Trans-Wisconsin...Arrival to Hazel Green

Part II: Arrival to Hazel Green, Wisconsin…very near to the Illinois border and hide-out to notorious gangsters…
“I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.” Red en route to meet Andy Dufresne

Thanks to Jim Reed and his intrepid daughter (and her equally intrepid friend) we reached the little city park in Hazel Green, Wisconsin around the late afternoon on Thursday. The plan was that Team Reed would drop us off, including Jim, and then turn around and make the seven hour northern trek back to old Duluth. It sounded good to us (Jeremy and I), but I can only surmised the dialogue that took place when Jim called his wife and told her that their youngest child and another minor were now heading home with an estimated time of arrival around 3:00 a.m. not including the huge thunderstorms that reportedly lay between Hazel Green and home. Of course, the Reeds, both daughter and dad, seemed to take it all in stride…but from my view point it was impressive both in the confidence Jim had in his daughter and the cavalier, albeit “can-do” demeanor demonstrated by our young chauffeurs. Jim Reed is the kinda guy that doesn’t make a big deal out of what he’s up to…he just sets about doing it, doing it right, but without any fanfare… His daughter seems to be the same way!

As the girls pulled away, we were left with just the bare essentials that we figured we’d need to go the 620+ miles north to the finish on Lake Superior. Soon thereafter we were sitting in the pride of Hazel Green, otherwise known as “The Gangster Bar & Grill” clad, somewhat nervously, in our biking kits, cycling shoes, and yet armed with that wonderful anticipatory enthusiasm that always exists right before the start of something big and unknown! You know what I’m describing here…that amazing feeling of nervous, yet positive expectancy. The feeling one gets right before the BIG DANCE commences…Well to be honest, itz that feeling that keeps me coming back for more!

Joe Meiser, his lovely wife, and their as yet unborn offspring were seated there in the dark and sinister enclave that has served the likes of John Dillinger and a host of other notorious gangsters over the decades. Rumor is that Tupac was in the kitchen that very evening whilst we dined and imbibed….or at least thatz the claim. Joining Team Joe, was his brother Mike and their delightfully amicable mother who regaled us with exceedingly funny anecdotes of the boyz growing up!!! At the conclusion of more than one of her yarns detailing the exploits of young Meiser boys, Joe was heard to exclaim, “That was awkward!” While awkward for the Meiser Boyz; Jim, Jeremy, and I loved hearing of the escapades of the youthful Meiser boyz (I think she said there are five total--all boyz!!!) and clamored for more…But alas after a few cold ones and a fine burger, we felt the urge to head back to our little camp to rest up for the 9:00 am start the next morning.

Our little camp also included a good crew from Iowa and Missouri. It was not long until we were bivied out across the lawn, but as a precursor to things to come early early on Friday morning, a significant thunderstorm arrived. Thankfully we saw it (or heard it) coming and thus the three Duluthians made haste to re-establish sleeping arrangements inside the roofed pavilion…

Look forward to--
Part III: Day I: The nutz and boltz of it…Prairie Peddler saves my A%$, too many roads named, “Buck Creek”, and the village idiot, early morn, screams, “Ken’s Kitchen is open!! Ken’s Kitchen!! Thatz where you need to go!!! Kens Kitcheeeennnnnn!!!!”

Part One of what may well be a long long recount of the Trans-Wisconsin....

The Trans-Wisconsin: 620+ Miles from Hazel Green, Wisconsin to Point Detour, Wisconsin in just under 88 hours…Jeremy Kershaw and the aging author…. [photo and beers by Rich Hendricks, savior of the photographed]

This is a tough one to write up….everything is all jumbled together in my limited brain and thus itz hard to develop a central theme. I know that I remember having a great adventure on a beautiful and varied course, enjoying Jeremy's company immensely, and that we spent about 76 of the 88 hours on the move….

So, I am going to start with a basic narrative that has to do with my mundane bike/gear list in the hope that a review of these elemental, albeit less-than-inspirational aspects of the journey will get me on track to write up a good “embellished” report in the near future…

May be itz that I am still too tired to put ink to paper….with imagination and soul….Maybe I am still too close to the subject at hand...OR...Have I been so reduced that I have lost any and all semblance of emotion? Am I devoid of human sentiment?? Has the treachery of the unfeeling road numbed me??? Is the poet within DEAD????………….But alas, fear NOT the worst!!! Perhaps there is hope for I am still stirred to tears by the thought of a cold bottle of Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout (or ten)!

Part I: Gear list for the Trans-Wisconsin: “Light is right…Go light and fight” My mantra for preparing for this event...

1. ___Titanium ’86 mtb Merlin frame equipped with ‘cross wheel-set (including Tim Ek recommended 35c Continental speed-cross tires), Salsa Bell Lap drop-bars, ‘cross gearing (48/36 by 11-32), seat-post rack, and Jannd frame pack, supplemented by a nifty little “mt feedbag.” The bike set-up was spot on even though the relatively narrower tires did not do well in the sandy sections. Yet the sandy sections were so sandy that for Jeremy and me it didn’t really matter as we both had to walk long sections. Jer had standard 2 inch Nano Raptors on and he was having nearly as much trouble as I was in the loose sand. One problem that we both shared was the lack of a granny gear, which prevented us from spinning “snow-bike style” through these sections. Luckily, taking into consideration the context of the full 620+ mile course, these sections represented just a fraction of the entirety. The fact of the matter is that I’d bring this set-up again with the only change being the addition of a granny gear. The Ti Merlin frame, which was built in 1986, is made for off-road, (it originally had 26 inch mountain bike wheels on it when "I found it"), and is incredibly comfortable to ride. The single track and northern ATV trails posed no problems for me as I am use to cyclo-cross racing. It is noteworthy that early into the event, less than 75 miles into it, my rear wheel (like me, itz old) started to show the early signs of essentially splitting along the right sidewall. This discovery and subsequent remedy to the problem represents the most important “hinge factor” in my personal outcome and will be covered extensively in the main body of this report. So at this point, let me simply submit to you, Dear Reader, that had it not been for the generous and selfless efforts of Joe Meiser and ultimately, Marty Larson of the Prairie Peddler Bike Shop, I would have been out of the race for good before the first hundred miles had been covered!…So much for “self-support and self-reliance!” So it goes……

2. ___The Haven is a super lightweight net-tent w/o poles marketed as a Granite Gear product (of course itz made in China). I was determined to go as light on the camping gear as possible. I brought only the Haven, an “emergency” space blanket, and a tiny little piece of foam padding for me old hip. My entire camping gear (listed above) thus weighed less than two pounds. To supplement, I brought along a Craft cycling jacket, fleece hat, a lightweight wool face-mask, wool gloves, and a pair of light wool “sleeping” socks. The system worked well, but I was unprepared for rain and I simply lucked out as we never had to sleep out directly in the rain. The first night we slept for a few hours inside a roofed pavilion that was part of a big fairground; Jeremy on the cement while I curled up on a picnic table. The second night, we rested for a few hours in a campground, Jer next to Mother Earth and I once again on a picnic table. Miraculously there were no bugs at the first two bivy sites. The third and final night, we slept next to the route and there the bugs took their revenge.

3. ___ Miscellaneous gear included an odometer, maps and cue sheets (no GPS), a multi-tool, tire pump, chain lube, Brave Soldier chammy lube, Petzel headlight (note: it stopped working!), Princeton EOS light, three AAA batteries, tube-patch kit, three tubes, ample doses of Ibuuuuz & Caffeine, Rich's cell phone to call him for pick-up, and a little food--all stuffed into a sweet Go-Lite “Rush” backpack. Note: Since I was unable to figure out the workings of the Cell Phone, early on Jeremy agressively took it from me...which was fine with me as it saved me weight! Again…I think I was about spot-on regarding the bike and the gear, given Dave Pramann’s weather forecast, which was as accurate as such things can get…As stated above, the only thing that I really longed for during the event was a granny gear to allow spinning up some the steep hills, especially in the northern CAMBA sections and beyond, for on the final day, fatigue had set in and thus the climbs seemed longer and farther…so it goes. I am sure that I had the lightest set-up of anyone there, with Joe M. coming in a close second and then followed by Jeremy, who was quite a bit better prepared with warmer clothing, but also significantly heavier. Near the end, when we were drenched and very cold, wearing Jeremy’s extra jacket that he loaned to me was a great comfort…to be continued...

Look forward to...

Part II: How little the non-cycling community really knows about their immediate living space and how during our first bivouac, Jeremy Kershaw stole my tiny sleeping pad in an act of unrivaled evilness!

The Trans-Wisconsin does NOT disappoint!!!

.....STOP....Left Southern border of Wisconsin on Friday @ 9:00 a.m....STOP....Kershaw and Farrow touched the tempesterous shores of The Great Lake @ 2:50 a.m. on Tuesday morning...STOP.....many details to follow (some worthy of debate)...STOP....effort notable....STOP...

Final Gear Choices for the T.W.

A Military Prussian-issue revolver circa 1900

I have decided to bring my favorite DBD revolver just in case things go badly for me in the Trans-Wisconsin...Itz a classic and rarely jams! If you find it next to me lifeless form please return it to the following (also help yourself to the aged whiskey...itz a sin to waste good spirits):

Gitchee Gami Club c/o G.Mallory, DBD Club...Northern Colonies Chapter,
Duluth, MN

Plus itz quite light...and fits nicely in my ruck-sack!

Rational behaviors wins out...

The author has been attempting to do all the right things to prepare physically and mentally for the upcoming Trans-Wisconsin....doing the homework on mapping (and highlighting) the complexities of the route, getting the bike, rack, and gear dialed in, and thinking hard about how to keep the MOJO going and going and going...I even thought about quitting my daily beer intake....then I realized that I had gone too far...

Trans-Wisconsin: The Race of My Fear begins in one week's time...

I love the anticipation associated with the advent of something really BIG on the horizon!!!!! Itz just been a few dayz of late that I have really started to contemplate the dimensions of this inaugural Trans-Wisconsin Mountain Bike Route...South to North; 620 miles through the entire state of Wisconsin with the vast majority of it on backroads and trails--dirt, gravel, and sand...My mantra: GO LIGHT and Fight; Fight through the Nights. My buzz word: Perseverance. The Goal: Have my tired feet in the frigid waters of the GREAT LAKE sometime during the daylight hours of Monday, June 21st.

I aint gettin' any younger, so to me itz a full-on race. A "pre-race or dress rehearsal" approach for my ultimate goals of racing the Great Divide and the Alaskan Invitational...and thus I plan to ride it as fast as I can go...A race to catch my fear...the fear of what this thing holds in store for me and my compatriots....If it rains the whole time...remember me as a pretty-good father, husband, son, teacher...

Copy of my recent post on MTBReview...

Hey Dear Readers....forget the below....It just arrived!!! I ordered it on May 21st...but itz here now and itz gonna help me make that 622 miles...

Mountain Feed Bag from Oregon....Is this company connected to BP?

Hey Sports Fans: I ordered a Mountain Bag Feed Bag from Epicrides over two weeks ago and so far it has not arrived here in Duluth....I have tried to contact the woman that owns the company and the phone number is "full" and thus "NOT taking any messages"; plus she has not returned any of my email queries. Anybody had similar problems? ...Anybody have any suggestions? Anybody know this company? Is it still in business?....I need the product for an upcoming endurance race, plus I'm out $35 ....Help me...please... Help me!!!!
Charlie

Too much to do....

Super busy right now....What with being laid off here in just a few dayz and planning in earnest for the 620 Mile Trans-Wisconsin, there is little time for reflection...I have ordered a nuclear-powered drone (powered by Haliburton) to constantly hover above me during the event so as to have State-of-the-Art navigation during the whole affair. Also I have obtained a super techny phone/internet/TV/radio gizmo so as to allow complete and total 24 hour connection/communication to various and strategically-placed support crews. Also I have chosen to bring a SPOT-TRACKER device so that my team of rescue professionals will be able to track my every move as I progress through this remote and super dangerous trail. Finally, I have installed vital medical sensory devices to monitor all of my vital organ metrics. This data shall be sent in REALTIME to the Mayo Clinic for constant assessment and commentary. My bike is equipped with every kind of feedback gizmo known to man...During my effort, using a big flat-screen affixed to my carbon handlebars, I shall have constant assess to power wattage, cadence, elevation, tire pressure, price of Gold, heart rate, liver function, VO2 readouts, monkey-butt status, Krebs Cycle, urine production, colon spasms, beer joints in the immediate area, and North Korean naval deployments. Yet, I still feel I need more...I am sure that some of the other fellas will have newer, shinier, and fancier stuff...that always happens to me!!! any suggestions???

BRAVO DK 200 & the ESKO CLASS OF 2010!!!

Tomorrow is the Dirty Kanza 200...It looks like a great race...Kudos to all in involved with special recognition going to Jim Cummins!!!! Good luck to everyone....I'd love to be there w/ Eki and da boyz, but The Most Outstanding Esko Class of 2010 graduates tonight in beautiful downtown metro Esko and I just cannot miss it as they are all, each and everyone of them kids clearly, "Above Average..." and I am gonna miss them....

http://www.dirtykanza200.com/

Rorschach applied to select Cheq 100 participants...

Rather than writing up a personal narrative about my experiences in the recent Chequamegon 100, I thought that it might be a novel approach to just go through a list of Guyz-&-Galz that were there and that I personally have an opinion of and to thus provide an unfettered descriptor or two (right off the top of my head) as if taking one of the Rorschach inkblot tests. Of Note: The Rorschach test; also known as the Rorschach inkblot test or simply the Inkblot test) is a psychological test in which subjects' perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex scientifically derived algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to examine a person's personality characteristics and emotional functioning. It has been employed to detect an underlying thought disorder, especially in cases where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking processes openly. The test takes its name from that of its creator, Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach (source Wikipedia). Of course, being of sound mind, I have never been “required” to take a Rorschach...but I have been restrained in a straitjacket for standing up against the usurpers of Freedom, Liberty , Justice, and the American Way...but thatz another story...

Diana McFadden...Top notch young women, sharp, savvy, would do a better job as Secretary of State than either Hillary or Madeline; Michelle Flanagan-Haag...Super nice. But super fit too. Smart, fun, kind to animals, especially retrievers; Adam Blake...Sweet bike, amicable, has the “right stuff” to be an enduro-fiend, helped me thru some dark times, think dry sands of the Sahara; Chris Skogen...Bike racing organizing aficionado . Back in the day, if the Roman were persecuting Bike Race Organizers, they would have throw him to the lions in the Coliseum. Dennis Grelk has super nice parents! Dennis takes way too much stuff with him, but hez young and thatz okay, secret: his Mom helped me out in the 2009 trans-iowa!; Drew Wilson always takes off too fast, but hez young and thatz okay; Ezra Taylor is so strong that I am at a loss for words, he also always has the shiniest metallic bike at the race; Heath Weisbrod & Larry Sauber, a coach could build a great team around these two guyz and it doesn’t matter what sport!; Both Jason Buffington and Tim Ek were signed up but were not at the race...Rest assured Dear Readers that the DBD is on to their inexcusable treachery and deceit and they shall be dealt with to the full extent of DBD Dogma! Kershaw, Member of the DBD Brethren, enough said!...John Kurth from Duluth. Kurth did the Arrowhead135 last year and thatz good enough for me! Meiser is the son I never had! Josh Peterson is the epitome of a cyclist endowed with a good work ethic. Lance Andre, by snubbing this race will pay with a merciless death from a thousand cuts come February and the 2011 AH135; Lee Unwin, great guy from Wisconsin, fast but nice too; Mark Cheyne, sweet Ti bike; Mark Kowaliw, old guy, like me. Seems amused by it all, me too!; Mark Parman is an academic, but lives below the Ivory Tower, and remembers the thrill of victory; Mark VanderWoude is the kind of guy that ya want watching your back if there’s trouble and you’re outnumbered!; Matt Braun is a lot like Guy Evans. Guy Evans is one of the best friends I have ever had...; Mike Haag is the real deal. Top notch and a full-on Man’s man!; Mike Weisphenning is fine young man, the kind of guy that ya would want to marry your daughter; Paul Belknap, although I don’t know him well, reminds me of Matt Braun, although I don’t know Matt well; Ryan Horkey is new to the game, but hez gonna be a top gun!; Scott Cole is NOT new to the game and he is still a Top-Gun after all these years!; Steve Fuller is doing it right!!!; Tim Wilkie and I rode together at the end of a 24hours @ 9 Mile...I still remember the suffrage as I am sure he does too!; Todd McFadden ain’t getting older, hez getting faster. If he wanted to he could dominate in these enduro-freak shows, but he’s too smart!; Aaron Swanson is a fun loving guy that loves his family and is getting faster every year. Dean Gies is my inspiration and a great guy to boot!

Sorry if I missed you...and Dave Pramann where are you, Mallory is outraged???