Laura

Exit, Stage Left

My mom, Jacqueline Vera Block Haag, died early on Saturday morning, September 16, 2023.

She was diagnosed with recurrent metastatic breast cancer in December 2023. The best case was we might get three years with her; the worst, she would be in hospice within months.

Well, we got 10 months.

I wish we had been able to do more together in that time, but politics and strong opinions and a determination that holistic options are the only valid options got in the way.

After my visit in June, Mom got a drain implanted to remove the fluid that was slowly collapsing her lungs. Within the first week, she had removed over a gallon of fluid, 200 ml at a time. She could breathe again, start to walk again, and sometimes, her voice returned. She found out she wasn’t actually allergic to a number of foods she had avoided for decades – and enjoyed tasting foods she hadn’t eaten in years. I started to think maybe we’d get a decent amount of time with her.

It was the calm before the storm.

Like many advanced cancer patients, she was doing great until she wasn’t. And the decline was precipitous. By the time I was looped into how poorly her condition was, she hadn’t really been eating for a week. She couldn’t walk anymore. Her handwriting, the way she was able to communicate with Dad and us effectively, became illegible. Her body failing was clearly frustrating her.

My dad became her full-time caregiver; my sisters visited when they could but mom would be sleepy and visits were around 5 minutes. She continued to lose muscle and weight and increased her oxygen needs to roughly equate to 2 gallons of air being pumped into her lungs every minute.

Dad gave her hospice nurse permission to talk to me about Mom and I got the real story for the first time. I am so thankful. I was able to book a flight home the next day.

On Friday, Sept 15, I spent the whole day with Dad and Mom. Exactly 7 years prior, she completed her radiation for the first round of breast cancer and rang the bell. I was surprised to see her sitting in her living room chair, but her eyes lit up and she smiled when I walked into the house. I gave her a hug; she was just skin and bones now.

I asked her if she had read about my last bike trip and she shook her head. I asked if she wanted me to tell her about it; she nodded. As I started to tell the story, she put her head down with her hands on the rolling table and motioned for me to keep talking while she rested.

So I told her about the trip. I talked about when we rode Elephant Rock together and when we rented fat bikes to go ride in a creekbed. I talked about my kids and how much they love her.

Mom hadn’t pre-planned her final wishes. So I asked what she wanted and made sure she nodded affirmatively after dad told me what they had discussed. I called a funeral home and got things set up.

Mom rested on the table a lot while I sat with her and chatted with my dad. I gave her a tiny amount of avocado for lunch.

When the hospice nurse came by, she was alarmed Mom was in her chair and insisted we move her back to her bed to avoid the risk of falling. Despite the high flow oxygen, her pulse-ox was only 91. We rolled her into her bedroom and got her sitting on the side of the bed. She immediately leaned into my dad and hooked her hands into his pockets. It took a bit, but we were able to give her the meds to help her relax and breathe easier.

I gave my mom a hug and she leaned into me before kissing my arm and whispered that she loved me so much.

The last thing I did was help mom get her legs into bed, find her sea turtle plush that she slept with, and smooth her bedding over her. I told her I’d be back tomorrow.

The hospice nurse told me what was to come next and I am so thankful she did. I relayed that information to Dad and I think we both hoped for at least one more day.

The next morning I am woken by a series of vibrations from my phone; that usually means lots of text messages are coming through. As I looked at my phone my sister came to where I was sleeping and said “Dad said Mom is not responsive. Are you ready to go over?”

We threw on our clothing, made coffee to go, and raced over there. We alerted our sister who had driven all night from Texas; she and her kids paid and left their breakfast spot immediately. My youngest sister had to drive across town.

I want to believe Mom was still able to hear us when we arrived, but it’s also possible she was already gone. We sat with her and cried, held her hands, and stroked her hair while we told her we loved her, that it’s OK to let go. She’s been through enough. My youngest sister collapsed on the floor when she saw Mom; Dad got on the floor to hug her and cry with her. We all have different ways of coping with immense grief. We all were able to say what we needed to say.

We took turns staying with her body until the hospice nurse came and confirmed what we all knew; Mom had passed. She carefully cleaned up Mom for the funeral home to take her body.

I will never forget how compassionate and loving all of the hospice and funeral workers were. They treated Mom with dignity and respect and informed us of everything they were doing. I am so grateful to those who answer that calling to be with families during their time of enormous grief.

A few hours later, two of my sisters and I decided to go for a strenuous hike to help work through our emotions. We listened to music that reminds us of Mom on the way over. The ability to talk and push our bodies a bit helped give us space to grieve.

We made sure to be with Dad, to cry with him and remember Mom. Friends started delivering food to us, so we had dinner together as a family for a few nights. We helped Dad make a checklist of things he needs to do to close out mom’s accounts, notify people of her passing, and begin the process of donating or selling things he no longer needs. I wrote Mom’s obituary from a 4-hour conversation with my dad about their life together; my sisters helped me edit it for clarity and consistency.

And then real life came back – I flew home and we all went back to work until the funeral, which is next week. It was a nice distraction. But I won’t lie – my mom’s passing has reminded me just how short life is and I don’t want to waste any more time living 2,000 miles away from my dad, my sisters, and my nieces and nephews.

I’m thankful I got to be home with my mom and spend so much time with her on her last day with us. I’m thankful for the love and care my dad gave my mom in her final months. I am thankful for the hospice team and the funeral home team for their professionalism, compassion, and empathy. I am thankful I was able to come home to my own family and be given space to grieve. I am thankful to my boss and my coworkers for not just covering for me, but encouraging me to take as much time as I need.

We’re flying out for the funeral next week and I know that will be deeply emotional. Things will be Final Final. I expect grief will come in waves and hit especially hard when life’s brightest moments happen and I can’t share it with my mom. But I am also thankful that she is no longer suffering because cancer is awful and destroys one’s body.

She was a mom of four girls, a grandma to seven grandkids, an educator, an entrepreneur, a community organizer, and never backed down from an opportunity to stand up for what was right.

She loved spaniels, gardening, sewing, and cooking. Her personality filled the room and she always had big ideas. She remained active as long as she could – hiking, riding bikes, walking. She attended law school in her 60s and was active in her faith community.

Dad and Mom with three of their daughters and one of their seven grandchildren

Rest easy Mom. Your memory will be a blessing.

Behind the Journey: Northwoods 600

it’s a lot of work to make things look seamless

Along the journey, Jess and I fielded a lot of questions from others on how we got to the place of actually going on the trip came together.

First, no – we aren’t sisters. We were internet friends for a bit because I knew Jess’ husband when we were younger. Our first time meeting was on the Green Mountain Gravel Growler 2021 trip – and it was so much fun. So it felt organic to do another trip together.

Second – it takes a lot of planning to go on an epic journey. This was our first time doing a multi-week bikepacking trip – and our first multi-week trip with camping as the primary lodging accommodation. But camping helps keep the overall costs down (even if we did have to bring all our camping gear as well as our bikes and bags on the plane).

My goal is this post will help others feel confident in planning their next big adventure.

Getting There

We don’t live where we were going to ride, so we weighed the options: drive out or fly out. My drive would have been longer than Jess’ (20 driving hours) – so flying was the obvious choice to minimize the number of days off we needed to take from work.

Most airlines have policies around traveling with Sports Equipment so be sure to check out your airline of choice’s rules. I flew on Delta, which allows bicycles as a checked bag (provided it meets the dimension and weight requirements); Jess flew on Southwest, which features a flat fee for bicycle bags over 51lbs (provided it meets the dimension requirements).

Of particular note is the 50lb weight limit. You might think that since your bike isn’t anywhere close to 50lbs you’d be OK – but the bag itself weighs somewhere around 20lbs. Jess used the Dakine Bike Travel Bag (18lbs) and I used an EVOC Bike Travel Bag (19 lbs). Both are excellent choices for air travel and require only a minimal amount of bike disassembly to pack.

Jess crammed as much as she could into her bike bag because Southwest doesn’t charge for the first two checked bags and has a flat fee for bike bags weighing 51- 100lbs. I incurred Delta’s overweight and checked bag fees because my bag weighed 55lbs, which was due to the inclusion of my bike, 2.2″ tires, rack, 3 water bottles, shoes, and helmet.

We also had to bring all of our gear – not just a change of kit and snacks, but also our camping gear and food. Most camping gear can be put in checked baggage so I stuffed everything into a 7-day suitcase that came in at 43lbs (Jess had a larger carryon sized suitcase for the rest of her gear).

Of note, you cannot bring camp stove fuel or bear spray – even in your checked bags. We purchased these items from an REI in Minnesota and picked them up on the way to Duluth.

Campgrounds, Ferries, and Layovers

It was important to us that we knew where we wanted to try to stay each night before heading out.

August is apparently a heavy tourist time for the Northwoods, so we booked our sites in advance as soon as the ability to book a site came up. Jess started booking campsites in January and didn’t stop until sometime in March when the last few campgrounds opened their booking windows.

The only campground we missed was for the first night in Minnesota (Gooseberry Falls) and the second night in Wisconsin (Two Lakes). The first sold out almost instantly; the latter we didn’t realize we’d booked a campsite at the wrong campground until the night before. Both times it worked out, but to avoid the stress of trying to beat holiday travelers to first come first serve sites (which you very likely will not get, especially on a weekend) – book ahead of time. It also gives you a stopping point to look forward to each day.

It also pays to keep trying, even if the campground is full. The third night in Michigan, we had intended to try to get a spot at a rustic campground that is first come first serve because the state campground we wanted was closed for renovations. However, when we rode by, it was actually open and we had our pick of available sites. The ranger said it was a last-minute decision to reschedule the renovations so the campground was slower than usual.

The ferries to and from Isle Royale National Park had a bit of scheduling to maneuver around – but it wasn’t onerous or overly complicated. The ferries don’t run every day from Minnesota but they do from Michigan. For planning we picked a date range and then figured out when the ferries were running based on our planned route and adjusted accordingly. We then reached out to the operators to confirm how to book our bikes for the trip as well and got on their manifests.

We also booked all of our indoor lodging in advance as well. This gave us peace of mind as well as targets to look forward to when setting up camp again. Booking ahead is how we got the cute cabin at the Minnetonka Resort instead of a boring motel room. We also were able to build in an additional layover day between Michigan and Wisconsin that we could use – or not use – as we felt.

Things We Couldn’t Live Without On This Trip

Many people asked us what was the most important thing we brought as well as what did we wish we hadn’t brought or didn’t need.

We tried really hard to think of something we brought that we didn’t need and could have left at home and came up with nothing. Even things we didn’t break out were things that could have been needed (first aid kits, trowels, water filters and Aquatabs).

(You can see our planning spreadsheet here)

We agreed the number one best thing we brought was the Garmin Messenger satellite tracking device. Our families back home felt at ease being able to track our location and communicate via text, even without cell service.It’s small (3″ x 2″) and light (4oz), making it easy to find a home for on our bikes (I stashed it in one of my handlebar-mounted Mountain Feed Bag mesh side pockets). The Messenger has flexible monthly plans, so you aren’t paying for service when you aren’t using the device. I chose to pay for Search & Rescue insurance to offset S&R costs should that be a necessary action.

Another item that some may think is frivolous, but we found this item to be worth its (less than 2lbs) weight: backpacking chairs. Jess had an REI Flexlite chair; I had a Helinox Ground chair. We had these chairs out at almost every campsite – to relax, to eat dinner or breakfast, or just stare out across the lake.

With a few days and nights of rain, it was important to know if our gear was waterproof or water-resistant. Jess had awesome panniers with so many exterior mesh pockets – she was able to carry a lot more on-the-fly items than I was. But they were water-resistant, which meant additional packing of key items into waterproof containers (ZipLocks, drybags, etc). I had my Ortlieb front rollers (12L each), which are waterproof, but also had to have an extra-large Sea to Summit eVent compression bag (waterproof) to house my soft goods that needed to stay dry.

We also brought a spare small drybag to use as a pack-out container. We also brought a roll of small compostable garbage bags to use at camp and then packed the garbage bags into the drybag, attaching it to the rear rack until we found a garbage bin.

Oh – and camp toilet paper. We had a few campgrounds where the vault toilet did not feature toilet paper. Having our own was clutch.

Finally – skin care. Yes, that sounds super Extra – but the reality is, if we didn’t care for our faces, the trip would have been miserable. Between heat rash and cystic acne, it’s easier to bring witch hazel and facial cleanser wipes than it is to deal with the aftermath of not taking care of our skin. This is in addition to the body wipes and chamois creams we brought. And sunscreen and bug spray.

Jess also brought her Kindle and probably would say that was a super solid choice to bring.

Fueling Strategies

An epic adventure is not the place to underfuel. Both Jess and I worked with registered dieticians to dial in a framework for how to fuel day after day. We didn’t have “numbers to hit” but discussed real foods that support adequate protein, fat, and carbohydrate needs above and beyond everyday nutrition. It doesn’t have to be perfect – but you do need to eat consistently to ensure your body has enough fuel to cover the last hour or so of the journey.

We started our first sports nutrition bar within 60-90 min after starting the day and stopping every 5-10 miles to eat and drink. Lunch was planned for just after the half-way mark.

It’s also important to know your body’s signals that it needs more or is getting enough. The second day in Wisconsin I started out a bit too fast and by lunch, I knew I wasn’t eating enough of what my body needed. When we got to camp, I set everything up and then relaxed while eating salted nuts and Skittles until dinner, which was the highest-calorie meal in my bag. After dinner I felt much better and was able to get a good night’s sleep for the next day’s ride.

Part of our planning was to assess how many nights we would have access to services in a town vs where we would need to have everything we needed at camp (and for how long).

Breakfast consisted mostly of oatmeal, trail mix, and nut butters. I went a little bougie and brought a small can of Starbucks Premium Instant Coffee. This was a brilliant selection as we both had ample coffee for the entire trip. I prefer sugar and cream in my coffee so I packed sugar packets and non-dairy creamer packets into a tiny ziplock with a 1 tsp measuring spoon.

Lunch was often on the side of the road and more often than not, we ate Bumblebee Snack on the Run! Chicken Salad kits and supplemented with chips, sports nutrition bars, and caffeinated beverages (Cokes, Red Bull). The kits were super lightweight, easy to eat on the side of the road, shelf-stable, and delicious.

lunch almost every day – we packed out the trash in the small green bag

Other options were typical gas station fare – hard-boiled eggs, cheese sticks, salty potato chips, full sugar ice teas, peanut butter sandwich crackers, trailmiz bars, granola bars, Skittles and Snickers bars. And pickles.

Dinners were dehydrated backpacking meals. The ease of just needing to boil water to have a satisfying meal at the end of the day is most welcome after a long day. There are a lot of brands out there, but we used Packit Gourmet, Wild Zora, Farm to Summit, and Good To Go with the last four days being Mountain House Adventure Meals (as this is what is available at Walmart). We carried 6 dinners to get us through the first 8 days of riding as we knew 2 of those days could be a restaurant meal.

For sports nutrition items, we brought Clif Bars, Larabars, Muir Energy, Untapped Maple, Skratch Labs, Nuun, and Liquid IV.

Training

100%, Jess and I did not jump into this trip without building up our fitness and capacity for multiple days of riding with a full load. Even with being careful in what we brought (and I’m sure many ultralight bikepackers would be appalled at the amount of stuff we brought), we had about 40 pounds of gear and supplies loaded to our bikes every day.

Most of our training consisted of just riding – getting out as often as possible.

After Mid South, I put my smart trainer in a closet and forgot about it for a few months. I focused on riding for fun with friends and not worrying too much about speed or power. It was everything I needed it to be. But come June, I knew I needed to start working on building real capacity and pulled the smart trainer back out.

I set up my Trainer Road training plan for a stage race, because Riding Consecutive Days. I didn’t follow it as strictly as I had for Mid South as I could still get out at least one day on the weekend – but this summer has been pretty wet and it was nice to have an indoor option instead of forcing myself into the rain.

I’m sure some would say I needed to train for riding in the rain, but I’ve done enough of that, thanks.

I also put my 2.2″ tires on my Cutthroat so I could get accustomed to riding them. They always feel so plush until the road tips upward – then it’s just extra rubber to push. But I quickly became acclimated to the extra effort and saw an increase in my FTP when I tested it – so it must have helped

Jess did outdoor rides, loaded, that would simulate our longest days. That was an excellent idea as well.

Mental Preparation

The last topic is mentally preparing for the journey. Not just in planning optimally, but also considering back up plans and alternate routes (and when you would have to make a decision about said alternate route). Having this in your back pocket makes heading out easier because you know you have options.

I’ll be honest that when I thought about the entire trip, I would have a mini panic attack. what are we thinking? can we even do this? But when we thought or talked about a section – one state, one day – we felt calm and confident in our planning.

The takeaway here is – break your big trip into smaller, manageable sections. Think about each section when you are experiencing it. Don’t worry about the next section – you just need to get to the next campsite to be successful.

Once we were on Isle Royale, the trip didn’t feel so big and we could think about more than just the next day in front of us. We had just completed 1/3 of the trip!

We also started thinking in terms of how many more nights of camping in that state to mark passage of time. The longer we were out, the less relevant the day of the week or day of the month it was – especially since we had prebooked all our accommodations. The only times we saw others was either in town or on weekends (lots of ATVers enjoying the trails).

Final Thoughts

With exactly one multi-week adventure under our belts, I feel more confident in planning other multi-day/week trips – and confident that with the right planning and training, these types of trips are accessible to those willing to put in the effort. I’m sure over time we will refine and dial in the stuff we bring (or not bring) and maybe even experiment with not pre-booking our sites to have more flexibility – but at this point, that’s the level of planning we feel comfortable with.

I’m already starting to think about what amazing adventures 2024 will hold.

See you out there!

Northwoods 600

a MAMA* trip – *middle aged mom adventure

I’m still basking in the incredible sense of accomplishment and pride in completing the Northwoods 600 – a 600+ mile bikepacking route that circumnavigates the western portion of Lake Superior through Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. It was nothing short of an epic journey and a test of mental and physical grit.

The Northwoods 600 was created by Bikepacking Roots, a non-profit dedicated to promoting responsible bikepacking and welcoming bikepackers of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities. The route showcases the stunning, rugged beauty of the Northwoods and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and traverses the traditional lands of the Anishinabewaki people.

Buckle up – this is a long post!

Prologue

Shortly after my friend Jess and I completed the Green Mountain Gravel Growler in Vermont, we started thinking about the Northwoods 600. The original plan was to look at 2022 but the timing didn’t work out so we shifted the plan to 2023. We settled on the last two weeks of August to capitalize on the long Labor Day weekend, cooling temps, and hopefully, fewer bugs. We decided camping would keep costs low and give us more flexibility given some sections were in very remote areas.

Over about 9 months, we collaborated on planning in a Google Sheet – breaking the states down into reasonable mileage days, mapping out campgrounds and resupply locations, and other interesting things to look for. We donated to Bikepacking Roots to get the physical guidebook and the PDF version, which we brought with us on the trip for on-the-fly information gathering.

To be sure, this 2- week adventure was out of our collective comfort zones. Neither of us has done a bikepacking trip of this length, much less with most of the accomodations as camping. Camping adds a layer of stress above the usual miles and load – survival is at stake. Setting up camp, making a meal, cleaning up after the meal, making sure everything is bear proof/bear safe … it’s a lot of psychological stress.

I assumed we would be without cell coverage for at least part of the route, but there were a surprising amount of times I didn’t have cell service. I picked up a Garmin Messenger tracking device, which was really helpful in letting friends and family see where we were, we could message them through the device to let them know we were OK, and even get weather forecasts.

Two weeks before our scheduled departure, my youngest adult-aged kid, who lives at home, contacted Covid, which, fortunately, my husband and I did not contract (she isolated in her room and had her own bathroom) but made for a bit of anxiety around how quickly illness could change all our planning. It might have been overkill, but I rapid-tested daily until departure day to be sure.

I made a playlist of the songs that ran through my head over the course of the 2 weeks, in order of the days. Most of these were used as names for my Strava uploads. Mental music helps the miles tick off faster whe we weren’t talking.

Minnesota (Days 1-4)

While Duluth has a regional airport, it was cheaper to fly into Minneapolis/St Paul and rent a car to drive north. We had timed our flights to arrive within an hour of each other, but ultimately my flight was delayed 4 hours – which wasn’t a great way to start the trip but was a bellwether for things to come.

The next morning we had to get our bike bags and suitcases stored. We had arranged with the local bike shop, Twin Ports Cyclery, so we walked our bike bags up to the shop (Denis, the owner, was there and had spent time living in Colorado Springs, which we all bonded over) and then walked to Whole Foods Co-Op to pick up last minute snacks and lunch. All this meant we got a much later start than intended. And …. it was hot.

In the late morning, we set our way through Duluth on the Cross-City Trail, which led us to the heavily populated Canal Park. The bike path was lovely other than the multi-use path over I-35, which was absolutely terrifying to ride across.

It’s scary because you can see all the way down to the speeding traffic

Then we began to climb out of the Duluth area and the ride started to feel real. The roads were fairly exposed with little tree cover, so we stopped a few times to cool off, drink water, and eat snacks. The climbs overall were never onerous – relatively nice 2-3% grades for no more than a few miles – but when hauling 40 pounds of gear on your bike, it is more of a marathon than a sprint.

highlights from Minnesota

Exposed Roads that made the heat of the first two days tough. Lots of taking breaks in the shade to cool off, drink fluids, and have a snack
Routing into Two Harbors for food and more water, as we’d already drank the gallon each we were carrying
Finding a selfie station on a trail around a tunnel, and of course we had to take a jumping picture. It took several tries to get it right.
Rolling into Gooseberry Falls State Park 7 minutes before the ranger station closed and scoring the only available place to put us, which happened to be the best spot in the campground. (Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin have a No Turn Away policy for bicycle travelers who need accommodations at campgrounds even if they are full.)
I break one of my tent poles. Thankfully, Big Agnes includes a pole splint.

sunrise over our campsite – Lake Superior in the background

the Gitchi-Gami Trail is a GEM of a paved bikepath from Gooseberry Falls to Silver Bay
Stopping in Beaver Bay for snacks and more water, relaxing in the shade by a giant beaver statue
More exposed paved roads = so hot
Stopping a few feet into a driveway to rest, eat, and drink in a small spot of shade. A little old woman comes out of her house – we think she will offer us water or some other comfort in the heat – but she yells “PICK UP YOUR SHIT AND MOVE ALONG.”
Stopping a mile or so later at the Lax Lake Resort to rest in their driveway and chat with the proprietors, who assured us that woman was like that to everyone
Getting to Finland, MN and buying a lot of food because it was our last resupply for 70 miles (we were still 30 miles from our intended campsite)
watching a beaver play in a pond full of lily pads
getting the last open campsite!!

RAIN overnight. The first of a few days where temps were getting cooler and every night was soggy. Fortunately, our tents kept us warm and dry; although I realized I had neglected to re-waterproof my rainfly before the trip.
Roads are two-tracks and trails are roads. It didn’t make sense. Regardless, there were a ton of mosquitos. BUGGINS Performance insect repellent kept them at bay (mostly)
Shorter day but no resupply until we get to Grand Marais for the night
OK lunch at Fisherman’s Daughter, then off to our campsite, dinner at Voyageur Brewery

RAIN AGAIN. The forecast looked super gloomy with severe weather overnight. We opt to have breakfast in town (Java Moose), and skip the “most remote and rustic” part of Minnesota to ride up the coast on MN61.
Wonderful views of Lake Superior as we ride on the wide shoulder
Entering Grand Portage Reservation
Picking up supplies at the Grand Portage Trading Post
Setting up camp at the Grand Portage Marina, which feels like the edge of the world, especially with the strong winds coming off the bay
Someone giving us fish caught earlier in the day. They didn’t know we don’t eat fish, especially from strangers. We ate in the casino restaurant instead.
No severe weather overnight, but the WIND was so intense

Isle Royale National Park (Days 5-6)

Early the next morning, we packed up our stuff and rode over to the ferry to Isle Royale National Park. We booked our spots on the Voyageur II, a US Mail Boat specifically designed for operation on the Great Lakes. We pre-gamed with Dramamine because the weather has been so iffy.

Sure enough, Lake Superior was in a fine mood and we both felt nauseated despite the anti-motion sickenss meds. A steady stream of Gin Gin hard candies kept things down for us (but others were “feeding the fishes” off the back). Two hours later, we pull into Windigo dock for our park orientation.

Back on the boat for the 6 hour trip around the island to Rock Harbor, where we would be staying overnight.

The first 5 hours of this portion were lovely – calm waters as we sailed the smooth water along the western coastline of Isle Royale. We had a pick up at one of the remote docks and sailing in McCargoe Cove was absolutely magical. (Excuse the noise – we were sitting in or directly behind the engine room)

As we rounded the northern end of the island, things got … interesting. The waves were getting larger, the boat listing a bit more from side to side. Then the doors to the engine room where we were sitting started banging open and closed. The boat listed so hard at one point it felt like it was at a 45* angle and everyone was bracing themselves against what was surely going to be a rollover.

In that half-second, my brain calculated that there wasn’t enough time to grab life jackets and that our bikes were surely headed to the bottom of the lake.

Fortunately, our captain was All Pro and navigated us safely around the island and into the calm waters of Rock Harbor with a jovial “Well, THAT was fun!” Jess chatted with him as our bikes were being unloaded – he said the 10-foot waves we were in were relatively mild compared to how it can get on Lake Superior. Yikes.

The only words on my mind are RESPECT. Respect for our captain and crew and for the raw power of nature.

(we learned MUCH later about the folklore that Lake Superior never gives up her dead)

We got our camping permit, locked our bikes to the racks at the docks, and walked our bags to a campsite to set up and eat some food before retiring early.

I had to walk back to our bikes to get some items we left and on my way back on the trail to our campsite, I noticed a medium sized black dog with pointy ears trotting towards me. My first thought was “oh, someone’s dog is loose!” – but immediately recalled that dogs are not allowed on the island. This is a fox. I stopped; the black fox stopped to observe me, decided I wasn’t a threat, and trotted off into the brush.

No photos, but it did happen! I felt so lucky!

The next morning we slept in late, as our next ferry wasn’t until afternoon, and we had a relaxed breakfast before packing everything up and reloading our bikes. We wandered around the dock, had lunch on the restaurant porch, bought souvenirs and snacks, and then spent a few hours just looking out over the lake. It was nice to not do anything for a bit. We took a short hike to the America Dock and saw the ferry we would take coming in. It was at least three times as large as our previous ferry, which relieved us that the trip to Michigan would be much smoother.

When it was time for the Queen IV ferry to load our bikes up, the crew was astonished to learn we were carrying a gallon of water each on our bikes. We did – every day. While we had water filters, Minnesota is marshland and we opted to just fill up in the morning and as needed along the way. They made us remove some gear so they could get the bikes up and secured on the roof.

The 3.5 hour ferry to Copper Harbor, Michigan was smooth and uneventful. We chatted with a few couples who had been stranded on Isle Royale for a few days because they had come over on the sea planes, which weren’t flying due to weather/fog. Sea plane visitors are at the mercy of the ferries back to the mainlands having space.

Lake Superior Moods

Let’s Talk about Copper Harbor

We landed at the dock and got our bicycles and gear from the ferry. Somehow my fork had been loosened and it wasn’t lining up with my handlebars – but we were only two blocks from our cabin at the Minnetonka Resort for the night so we walked up there, got the keys, and tightened up the fork.

After taking a shower, we decided to walk down to Mariner North to get a pizza and cheese curds.

While waiting for our pizza to be done, a woman walked up to the bar where we were standing and told one of the servers “I can’t figure out how to make my television work.” (the restaurant is also a lodge). The server excused themselves and soon an older man who appeared to be the manager came over. She explained she couldn’t figure out the TV and quipped “This is the strangest place I’ve ever been.” to which he replied, in the most Wisconsin accent ever, “Oh-KEY” You could see his brain working on how to respond to this woman’s issue when he blurted out “Right now. We can do it right now. Right now, or in an hour and a half.” The poor woman was bewildered and agreed to go now to get her TV set up. We left with our pizza and cheese curds laughing the whole walk back to the cabin.

That night as we chatted in the softest, most cloud-like beds ever slept in, we started a list of all the catch phrases so far:

… but did you die on a boat?
Then pick up your shit and move along!
This is the strangest place I’ve ever been – Oh-KEY.

Michigan (Days 7-10)

Copper Harbor is a tiny tourist town at the very tip of the Keweenah Peninsula (which, isn’t actually a peninsula; it’s an island because the canal in Houghton is natural) that is home to some of the best mountain biking trails in the Midwest. It’s also home to an extensive network of ATV trails, which we learned very quickly. Michigan was a tough state, and we adjusted the route almost every day for various reasons (mostly, the ATV roads were rocky and sandy, which sucks energy and speed).

highlights from Michigan

Tightening every bolt on our bikes before leaving town
Climbing out of Copper Harbor on quiet, gorgeous dirt roads
Turning left and seeing “Extremely Rough Road Ahead”
Ending up on very rugged, rocky ATV roads – making another turn and it’s been freshly graded with a few inches of loamy red dirt. For the next several miles. We pushed our bikes a lot up hills

Putting too much power through my pedals to get up a technical uphill trail when I hear a ka-CHUNK. Get the chain back on the cogs – but Jess notices the smaller front ring is loose. She tries to tighten the bolts but they won’t tighten. And two of them are missing. We put it the chain on the big chainring and I delicately pedal (and walk) the last few miles to the road.
We stop in a parking lot of a marina before deciding to ride back to Copper Harbor’s bike shop. We’re in 15 miles, it’s been 3 hours, and we have a 15-mile ride back on the paved roads. I pedal as gently as I can. US41 is beautiful.
Losing the two spacers we had at some point, Eric at Keweenaw Adventure Company McGuyver’s my small chainring together so I can finish the ride. I am eternally thankful.
As soon as my bike is fixed and recombobulated, we get a Squall Warning and take shelter under the bike barn to wait out the rain
We decide to just ride US41 to where we would have picked up the trail and take that in to camp.
The ATV trail is chunky and rocky and eats up more time and energy, but we make it to an abandoned copper mine converted to a camp.

Feeling a bit tired from the extra long day, we decided to reroute to a more direct way to our next campground. We found some nice quiet dirt backroads, spent some time on US41, crossed the bridge at Houghton, and enjoyed lunch by the canal before climbing out and making our way to the Bill Nichols Trail. It has moments of hardpack but far more chunky loose gravel, random sand pits, and abundant shade.
Champion Mine was a nice surprise to check out before continuing on.
We originally planned to camp at a dispersed campground, but as we passed Twin Lakes State Park, we noticed it was open. We scored an amazing site with lake views.

We settled in for the night, thrilled with our luck at finding a site that had bathrooms, showers, and an electric hookup to charge our devices. As the night wore on, it felt colder than it had been at any point in the trip. we piled on more layers in our sleeping bags, and cinched the hood over our faces to keep warm.

My alarm goes off at 7am and it’s cold. We pop out of our tents to agree that 36* F is not something we want to try to do anything in – and went back to sleep in our sleeping bags until 8:30am, when it was in the 40s.

We pre-rerouted Day 3 in Michgan because the intended route would have been 70 miles and we’re starting to feel tired from hauling 40 pounds of stuff on unforgiving chunky roads. We followed the route until Mass City, which we then jumped on the road and headed up to Ontonagon, along Lake Superior, and into the Porcupine Mountain Wilderness Area.
Mass City is the poster child for poverty in rural, small towns. The market didn’t have much food so we went to the gas station for lunch. Two kids on dirt bikes were brapping around; an older guy was providing alcohol to younger girls; the gas station ladies were smoking pot in the bathroom. It was a bit depressing to be in a depressed area.
The Porkies were great! We had a site with ample distance between our tents and our cooking area. We stashed our bear bags in the bear-proof trash container for the night.

Pedaling out of the Porkies the next morning and making our way to our layover in Ironwood.
A really big hill that we had to take a break at the top. Our legs are definitely feeling the previous days now.
Overgrown two-tracks that had us dodging babyhead rocks and tree branches – and a culvert crossing with super steep banks
Beautiful scenery into Bessemer
Iron Bell Bike Path was a welcome respite.

Layover in Ironwood, MI (Days 10-11)

We deeply craved a day off to rest, shower, do laundry (last time we cleaned our clothing was in Grand Portage), and eat. We walked a mile to the laundromat and then had lunch next door while we waited for the washer. Real food tastes so good now, and we ordered the World’s Smallest Sundae each to celebrate how far we’d come.

The next day we took a taxi to Walmart to pick up everything we would need for our final four days across Wisconsin, as all four days would be mostly without any resupply options. It felt good to sleep in a bed again.

With access to cell service and internet, we were able to connect with out families and started to really miss them. The weight of being gone for so long was hitting hard.

Wisconsin (Days 12-15)

We knew this state was the least amount of total miles but the most remote. The route doesn’t pass through many towns, so it was important to have what we needed each day. Our lunches have consisted of BumbleBee Chicken Salad To Go kits on the side of the road, supplemented with whatever beverage we bought at the last gas station we saw and maybe chips or a ClifBar. We basically eat like college kids again – and eat a lot, all the time.

Unfortunately, the route maps indicated most of the roads were paved; we discovered quickly that most of the roads were loose gravel or worse, sand. This was incredibly disheartening as we labored through another 20-miles-in-three-hours day.

highlights from Wisconsin

Leaving Ironwood, we stop at the Hiawatha statue in a town park
Within a few miles we are in Wisconsin without fanfare – no sign or obelisk to denote the passage.
We are missing our families, tired, and annoyed at every small incline on loose gravel. It’s a mentally tough day.
But Wisconsin is a different kind of beauty than Minnesota or Michigan – and we enjoy the changing landscape – even if we are on ATV roads for the rest of the route.
We get to our Forest Service campground and have the most magical site

The next morning we go out little too fast because I just want to get to the next campsite and relax again. By lunch, Jess is chugging a RedBull and I’m realizing I haven’t eaten enough and don’t have anything with caffeine to fuel the afternoon. OPE
Getting to a turn onto singletrack and NOPE’ing it. We ride the rustic road up the the County Road and head west on the pavement.
We see a sign for the campground we’re looking for and take the shortcut.
We score another great lakeside spot and refuel before turning it in early. The next few days are expected to be hot.

real and true photo of the lake just after sunrise

It’s the final two days! I want to tell you that there was some poetic moment of bittersweet emotion about this, but the reality is we were super ready to finish, finish strong, and go home.
We stocked up at the local General Store and headed to Solon Springs on quiet dirt and loose gravel roads.
At some point we popped out of the forest and found ourselves on an exposed, loose gravel road that was a series of rollers. It was hot and we stopped in the shade for a bit and chat with two hunters who had just finished setting up their stands.
Back on ATV “roads” what were mostly sand. Deep sand. Jess floated through it while I struggled to keep my bike upright. We both nearly crashed several times though – the deepest sand would grab the wheels and pull them in whatever direction it wanted.
We get to our final camping site in a town park after what felt like the longest day of our lives.
It’s hot, we’re sweaty, and gross. So we shower in the bathhouse, but the water is sulfered, so now everything smells vaguely like rotten eggs.
It’s 80*F when we crawl into bed at 8pm.

Our last day and it’s going to be a scorcher so we get up early and head out by 8:30am to get water from the grocery store.
Oh look, more loose gravel backroads!
We were chased or approached by aggressive dogs three times before we decided to reroute to more main roads for a bit.
Soon the forest gave way to open farmland
We saw a flock of turkeys and they scattered as we rolled up – some flew away, some ran under the fence. But one smaller turkey was near a part of the fence that didn’t have an easy way to duck under – and the poor thing just kept running into the bottom of the fence frantically, trying to get to the other side.
Superior, WI is remarkably flat
One mile before we get to the bike path on the bridge to Duluth, a woman stops at a stop sign and then proceeds even though we were entering the intersection and have the right of way. Her passenger is yelling at her to “stop, bikes!” She does, in the middle of the intersection, but then starts slowly rolling towards us as we pass in front of her. I yell at her “YOU CAN STOP NOW. YOU CAN STOP.” Literally 2 miles from the end of our epic adventure and we are almost hit by a careless driver. We were certainly in more danger in towns and cities than we were out on the country roads.

Epilogue

When we rolled up to our hotel in Duluth, an undenyable sense of accomplishment and pride engulfed us. The sheer intensity of biking and camping and adjusting on the fly; broken bikes and flat tires; creepy campgrounds and freezing temperatures; WE DID IT.

before we could get cleaned up, we had to walk to the bike shop to get our bags, which had our clean clothing for going home

We celebrated with a restaurant meal, doing two loads of laundry, repacking our bikes and bags, and going to sleep in a bed again. The next morning I had Dwarf King taxi take me to the airport to pick up the rental car.

Upon sitting in the driver’s seat I had to think for a minute about how to drive.

We loaded up our bike bags, hit the road to Minneapolis, and eventually our flights to our respective homes.

Overall, I would definitely do this route again with a friend. Jess and I were exceptionally well-matched as adventure partners, making the whole trip so enjoyable. Our focus was to have fun, and we certainly did despite challenges along the way.

See you on the road!

How The Story Goes

recounting the last few months

It’s hard to believe it’s been a minute since my last post. Not much has happened – the northeast has had a pretty rainy spring and summer so far, so I’ve been getting out and exploring as the weather allows.

April

April brought a family vacation in Vermont, and my adventure friend moved away. We also adopted a mother-daughter bonded pair of rat terrier-dachshund-chihuahuas after having to make a humane decision for our geriatric beagle, Beau. I love them more than is reasonable.

May

May was more fun rides with friends around the northeast.

June

June saw the rainiest weekend we’ve ever had for our annual Girls + Matt MTB Weekend at Kingdom Trails. That was frustrating because it’s a weekend I look forward to for most of the year to date, and to be limited in time out on the trails wasn’t optimal.

And then it feels like the world came off the rails. Specifically on June 28.

The last week of June

Pete and I had booked a trip back home to see my family at the end of June. As you may remember, my mom’s breast cancer returned, and after aborting a trip to see her in May, it was time to go spend time with her. But we got to the airport on Tuesday, June 27, only to find out the flight had been canceled literally as we were about to enter the security line. Thank goodness we were taking only carry-ons.

With many flights being canceled out of the NYC area, we couldn’t rebook the flight until Saturday, July 1. I grabbed the first direct flight available and decided to not take my previous vacation time since I’d be flying back on July 4 anyway. Pete decided to stay home with the dogs because it was a short trip.

Wednesday, June 28, my mom texted us that she was headed to the hospital with shortness of breath. And then, she checked herself out (AMA) because she didn’t want to stay in the hospital overnight.

It felt urgent to get home to see her.

I spent Thursday, June 29, refreshing Google Flights to find a flight home sooner. Whenever something came up, the ticket was no longer available when I reached the payment screen. Finally, I could land a flight for Friday, June 30, in the morning for an obscene amount of money (and connecting through Atlanta).

I notified my employer that I needed to be with family without any pushback. I love who I work for – they really understand family first. The Friday flight turned into an all-day odyssey, but my sisters picked me up at the airport.

July

Seeing Mom for the first time, in person, up close, since 2019 was jarring. She is a fraction of the size she used to be, uses supplemental oxygen, needs a wheelchair, and can barely speak above a whisper due to paralyzed vocal cords. But after talking with her (she uses a whiteboard for longer conversations), her Self is still there.

Spending time with my family as the sole focus of my trip was fantastically rewarding. We helped Mom and Dad as we could and talked a lot. I helped take Mom to one of her doctor appointments and then spent a few hours with her, making phone calls to set up other appointments, talking, and doing whatever she needed help around the house. She gets tired easily, so I returned to my sister’s for the rest of the day. She seemed stable and was getting her new high-flow oxygen system the next day.

My sister and I stayed up very late on July 4 talking. Like, unusually late for both of us. Around midnight I opted to head to where I was sleeping and get some sleep. As I was about to drift off, I heard my phone vibrate. I thought about not checking it, because it probably was just my email syncing or something.

It was my mom. Asking me to come to her house quickly. Because she was having oxygen issues.

I went upstairs to find my sister still on the couch (miraculously) and asked if she could drive me over. When we arrived, Dad was talking with the oxygen supplier technician about the issues they had all day.

What struck me was my mom. This tiny person, hunched over in her wheelchair, a jacket over her nightgown. My sister and I were able to move her to a quieter part of the house and she wrote like crazy to fill us in on what was going on. We affirmed this must feel very frustrating, and she mouthed YES! and then slumped over.

I reached over to hug her and she clung to me like a liferaft. The role reversal – the eldest child caring for the elderly parent – was palpable. Given I don’t live nearby, I was surprised but happy to be able to provide genuine comfort in a time of crisis. She asked me to help her. Not my sisters. Me. That counts for something.

My sister called the palliative care nurse while I got my mom to her bed and helped ensure her oxygen flow was correct so she could sleep. We talked to Dad about everything and agreed to regroup the next day with a palliative support company representative to learn more about what hospice could do to support Mom through this phase of her life. We were able to confirm she would have 24/7 support and Dad would get some caregiver relief by shifting to hospice. Mom was all about it because they promised it was about her and what she wanted.

I flew home on Thursday, July 6, uneventfully. (I did select First Class because I found a “reasonably” priced ticket and after everything in the last week, I wanted to not deal with travel stress). My friends and I canceled our weekend bikepacking plans (not just because of this – it seems a lot of things came up over the July 4 weekend).

So all this to say – I have zero regrets dropping everything to be with family. But I am experiencing FOMO coming back to see my friends all participating in life as usual. Which is totally normal and I’ll get through it. Mom was able to get a procedure today that has already improved her breathing.

I get that I’m not the only person in the world who has lost or is losing their parent or loved one. But this one is mine and it’s going to be a minute until I’m back to “normal,” whatever that is.

Thanks for reading.

Indoor Training Only Mostly Sucks

It’s all in the approach …

Now that I’m a few weeks removed from Midsouth Gravel, I want to write about the training experience.

What I used

Saris H3 direct-drive/smart trainer
TrainerRoad AI-enabled training program
an oscillating fan that we had lying around
my road bike
my usual bike gear (bibshorts, mesh baselayer)

Why I Chose What I Did

Saris H3 smart trainer

I’ve used a “dumb” trainer before and found it wildly boring, no matter what I put on the television. The issue is that while it’s generally the most affordable option and gets you on the bike to workout – you have to get off the trainer to adjust the resistance.

My priorities for a direct-drive trainer were to be relatively quiet, as I set up in a “public” part of our home, and be super easy to set up. The Saris H3 was so quiet my husband didn’t hear the trainer so much as the giant fan I had pointed at me whenever I was on it.

Smart trainers connect to your computer through an ANT+ or Bluetooth connection so the training program can adjust the resistance for you (ERG mode) – or you can put the trainer in standard mode, select a level of resistance, and shift up and down the cassette to work on power output. The resistance controlled by the program in ERG mode is very, very convenient and wonderful. All you have to do is focus on pedaling to hit the target power.

The only place I found ERG to be less than helpful was in Sprints, mostly because it takes the trainer a few seconds to ramp up the resistance so you can hit the target power range – but then it also limits your output by modulating the resistance so you stay at the power target. This frequently limited my ability to hit sprint power targets in the short duration of the sprint. It was much easier in the standard resistance mode because I could manage my power output against the trainer’s resistance.

TrainerRoad

I interviewed several coaches before deciding to find a workout plan and commit to it. I’m not a racer, I don’t intend to race, and it seemed a bit wild to spend $150+ per month just to have someone tell me to do more or less or to keep up the good work.

I looked at the two most popular programs, Zwift and TrainerRoad. While both have solid workout plans, I ultimately decided on TrainerRoad based on a comment I saw while reading comparisons:

Zwift is great for social riding; TrainerRoad is boring but effective.
some random person on the internet

I was not approaching training as a bike ride with miles to track; this was strictly a workout. Time in the saddle, turning the pedals, and working on fitness objectives. This was not supposed to be fun; it was supposed to ensure I could finish a 100-mile gravel ride in early March.

TrainerRoad also has an AI function that will analyze your workouts and outside activities to adjust your future workout intensity. This was both super cool and super hard – because if you crush a workout, it keeps pushing you harder on the next workout. There is no “chill at this level until it feels easy.”

Also, I do not have a power meter on my outdoor bikes, so I’m not sure how accurate the incorporation of outdoor rides actually was. But I did learn that maybe doing a 90min threshold workout one day and then trying to keep up on a hilly mountain bike ride with my faster friends was definitely a Mistake.

How It Went

Honestly, it went really well.

As someone who has been on Operation Avoid the Trainer for YEARS … this was a tough pill to swallow at first. It took me two weeks before I set up the trainer because once it was set up, I would have to use it. And I so vastly prefer outdoor riding and the informal “training” I had been doing …. it was a mental hurdle just to start.

I set up my TrainerRoad account and customized my training plan. I chose a Low Volume plan because as a newbie to indoor training, it was tough enough to get on the trainer three days per week. I assumed I would swap out my 90min weekend workout for outdoor riding as much as possible.

New York had a very mild winter, and by that I mean it rained. A lot. Which severely limited my desire to go outside to ride. It was damp and chilly and unappealing.

So this is where I admit having the trainer as an option to keep working on my fitness when the weather was foul was really, really convenient. I could throw on my bike attire, make a bottle of Skratch Labs hydration, and get a good workout in 60-90min. Even with a fan blowing directly on me at full blast, I finished every workout absolutely soaked in sweat.

Once I committed to follow the plan as closely as possible, the rest came fairly easy. I sync’d my training plan with my Google Calendar so I didn’t make plans over my training days (or moved my training as needed to accommodate unmoveable things like business trips or helping my kid move across the state). After a few weeks, getting on the trainer every 2-3 days felt normal and natural.

Of course, about 14 weeks later I took a weekend off to spend time with one of my kids for an activity-free weekend. Getting on the trainer the first day after that trip was SO HARD. I wanted to throw everything out the window. It hurt, it was hard, I had zero motivation to be on the trainer, and everything just felt off. But I finished the workout and reminded myself that the mental aspect of just getting through the first set of intervals, even just the first over-under, would pay off when I was out in the middle of nowhere and still need to pedal back to the start.

Plus, I only had 2 more weeks before Midsouth, so I could also remind myself it’s a limited-time inconvenience.

The Results

My target was to be out for 10 hours with about 8 hours of ride time.

While training didn’t make me faster (by race standards; I ended up around where I would normally be in late May), and I didn’t lose any weight despite adding in 3.5 hours of workouts to my life … I met my ride time goal and was only out for 9.5 hours total (including stopping at the aid stations).

relaxed, comfortable, and still tons of energy at mile 88

It actually felt very weird to come back from Oklahoma and NOT get on the trainer a few days per week. I thought about extending the training plan because Fitness Gains but ultimately decided to take a few months off and focus on riding for fun again. I don’t want to lose sight of Riding Bikes Is Fun with a side benefit of Fitness.

I did, however, plan out a 16-week plan to help keep my base fitness up for my 2-week bikepacking trip in late August. I can see how spending a little time on structured workouts will benefit my ability to ride consecutive days while hauling all my camping gear around.

Until June 1, I’m back to riding bikes with friends as I can. I’ve made my peace with not being in Top Shape during this time because my focus is back to fun.

See you out there!

MidSouth Gravel 2023

on the road again …

You guys – definitely travel and ride bikes somewhere you’ve never been before.

The Midsouth Gravel is both a gravel race and an event, but the dedication to authentic inclusion makes this event stand out. The emphasis isn’t on the pointy end of the ride (the racers) but on everyday people who show up in Stillwater, OK for a weekend of bikes and community. The organizers are dedicated to creating space for everyone.

I don’t even know where to begin. After spending 15 weeks following a training plan on Trainer Road, I was ready to throw the indoor trainer out the window. Riding bikes has always been for fun, not fitness, and this was a decision to do prescribed workouts with a specific goal of getting to a baseline that would allow me to complete a very early season 100-mile ride with 91% of the course on dirt roads. But I have to admit …. the work paid off. I achieved all of my goals for MidSouth, most importantly to finish strong.

The Day Before Midsouth

Arriving late in Oklahoma City, we grabbed some food for the hour drive out to Stillwater. Very quickly we felt like we were driving through the middle of nowhere …. which we were. On Friday we hit up the Expo, checking out the vendors and picking up swag before checking in to get the race plate and pick up my bike from the bike shop.

During the rider meeting, Bobby called up all event promoters to the stage and reminded us all that events happen because someone wants to share their roads with others. That was a wildly surreal moment.

Bobby also gave an impassioned speech that we aren’t here to race bikes; we’re here to be in community. A community where everyone is loved, valued, and is deserving of a good ride. That regardless of our challenges, we are in this together. And every single person would get a hug at the finish.

the ride

If I’m being honest, I can’t really tell you about the ride. It was people on bikes on stunning red dirt roads, all moving in the same direction but at different speeds. Some had mechanical issues and sitting beside fences, waiting for the SAG jeep. Some were taking a break to eat or drink. Despite registering solo and knowing exactly one other person who had signed up (among the 2500+ registrants across all categories and events) …. I was never alone.

But I can tell you about the people I met along the way:

Andrea, from Pennsylvania, who was racing for Sturdy Girl Cycling. We have a mutual friend.

Alex, from Arizona, who also had a Cutthroat in the same colors as mine. We chatted for several miles and ended up running into each other at every aid station.

Zoe, a trans femme non-binary person from Alaska who exuded off-the-charts energy with a trans flag emblazoned with BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER. Their energy was infectious.

Andrew, a fellow Pactimo Ambassador, who was riding the 50 miler with his sister. We were wearing the same jerseys and bibshorts, just in different colors.

Kenneth, a queer Latine, who chatted with me while we were filling our water bottles. He then came over to take photos with my sister and her family (who had dressed in character onesies so I could find them easier at the mid-point aid station). We caught up again at Mount Butt’r.

Rebecca, “how you doin’, sister?” as we barrelled down a rutted-out doubletrack. We caught up at the Chamois Butt’r Mount Butt’r aid station, chatting while relaxing in the Adirondack chairs

Yasmin, a stunningly gorgeous and incredibly strong rider (she passed me many times before we caught up at the aid station) AND FELLOW UNTAPPED AMBASSADOR! Thrilled to share my Salted Citrus stash with her.

The older woman who was blaring disco tunes from her Bluetooth radio and yelling “I LOVE YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE” to everyone she passed

Jim, the para-athlete who had run the 50k ultra run the day prior and was crushing the 100 mile route on a bike. He’ll be at Leadville both weekend this year – to run and cycle. Total beast and a really genuinely nice person!

Jim also gave me a compliment I will carry with me forever – as he pulled up beside me, he said “Wow, you’re strong. You look so calm and comfortable right now.”

Some guy on an orange bike with a white T shirt that reminded me of my friend Kyle. We yo-yo’d a few times late in the day, exchanging brief acknowledgments whenever we’d pass each other.

The woman I passed late in the ride with a “Deaf Cyclist” button, so I gave her visual kudos instead of yelling encouragement.

I can show you a selection of pics I snapped along the ride

PICS BECAUSE IT HAPPENED

Crossing the finish line was exhilerating. When it was my turn for the signature Bobby hug, he embraced me tightly as I thanked him for sharing his roads with me, that it was a true love letter. He effused about how this is what it’s all about and next year will be even sicker.

what went well

Having family meet me at the midpoint and end. Knowing someone was there to greet you, encourage you, and ask you about the ride so far was awesome. Don’t underestimate the psychological edge having a support crew gives you.

Training. Every day that I got on the trainer when I really wanted to just sit on the couch with my dog paid off. I wasn’t really sure someone could do hour-long structured workouts and see improvements but the proof is in the pudding. I finished strong, in under my estimated total time out, and almost exactly the ride time I wanted.

Staying open to whatever the experience would be. Signing up for an event in a location that you’ve never been before can be intimidating. Signing up without knowing anyone else who was signing up doubly so. But that allowed me the freedom to just say hi to people and talk about whatever came up.

Pancake in a cup for breakfast. Legit, always have the pancakes.

Things that could have been better

Sunscreen only works if you use it. The coating of red clay mineral loam covering me, my bike, and my stuff did not protect me from a raging sunburn.

Other thoughts

Oklahoma. I didn’t know how beautiful Oklahoma is. I think many people like me who live in more liberal-leaning areas would dismiss the state as a bunch of backward white farmers who are scared of “progress” and its less than inspiring history of where white people forcibly marched native tribes from around the burgeoning country only to then give that very land away to white settlers through five Land Runs.

While the history is true, I think it’s also important to remember that not everyone in a state or city or block – or even a single household – have the same beliefs and political leanings. When we feel smug about living in major metropolitan cities, we can blind ourselves to the people who are working to build inclusive communities in deeply traditional areas. To boycott or ignore Oklahoma for their exclusionary policies doesn’t help those who are fighting on those front lines. Spend your time supporting those communities in transforming fear into tolerance, acceptance, and eventually love.

After dropping off my bike at the shop to be shipped back to New York, Pete and I set off to explore Oklahoma City. We found a walkable downtown where we sat down for lunch in Bricktown and then wandered north to check out the new permanent installation at Factory Obscura: Mix Tape. We then stopped in to relax and have a few drinks at Skydance Brewery (the Mandarin Fluff hard cider was exceptional) before adjourning to our hotel, getting dinner, and calling it an early night because we had to be up at 4:30am to get our flight home.

You guys – definitely travel and ride bikes somewhere you’ve never been before and be open to the experience that will unfold.

See you on the road!

addendum

Things I forgot to mention:

Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” on repeat in my head all day; replace “making music” to “riding gravel”
WIND. Wide open skies meant riding West was a strong headwind; north or south was a cooling cross-breeze; and riding East was a fantastic tailwind
Starting the day under cloudy skies, mid-50*F temps; brilliant sun coming out around mile 20; Wind; relaxing in the shade in Perry at mile 50 with my sister, her partner, her kids, and my husband; double-track and rustic, rutted-out roads; Clouds returning after mile 68 and powerful wind gusts from the North; turning right onto a 7-mile flat stretch and motoring along as the wind shifted from the West and provided a nice tailwind; another rustic road; riding through Oklahoma State University campus as we rolled back into Stillwater; hammering it the last few miles to the finish
CHASE THE CHAISE. Rolling into the Mile 88 rest stop and seeing signs to be alert for furniture quickened my heart. A lifelong dream to Chase the Chaise achieved. Hoping they will send out the photos soon!
Bobby’s STOKE. He is the alpha and omega of stoke. For DAYS. How is this man still awake?
the DFL Party. The entire weekend was one huge party, which I was a bit too much in my own head to really participate in (plus, not 20 anymore). but what stuck out was the DFL Party. DFL is being the last person to cross the finish line and true to MidSouth ethos, there was a huge party for Marley Blonsky, co-founder of All Bodies on Bikes. 14 hours after the race started, she cross the finish line to receive the DFL prize – a giant longhorn skull. LEGIT – no other race does this and they absolutely should. EVERYONE deserves a great ride, not just those at the pointy end of the event.

Midsouth Training – Week 7

or, wtf was I thinking

As you may recall: last year I put my name in the lottery for Midsouth Gravel on a whim. Not only did I not overthink it, but I also didn’t really think about it AT ALL.

This is a huge gravel event; what are the chances? There are plenty of other Women aged 40-49 that will sign up and get chosen.

But secretly, I thought it would be cool to get in. And the Fates saw it favorable to choose me.

Alexander Rothaug – The Three Fates, circa 1910

The moment of learning I got in was both euphoric and terrifying. Because now I had to actually do what I’ve spent years NOT doing:

INDOOR TRAINING

So here we are on week 7 (of 14) using TrainerRoad and I am not sure I’m cut out for this. Or maybe I’m just not used to having structured workouts at a regular cadence. Or maybe …. just maybe …. this is not the time of year to be doing this.

It’s literally the middle of winter, when all the vibes are cozy, comfortable, stretchy pants, hibernation, hot cocoa with whipped cream or marshmallows.

this looks legit more fun than any indoor workout

It’s a time for fat biking. It’s a time for slow and low. Cross training. Snowshoeing. Hiking. Sleeping.

Decidedly not regularly pushing myself to new power heights. Because the part about picking an AI-enabled training plan that adapts with you means it literally never gets easier. If you crush a workout, it just serves you harder workouts next time.

Personal Reminder: The goal is to be prepared for 100 miles on dirt in the middle of March. Not to race, not to podium. Just enjoy the ride.

So … week 7. I completed my latest ramp test and the first workout was a level 6 Sweet Spot 2x23min workout at 92-95% of the new FTP. My legs felt so heavy and it took a bit to find my groove tonight. I had to psych myself up through the each section of the 23min interval (every 5-7min the power target changed) – just 3 more minutes … just 2 more minutes … one more minute and then the watts go up a tiny bit.

Last week I did all three workouts PLUS went outside twice, which Garmin deemed “unproductive” because they were more challenging than a training plan would schedule. I wanted to go ride bikes with friends outside so I have zero regrets – but I’m definitely in need of some rest.

I’m mildly paranoid about missing a workout, mostly because I don’t want to fall off the wagon. But it’s becoming clear to me that I am not in a place where riding every single day (or more days than not) is viable. I’ve never been that person – I’ve always needed/wanted a bit more rest time than others while still doing cool stuff.

It’s not summer, Laura. Summer volume of riding is literally the exact opposite of the universe’s energy right now. Don’t fight too hard. It would be a shame to be totally burnt out when you get to the starting line.

For all my years of riding bikes, I’m a super noob when it comes to indoor, structured training. I’m not afraid of being new and learning. But woof – this is tough.

Thanks for reading and hopefully I’ll be outside more soon (replacing the 90min weekly workout instead of in addition to that workout).

My mom is dying

facing a very real expiration date

Last night I dreamed I was carrying a heavy bag and while most of the time I could handle the weight, occasionally it would get so heavy I could barely move. I would figure out how to keep moving, but the bag just weighed on my whole being.

Seven years ago, this time of the year, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Doctors threw the book at her – intense chemo, surgery, radiation. Watching the process that ingesting poison does to someone was rough – doubly worse for the person requiring the ingestion. The goal was to cure my mom of cancer and allow her to live. For five years my mom has been NED – no evidence of disease.

Year Six had other plans.

After several interesting health issues this year, a PET scan confirmed what no one wanted to hear: the cancer is back and it’s spread.

This time, there is no cure. There is no long runway. Treatment will be for the rest of her life, up to 3 years. Maybe more if we’re lucky.

Or she can choose not to treat it and start thinking about maximizing the remaining time she has left. The doctor believes she may need to go into hospice within the next 2-3 months without treatment.

What an unimaginable choice.

My first instinct is to go home, back to Colorado, so I can spend time with my family. Care and organization of whatever we as a family unit need to do to support our mom shouldn’t have to fall exclusively on one or two offspring. My dad will also need support, navigating the prospect of living without the person who’s been a constant for 50 years.

But I have a family here that also needs me – my husband, my youngest adult child still living at home, my elderly dog.

It feels overwhelming to think about my mom choosing to not treat the metastisized cancer – but it feels equally awful to prolong life with frequent doctor’s visits, medications, side effects. Living across the country affords me space to live my own life, but my mom is always a text or call away. There is now an expiration date on the ability to chat with her directly.

I think about the stories she’s told about before her kids were born – living in Europe while my dad was stationed in Germany. Photo albums with pictures of places I’ve never been and people I’ll never meet. I remember her best friend dying in her 30s from lung cancer and how that impacted Mom. I remember Girl Scouts and cross-country road trips to visit distant family. How she started a business selling posters with comfort suggestions for labor to doctors and hospitals to help provide a down payment for her mom to get her own condo.

Choosing to recall the positive over the negative.

But Mom isn’t dead yet. She hasn’t even decided if she wants to accept treatment or comfort.

I want to make sure we can help bring about pleasurable experiences while she can still enjoy them, whichever option she chooses. Visiting national parks, a trip to Florida to see where she went to law school for a year, whatever would make her heart feel full. Whether we have only a few months or a few years ……

The bag is heavy for me, but not nearly as heavy as the one my mom is holding.

Looking to 2023

how Laura got her groove back

My body craves stillness I said to my husband, totally deadpan and completely unironically. Stillness that comes in the form of power naps, savasana, yoga nidra, and sleeping in. It’s luscious and beautiful and so satisfying. (Pete just looked at me dumbfounded, like I was some wellness influencer trying to tell him he needs to take the dog for a walk to have “Me Time”)

Yet 2023 has big plans for me – or more specifically, I have big plans for 2023.

After the absolutely soul-satiating bikepacking trip with my sister and my oldest adult child, I went back to chillaxing. I talked to my endocrinologist to adjust my thyroid medications and my entire being has returned to the fun, chill person I know I am inside. It’s been a game changer for feeling like a real human.

I joined my friends for a 36mi fat bike ride on Cape Cod a few weeks ago, which was really freaking fun. I just don’t understand people who don’t have fun on a fat bike. We were on beaches, in the woods, on rustic rail trails, and quiet backroads.

the places the sand was soft and deep were less fun, but the ride was amazeballs

Which in turn helped me feel motivated to put some new events on my radar for next year. Make my goals to see more places by bicycle. Break out of this location rut I find myself in after 5 years of riding around the Northeast.

On a whim, I put my name in the lottery for Midsouth Gravel Event in Stillwater, Oklahoma. And a week later got the email saying my credit card had been charged and see you in March 2023! OPE. The universe is calling my bluff. 100 miles of red-clay dirt that will either be a dream or a nightmare to ride in all day based on YouTube videos from 2020 and 2022.

I also signed up for the 100-mile Long Wall Rollin’ Coal Gravel Grinder in Shinnston, West Virginia in September 2023. I wasn’t able to go this year but I’m super into the idea of checking out West Virginia’s rolling hills. Plus their logo is absolutely fire! If I can do 100 miles in March, I will be super set for a hilly 100 miles in September!

hell yeah!

After several coach interviews, I settled on just paying for a TrainerRoad subscription and buying a smart trainer to help me prep for a literal All Day Epic in a totally different state I’ve never been to. I thought about Zwift and while the community aspect really appealed to me, the gamification didn’t. Everyone I talked to said TrainerRoad is boring but effective; Zwift can be effective but is more social. It’s going to be hard enough to want to be on the trainer (mostly because I’ve avoided riding a trainer in the winter for nearly a decade), but I’m motivated to be effective. Social hour can happen outside on the weekends.

I like that TrainerRoad uses your data to adapt your training plan based on the timeline to your event(s) and your goals. Mine don’t involve racing so I can focus on building endurance, power, and maybe some speed. I’m not afraid of being out for 10 hours – that’s a difficult bikepacking day when I’m riding up big hills with a full load. But I would like to finish in less than that if possible.

But let’s talk for a minute about how super noob I am about indoor training.

not me, but honestly this doesn’t look fun

mostly because I’ve spent so long avoiding the trainer. My philosophy has been to figure out the distance and elevation profile of the event and then practice pieces of the final event, building up to an approximation of the event. This has served me pretty well – I’m not the fastest but that’s not my focus. My happiness comes from the experiences my bike allows me to have, not specifically for fitness. Plus, I also can get very competitive and really need at least one place in my life where I’m not striving to achieve more/better. Bikes are a way to move through time and space and find happiness.

I plugged in my stats and was assigned a fairly low FTP. Having no real clue about FTP, I decided to try the Ramp Test. I made some assumptions that the test was capped at 20min and while it kept telling me to ride until failure, I didn’t quite “get” what that meant.

The first 20min were very chill, just spinning a very high cadence with an increase in resistance every minute. After 28 minutes, I was starting to feel fatigued, but nowhere close to failure. So I decided to try to shift the gears, which is apparently a very big No-No as my cadence went from 115 to 34 as the resistance instantly ramped up. After a few minutes of fiddling around with this, I decided to call it quits and cool down. So 36min of ramp test.

you can see where I started to try shifting lol lol lol

My FTP was adjusted, but it’s still pretty low. I had some time today to do an actual workout and selected the recommended interval workout. I feel like I shouldn’t be able to sing along to my playlist during the intervals. Midway through the workout I increased the targets to 115% of FTP and it started to feel more like a workout. But still not as intense as I assumed a VO2 max workout should be. For example, my recovery power typically ended up around 70-80, not the 50-60 target. I literally had a hard time getting that low of power output for the recovery segments.

Anyway, the actual training plan doesn’t start until I’m back from my vacation. Already planning to retake the Ramp test to kick it off and see if I can get to an actual FTP and right-size my training plan.

What else will 2023 have in store? Hopefully more bikepacking. More mountain biking (I really, really like mountain biking even though I am very, very mediocre at it). More camping with friends. Seeing more places.

More to come, friends. See you out there!

XNHAT+Cross Vermont Trails Bikepacking 2022

a bikepacking adventure featuring family time

Last summer, my girlfriends and I set out to end-to-end-to-end the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail (XNHAT), adding in a loop into White Mountains National Forest. We ended up cutting the trip short due to inclement weather but the stunning scenery and ample off-road riding opportunity made the route a group favorite.

My friends gently tease me that I’m a Finisher or Completionist … that I like to Do The Whole Thing when it comes to adventure (which, 100% Facts). I’ve been trying to figure out how to end-to-end the XNHAT all year (without having to ride the route in both directions just to get back to my car).

PROLOGUE

Logistics are always the hardest part.

I realized I could extend the trip and ride my bike across Vermont too. Figured 3-4 days to do both, could camp or book rooms depending on the weather and if I could get anyone to go with me. (Spoilers, I’m learning people are more likely to adventure with me when I say I booked lodging for the trip)

GAME ON …. if I can figure out how to get to the start. Originally planned to take Amtrak from NY to Portland, ME and then …. figure out how to get to Bethel, ME, about 65 miles away. A solid day on the bike, or an expensive Uber ride. Amtrak has a train that runs from Burlington, VT to NY so I was set there.

I was talking to my oldest (adult) kid in Philly, and they decided that sounded like a super fun trip to do together. Later, I was telling my sisters and one of them decided this was going to be her birthday present to herself – fly out to Vermont and ride bikes with her big sister and oldest nibling.

SCORE. the Squad has been assembled. The plan has been created. It’s GO TIME.

But wait, Laura … what about transportation because this is a one-way trip?

So glad you asked. We originally booked a pickup from Maura: At Your Service. Maura provides transportation services predominately in the Presidental Range area, but will also do pick-ups in Burlington (among other locations). I scheduled with her almost a month in advance, as we were planning to need the ride right before Labor Day Weekend and I didn’t want to scramble for such a long ride (Bethel, ME is about 3+ hours from Burlington, VT). Unfortunately, the week before she had to cancel but provided contact information for two other ride services (Priority Transportation and Trail Angels Hiker Services) that may be able to take our (very long) journey.

Dan at Trail Angels was available and a fantastic driver. All three services were wonderful to speak with; definitely recommend reaching out to them for long or short shuttle needs.

Day One
Bethel, ME – Whitefield, NH
52 miles, 2,390′ climbing

Setting out under sunny skies and virtually no humidity, we rode into the town center for breakfast only to find the diner packed and a sign on the door indicating they were short-staffed and patience was requested. So we hit up the Walgreens next door for breakfast-y foods, ate in the parking lot, and wandered over to the paved bike path to begin the journey. The bike path had painted games for kids, including fun options for those with mobility chairs, which was super cool to see.

The first 13ish miles are a lovely paved backroad that runs along the Androscroggin River.

There wasn’t a sign when we crossed into New Hampshire, but we found the stone marker that denotes when you’ve crossed state lines.

North Road continued for a bit until we turned right onto Hogan Road, a true gem of the route.

Lunch in Gorham for delicious sandwiches and salads followed by coffee and ginger molasses cookies at the cafe bookstore. We still have another 25ish miles to go before we can stop, so we shove everything into our bags and get back to riding.

The Presidential Rail Trail alternates between crushed stone, rustic double-track, and mowed grass. The trail gently ascends from Gorham for about 10 miles before tipping down towards Whitefield. The gravity assist is most welcomed, as was the beautiful views of the Presidential Range from the trail.

if you are heading westbound, make sure you turn around every once in a while

The trail ends at the Mount Washington Regional Airport – from there it was a short ride to our room for the night.

Day TWO
Whitefield, NH – Woodsville, NH
32 miles, 677′ climbing

Short day means more time. We decided on a late start and to relax at lunch. The first 7 miles out of Whitefield aren’t super fun – NH 116 is a paved highway with a nice wide shoulder, but logging trucks passing at 55 mph can be unnerving. There was a new section of rail trail going into Littleton, so we detoured off the highway and enjoyed 4.5 miles of scenic gravel doubletrack along a winding stream.

After a leisurely lunch on a patio, we continued down the trail. It’s all downhill to Woodsville, so we cruise through the rest of the trail. The trail here had a significantly higher number of ORV and ATV riders that were 100% courteous – but it was so dry that we were choking on dust after they passed. We stopped briefly at the Bath Covered Bridge before continuing on.

We arrived at our next room for the night with plenty of time to get cleaned up and walk to dinner. Walking after a day of pedaling feels nice.

But more importantly, we did it! We finished the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail!

day THREE
Woodsville, NH – Montpelier, VT
44 miles, 1,835′ climbing

The previous two days had been sunny with minimal to no detectable humidity, but day 3 was definitely muggy. We had a huge breakfast, filled up our water bottles, and headed out to tackle Vermont.

The Cross Vermont Trail is still very much in process of creating a contiguous off-road experience, in stark contrast to the Cross New Hampshire Trail which is mostly on snowmobile and ORV/ATV trails. It’s advisable to be comfortable riding on the road with cars.

It’s a short downhill to the river and then it’s back up again for a bit.

It wasn’t very long before we detoured onto our first off-road segment.

From here we bounced between gorgeous forest trails and state highways to get to the next trail.

Brown Drive was a lovely dirt road that leads to the Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area, which was amazing. A fellow bikepacker passed us while we took a short break, the first bike traveler we’d seen on the trip.

I am truly going to run out of synonyms for gorgeous on this section of the Cross Vermont Trail because it’s RIDICULOUS how stunning Vermont is.

And then we entered Groton State Forest. What a treat!! We refilled our bottles in the campground and enjoyed the gentle ascent to Mashfield.

At lunch, we saw the bikepacker who passed us previously. Ryan had started in Portland, ME a few days prior and was hoping to ride across the northern parts of the country, eventually getting to Washington State. It was cool to chat with someone else on an adventure and we wished each other safe travels as we departed.

The next several miles are on US Route 2, which had minimal shoulder and a 55 mph speed limit. My sister, kid, and I rode as a group to keep ourselves visible until we could get to the next side street.

The next side street had the Big Hill of the day but put us on the most magical 2 mile trail through the woods near East Montpelier.

More time on US 2 into Montpelier before hopping on the town trail and getting to our next lodging and dinner. Montpelier is one of my Top 10 Vermont Towns I Love, in no small way because it was the first place I visited to ride a gravel event (shout out to the Muddy Onion Gravel Grinder!)

DAY FOUR
Montpelier, VT – BURLINGTON, VT
48 MILES, 1,952′ CLIMBING

Our last day of adventure brought much colder weather and rain. We picked up breakfast sandwiches to go in town and hit the road while the rain was still a light mist/drizzle.

We pulled over in Waterbury to eat our still-slightly-warm sandwiches before embarking on a long stretch on River Road.

This is where the rain came down in earnest. There is no redeeming value in riding your bike in the rain, it just sucks. Each mile just gets you colder and wetter, and you don’t want to stop and enjoy the surroundings because you’re cold and wet and just want it to end.

We pulled over in the parking lot of a brewery that we thought was closed, but upon seeing people go in, we sought a brief refuge of appetizers and hot tea (and a beer because, brewery). The rain ends and we embark on the last few miles into Burlington.

Arriving at the Burlington Bike Path, we took a quick celebratory photo before riding to our hotel room to clean up and get one last dinner together. My sister’s flight home was suuuuper early the next day.

EPILOGUE

While this wasn’t the most challenging trip, it was one of the most personally rewarding. My sister is an ultra-runner and my adult kid rides recreationally but has completed long-distance rides in the past. To be able to spend four days with nothing to do but hang out, eat, ride bikes, take goofy photos, and create inside jokes is time well spent.

The terrain varies from pavement to very rustic singletrack, but the grades are gentle which lends itself to a more relaxed social pace. The scenery is gorgeous, reminding me that there’s still so much of my own country that I haven’t seen and deeply want to experience.

This route can be done with camping as well but that will add a few miles per day to get to a campground site. Some areas might allow primative camping; check with the land owners/managers before relying on that option.

We brought 2 32-oz water bottles each to always have an ample supply, but also brought my MSR TrailShot water filter. We did not run out despite temps in the 80s and the days getting progressively muggier (before raining).

Both the XNHAT and Cross Vermont websites are full of inside tips, resources, trail conditions, updates on connectivity, and more. I definitely made donations to each organization when I got home to honor our trip but also, help keep these trails available to all.

Where We Ate & Stayed

Mountain Village Lodge – Bethel, ME
The Pie Hole – Bethel, ME
Butcher’s Daughter – Gorham, NH
White Mountain Cafe & Bookstore – Gorham, NH
Art Gallery Hostel – Whitefield, NH
Littleton Freehouse Taproom & Eatery – Littleton, NH
Village Pizza – Woodfield, NH
Nootka Lodge – Woodfield, NH
Marshfield General Store – Marshfield, VT
Montpelier Inn – Montpelier, VT
Three Penny Taproom – Montpelier, VT
Capitol Grounds Cafe – Montpelier, VT
Stone Corral Brewing – Richmond, VT
Gaku Ramen – Burlington, VT
Kru Coffee – Burlington, VT

See you out there!

Tell the world:

Getting There

Campgrounds, Ferries, and Layovers

Things We Couldn’t Live Without On This Trip

Fueling Strategies

Training

Mental Preparation

Final Thoughts

Tell the world:

Prologue

Minnesota (Days 1-4)

highlights from Minnesota

Isle Royale National Park (Days 5-6)

Let’s Talk about Copper Harbor

Michigan (Days 7-10)

highlights from Michigan

Layover in Ironwood, MI (Days 10-11)

Wisconsin (Days 12-15)

highlights from Wisconsin

Epilogue

Tell the world:

April

May

June

The last week of June

July

Tell the world:

What I used

Why I Chose What I Did

How It Went

The Results

Tell the world:

The Day Before Midsouth

the ride

PICS BECAUSE IT HAPPENED

what went well

Things that could have been better

Other thoughts

addendum

Tell the world:

Tell the world:

Tell the world:

Tell the world:

PROLOGUE

Day OneBethel, ME – Whitefield, NH 52 miles, 2,390′ climbing

Day TWOWhitefield, NH – Woodsville, NH32 miles, 677′ climbing

day THREEWoodsville, NH – Montpelier, VT44 miles, 1,835′ climbing

DAY FOURMontpelier, VT – BURLINGTON, VT48 MILES, 1,952′ CLIMBING

EPILOGUE

Where We Ate & Stayed

Tell the world:

Day One
Bethel, ME – Whitefield, NH
52 miles, 2,390′ climbing

Day TWO
Whitefield, NH – Woodsville, NH
32 miles, 677′ climbing

day THREE
Woodsville, NH – Montpelier, VT
44 miles, 1,835′ climbing

DAY FOUR
Montpelier, VT – BURLINGTON, VT
48 MILES, 1,952′ CLIMBING