Lake Itasca :: Headwaters of the Mississippi

Monday, August 8th - - About 9:15 pm a Park Ranger drove through the campground at Copper Falls announcing over the loudspeaker that the National Weather Service had issued a severe storm warning effective until ten o'clock. High winds, hail, heavy rain and lightening were imminent. All campers were to take immediate shelter!



I saw people scurrying around their tents putting things away and heading towards their cars or trucks. Me? I was already sitting in Van Dora. Snug as a bug in a rug. I didn't see anyone leaving the area so I stayed put. Besides, where were we to go?



Within a few minutes after making the announcement, the rain came. Aside from a lot of lightening there was only the rain. No hail. No high winds. And it only lasted about an hour. And for that I was thankful. My thoughts went to that campground in Arkansas last year where flash floods went through the area and several people lost their lives. We had some warning, and I was ready to leave, if necessary. But the question came once again, where would we go?



Tuesday, August 9th - - It was cloudy and overcast this morning. It rained off and on all morning. I was traveling west on US 2 toward Minnesota. At Ashland, Wisconsin I picked up State Road 13 and followed it along the beautiful Lake Superior shoreline all the way to Superior-Duluth where I returned to US 2. By then the weather had cleared. The clouds were gone (mostly) and sunshine filled the skies as I traveled nearly three-fourths of the way across Minnesota. I would spend several days at Itasca State Park south of Bemidji.



Wednesday, August 10th - - Itasca is a huge State Park with a lodge, cabins, two campgrounds with more than 250 sites, more than 40 miles of hiking trails, a 5.8 mile paved biking trail, and numerous lakes within its 32,000 acres. The Park was established in 1891 to preserve remnant stands of virgin pine and to protect the basin around the source of the Mississippi River.





This little stream doesn't look like much, does it? However, it is the Mississippi River, flowing rather quickly just a few hundred feet from its source at the north end of Lake Itasca.





This sign proclaims “Here 1475 ft above the ocean the mighty Mississippi begins to flow on its winding way 2552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico.” My Mother and I visited New Orleans in the summer of .. and saw where the Mississippi flowed into the delta and into the Gulf. Like US Highway 41, I've traveled along portions of the Mississippi and now I've not only been at its end, I've seen its beginning. Rather cool, I think.





This is it. The headwaters of the Mississippi River. People are encouraged to “walk across the Mississippi” here, one of the few places accessible for the average person to do so.





The rocks were quite slippery. This man and his son nearly toppled into the water several times. I didn't attempt to walk across the rocks but there was a narrow log footbridge - perhaps 18 inches wide, so maybe not so narrow, but it seemed so when walking across it without handrails for assistance!



I walked a ways down the trail along the shore of the lake but little could be seen because of the trees. There were some interesting wild flowers though!









And this small, fluffy, milkweed type of plant.

Breaking Up

High Falls at Grand Portage State Park as the river starts to open up in early April of . This photo was taken yesterday afternoon, just before we had a big thunderstorm that dropped some heavy rain on the area. I'm going to walk back up to the falls this afternoon to see what kind of a difference yesterday's rain made on the ice and the water flow.

BikeShare: Possibilities and Limitations

As I have already mentioned, Vienna has a fairly well developed bike share programme: Citybike. And as I have already mentioned, I do not use it. Partly the reasons for that are practical.

For a tourist who wants to explore the center of Vienna by bicycle, Citybike is great. It also works for locals who both live and work in the city center. Sadly, I work in an area of Vienna that is not covered by the Citybike network and there are no stations near my office. In order to commute to work and back, I would have to rent the bicycle for the entire day, which would be financially prohibitive: The rental costs are calculated on a sliding scale, where the first hour is free, but the second hour is 1 Euro, and subsequent hours are priced increasingly higher. According to this scale, it would cost me 30 Euro per day to commute to work and back - which would of course be madness.

Even to go for a short recreational ride before or after work is not an option, because the bike's basket does not accommodate my work bag.

This is the bag I carry to work when I am in Europe. It contains my laptop and the documents I need for the day. As you can see, it does not fit in the basket - and since it's a one-shoulder bag, cycling with it in traffic is not something I want to do. This bag goes with me to official meetings, and switching to a messenger-style bag would not be appropriate in my line of work. I think that any city implementing a bike share programme must take this factor into consideration. In my view, it is a design flaw when professionals are unable to use the bicycles because the basket will not accommodate a standard laptop-sized bag. As you can see below, there is no rear rack either.

For those who want to cycle in the center of Vienna as tourists, the Citybikes are certainly well fitted for this purpose: step-through frames with adjustable saddle height; swept-back handlebars for an upright sitting position, dressguards, a chainguard,

fenders and mudflaps,

non-slip pedals,

a wide saddle with springs that is probably fine on short rides,

and the newer Citybikes have 3 speeds, which is sufficient for the central (non-hilly) parts of Vienna.

An additional reason I do not rent Citybikes is that, frankly, I do not wish to turn myself into a mobile billboard. In the photo above, you can see the juxtaposition of the Citybike moto "Vienna for free!" (this refers to the first hour of rental being free of charge - though there is still an initiation fee of 1 Euro) and the yellow adverts for Raiffeisen Bank, as well as the white and red adverts for Gewista (a local advertising agency). Personally, I would rather pay a small fee for the first hour of rental, than advertise for a company I have no connection to - though I understand that others might be perfectly fine with this practice. In the meantime, I will continue to support local bike shops by renting from them whenever I need a bike in Vienna.

Booze and Touristy stuff at Tulum

While waiting for the rest of the gang to arrive at our meeting point, I did a quick survey of the little square in Tulum. You never know I might see something worth buying.



Well, what did I see? You cannot get as touristy as this...







Indian tribes for you for a few pesoses...



And of course Mexico is proud of its booze... Tequila and beer. I have to admit that I love tequila. Give me a few shots please!









My souvenir shot with Mr. Corona =)



Now,Corona beer is usually served chilled and with a slice of lemon in it. I am not a beer gal, I prefer real alcholic drinks like wine and tequila... or whisky.







And that is our Mexican driver leaning on the bar waiting patiently for the rest of the group to turn up.



I could not make up my mind so I did not buy anything. Might be a good thing.

Of Cycling and Cheeseburgers

Before I started cycling I was a vegetarian/ pescetarian for many years. It began by accident: I was on a research trip in Moscow in 1999 and got food poisoning after eating a meat dish at a restaurant. It was pretty bad, though to be fair I can't even be sure it was due to the meat. Could have been the salad or an unwashed fork, who knows. Still, for a whileafterwardI felt sick whenever I looked at or smelled meat, so I stopped eating it. Eventually the effect wore off, but the vegetarian habit remained. I did not crave meat products, and I felt healthier not eating them. Attempts to coax me back into carnivorism were unsuccessful. I could watch others eat meat and even cook meat for guests without being tempted in the least. I was pretty sure this was a permanent lifestyle change.



It was a couple of years ago that for the first time I found myself "tasting" little morsels of the Co-Habitant's food (invariably meat dishes)when we ate together. I did not want any, mind you, I just felt like a little taste. I also began to notice that these cravings coincided with bike rides. Interesting. No doubt what I was really craving was salt and protein - not necessarily meat. So I ate more salt and protein as I struggled with this unfamiliar new attraction to meatballs and burgers and barbecued ribs. And steak. And paper thin slices ofprosciutto. And spicy chicken wings. And hot dogs... One day, after an especially strenuous bike ride we went out to dinner and I just couldn't take it anymore. The smell of meat that had once made me respond with disgust, then indifference, now filled me with longing. I ordered lamb instead of my usual falafel. I still remember how those fragrant, lightly charred bits looked upon my plate. And so ended over a decade of vegetarianism.



I am bewildered by my current love affair with meat. Content for so long to live off lentils, walnuts, vegetable omelets and occasional salmon, I now fantasise about full Irish breakfast, black pudding included. The more I cycle, the worse it gets. The Co-Habitant thinks it's hilarious, but I am rather ashamed. I think vegetarianism is ultimately the healthier diet, and I feel sorry for the little animals. The tasty little animals.... See?! This is terrible. I know there are many vegetarian and even vegan cyclists out there. And they are probably very disappointed to be reading this. But I have to tell it like it is. After riding my bike, I dream of cheeseburgers.

Pinewood Estate

When I visited here last time, we did not go to see the house that is at Bok Tower Gardens. The house is named the Pinewood Estate and you can do a tour of this neat place. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.



A tour through the magnificent Mediterranean-style Pinewood Estate lets
you experience the luxurious lifestyle of C. Austin Buck, an early 20th
century industrialist. Mr. Buck was the vice president of Bethlehem Steel. The Estate occupies eight acres of Bok Tower Gardens and is enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year.



Pinewood Estate’s has beautiful gardens and a 20 room Mediterranean-style
mansion built in the early 1930s. It is considered one of the finest examples of
Mediterranean-style architecture in Florida.



Pinewood began its life in 1930 under the name “El Retiro”.
Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., who came to the area in 1922 to design Edward
W. Bok’s Gardens, was designing private gardens at nearby Mountain Lake
Estates. William Lyman Phillips was assigned as the Olmsted
representative and was retained by Buck to design the gardens and site
of “El Retiro” to take maximum advantage of the lush Florida landscape.



Charles Wait, long affiliated with the Olmsted firm, was brought in to
design the house in the Mediterranean-style Floridians still enjoy
today. Wait created a house that had the appearance of a Mediterranean
villa. The thick walls, wrought iron details, carved woodwork and doors
heighten the effect. Wait also incorporated large porches to give clear
views of the surroundings and provide constant air flow.



Buck, who admired Latin lifestyle and architecture, obtained the tiles
used throughout the house from Cuba. Phillips, who spent time in the
Canal Zone and had a great love for the tropics, set about creating a
series of vistas – a Spanish frog fountain leading to a grotto in front
of the house; an Oriental moon gate outside the dining room; and the
long view down a rolling lawn to the lily pool. The entire house was
situated to give views through the surrounding pine trees.



Over the years, Pinewood changed hands several times before it was
acquired by Bok Tower Gardens in 1970. The estate was restored to its
original design by nationally recognized restoration landscape architect
Rudy Favretti, the staff of Bok Tower Gardens and a corps of
volunteers. Today, work continues to preserve the mansion listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.

St. Clair Michigan to Jefferson Ohio

Still climbable...

Well Laura and I tried to climb yesterday, but unfortunately the rain and warm weather took its toll on the area. We got skunked on our attempt. Dr. Bob and Chip were also optimistic. My phone rang as we rolled into the lot. It was Bob wishing happy new years and telling me he and Chip thought they'd at least drive out to try to climb. Well Laura and I went to take a look here's what we found...

Still there, the rebuild should be fast

Well Dr. Bob and Chip were more optimistic than us. We left and they took a walk down to check things out up close. As per their description "Deep muck led to the ice". They made the (wise) decision not to climb. That was yesterday...Today... 1/3/

Laura and I decided to take advantage of what the warm weather had done (opened up some winter roads). We decided to drive to Krahlick to see how the ice weathered through the storm. I had hiked in several weeks ago to check it out. Its not the same angle, but it gives you an idea. It's still reasonably good.

Krahlick 12/21/

Krahlick 1/3/

Laura had never been to this location, so it was nice to get her there. Its not that big, roughly 40' tall. Several routes put up by Ray Burnsworth back in the late '80's currently exist. The largest center piece is Wilderness Bound WI4 and the shorter tiered section to the right is Wilderness Found WI3+. There's potentially a nice mixed line that follows the smear on the left of W.B. and pulls through the rock roof and finishes on the short face above. I tried the route in 2000 but didn't have much luck at the time as it was late in the season. It wasn't until this year that I returned to check it out again. This time I found a nicer smear to gain access to the roof. I put a TR on it again today to try to suss the moves and see if it would take gear. After 2 tries on the route and no pre inspection. I was climbing very slow and static the first time and ended up popping out of a flared crack at the lip of the roof. The second go I moved much quicker and more dynamic making the larger ledge above the roof, but ended up having my dull pick pop during the mantle. I was optimistic that I'd found a good "gear" route, but upon some inspection I found the rock to be loose and blocky. I could climb it on gear and make it a dangerous route that nobody will ever try or add a bolt or 2 and make it a much safer line that others will enjoy as well. Bummer there's only bad gear, but its like most of the other routes in the area. Short, chossy, and FUN! Here's a few shots of me on the route.

Going from ice to rock

Moving through the roof...



Should be a good route in the near future.... Keep posted!

Covering Distance

Last week I did two 100 mile rides several days apart. The first I rode on my own bike, with my camera, stopping along the way. That was really nice. The second I did on an unfamiliar demo bike, riding the course straight through except for a lunch stop. That was really nice too. The rides didn't take all day and they didn't wipe me out, allowing me to work before and after.Had time been no object, I felt as if I could have kept going.



To me, it is this private moment of realisation that "I have it in me" to do this kind of distance, casually - that feels like an accomplishment. More so than, say, an official brevet finish. It is not that I don't value organised events and their objective measures of performance. It's more that when doing an event, I already know that I can do it; I would not attempt it otherwise with all the logistics involved. In that sense, it feels not unlike taking a test based on material I've already learned. It's the learning itself that's thrilling. That "A-ha!" moment. Doing well on the test? It's nice, and often necessary. But it's not the same as the learning itself.



Maybe this line of thinking just means that I am hopelessly non-competitive. Or maybe it is simply not a good analogy. In fact almost certainly not. But there's a grain of something in it, somewhere.




Covering new distance, covering new material. And along the way that feeling of having truly grasped, understood, internalised something new - something that had previously seemed unattainable.

Shops

Many of the shops in Old Town were first residents, some over 200 years old. There are still people that live over their shops or behind them.

How Upright Is Upright?

There is a tendency to group all upright transportation bicycles into the same general townie/cruiser-ish category. And when we see the description "upright bike" we imagine whatever it is that fits our own definition of that idea. But differences in what are commonly referred to as "upright" positions can be considerable. Above are three classic examples side by side: a traditional Dutch bike, an Italian city bike, and a French-style mixte - all three of which I have owned and ridden.



To a large extent it is the placement of the handlebars that determines how upright a bicycle is set up. But while the Dutch bike's handlebars can be lowered and the bars on the other two can be raised, it's not entirely as simple as that: The design of the frame itself assumes a particular range of positions; the frame geometry is optimised for it.






The Dutch bike is designed to enable a bolt-uright posture. The handlebars are high. The stem is so short as to be practically non-existant, bringing the bars even closer to the rider's body. The seat tube angle is slack. Altogether, the cyclist is "pushed back" on the bike into what almost resembles an armchair position. The epitome of "upright," this posture is not for everyone. But it is supremely comfortable for short trips and it allows cyclist to observe their surroundings from a greater height.






The traditional French mixte is typically more aggressive than other city bikes. The frame design is frequently not very different from that of a road bike - steep angles, head tube not much higher, if at all, that the seat tube, comparatively lightweight tubing. When built up as upright bikes, these bicycles are at their best when set up with long stems and handlebars at or even below saddle level. With the cyclist's weight pushed forward, the bicycle is extremely responsive and maneuverable. But the "upright" posture with this set-up can be quite aggressively leaned over.





Somewhere in the middle, the Italian city bike is really a variation of the so-called "sports roadster"design(the ubiquitous Raleigh Sports and Lady's Sports were examples of these): swept-back handlebars at or moderately above saddle level, combined with a short stem for a generally upright but slightly leaned-forward position. The seat tube is not as slack as that on a Dutch bike, but still relatively relaxed. The cyclist can lean into the bike if they wish to apply more power, or they can sit back. I personally find this to be a very versatile position - though others might call it "neither/ nor" - neither as regally relaxed as a Dutch bike, nor as maneuverable as a roadish French mixte.



While definitions of "upright bike" run the gamut, my personal definition requires that the bicycle pass the Camera Test. That is, I must be able to ride the bike with my large camera staying put on my back, strap worn across my chest, without the camera rotating to the front. I can't do it on a roadbike with drop bars, not even when I am on the hoods or the tops. But I can do it on all three bikes shown in this post, which makes them all different variations of "upright" to me. What do you typically think of as an upright position, and which do you prefer for everyday cycling?

NAHBS Goes Floral

I had been looking forward to the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) and now the images are finally beginning to show up on flickr and various cycling websites. Lots of beautiful bicycles, with Randonneur and Porteur aesthetics looming large. Another theme I've noticed is the prevalence of floral designs, especially in accessories. Have a look:

[image by sleepyneko via flickr]
This handmade rack with a leaf motif is from Banjo Cycles and part of a matching front and rear rack set. These must have taken a long time to make!

[image by sleepyneko via flickr]

Front rack with wooden inlays, on a Yipsan Cycles mixte.

[image by sleepyneko via flickr]

Some custom "tree" headbadges by Poka Cycle Accessories. Love the look of enamel paint on these.

[image by sleepyneko via flickr]

Also Lilly of the Valley headbadges.

[image by sleepyneko via flickr]

And check out this beautiful chainguard, also by Poka. I would love one of these!

[image by sleepyneko via flickr]

Brooks saddle, carved by Kara Ginther for Banjo Bicycles.

[image by sleepyneko via flickr]

Fleur de Lis lug/sleeve on an A.N.T Scorcher.

[image by thebicycleescape via flickr]

Bamboo frame with floral motif. This is a Bamboosero bicycle made by Bikeys in New Zealand, the floral artwork done by a Maori artist.

[image by Velo Colour]

And these magnificent floral details are by Velocolour (check out additional details here).

Looking at the popularity of floral designs at NAHBS this year, I wonder whether it reflects a growing female customer base for bicycle builders. Or perhaps these are just as popular with men. What do you think?