St. Croix Tri

You've probably seen some of my posts about 'Grandpa Adventures.' These are the kind of things I wish I might have done with a grandpa if I had one in my life when I was younger. I'm happy to say that several grandchildren have risen to the bait. When I discussed with Marcus just what kind of challenge he was up for - he went for the max.  I gave him several combinations of distance and activity, the longest of which was an 'Adventure Triathlon' that included kayaking, biking and camping and was the length of a marathon - 26.5 miles.

We packed up food and gear in our little inflatable kayak and put in at Nelson's Landing on the upper St. Croix.

We started out on a perfect North Woods afternoon. This is looking up-river from one of the many island campsites we checked out.

Water level was quite low. If you look in the foreground of this shot you'll see the bottom - six inches down, and we were in the middle of the river! We had to remove the skeg because it was constantly dragging on rocks and sand.

We paddled through miles of class 2 rapids. Marcus got pretty good at reading the water.

We stopped at the ruins of an old 1890's 'paint mine' site deep in the woods. All that's left are foundations and the old water wheel. We got some drinking water from the springs that feed the stream.

We finally settled on a campsite about ten miles down from where we started. Looking upstream, we could see four or five islands.

We made dinner and a campfire and watched the sun go down.

We reached the Hwy 70 bridge about noon on day two. We had hidden our bikes by the landing. We then rode fourteen miles on back roads to Nelson's Landing where the car was. Twenty-six and a half miles under human power.   Should I mention that Marcus slept all the way home?   This was not from trip-induced fatigue but from the greatest challenge of all, Grandpa's snoring.

Root River 100

          Most of my friends know I love biking. Most of them also know I put on two bicycling events each year. First, a 100 mile ride and second, a Minnesota Border2Border ride. The 100's are two-day rides designed for the intermediate rider who's looking for a good challenge. The Border2Border takes the same thing to the next level with a four-day 225 mile ride. I try to find unique venues to ride

and design an award plaque for finishers.

We had fifty riders on the Root River 100. We got all but about 8-10 in this photo.

     This year's route took us on some carefully selected roads and on nearly all of both the Root River trail and the Harmony Preston Valley Trails.

 

We started our ride in Caledonia, up on the prairie.

These trails have over fifty bridges. For the most part they follow old railroad grades.

 
  
 

We definitely overflowed the bike racks at our lunch stop in Rushford.

If you like scenic farms, this is the part of the state for you.

The Root River hosts hundreds of tubers and kayakers on weekends.

Amish Farmers set up their wares for sale in the park in Lanesboro. It would be fun to get them in the picture, but they prefer 'no photos.'

The Harmony/Preston Valley Trail has three miles of downhill.

Your tax dollars at work. Preston.

We had near ideal weather.

The pause that refreshes...

This year's award plaque features the mystical 'Tree of Life.'

Introducing Grandpa Adventures

My logo for the new program. With 20 grandchildren, I figured it was worth the effort.

     By the time I was five years old both of my Grandfathers had passed away. My Grandpa Fred babysat me while my parents worked. According to the stories I've been told, he doted on me. My mom said one of his dying sentences referred to me. He reported in a strained voice, "He said 'birdy' today." The year was 1948 and I was almost exactly fifteen months old.  He had just turned age 65.
     In 1951 I actually remember going to the mortuary with my parents to select a casket for my Grandpa Martin's funeral. Other than this rather clear memory, I have no personal recollections of the man. I was exactly four and one half years old on the day of his funeral. He was 69 years old.
     Fortunately, I had two grandmothers that I loved, and I grew to adulthood with them in my life. I must say, however, that I have always missed the presence of a grandfather. In my day many grandfathers were typically remembered as farmers. If they weren't working farmers, certainly they were raised on farms. This was the case with my grandfathers. Many of my peers had stories of driving grandpa's tractor, helping him milk cows, or at least, visiting him on the farm.
     I've had the wonderful experience of being a grandfather for nearly sixteen years and I'll have to say I have loved the experience. I've tried to bring real value to the role. Now it's time for the next level. Introducing Grandpa Adventures!

I've been returning to some of my favorite camping spots on the St Croix to test how easily we can access them in an inflatable.

     I'm planning 'right-sized' adventures for grandkids who are 'adventure-capable.' I'm still developing criteria, but in general, I want to give them a chance to do something they probably wouldn't get to do with their parents. 

We will always be looking for - and commenting on, and photographing - beauty in the natural world, like these flowers near the campsite above.

   


     I'd like to give older children the opportunity to camp, paddle and bike on overnight adventures. Younger kids can do shorter trips without camping, with the same objectives.

An overnight experience at some of my favorite places, like the site we call 'Benson Bluffs' on the Wisconsin side of the St. Croix, would be great for older kids.

I have been riding some of my favorite St. Croix back roads like Rustic Road, here, near Grantsburg, to find a safe place for combining a bike adventure with kayaking. This trip, for older kids, would include a ten mile paddle, an overnight, and a ten mile bike ride.

      Grandpa Adventures have already begun. See Kyler's Great Egret experience below.

Kyler and the Great Egrets

       Kyler faced this adventure with some small trepidation. When he learned we were looking for a hidden waterfall, he was quite concerned that we might go over it.

     Part of every good adventure is recording it. We always carry a camera or two. You never know when you might be surprised by a strange, rare animal or bird.

As we head down a remote jungle river, Kyler takes a photo of the guide.

A beautiful bridge near sunset. Civilization can't be too far away.

      We are always on the lookout for ways we can help keep the world beautiful. We find an abandoned fishing bobber floating near the shore.

This bobber has already been pecked at by water birds. If an Egret or Heron swallowed it, it could choke the bird. This one was attached to a long piece of monofiliment line, which would be even worse for the bird.

     We round a bend in the waterway and hear strange sounds coming from high above us. We see an amazing sight. The tops of the trees are filling with Great Egrets coming home to roost for the night. Flight after flight comes in and with 'goo'-ing sounds. We watch as they sort themselves onto various branches. Some of them argue and peck at one another when another bird is a bit too close.

Great Egrets returning to their rookery for the night.

     Great Egrets are solo birds during the day. They fly many miles to find good spots to fish along the shore.  Each night, however, they return to their rookery to spend the night.

We lose count as over fifty of these majestic birds come in and land as we watch.

     
     After a little more paddling we hear the sound of rushing water. It's the waterfall, at last!

Kyler feels some pride in making it to this place. The waterfall cannot be seen from any car. Only those who come by boat, on foot or by bike get the treat of seeing it.

     For me the night was complete when Kyler asked me if I would still be around to take his children on 'Grandpa Adventures.'