stuff on ice. Concerned about hygiene and food safety, I gave a nice gesture of “no-thanks” and told them that I was gonna drink beer (in the bottle). I tried to learn words from them but it was too difficult.

There were other tables being used, music videos of some sort and I think Kaeroke. At the other end of the room was a glass wall with women all wearing pink tops that were massagers. AM picked one out and got a great 2 hour massage for 6 dollars. She usually gives about a 5 dollar tip. In the meantime Jacky, Ward and I drank some beer and sometimes tried to converse with the other Thai patrons. We were introdued to another beer - Chang - I think it means elephant.

After AM returned, Ward went to sleep, while I and the girls went to another bar across the foyer. It was darker. There were young looking girls there with short shorts singing on stage. One would come up at a time. I don’t think it was Karaoke. Sometimes they’d get a bit riskee and one pulled off a top (but had something on underneath). I don’t know if they were hookers, but they never approached us.

Went to bed, the TV was on and Ward was snoring in lala land.

SouthEast Asia - January 19, 2009

2009-01-19T21:55:00.000-08:00

2009-01-19 Monday
Landing In Bangkok, Thailand

At the Japan Airport, we had to go again through security.

We sat with the very roomy bulkhead from Japan (Narita – NRT) with Bob Wiggins (60ish in age) from Canada (he only has one foot - he lost the other during a film shoot accident). We all got along very well. Had wine and beer, I brought out my almonds and he brought out Philadelphia Cream Cheese – Smoke Salmon flavor I think. And we spread it on Air Canada buns (that Anne-Marie stole) and crackers. We playfully agreed to create a business/web-site on traveling with disabilities.

He gave us a quick language converter (paper) to Thai. Look for the English word and show the Thai person the equivalent word in their script.

We landed in Bangkok (airport BKK) at about 10:30pm. It was very bright I the airport. I liked that. Customs was not an issue. We only made a few enquiries and were able to find our bike boxes, and put them on a cart. I was able to use Kup Coon Krup (thank you – from a male’s perspective). Women would have to say Kup Coon Ka.

Somewhere around midnight we met Ward. It was great to see him. Jacky was not feeling well so she stayed at the hotel which cost 1100 baht per room (one big bed). Roughly $1.00 US = 30-33 baht. I brought about 10000 baht with me from Canada. Some was in my Chain Stain Away leg wallet.

Part of the hotel cost was a shuttle which was able to carry our gear. The weather was warmer. The bike boxes were put in an out of the way area on the first floor.

The three of us went out for a beer just a block down the street (we passed by several outdoor bars before stopping). They all had some type of semi-loud music. Everyone appeared to be local The street looked like any normal street, but I smelled some sewage. There was some type skirmish between a guy and girl. Someone intervened while everyone else looked on semi-interested from their table. Our first beer was “Leo”. I liked it and bought for Ward’s Thailand beer. Costa about 40b for a beer. AM got us a water pipe (it’s called a Shisha in Arabic, but I forget the Thai name - maybe a Hoka something or other) to smoke tobaccon with Apple-Mint flavor. The unit was quite elaborate and probably about 2 feet tall. Ward did not want any.

When going to a bathroom in a place next door, we were nicely greeted and asked where we were from.

Our hotel was quite nice. Not bad for approx $35 (1100 baht). It had one of those shower over the bathroom setups.

Keweenaw Peninsula Bike Ride 2008 - Day 4

2008-08-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

Day 4 - Calumet to Baraga Casino - 85km

I awoke late so missed a bunch of the group who had already hit the road. It’s nice that I’m actually getting some sleeps over 7 hours. This is, however, very unusual for me.

I again, decided to take a slightly different route, so I went down M203 alone to Hancock. It start was cooler than the previous mornings but refreshing.

After crossing the Hancock-Houghton Bridge, I looped under the bridge, then went up a tough climb up Quincy Street to Military Road. I realized that Quincy Street is impassable by car, but I was fortunately able to ride through a parking lot and side walk to where I had to get. The wind, again became tail and pushed me down the straight roads with occasional 90 degree turns (and felt like more downhill than uphill) all the way to Tapiola where I was excited to meet some of the other riders at their Feed Millrestaurant.

Some local people say that Tapiola (settled by Finns in the early 1890s) means "home of the forest king,". It's a tiny place which you could miss if you don't pay attention for only one pedal stroke.

I was surprised to see Ang and Jeff come into this great authentic restaurant 20 minutes after me. I thought I was the last! They explored some of Houghton and also got a flat, so somewhere there I must have leapfrogged over them.

Peter, Michelle and New Doug had a last wade only a few km from the finish at the Stergion River just after getting back onto hwy 38.

Since I had such a relatively late start, I missed many of the riders at the end. However, they left a great set of messages and thank you's on the parking lot with chalk. I couldn't get it all in one photo so I took a video clip of it all.

As the few of visited with a beer in hand, we were asked to drink our beer on the picnic table so that we'd be legitimate. Goodness, we're renegades right to the end.

It was great 4 days. New friends, new experiences, spectacular views, awesome roads with low traffic and beautiful views, refreshing swimming, great entertainment, and deeper comraderies were built. I want to thank everyone for their flexibility, humour, sense of adventure, and their individual personalities. Thanks also to Bob and Jeanne for letting us use Shamu as our SAG vehicle. We easily fit gear for 21 riders including a set of golf clubs and my guitar (which I never pulled out). Let's continue to keep this tradition of a yearly medium length multi-day ride.

So to all - Doug/Ruth, Peter/Sophie, Peter/Michelle, Kay/Lynn (all the siblings have one syllibal first names so they wouldn't be too confused - lol), Bob/Jeanne, Miriam/Ron, New Doug, Jeff, Gene, Iowans - Annie/Dave and Jerry, brother Ang, newcomer Teri, LET'S RIDE AGAIN!

-See you at the next adventure
-Frank Pollari

Keweenaw Peninsula Bike Ride 2008 - Day 3

2008-08-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

Day 3 – Aug 6, Copper Harbor to Calumet - approx 92km

Breakfast at the Pines was abuzz with many of the riders.
We were at the north end/start of hwy 41.

Peter Young was keen on golfing at the top of the hill, so he rode up there with Sophie then he rode back to golf and drive the SAG.

Before the ride started, Ruth was hampered by a flat tire. Unfortunately she has 650mm wheels instead of the more common 700mm so no one could give her their tube. Husband Doug later came to the rescue.

The 3km climb out of Copper Harbor on Hwy 41 was tough but it was equaled by the beauty of the canopy of trees. A refreshing dip in Lake Medora and the picking of blueberries by Doug F, Jeanne and Bob, added more joy to riding that part of US41.

After we turned left onto Bete De Gris Rd to head towards the lake and Lac Labelle (French influence or what?), we saw Ruth going the other way. She seemed determined and appeared to have a goal in mind, but we weren’t sure where she was going. So until the end of the riding day, it was a bit of a “Where’s Ruth” mystery. We found out later that she did not want to rush for the evening’s Edgar Winter’s concert in Calumet, so she took a bit of a shortcut.

I still find that road sign on Bete De Gris Road interesting on the downhill towards Lac Labelle. After going down an exciting descent, a sign appeared showing, steep drop ahead. What? How much steeper could it get?

Hung a left for a short side trip to the million mailboxes and then on a 1 km gravel road to the small general store to by some munchies for the upcoming picnic stop at the ??? falls.

Had a nice visit with Annie, Doug F, Jeff, Bob and Jeanne at Haven Falls Park. Just as we were about to leave, Peter Y shows up from his golfing. He had some refreshments in the van, so our visit at the falls was extended.

As we left, I remembered the previous night’s suggestion by a local who said, “Look for Planter’s road on your right about ½ mile past the falls, then go about 100 feet, then turn left. You should see a bunch of thimbleberries there.” At first we did not see any, but after some perseverance, they started showing up everywhere. They kinda look like raspberries but with a velvet-like outer texture and kind of a tart taste. Then right on the road side across from Planter’s road, Jeanne found a bunch more. I think there were blueberries in that area as well. I’ve never heard of thimbleberries before. I later discovered that there’s an annual thimbleberry festival in the area every July.

A number of times, we stopped and touched the agate beach water as we paralleled the lake on our left. Some points were sandy beach while other sections were flat pink and white tabletop agate.

Like always, the town of Gay was found by following the big phallic symbol of a smoke stack. And, like last year, we found the service at the famous “Gay” bar kind of cantankerous. We persevered however, and mostly bit our tongues, while the bartender, waitress, busser and cook (all the same person) gave out sporadic shouts of martyrous swear words, while not accepting most offers of help, interspersed with her thinking out loud thoughts of “OK, I’m going to have a puff of my cigarette now”. Michelle helped out by taking our orders for her. And, we all orders easily prepared food. Every once in a while she’d soften and got sweet for a while.

A few of us took a different route Calumet. Regardless of which we took, there was a lot climbing to do. We took the route through Mohawk, while the main route (and the other riders) went via Lake Linden.

Even though many of us ended at different times, 15 of us all converged at the Calumet Theatre to see the Edgar Winter Band. Most of us were in row B on the main floor. I think we had the best seats. We were on the right side closest to the lead guitar player (Doug Rapporpot) and that’s the side that Edgar mostly played and sang. I didn’t know that he also played saxophone!

He was awesome. It was worth much more than $US 25. Actually in all the excitement outside the doors before the show, I was offered a free ticket, so I took it. Edgar seems like a born musician and also entertained us with skatting and have the other band members echo his voice. It was a sight to see… er… hear. His eyes were never fully opened, probably due to he being Albino.

It was so cool hearing Frankenstein and Free Ride. At one point I thought, “Wow, they’re playing it just like the band”, then I realized, “Wait, they are the band!” Silly me.

We went between the Shute’s Bar (Italian) and Carmelita’s and enjoyed them both.

Stayed at the Americinn where the next morning, Judy, a manager said it was the first bike group she saw there in the three years that she worked.

Keweenaw Peninsula Bike Ride 2008 - Day 2

2008-08-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Day 2, Aug 5, 2008 – Hancock to Copper Harbour’s "The Pines Resort" - approx 98km

The next day took us to Copper Harbour and was a spectacular day. Not only was the shoreline of the lake breathtaking, but we also were blessed with an awesome tailwind. The wind was so strong that at the white sand of Eagle Harbor Beach, the waves were big enough to body surf. I loved it and reluctantly got out of the warm water (and warm air), to get back on to my bike to my patiently awaiting fellow riders. I couldn’t get enough of the body surfing. I kept saying, “OK, one more… OK, one more… just one more.” Remember, we’re talking Lake Superior, the lake that usually gives you a bone chilling shiver when you dip your toe in it, or when it’s wind sucks the warmth from your body. Not this day however. It was like being in Mexico.

Some of the new riders who have never been here said that it was their best day ever. Another bonus was the construction on M26 made the lake shore road (paralleling the Brockway Mtn Drive) was virtually empty of vehicles. Less than 50 metres of road work kept the road empty and extra safe for the riders.

That was a bit of a technical challenge for the Pollari brothers (that’s Ang and I). Ang got a broken spoke, and my new brake pads were still making a loud squelching sound whenever they rubbed against the rims. Ang’s wheel was way out of true, so he became the SAG driver, got his spoke replaced at the local shop, then met the rest of the group in Calumet. I, on the other hand rode to Calumet and asked the bike shop to checkout my problem. I later found out that the new brake pads that were mounted were only meant for ceramic rims. They were on so stiff that they had to be chipped off. Thank you Peter Z for instructing them to fix my brakes and for the generous gesture of paying for the repair.

A big reunion in Calumet was abuzz with a big family reunion from all over the states. We ran into many of them in other parts of the peninsula as well as Calumet. There were so many that it was tricky getting lodging in Calumnet

At the very beginning of the ride, a number of us took Peter Z’s challenge to ride up one block which has an incline of approximately 20 percent. It was tough! I know that if Peter says something is tough, then it really will be tough cause he’s one of the toughest guys that I know. Gene was the first up the hill and handled it very well, while I struggled. Michelle put in a great effort as well. Jeff, Peter, and Doug P. also took the challenge. So we were extra warmed up before the ride. I believe that a number of riders did it the night before too.

We took the refreshing tree lined M203 along the canal to Mclain State Park and did our first swim. It was still kinda early in the ride, but you cannot pass up a swim in the great lake when the water temperature is tolerable. Then we were up the 4 km climb up the Calumet Waterworks road, and ended at the Michigan House restaurant for a great lunch. Margaritas were a must for some of the riders, so they went to Carmelita’s.

The local bike shop (run by Chris), was very helpful and took on our bike repair requests with virtually no notice. I’m glad that some riders purchased items there.

I decided to ride Cliff Drive towards Eagle River and a number of other riders came along. It parallels out intended route. It was low in traffic as well, but we did not ride along the lake. It had it’s own intrigue however. Near the end of the road, there were some impress cliffs to the left, a bar in Pheonix, and a swimming hole in a small river/creek called the Devil’s washtub. Apparently there are a number of Devil’s wastub’s in this area. Some are in private properties. This one (on M26 just before Eagle River) was patronized by a number of those reunion folks.

Jacob’s Falls were beautiful as always. right and a very quaint bakery, run by a filial monestary, with jams and jellies just past the falls. A number of the riders visited the bakery beside the fall, runn by a filial monestary - they have awesome jams too. This section of the ride is so lush and yet shaded.

Awesome icecream- had cherry and cookie/cream. Peter was trying to teach me how to eat it without getting it all over myself. How could I stay ahead of the melting ice cream, it was hot outside and the store attendant gave me so much that it was bursting like a mushroom muffin over the cone.

I was honoured to be part of Peter’s personal record in getting in 4 different swims in one day. The last place we swimmed was kinda rocky. I slipped and fell onto a big rock and the lake's waves kept pushing me against the rock. I think it was a sight to behold.

I took the challenge to ride Brockway Mtn drive. It is a climb of more than 700 feet and offers some magnificent views of the surrounding hills (Rocky Ridge), smaller lakes and the great Lake Superior. At some spots we also saw Copper Harbor, Lake Fanny Hoe, and the Keweenaw Mtn Lodge and golf course. It was well worth the sweat. The ride down towards Copper Harbor is very very steep so I rode very conservatively to stay safe.

Met some of the others at the picnic tables outside our resort and shared some of our day’s events as we munched and had some light beer and refreshments.

The group is quite big and we did not all start and finish together so we ate a different spots and hit the sack at different time.

We had a great dinner at ???, then shared a beer with Doug F at the Pines Resort Bar where I was given some great tips (by a local) for the next day to find food before the falls, and how to find a great spot to pick thimbleberries.

http://www.chainstainaway.com/

Keweenaw Penninsula Bike Ride 2008 - Day 1

2008-08-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

It was another very successful cycling adventure. The Keweenaw Penninsula is truly a paradise for cyclists. It has a combination of low traffic roads, beautiful lake shore views, many swimming opportunities, ice cream, historic richness, white sand beaches, access to beer, berry picking, high vistas, theatres, and on and on...

This year we had 21 riders. Actually before that day we had 20 confirmed then we recruited another just a few hours before the start.

Day 1, Aug 4, 2008 – 50 km - Baraga Casino Parking Lot to Hancock’s Best Western Copper Crown Motel

While Ang, Doug (not Classic Doug aka Pantry, but Doug Flagel formerly known as "new" Doug), were at a bike/ski/hobby shop in Ironwood, I overheard a woman mentiion RAGBRAI to the store attendant. Well, how could I not cut into a conversation with that word? So the woman, Terri Johnson, told us that it was her first ride and she loved it. And, that her group liked to socialize along the way. So I told her that we were going to do our own mini RAGBRAI in a few hours. She sounded somewhat interested then I mentioned that Peter Z and Michelle B would be coming too. That helped entice her, but Ang and Doug think that I might have turned her off when I said that there might even be some skinny dipping. We exchanged phone numbers, then about 20 minutes before we embarked from the Baraga Casino parking lot she phoned and was on her way. Yahoo! Is that an adventurous spirit or what?

Kay and Lynn from Madison and Jerry from Iowa were the first at our meeting place in the parking lot of the Baraga Casino. And, not long after we (Ang, Doug and I - I will refer to as ADI from now on) arrived, Jeanne and Bob from Brainerd arrived. They arrived at exactly 2:00pm and wanted it officially noted that they made it on time and were amongst the earliest arrivers. By the way. Jeanne and Bob were the very first people to arrive at the parking lot on 2007’s ride, so I'm kinda wondering what this "Larson Time" really is. Are Jeanne and Bob trying to change the original meaning of Larson time from being “always late" to being “on time” or even "being ahead of time"?

The Baraga Casino (like last year) was very generous in letting us park our cars in their lot as long as we left enough room for the RV's to park.
With 18 riders, we hit the road at about 3:30 a bit after Doug and Ruth rolled in. A few other riders were going to meet us later that day We started with a fast downhill towards L'Anse Bay, turned left onto Hwy 41 and followed the bay for the next 15-20km with a good wide shoulder (with some thin and rumble). The shoulder is a blessing because this section has the heaviest traffic of the entire trip.

As we continued north and east, the traffic gradually diminished. We had our first watering stop not too far past Chassel at the Pilgrim River Steakhouse. The amber beer was great. A couple who were having dinner saluted us for not being of young age and still riding. As we were visiting, our newest group rider, Terri rolled in from Hancock on her bike. She drove and parked at our hotel and rode the route backwards until she saw the sign of many bikes.

We tried something new which ended up being a good experience. Outside the bar, across the street is a bike path that we followed all the way into Houghton. It followed the canal all the way to the famous Houghton-Hancock bridge.

Our group split between the Keweenaw Brewery Pub and the ???. The brewery does not serve food, but gives menus of other local food establishments who deliver.
As I followed Peter Zenti into the bar, I saw him so right in with his bike without stopping. Peter's a man of adventure with a pinch if mischief.

We all took our bikes to the back patio of the Brewery were we met a couple of uninstrumented musicians (Randy and Justin), who were eager to play for us for free. So, they went home and came back 20 minutes later with their acoustic guitars and gave us a great and intimate show. I was not as prepared as I usually am on these bike rides. I only had one harmonica on me. I was able to play some songs with them, but needed my other key harmonicas. So this lack of harmonicas started a major APB search for Shamu which had my baggage with the other harmonicas. Once we found Doug P with the keys, Kay and I rushed to the Best Western Copper Crown motel and found the harps. We rushed back and I was able to join them. It was a blast. Randy who sometimes walked around with his guitar to the tables had that raspy voice and Justin a smoother and more passionate style. Their originals were hilarious, especially a the song about blood in the snowbank and the other about all the famous scientists brought out wails of laughter. Many of us will try to get their CD's. Doug F. really could relate because he works for the Ministry of Transportation and many of his colleagues would love to hear the snowbank song. Randy also plays for a Finlander group and is planning to visit Thunder Bay to play for our Finnish community in 2009.

Find out where the other’s ate

Before dark we all headed across the bridge and to the Copper Crown Motel. As we were settling in I saw our final two riders to join the trip. They were Anne and Dave from Iowa. They drove up from Illinois from another trip. It was good to see them again and to hear Anne’s wit (I met them for the first time in Texas this past spring.

Some of us went for a swim, sauna and whirlpool, then some for a last cool one (about $6.00 for a small pitcher of draft beer) at the ??? in Hancock.