Yesterday I left Cable in a rain fall. Stopped in Hayward for groceries then made it to Crosby, Mn, home of Cayuna Lakes, a former IMBA epic but still a ride center. I visited the local bike shop and caught up on happenings. New trail head being built, more miles of trails on the wish board, and increase in traffic caused by trail recognition. I spent the night @ a DNR XG shoreside to one of numerous mine lakes. I went for a short walk after dinner and heard several loon calls. Sweet.

I noticed a freshly fallen quaking aspen. I look closer: it was felled by beaver

They created quite the skidder trail

The path lead to a small lake where I watched 2 swim around maybe biding time for me to leave so they could get back at being busy as a beaver. I was treated to 3 separate tail smacks on the water.

Mosquitoes seemed to find their way around my netting…. again. This morning i smushed several engorged suckers against the netting which is becoming more stained.

Last night I was using the roller on my left leg when I rolled away and heard a pop in the knee and a different pain was felt.

This AM I laid in bed till almost 8. My ride would leave from my camp spot. The trails are all machine cut and the geography is old open pit iron ore mining. The trails use the spoil banks. Dirt is rust red. Almost all of the trails are directional and no horses allowed. A new trail head facility is being built which severed a connecting trail to my second ride that I chose to drive to. Just IMBAized machine cut trails. Pretty setting.

I drove back into town and poached a shower in the city XG. Cleaned I headed towards SD driving state highways arriving just across the border for late left over dinner. I parked @ Sisseton airport.

Tomorrow I finish the drive to the Black Hills. Ride research turned up nothing of interest until Rapid City.

Keeping up.

Sunday Shrimper and I met w/ Mick’s family to ride some newly built trails plus older ones. Their twin daughters are stronger than us, well, that’s the join of youth. Shrimper lead out on a hellish pace w/ the girls on his wheel. I was ahead of Mick and Beth. Mick’s helmeted head head found a tree that bent over the trail. An astonishing abrupt stop occurred spitting him off his bike landing on his bike. His first thought was he broke his neck. Senses returned to deduce that he is inches shorter. His family escorted him back home and Shrimper and I continued on.

Shrimper led me along while I did not participate in route finding. We rode over to the new piece of trail we walked earlier in the week which is now almost entirely finished. Esker trail playing on each side of the esker was fun. We continued out to the end of Danky Dank then turned around. The trail crossed an unused resource extraction road w/ a tread down the middle and it headed in the direction of home. We took it. Miles went by w/ no intersection w/ single track. We hit an all weather gravel road that continued west that we took. I neglected to bring the trail map because others knew of our route. Loosing Mick’s group cost us our local knowledge. There are maps for snowmobiles and ATVs and trails for each. The trail markings are nowhere as plentiful as the mtn biker signs. We kept pedaling, soon Shrimper’s recollection of past rides kicked in and we made it back to Cable. We stopped to check on Mick who seemed to be OK albeit very stiff. Good news.

Shrimper and I rode back to his cabin and cleaned up then rode back to Rivers Eatery for dinner and socialization. I met the mayor. I suggested to him that now Cable is a ride center more riders will be visiting and a needed enhancement would be showers paid for by the city. He said that procurement pf the abandoned public school building across the street was in the works. Cool.

Rain started falling early in the AM.

I am leaving here today heading to Cayuna Lakes in MN. I have been researching riding between here and the Black Hills, nada.

Shrimper is a hoot and a great thinker and reasoner. Charlie from Eagle identified me as a person who spends lots of time by myself, Shrimper is in a similar boat as he spends hours digging dirt on a mini excavator. Pent up thoughts are released in proper company and head clearing intoxicants.

Shrimper, FOS, Friends of Shrimper. I will put that on my IMBA name badge.

OK. On to Minnesota. My knees will appreciate the break. I do have an ortho appointment back in Spokane on Sept 11 ( Les that’s when I’ll be in Spokane).

Thursday I drove to the Dodge dealer for van service and diagnostic. Oil and filters changed. Diagnostic revealed nothing apparently because the engine control had not sent an error code.  Shop said the van is running OK. So much for my paranoia but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a mechanical failure just around the proverbial bend.

From enjoyable Marquette environs I drove west to another enjoyable location of Cable, WI, home of Rivers Eatery owned by Mick and Beth and staffed by their twin daughters. Personal sized gourmet pizzas and good selection of tap beers. A warm and wonderful return visit greeting. Place is packed w/ white bread customers which is what the population is. I was told that Shrimper rolls in on Thurs nights and sits at this particular bar stool. I felt a pinch on my butt and there stood smiling Shrimper. We sat together @ the bar and engaged in a loud friendly conversation. Several people drifted in and out of our group, one being Gary who is the race promoter of the Chequamegon fat tire festival and Ron who is the paid director or CAMBA mtn bike club. Cable was just awarded IMBA Ride Center status as was Marquette.

This life style is rewarding to me as I meet new people some who become friends and when I visit again there is such friendship.

I slept out @ a XC ski TH. Shrimper is building trail here for CAMBA using a mini excavator. I wanted to see his work and watch him work. He drove me back out way out to his work site. We hiked the new trail that was roughed in by his effort to the guys finishing the trail to their finished work. Ground is very rocky.

Mosquitoes are horrific. I actually sprayed myself w/ eucalyptus repellent to some avail.

Shrimper drove me back to town. He went back to work and I drove out to the Rock Lake TH to ride the IMBA epic trail. Mosquitoes are feeding here also. Trail is marked a black diamond. Hmmm, different rating scale. I rode today at an enjoyable pace just enjoying solving tech features. Deep woods. Winds had blown down numerous trees across the trail that all had been cut out. Had they not been cut out the ride would have been the shits. 11.6 miles in 1 hr 40 mins climbing 999′.

Back in town I drove out to Shrimper’s housing which is like an old lake cabin from long ago in terms of accommodations. I fixed dinner in my house and Shrimper did the same in his. We sat outside @ a table eating and swatting mosquitoes. After dinner dishes cleanup and a shower we pedaled a short distance in the dark back to the Eatery. It was closed but the staff was still there. We joined Mick and Steve Tilford, a professional old school mtn bike racer still competing. We visited for several hours until I said i needed the comfort of my bed. We pedaled back under moon light.

Today Shrimper and I are going to ride single track that sort of parallels the Birkie XC ski race course.

Mosquitoes. Pity the rider who has a mechanical. Hardly seconds go by before I was set upon. Going forward makes for a moving target that seems to lessen the feeding.

My chigger bites are all but gone. Wounds are still visible but the itching is long gone. Benydryl seemed to help.