Loess for words?! Hole-y Badger Daze!

 May 3, 2026

Good day fellow Earthlings and ETs,

What have you been doing lately?  What’s that?  I CAN’T HEAR YOU!  C’mon!  Let’s make some noise!  Are you READY TO RUMBLE!?

What just happened?  Sorry about that, I guess I got a little WWE-ish there for a moment.  I’m not sure what to say about that other than, now it’s time for THE MAIN EVENT!

As recent readers may recall, I signed up for the Loess Hills Enduro (LHE) (50K version) and the ride was yesterday!  Wow!  That happened fast!  The ride getting here that is, the actual ride was, for me anyway, quite slow.  Here is a summary of some of the main things that I noted/experienced:

• The start was kind of confusing to me.  Possibly because I showed up a little later than most.

• I crashed because I overcooked a turn!  Not a recommended activity.
• By the time I got to the SAG station (km 20 or so, I think?), I saw some cyclers from the 100K route and we chit-chatted a bit.  One of the SAG station staffers said “There’s a blast from the past!” In reference to my trusty steed Shifty.  
• Gravel, loess, concrete, burrows!  Something for everyone!
• Some relatively minor but annoying technical issues.
• Great weather!

So there you have it.  If you are interested in more details, please see below:

This ride featured routes on the Ride with GPS app.  The LHE website stated if you wanted a hard copy of turns, that was up to you.  Fair enough, I guess.  However, I wasn’t feeling up to printing out a map and making a list of turns, distances, etc.  Hell, I barely had time for a fruitless search for my helmet strap for my Sony Action Cam!  I felt pretty good about Shifty, although there were 3 sprockets that were a little jumpy when riding (perfect shifting on the stand, of course).  In addition to assigning homework, the website stated there would be a 9 a.m. start for the 100K and a 9:20 start for us laid-back 50Kers.  However, I don’t believe the race organizers felt they needed to be constrained by their earlier plans and they decided to freewheel forward with a mass start, I think?  It was all a bit of a whirlygig.  I witnessed a large group of cyclists leaving the starting area promptly at 9.  Then I moseyed over to the registration area to sign in.  There I witnessed a man having a temper tantrum about his biking computer.  One of the ride’s organizational staff, I will call him Aragorn, good-naturedly smiled as apparently this just happens with this guy sometimes and they are good friends. Eventually I got signed in, got a number and some swag, stopped at the porta-potty, and hustled back to my vehicle.  By then it was 9:20, but I didn’t see anyone over by the starting line (they had a roll-over strip for chip timing).  I finally made it over to the starting line at 9:23 and talked to some staff there.  Apparently there was a separate start for the 50K but I had missed it.  Oh well, I didn’t really mind and I enjoyed some peace and solitude once I got the app going and started pedaling in the correct direction.  

The Ride with GPS app is pretty good but I didn’t spend the time to set this up beforehand.  Here are a few key things to know:

• There’s a free 7-day trial and then it’s around $60 per month.
• I like the voice prompts and a dinging sound that you hear when you’re supposed to turn
• I was a little confused by the graphics and it was sometimes hard to tell which way I was going on the screen (I think you are going towards the orange and the blue is where you've been?)

In general, I think it’s a good app and a person could get used to it pretty quickly.  However, I don’t think I would use it much so I immediately canceled after the ride.

Once I was en route, I felt sluggish, but otherwise enjoyed the riding and the peaceful landscapes.  The shifting wasn't too bad, I just went through some of the cogs kind of quickly because I knew they wouldn't provide very reliable shifting.  I also tried to use the fine-tuning adjuster up by my shifter to get the shifting dialed in; however, this didn't seem to help and likely made things a little worse later on.  Anyway, I was enjoying a speedy descent on a minimum maintenance road (MMR) (Quigg [looked like Ossig on my phone screen]) and wanted to keeps some speed onto a gravel road (300th Street).  I was feeling pretty good about this idea up until the following:

• I noticed my speed was a little too fast and that I would overshoot the two reasonably good tracks with minimal gravel.
• I tried braking gently before and whilst turning
• I layed Shifty down on her drive side whilst remaining clipped in.

Ouch.  Well, this was not what I was hoping for, but perhaps it was a good lesson that I should have learned earlier:  don’t overcook those gravelly corners, ya damn numbskull!  Here are some of the minor scrapes I endured, along with a torn, long-sleeved Wear Yellow Ride that I was glad I was wearing.

Why is my hand bloody?  Because I took off my right glove so I could turn my screen back on because it was set to turn off after 5 minutes (and I hadn't bothered to change that setting)!  Doah!  So I irrigated the wounds and patted them dry with my trusty, previously gently (now thoroughly)-used hankie.  Then I was back in the saddle with no apparent damage to Shifty other than a bar end that had gotten knocked out of alignment a bit and a slightly bent rear wheel that I noticed later on.

When I got to the Support and Gear (SAG) stop, I had some nice interactions with other participants and adjusted my bar end in a nice shady spot, ate a Rice Krispie bar and a perfectly-ripe banana.  After leaving the SAG stop, I was riding alongside another participant who said, "Wow!  A 26-er!"  We chatted, and he was a very encouraging 100K rider who mentioned that his favourite part of the ride so far had been some deeply-entrenched MMRs with some beautiful loess sidewalls earlier in the 100K route.    I thought that sounded cool and I hoped I would also encounter something similar on the 50K route.  Fortunately, I did find this area just a bit outside of Tabor

that gave me my loess wall fix, along with a happy feeling thinking about the amazing music of Jimi Hendrix, specifically “Castles Made of Sand” perhaps due to the nearness of smaller-grained minerals comprising the loess, which typically only contains approximately 40 percent fine-grained sand, the rest being mostly silt. 

Some of the climbs got to be a little tough.  If I stood, my wheel would sometimes slip unless I kept my weight back a bit which I find awkward.  This would also exacerbate the unwanted shifting between a few of my mid-large cogs on ye olde sprocket.  Additionally, toward the last third or so of the ride, I noticed my tire would rub against my seat stay if I was doing any standing climbing - apparently the wheel was out of true since my crash and possibly getting more so as the ride went on.  

Eventually my lower back started feeling sore so I stopped in a nice shady spot on an MMR, ate a delicious Kate's Real Food energy bar that I had procured from the Trek store a few weeks earlier, and stretched out a bit.  I like to stop for about 10 minutes or so every hour to keep the muscles somewhat limber and minimize the pain.

I saw many animal burrows along the sides of roads, in the loess walls, and several in a specific part of Oman Ave.  Here is a photo I took of this situation that I found amusing.  

There was a bit of a tailwind and some nice descents on the way back towards Malvern and I especially enjoyed this roadside attraction a mile or so from the finish.

When I got back to the starting area I was gifted with a boxed lunch and a beer from Brickway Brewery.  I didn’t stick around for two long, but I did happen to witness another participant with a beer from Infusion Brewery that I thought was perfect for the end of a gravel ride.

I would like to thank all who helped organize this amazing experience.  I enjoyed it, but I feel like I should have done a few things differently such as:

1. Taken a few long rides on pavement and done some mountain biking more recently.  Alternatively, maybe not signed up for a gravel ride this early in the biking season.
2. Replaced the chain and sprocket set to allow me to dial in the shifting.  <— I’ll try to get this done before my next big ride.
3. Slowed down before that turn! (I don’t need extra suffering!)

Luckily my scrapes shouldn’t stop me from doing any of the moderately active things I normally do.  But they should remind me (and possibly others?) not to be a dumb ass.

Not pretty now, but I think it'll heal up just fine, eventually.

Your pal,

BSO

Earth cycle

 April 25, 2026

Dearest Reader,

I hope you are having a reflective Earth weekend.  We all love the Earth.  From it’s hard, iron-nickel inner core through its gooey, molten upper mantle we lovingly refer to as our asthenosphere, all the way to its warm, salty, temperature-moderating oceans and terra firma where most of my bicycling activities take place, it's all essential. So let’s enjoy it and contribute a little something to her health.

One thing that I was happy to see is that Heartland Bike Share is offering a free pass to ride their bikes (rides up to an hour) as often as you want as long as you live in Omaha and sign up for the pass.  Wow!  That's pretty nice!  I think the bike share folks were at the Earth Day celebration at Elmwood Park today.  I didn't make it this year, but I'm assuming there were many types of tables, booths, activities (including tree climbing, which I'm sure would be a hoot), and a DJ.

I recently signed up for a couple things:

• Gym membership
• Loess Hills Enduro bicycle event

The gym membership has been pretty good so far.  I’m not typically much of a gymmy, but the kids were inexplicably interested and I figured it might be a good way to prep for some alpine backpacking I am planning to experience in August. 

The Loess Hills Enduro is a gravel ride that features a 100-km and a 50-km course.  I haven’t been training for a longer ride yet this season, but I still have one week to ramp up my mileage a bit.  Now that I’ve been biking to the bus stop I haven’t been getting as many miles per ride as usual.  It’s only 2 miles to the bus stop and I used to ride 5 miles to the office.  So my plan is to ride my bike home from work instead of taking the bus a couple times this week to get a few extra miles and hills in.  Soon I will be a hill-climbing animal.  Here are some animals on hills I’ve seen recently during my foreshortened commute:

In addition to these 2 training plans, I have also been doing some weeding o’ ye olde dandelions and some planting o’ the greens.  So I should be raring to go next weekend.  Before I get out there, however, I’ve still got a few things to do:

• Switch wheels and/or tyres from my full-suspension mountainous bicycle to Shifty, which is a bit swifter.
• Adjust brakes, as needed.

So I guess that’s not too bad, right?  Just need to follow through on a few things and it’s bound to be an enjoyable experience.  I seem to vaguely recall participating in similar events in the past.  I can’t currently remember the details, but I do remember being very hot.  Luckily, I’ve got all the details recorded in my online diary, here and here so I can relive the joy / review for planning purposes.

Haha!  Oh man!  Fundo memories!  This time I’m opting for the shorter event, so things should be fine.  One difference, for all those past events I was sporting some classic Hutchinson Python tyres, whereas now I’ve switched over to the Vittoria Mescals.  They seem comparable, so we’ll see how they handle the course.  

Hopefully they will handle the course as well as Grampa's weeder from Ace Hardware allegedly handles weeds.  I have also read that corn gluten meal (CGM) is a good way to stop dandelion infestations (although it might also hamper the growth of the wild strawberries that form the bulk of vegetation on my lawn).  I don't mind some dandelions, but I don't really want them taking over the yard.  So my moderately ambitious training plan should prevent excessive pain the way CGM allegedly reduces dandelions and other weeds in my lawn.  As you can see, I am reaching for metaphors the way the dandelion seed reaches for the spring breeze to fulfill its destiny, which, if resulting in new life, will later be pulled by Grampa’s puller to complete the cycle.

So I hope your enjoying a beneficial cycle of some type or at least avoiding those vicious ones.  Many blessings to you and to all life and minerals that comprise the Earth.  We love you!

BSO

Look what turned up!

 March 21, 2026

To the brave and the bold,

Thank you for taking a moment to check in with me to see how things are going.  I hope you are surviving the many twists and turns fate may have been throwing your way lately.  Life isn’t always easy and it’s sometimes unclear what may be coming next!  For instance, I have recently started a new job which has affected my bicycle riding habits.  I now ride my bike a shorter distance than previously up to a bus stop where I load up ye olde bastarde on the bus bike rack and kick back for 20 or 30 minutes until I get to my place of employment.  

There are no showers at this employer, so I guess it’s lucky that I don’t have to ride my bike as far / get all sweaty!  I did get some nice wicking socks recently that kept my feet comfortable and dry, not to mention that they really make my ankles pop (in a good way).

I also went on a bike ride with my friend Todd in the Chalco Hills area.  We tried to mostly ride the dirt paths, which also involved riding over some bushy vegetation and backtracking.  It was kind of confusing but generally enjoyable and rewarding.  It was also very hot for this time of year.  Around 90 degrees(!) F(!) but thankfully pretty dry and with a slight breeze.  We rode for almost 2 hours, and covered 10.67 miles, which was a lot for this guy this early in the season.  

I am also excited to have planned a trip out to Rocky Mountain National Park to attempt to reach the summit of a mountain that is more that 14,000 feet above mean sea level.  If only there were a shorter way to convey that meaning, but alas there is not.  NO!  I typed “there is not”!  To have a good shot at obtaining this lofty goal I plan on not only maintaining a moderately active lifestyle, but also doing more hiking, backpacking, and strenuous cardiovascular exercise for the next few months.  When it comes to cardiovascular exercise, I tried some “mountain climber” the other day. That was intense, let me tell you!  However, despite the intensity, I persevered for almost 1 minute, then I rested for more than 1 minute, and then I persevered for almost 1 minute again.  For those of you not familiar with the mountain climber, here is a video that demonstrates the ordeal/activity:

Nice!  After re-watching I see that he suggested trying 45 seconds at first, so I guess there’s hope for me yet!  

In addition to all of this excitement, I am also about to head out to watch some University of Nebraska men’s basketball as they are involved in an event known as the National College Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.  I’ll let you know how this turns out.  They did win their first every victory in this event a couple days ago, so maybe there’s hope for them to win again!?  The unknown can be exciting, no?

March 22, 2026

 Huskers win!  What a game!  What a team effort!  Vanderbilt looked good too, but it seemed like Tyler Tanner carried them (and almost won the game for them).  He seems like a likable guy, especially because he’s “only” 6 feet tall. Nice job Huskers!  And although they may no longer have an Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department, it looks like they might still have some nice bicycling adventure options.

Anyway, back to my usual topics:  I watched a really good movie a week or two ago called Mountain Queen:  The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa.  There is some hard, grim subject matter, but overall it’s a story of triumph and strength.  It was also a chance for me to reminisce about some of the excitement and enjoyment I experienced whilst living in Nepal for two years. You could even ride on top of the buses over there!  What a thrill!  And that is (at least one reason) why there are no amusement parks in Nepal!  

Living in Nepal allowed me to do some high altitude trekking, which I hope will assist me as I plan and prepare for my planned alpine hiking expedition I mentioned earlier.  

No matter what your altitude, I hope you're loving your attitude!

Wishing you a peaceful (but not silent) spring,

BSO

Fire and Snow

 February 28, 2026

Hello Dear Reader,

How is your Year of the Fire Horse going so far?  I hope it is going well.  I recently travelled to an area that is acquainted with fire:  Hitchcock Nature Center!  I previously visited this area about a year ago and it had been recently ablaze.  Although no longer smouldering, the smell of burnt wood lingered along with fantastical wood sculptures carved into the landscape by the flames.  

Although it is not readily apparent in the photo, it reminds me a bit of a Giacometti sculpture

It was starting to warm up, but a collapsable water container someone had left behind at the group campsite was still mostly ice. 

I was happy to get out on some trails and to try out my new, recently Sno-Sealed Keen boots.  They felt pretty great, with one exception that I will expound upon later.

I arrived at HNC last Tuesday morning that was sunny with temps just a bit below freezing, which I thought would be good since there was still a good bit of snow on the ground and once it melts it would be a mess out there.  I traipsed about for a while with the intent of making it out to the Mt. Crescent area.  Despite having one of the more recent maps that includes the Mt. Crescent area, I turned a bit earlier than I intended and ended up back at the Westridge trail near the High Point backcountry campsite.  That was alright with me; however, as I was starting to get kind of hungry. My boots were feeling pretty good; however there was some chafing on the outside of my left ankle.  I tightened up the boot and that seemed to help, but did not completely eliminate the problem.  Next time I think I will try one or more of the following:

• Loosen the laces in this part of the boot (maybe tight on foot and loose on ankle area.
• Where my thin liners underneath a thicker sock
• Bring some duct tape to tape either ankle or inside of boot to reduce friction
• Bring moleskin to apply to ankle 

In summary, it was unpleasant and I’d like to avoid that in the future.  My ankle is still a little sore even though it’s been four days since my hike!  Hopefully the boots will break in so I don’t need to take special measures to be comfortable.  I generally prefer wearing shoes vs. boots, but I am thinking of attempting some alpine hikes and/or backpacking later this year and I like having the extra ankle support when carrying a pack.  It’s also nice for keeping the snow out, although I guess gaiters are pretty good for that too.  Anyway, during this expedition I had both the boots and the gaiters and there were no problems with any snow inside the footwear.

As I mentioned, the burnt wood sculptures were compelling and I spent a few minutes taking some more photos once I descended from the ridge (and taken a mild fall due to an ill-advised step onto the still frozen and slippery soil on the side of the snowy path).  

It was during this selfie session that I took off my gloves and later dropped one!  Oh no!  Fortunately I noticed the missing glove before I ascended The Chute trail back up to the visitors center/parking lot.  I went back for it and we were reunited.  

I’ve had these OR thin gloves/liners for at least a half a decade or so (ancient for a pair of gloves!) and although they currently smell kind of bad due to a recent work experience that involved a well from hell, I’m hopeful the smell might dissipate especially if I resort to a more frequent washing schedule (current schedule is “as needed” which typically has meant annually).  The Chute appeared to be pretty smooth, 

so I suspect that some bold souls have been using it as a sledding run, similar to the bobsledding event you may have witnessed at the recently-concluded Winter Olympics.  Those were great!  I didn’t watch much, but I particularly enjoyed a couple of events where the USians emerged victorious:  mixed team aerial and men’s hockey, as well as the ice dance figure-skating event where the French team managed to triumph even though the Canadians were more likable and soulful.  Anyway, in a non-Olympic event, I made it back, climbed the tower to snap a few photos, 

and headed back home.  I’ll get booted up and back on the trails once I let my ankle heal up a bit and get supplies ready to help out if I still experience some ankle pain.

In the meantime, I was told the movie 14 Peaks is worth watching and I am sure it will provide some inspiration for my planned alpine hiking expedition(s) later this year.  I am considering an attempt on Longs Peak that would ideally include some backcountry camping.  However, I am aware that these sites can be tough to get.  They will be available for online reservations starting tomorrow at 8 a.m. MST.  I’ll let you know how that turns out for me.

Well, it’s Saturday so I will soon prepare to take the kids out for dinner.  This is a weekly tradition that allows us to enjoy one another’s presence for a few minutes in a convivial atmosphere.  

I hope that you all are safe and happy and have some appropriate footwear.  Let me know if you want to plan some alpine hiking and I’ll be sure to try to help out and/or participate.  

Now I gotta cut footloose!

BSO