Lisa and I had hoped to do a European bike trip this summer - we have our eyes on a 1,000 mile ride from St. Malo on the Brittany coast to Nice, via the Loire valley, the Dordogne, the Lot and Provence. But family responsibilities were more pressing and we decided to delay that adventure … Continue reading Epic road trip, biking at altitude and Dan’s premature season end
Spring, Mexico and taking risks
Our Minnesota winter was an easy one, especially since Lisa and I spent the coldest January weeks in St. Martin (in the French West Indies) as we have for the last three years. When we returned home from that island paradise, the weather cleared up and the temperature rose and we had hardly any snow. … Continue reading Spring, Mexico and taking risks
So many confluences: St. Paul to Hastings
On a summer night in 2015, Lisa and I were in the audience of an outdoor music festival called Eaux Claires, just outside of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. We were waiting for the final act of the day – a band called The National – when Wisconsin writer Michael Perry stepped out on stage to say … Continue reading So many confluences: St. Paul to Hastings
Four Days in Southeastern Minnesota: Bicycling Around Minnesota (BAM)
Last week Lisa and I joined our team CLiPD (Cindy, Lisa, Lindsey, Paul, Dan and David) on a new-to-us organized ride called Bicycling Around Minnesota (BAM, not to be confused with Bicycling Around Missouri, which Lisa and I have also done). "Bicycling Around Minnesota" is an exaggeration, as we only biked through three of Minnesota's … Continue reading Four Days in Southeastern Minnesota: Bicycling Around Minnesota (BAM)
Two Minnesota bike trails that were new to us
Sakata State Trail While we are at Lisa's family cabin up in Becker County, we try to get some rural biking in. We've ridden from the cabin to Lake Park, where my great grandfather, Esten Gjelten, settled in the late 19th century after emigrating from Norway. It is about a 60 mile round trip to … Continue reading Two Minnesota bike trails that were new to us
Mickelson Trail: Custer to Edgemont, final day
Our final day was short, just 45 miles, and almost entirely downhill. The weather was perfect, as it had been all week. I was already planning our return to St. Paul, wondering how far we could drive with our early arrival in Edgemont. I was also appreciating the classic Black Hills landscape around us: the … Continue reading Mickelson Trail: Custer to Edgemont, final day
Confluence 