Exploring Hot Springs

Hi all,

My brother Doug is up for a visit and we spent one day last weekend cruising around Hot Springs, SD. Here are some pics:

MJ

View from my motel balcony.


Building in the VA Hospital campus.


3 off-road vehicles, 2 off-kilter drivers.


Flagpole with doofii in foreground.

Black Hills Redux

Hi all,

Been doing some mountain bike riding here in the Black Hills the past couple of weeks. First pic is of me at the trailhead to Old Baldy Trail, in the northern "HIlls." I took it after the ride, when I was pretty well spent. My brohter and I hiked this trail about 6 years ago and thought it quite tame. I found it quite hard on a bike, this time around, what with all the rocks in the way and everything.




I don't know what to say about this one. It's a self portrait taken whilst riding the bike up a side canyon on the outskirts of Hot Springs, in the southern "Hills." Looks like I've just seen a ghost, or maybe a grizzly!




Don't know much else at the present.

Cheers,
Mike

My hardest MTB ride to date...

I tried the Blacktail Trail yesterday. It's a new hiking/biking trail in the Grand River National Grasslands, south of Lemmon, SD. I was really excited to find out there was a trail to be ridden, but that joy quickly dissipated when I got on the trail. It was covered in pea gravels, I guess to help control erosion. There was cattle dookie everywhere, the gravel surface was like riding on mini marbles, and the trail was very choppy because of cattle traffic. I was riding so hard, mainly because of the boggy surface and my own girth, I had stop at one point and thought I was going to throw up!! After a 10-minute break, I ate some food, drank some gatorade, and my heart decided not to explode...I was able to continue on.

A disappointing ride, but at least I did get to go for a ride...

I hope the trails are better in Belle Fourche, SD. I'll find out next week...

Cheers all,
MJ














This pretty much sums up the trail.













Best attempt from my bike at being scenic...













Judging by "the Look" I wasn't too impressed by the trail.

Back to the Field

I'M BACK!!

In the field, that is...

I'm now in Lemmon SD, working on a small testing project at Shadehill Reservoir. We're testing 4 sites here over the course of a week (and maybe another day or two...). Should get in some good cross-training over the 1+ week (heavy duty sweating, hard physical labor, etc.).

Lemmon is known for its infamous "Petrified Wood Park." Some pretty interesting structures. Depending on what the meaning of "pretty" is... According to the local story, a local businessman or rancher (I forget, I'm getting old you know) hired a bunch of local people during the 1930s as a way to boost the economy.

Here are a few pics of the Petrified Wood Park. It is a wonder to behold...something that pictures and words don't do justice to.

Until next time,
MJ

Bismarck Mountain Biking

Over the 4th of July weekend, I got the rare chance to go bike riding with my big brother Doug. We had three contests, two of which I won handily.

Contest #1: Biggest potbelly.
Contest #2: Most likely not to die climbing the hills.

The third contest was a dead heat.

Contest #3: Most in need of a great-granny gear ('cause the granny gear just wasn't getting the job done!).

Here's some picks...er...pics!

Mike

80 miles of Chip-Seal Heaven

I had my first weekend off in a long long time where I wasn’t traveling home or somewhere else. Carrie’s off with the kids camping, so I was left to my own deviced in Elgin. “Elgin?” you may say…

Seeings how I haven’t posted anything lately, let me bring you up to speed. After 2 weeks of surveying in the badlands, our merry band of archeologists moved to Jamestown ND for a 4-week excavation project on a potentially important and potentially deep site at Jamestown Reservoir. That did not seem to pan out, however. Our lack of archeological success was made up for the legions of ticks that we fed. An average day would see me pull 30-40 ticks off myself. Most of the time only 3-4 would get buried, but that was 3-4 too many. About halfway through the project, the summer heat got turned on, which turned out the mosquito population, who also found our crew to be “yummy.” The blood-letting that ensued kept the bugs happy, the archeologists less so. The highlight of the project, for me, was discovering the nice mountain bike trails at Pipestem Dam. Many kudos to the guys to built and maintain those trails. Please build more granny trails, if not for you, then for me…

That project ended and after a short week at home, I’m back out west, directing a survey project at Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida). There are virtually no mosquitos, and I’ve only had 2 ticks in the past week. Much better than the last project. So back to my story…

I had this past weekend to myself. My choices were nap, watch the Tour de France on the internet machine, read, sleep, nap, eat leftovers or at the restaurant, etc. I spent 5+ hours of the weekend riding my Franken-road bike. Saturday saw me log 49 km (30 mi) on a ride from Elgin up to the Heart Butte dam and back again. Averaged 24 km/hr, in a just a hair over 2 hours. Sunday saw me ride from Elgin to Mott and back again, for another 78 km (ca. 50 mi). All the roads were chip seal, and they weren’t too terribly sticky. No flats, lots of friendly drivers, and plenty of water and food to keep my blood sugars good. Did the ride in 3 hr, 15 min, or an average of about 24 km/hr (15 mi/hr). Good times.

Here’s a pick of me riding in my new Team Type 1 cycling kit.

Cheers,

Mike

Archeology & Cycling

Photoshoped/Fixed pics:

Archeology: The NEW cross-training method for the modern cyclist

I've spent the past 2 days walking up and down the badlands of western ND. Lots of vertical climbing. I've even made it harder by throwing all manner of field gear into my pack, rather than leave the heavy stuff in the truck, like a smart person would do. Oh well, I did manage to get some nice photos for all my trouble.

Cheers, Mike

Weekend Family Visit

I've been working out in the North Dakota badlands for the past week and a half, and this last weekend my family came out for a visit. During a hectic weekend, we went to some cool places and saw some cool sights. Here are some of the highlights:
















My 6-yr old Grace gives her unbiased opinion of 19th century bedpans.





















Buffalo in Teddy Roosevelt National Park South Unit. Buffalo poop looks deceptively like rocks, the kind my 9-yr old Connor likes to pick up.
















The kids posing on scoria rocks. It's RED!!
















Rock collection. Cool. Rocks made into a fire ring. Cooler. Having a pretend fire in the RV camper. Uber cool!
















Classic Emma moment.
















Youthful enthusiam of watching the coal train fly by one block behind my RV. Every time a train went by, the kids would stop everything and run to the nearest window/door to watch the train. Connor would count engines and cars for every train.





















Roasting marshmallows on a windy, soggy day.


Thank you family for coming out to see me. Thank you Carrie for making the long drive. Thank you kids for spending your weekend cooped up in a small trailer and exploring the badlands in cold, soggy weather. When you left, I cried. I can't wait to come home and see you.

Love,
Dad