Opening Day: its official, you can rip Cuyuna with no consequences today!

I spent the morning of opening day with Rori and Nick, two of the killer volunteers on the new Cuyuna trail.  I have to say it was one of the best mornings I have had on a bike in a long time!  Hit the new trails this weekend and also come to the Grand Opening June 10th as well!  You will not be disappointed!

My billboard in Ironton!

Just another Cuyuna berm (with a view)

Tires or rocks?  

Braaapp!

A working vacation in Southeastern, MN

I was lucky enough to have had some work in Lacrosse, WI with the Human Powered Trails club last week.  I was not only lucky because I was able to ride and work with HPT, but also because I spent some more time in my home town.  The following images are from a day and half spent chasing fish, hunting mushrooms and well....eating and drinking good beer!

Dave Dawkins matching the hatch in style

Another nice small stream fish

Double D doing what he does best

Hmmm

O! Face.

A night in Pickwick with my family: Pizza oven heaven

Pickwick falls at night

Big trout creek in the day.

The famed Johnson Pizza oven

Pizza ingredients from the woods to the pie.

One of the oldest mills in Minnesota

The Briggs Family Farm, Cedar Valley MN

While in the region working for IMBA I also had time to swing by my buddy Steve Briggs Farm and look for some mushrooms.  It was great hanging with an old high school buddy and also learning the tricks of the trade of hunting such savory fare!

The things in questions.

Lessons in shrooming

Steve Briggs and friend

His fathers, fathers tractor, still rocking.

Torque indeed!

Funky derelict trucks. Trout stream fishing americana.

Sometimes what is on the side of the stream is as fun as what is in it!

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New Superior Kettlebell Gym open! The beatings continue...

Not only does the new SKG have more light it has new toys in which to destroy all confidence you had in your physical fitness.  The gym has new pull up bars, hanging climbing bars and battle ropes.  No doubt SKG has made a very solid jump up a few notches in this new space.

Clean as a whistle

Steel your face

Battle ropes

Mid battle

Enduring the shoulder season as an off road cyclist...

Duluth Backcountry Riding

Well the weather has been horrible for off road riding that is for sure.  However due to the "green up" some trails are actually drying out despite the wet weather.  The key is knowing what trails drain well and thus support riding on, or just plain need to be avoided.  I call it bits and pieces riding.  A little bit here, a little bit there and some road and gravel thrown in to tie it all together.  It is ok for now, but man I am ready for some longer single track rides!

Last Walz Old City Hall: Superior Kettlebell final workout in the dungeon.

Time to move

Who knew bouncing a ball could hurt so bad

100th Burpee and contemplation of it

Secret Service test in action

Bottoms up

Its dark and damp.  There are no windows and the ceiling repeatedly spat out mortar and flakes of old construction material. In the winter it was heated mainly by the bodies of suffering athletes.  In the summer it was so hot that you felt you would suffocate. The only music allowed was metal and hard core punk.  It was the dungeon in the basement of the Old City Hall.  It looked like The Gimp could stroll out at any moment.  Yet I will miss it dearly as it was the perfect den for the group of alt athletes, punk fitness maniacs and outdoor adventure types who showed up to work out there every morning for the last three years.  It was Duluth underground at its best.  Violent, raw and holistic all at the same time.

I have seen lives transformed in this dungeon.  I have forged friendships here and I have seen people rise above fear, rise above challenge and literally show what they are made of ( I would include myself in all of these cases).

Adam and Liz Dailey should be respected for what they  have created in the basement of the Old City Hall.  That respect was not given however when the gym was unexpectedly and unceremoniously told to leave the building on one days notice this week by the owner of the building due to renovations.  It speaks to the strength of the community that Adam has built that so many people are pitching in to move the gym to a new location at 1st West and 1st Street.  I know we will make it ours and hell,  it will be nice to have a window to look out as I crank out my planks or the 100th burpee somebody makes me do.....

Barn Sale: May 7th 2011 Final Details.

If these skis could talk

Gear sale.  May 7th 2011.

When: 9am to whenever somebody hands out the beer. Or when all this stuff is gone!

Where: 54 Dalles Ave.  Thomson, MN 55718 (Use your GPS). Come early!

What:  Mainly outdoor gear, some used some new.  Paddling stuff, telemark skiing stuff, backpacks, you name it we have most likely have something like it.

This is going to be a solid sale folks.  Not sure if it will be as epic as past sales that I have had but it will have a lot of good stuff for sure.  I have had a fun time preening through all this stuff.  I see skis I used in France with Doug Coombs.  Paddle gear that has been used all over the world, brand new Astral and IR stuff.  On top of that Dave Larson has brought a bunch of his one offs and salesman samples as well.  So believe me this sale is loaded.

See you soon!

Family Escape, Pickwick Minnesota April 2011

 It would seem that all of our past sins up here in Northern Minnesota are coming back to haunt us.  April has had more snow than March and the temps cant seem to climb past 40.  It is like the sun has forgotten us.  So with that said, the family and I drove 5 hours south to see if the weather was any better. It was not, although there was a bit more green grass and flowers so that at the very least was pleasant.  The fishing proved great and of course the company was even greater, so all in all we had a memorable time.

Fishing Pickwick Style 

Always someone there before you

Stream rubble

Small fry

Bloedow's, kicking Crispy Cream ass since 1924

Old mills and trout streams

Dan Grimslid Winona Art Tour

Dan Grimslid Studio

Family