BRANimalistic Tendencies

July 9 June 17, 2022

In politically divisive times, I hope we can all at least agree about a few bicycle-related things. For example:

1. ·     bicycles can take you to some interesting new places
2. ·     sitting on a bicycle saddle isn’t always comfortable
3. ·     let’s ride a bike across a state!   
4. ·     no?  maybe across the park to the bar, at least?

Well, my dear ol’ da and I have accomplished these bullet points!  Now we are sitting around a lot and I have decided to sit in an actual chair to relay to you these events 

As you are possibly aware, I enjoyed a BRANtastic voyage with Dad back in 2012, before I became the dad of former Baby Snot (now Snot Jr. 2).  Well, my dad’s been on four or five other BRANs since then, but I did not make it to another one until this year, 10 years after my maiden voyage!  I was looking forward to some moderate bicycling followed by some daily intensive hammock and mandolin time.  “Ah, this will be some good living!” I thought. Well, it certainly started out that way. Even before we boarded the Love Bus I was happy when Dad informed me that I didn’t need to box up my bike this time because there was a truck with hooks that would be transporting our bikes! So cool!  

I believe this is the first year that the event has been organized by the Omaha Pedalers, having formerly been piloted by the Rotary Club of Omaha Northwest.  Dad and I enjoyed a nice bus ride out to Alliance, NE, the home of Carhenge.  We set up my tent, a Kelty Gunnison 4.1 that had been sitting around in an unopened box in the basement since 2012. There was a great spot for the hammock too.  

After that we headed over to Carhenge, a place of interest in Nebraska that I hadn’t experienced previously.  It was wondrous!  

In addition to the cars possibly used as some form of calendar or for some druidic rituals, there are some fantastic sculptures, you can walk around, the birds like it, great place for photos, hi-jinks, etc.  

I normally would have stopped to check out the gift shop, but Dad wanted to get back to town for mass.  I had a nice relaxing time with the hammock and, once Dad got back, we enjoyed a wonderful meal over at Mi Ranchito.  I was very hungry and the food was abundant and the margaritas were refreshing and $1.99!  We made it back to the high school in time for most of the pre-ride meeting.  There we spoke of many things, including some reminders to use good bicycling etiquette, remembering the passing of a BRAN stalwart (Frank Perrone), welcoming a first-time BRANer (Scott Ussery), and celebrating the continuing presence of Al “The BRAN Man” Roeder on what was to be his last BRAN.  Unfortunately, Al experienced some medical issues and was forced to withdraw from this year’s BRAN.  It was great to have him on the bus with us from Wahoo, however, and he joked with me during our lunch stop in North Platte about how he used to have a red beard like mine and that I should appreciate it while it lasts.  Other in-memorium honorees were Ted Roche and Don Van Driest.  Ted was the long-time treasurer of the Omaha Pedalers and the support and gear (SAG) director for BRAN.  Don, although not a BRAN person, was an advocate for establishing multi-use trails, including the Cowboy Trail up around Highway 20 in the northern part of the state and the Field Club Trail corridor in the 36^th& Center area.

I am not sure how Al is doing now, but of course we all wish him a quick recovery from whatever caused his withdrawl.

Day 1 (Sunday, 6/5), Alliance to Hyannis:  After awakening and heading outside to get a sense of what this BRAN held in store I noted a woman creepily clowning to her partner inside the tent with the evocative line "Gimme your fingernails!"  I made it over to a table for a breakfast burrito and felt ready to ride!  

This was a delightful ride through some tranquil sandhill scenery.  The wetlands along Highway 2 were filled with many colorful birds.  Interestingly to me, there were many yellow-headed blackbirds interspersed with the red-winged variety.  Also some lesser scaups (or similar waterfowl).  We rode near the former town of Antioch (a potash boom town), which is often described as a Nebraska ghost town.  Ellsworth provided a comfortable lunch stop at the bowling alley and grounds.  

There were many homemade foods that I scarfed down greedily.  I also met a few different people, including John – a guy with a tuxedo jersey (like those tuxedo t-shirts)!  Way to make a great first impression!  There’s also a mega-weapons and leather gear shop at Ellsworth that was impressive in its size and scope.  I tried a packet of Beyond Meat Jerky that my wife, Mrs. Snot, had thoughtfully purchased.

It was a bit on the rubbery side and not highly recommended, although the nutritional content seemed pretty good. It was sunny, and this woman wisely applied some sunscreen before hopping on the highway.

I noted 3 dead turtles in the road – ornate box turtles.

Day 2 (Monday, 6/6) Hyannis to Thedford:  This day was similar to the first day.  I was excited to get to Thedford because I’d received a few emails that mentioned that you could go tubing on the Middle Loup River as long as you get there by the time the last trip left (3:00 p.m.) for the reasonable cost of $15!  So I tried to keep a good pace, and eventually succeeded in arriving in time for some very enjoyable, refreshing tubing.  But along the way I also read a few historical markers, including a fascinating account of Hecla, Nebraska – a town named after an Icelandic volcano.  We were also getting out into some serious windmill country, as evidenced by this awesome sculptural sign for Seven Pines Ranch.  The turtle mortality rate along this stretch of Highway 2 wasn’t quite as high, as I only noted a single dead ornate box turtle.

 I made it to the tubing bus with plenty of time to spare.  I was surprised that it really  wasn’t that busy – I’d mentioned the tubing to a few other riders and the interest level didn’t seem very high.  I think some riders just wanted to relax and conserve some energy.  However, in my experience, the revitalizing power of a comfortable float shouldn’t be taken lightly!  There were also a few tankers, including a Nebraska state senator, and a kayaker.  During approximately 2 hours of tubing we got about 30 minutes of stormy weather, including some lightning and winds.  

Just enough excitement to make the experience more memorable.  I also made the acquaintance of a nice couple from Wayne. I’ll call them Max and Lianna. They were fun and conversational and even offered me a beer once my supply was depeleted.  

When I got back to the old campsite, I got showered off and made it out to the Sandhills Correl where they had plenty of food and $5 margaritas.  I also met up with Max and Lianna and their friends.  They are an awesome group of people and it was really nice to spend some time with them.  We discussed why there weren’t too many younger riders.  I think the relatively serious nature of the event might be one reason – there are some days with a lot of miles and there’s no party atmosphere associated with BRAN (as opposed to RAGBRAI).  That’s probably why, at 50, I felt like I was a bit younger than the average BRANimal.

We got a smattering of rain that night and we found out that the rain fly leaked.  In the morning a quick inspection revealed that the clear plastic “window” was becoming detached from the rest of the nylon rain fly. This is apparently fairly common as Kelty’s website includes the following information in the FAQs:

My window is falling out of my rainfly is that something you can repair / replace? Print

Modified on: Fri, 19 Mar, 2021 at 12:36 PM

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Our repair team is able to replace windows in your rainfly. If your window is too damaged our repair team may have to replace it with non see through fabric. 

Day 3 (Tuesday, 6/7) Thedford to Callaway:  This day seemed to me to be a little more off-the-beaten path as we turned south off of Highway 2 and onto Arnold Road at Dunning.  The morning started with a nice conversation with a fellow BRANimal who happened to be 10 years my senior.  We talked a bit about how the rain got inside both of our tents.  Then he helped me compress my large Bigfoot tote so I could zip it.  It turned out he was not going to ride that day due to some serious pain in his knee. Pain that he hadn’t experienced before. This was understandably bumming him out a bit.  But, fortunately, he had a few things to look forward to.  It turned out that he’s planning on attending a motorcycle rally with his son in Missouri.  It just so happened that it is a BMW rally and that it is the 50^thanniversary of the R75/5, which is a type of motorbike that I owned for a couple years back before the turn of the century!  

Anyway, he seemed like a great guy and I appreciated his willingness to lend me a helping hand even though he was undergoing some frustration.  It later occurred to me that this is probably one of the best ways to deal with pain and frustration.  Take your mind off it by helping someone else or making a connection with someone.  

Another thing that I learned about during this BRAN was that I need to make sure the top of my head is covered during outdoor events (i.e., no more visors) unless I want a sunburned pate! 

The ride itself was a pleasant, pastoral experience.  Ten miles or so down the road I came across a painted turtle basking in the middle of the road – right on the faded painted yellow line!  

I was concerned for turtle’s safety.  So I picked him up and moved him slowly off to the side of the road in the direction he was facing.  

This day also featured a lovely climb and overlook into some lovely valleys.  This location is also just a bit northwest of an area known as the seven valleys.  Here is a map:

Descending into Arnold, we seemed to be temporarily exiting the Sandhills as we entered the Middle Loup River Valley.  Arnold was nice and the people were quite friendly and talkative.  Some of the volunteers at the community center attempted to prevent Snot Sr. from leaving since Arnold is in need of a school band teacher.  There is an old one-room schoolhouse that has been renovated into a bed and breakfast. I attempted to find the famous Rialto Theater, mentioned in our BRAN 40.2 Tour Guide, but I apparently did not understand the directions I received, so here’s a photo from the internet:

 

I can see why I missed it, because it doesn’t really have the standard theater-front marquis.  This turned out to be the highest mileage day as we had to take a detour around Highway 92 between Arnold and Callaway because part of that road had apparently gotten flooded and was now impassable. So we took Highway 40 and, after our arrival in Callaway, Strava congratulated me on 90.15 miles of pedaling! Turtle tally:  1 live painted turtle in road, 1 dead ornate box turtle on the road.

 At Callaway, Dad and I made it down to Shotgun Annie’s and got a nice hearty meal with some delicious salads and some local beers.  A poster portraying President Barack Obama as an outlaw wanted for treason confused me and reminded me that this is the red part of our state.  After dinner/supper we made it back to the field by the high school where our tent was pitched.  Doug, our fearless leader and BRAN organizer, was busy informing us that there was a good chance of some bad weather that could include hail and made sure we were all aware that we could sleep in the gym.   Dad and I decided to stay in our comfy shelter, however, and it turned out alright:  we got some heavy rain, but it didn’t last long, and I discovered the rain fly still leaked a bit in one area where the duct tape hadn’t turned out to be as good as it was quacked up to be.  However, it wasn’t too bad (just a small, isolated area and I was able to just move my ridiculously cushy 14-inch air mattress in from the tent wall a bit and cover my suitcase with my rain jacket to avoid the water).

 Day 4 (Wednesday, 6/8) Callaway to Ord:  This was another hilly and scenic day as we rode through Broken Bow, past the turn-off to Kinkaider Brewery, past Comstock (where the windmills were looking fabulous and things were getting set up for Windmill Fest), 

and on to Ord.  Prior to Broken Bow, we ascended Democrat Hill, a scenic and pleasant climb with quite a few mellow grades on the way up.  Along the way there was a large wind farm - Broken Bow 2 and this scenic SAG stop where Sandy (the pickle lady) and Denny seemed to be in good spirits as always. 

Sandy always maintained a good supply of pickles, pickle juice, and peanut butter.  I am a fan of all of these, but I determined that I don't really like to mix them (an opinion that is certainly not for everyone).

 I was feeling pretty tired and hot as I rolled in to Ord.  I relaxed in the shade for a while and eventually ambled over to the campground area where I found Snot Sr. having some mild difficulties with the tent poles.  

We teamed up to construct our shelter after I taped our rain fly more thoroughly (more duct tape along pretty much the entire seam and tape on inside as well as outside).

Then we rode our bikes a short distance to the downtown area where we enjoyed some food at Carl’s (very nice, comfortable place with friendly people and good food and drinks) and a quick stop over at Scratchtown Brewing Co. for a satisfying beer, a hat to try to help protect my balding pate, and some live music on the patio.  It was there I met Dan who told me about his experience with the Windmill Fest over the years.  He said he’d helped out with the festival a few times.  There had been some crazy times.  I think the festival used to be much bigger and there used to be a couple rock days and a couple country days (vs. the current event just featured young country artists).  He told me that during the rock show days at one of the campground he saw his first streaker – a naked guy went running by being chased by four girls!  There was apparently also a wet t-shirt contest as part of the festivities back in those hedonistic days!  Things back at the BRAN campground were quite a bit more sedate: wet clothing was relegated to some temporarily strung clotheslines.

 Day 5 (Thursday, 6/9) Ord to St. Edward:  These two guys (Ryan and Lance) loaded up the truck every day.  

They also discussed classic rock from time to time – On Day 1 I happened to hear Ryan mention that “God Only Knows” was Paul McCartney's favorite song and is Brian Wilson’s magnum opus (I’d argue it was “Good Vibrations,” but I’m certainly no subject-matter expert).  I was certainly experiencing some good vibrations as I departed the enjoyable oasis of Ord.  Here is a fascinating and creative landscaping sculpture I enjoyed whilst rolling out on Highway 11.

Dad’s 16-year-old Pearl Izumi shoes were not faring well at this point, so we duct taped the front part of the shoes back together before we left.  

It was on this day that I first tried a mixture that I had overheard someone talking about at Phil’s SAG stop (the 2^ndone each day).  It was referred to, in reverent tones, as “jet fuel” and consisted of one Styrofoam cup filled with hot water, one instant oatmeal packet, and a generous scoop of instant vanilla espresso (I think there was a non-vanilla option too) mix.  It tastes really good and the effect was a long-lasting energy that also made me feel happier and satisfied my caffeine addiction.  

I stopped at Scotia to mail a postcard and take a picture of the chalk building.    

I stopped at a convenience store at Cedar Rapids to avoid a sudden moderate rain and to purchase a red wine called “Work Horse” that was bottled at a vineyard in nearby St. Paul. 

My stay at St. Edwards was delightful!  Everything we needed was at the 1-year-old community center that was spacious and filled with kind people, delicious food, and beer.  There was a photographic presentation about the local area, with prints for sale.  For dinner, I enjoyed a fantastic falafel wrap and a delicious pie with ice cream for dessert.  There was a band playing some old-timey country/bluegrass-flavored tunes out on the bandstand at City Park– the Root Marm Chicken Farm Jug Band.  

And the next morning they had a delicious pancake breakfast!

 Day 6 (Friday, 6/10) St. Edward to Shelby:  I pedaled off happily in the morning and soon I was enjoying the power of jet fuel as I rode out onto Highway 39.  This was a short day, only 44.9 miles.  I stopped in Genoa to pick up a new pair of sunglasses and some more duct tape (just in case).  There is an Indian School Museum here as well.  Between Genoa and Osceola just after catching a glimpse of Silver Creek, where the town brand is reportedly “a glimmer on Highway 30,” we crossed the Platte River.  I paused for some chatting with a couple of fellow Omahans.  Matt was the only guy I noticed riding a single speed for this BRAN. And Mike had some voluminous panniers and was interested in doing some self-supported bicycle touring at some point, but hadn’t been able to get a trip scheduled yet.  I had seen these guys a few times as they were in a group that was also riding at a rather leisurely pace as compared to the median-pace BRANimal.  Matt was riding a nice looking All-City with some pretty low gearing for his Omaha commute, which sounded pretty hilly.  By the time I reached Osceola, I was ready for some lunch and I found a good one at Andrea’s Family Diner.  I had a cheese quesadilla and fried cauliflower with ranch along with an ice tea. Osceola has a nice town square on top of a hill with quite a few little shops.  I managed to accidentally wander off the main highway after lunch and enjoyed some solitary time on the gravel roads south of Highway 81.  Once I rolled into Shelby, I was feeling a little warm, so I didn’t waste much time getting over to the swimming pool where I found that BRAN riders were granted free admission!  That water was so cool and refreshing!  Afterwards I went down to main street and had a burrito from a food truck and a few beers.  Back at the campsite it had cooled down some and I felt like my mandolin songs were finally sounding pretty good.  I sat at a picnic table and was joined by a few people who stayed around to listen and chat about music for a while.  It was kind of an early night, but when I got back to the tent I noticed that I had a Kinkaider beer (Dan the Wiser) left in my bag so I stayed up to read for a while (and then had to get up to pee two times because I had a beer right before bed! Note to self:  get a pee bottle next time I have a beer before bed if I’m camping at a crowded campsite with lighting.)

 Day 7 (Saturday, 6/11) Shelby to Wahoo:  I enjoyed another fantastic pancake breakfast provided at the high school gym.  I was feeling neglectful this morning as I realized I hadn’t yet deployed my Sony Action Cam to record the splendours of our state.  So I set the camera to take a photo every minute and awkwardly strapped the camera to my helmet (I don’t use this often enough to be proficient and I feel like the strap system isn’t very user friendly).  Unfortunately the stretch of highway photographed was not as scenic as the previous days and there was a serious glare from the sun.  I have to say at this point that I’m not crazy about the ActionCam due to some logistical issues deploying it and the fact that it only comes with hardware to strap to the side of a bicycle helmet.  What am I supposed to do, get another one to strap to the other side to balance things out?  

Anyway, after I took off the AC so I wouldn’t have to gripe to myself anymore, I stopped to snap a few photos of some of the awesome people I met during this ride.  

So much fun!  I am grateful to Dad for getting me out there to ride across the state and I might even do it again some time.  Thanks to everyone who worked hard to make this ride happen after having to postpone it for the past two tries.  There was even a nice after-party with hot dogs, chips, and cookies.  

 

BRANimalistically yours,

BSO    

 

Afterwards

The Kelty team has been easy to work with.  I sent the rain fly in and requested the “non see through” (opaque) fabric, as I wasn’t entirely convinced that these windows formed a structurally-sound, durable part of the rain fly.  Also, if I’ve got the rain fly on, then I generally don’t really feel interested in gazing up out of the rain fly window at the rain pelting the rain fly.  

7/1:  I already got the rain fly back and, although it still has windows, the clear plastic seems to be stitched onto the rest of the rain fly so I am hopeful that it will hold together for a few more years.  

 

Over the wintry

 March 2029, April 2, 2022

Happy belated Vernal Equinox, my fellow Earthers!

I hope you are ready for springing into seasonal activities.  I am certainly ready to begin some gardening and maybe some extra outdoor activities like camping and some longer bicycle rides.  After all, I do need to get some miles in to be ready for BRAN.

Prior to the arrival of spring, I was pleased to be able to spend some time with my friend Rich trying out some backcountry lite skiing with the good folks from Bluebird Backcountry, near Walden, Colorado.  It is a beautiful area and doesn’t involve quite as many people and fees as the resort. 

A trip of this magnitude is not particularly common for this curmudgeonly 50-year-old, so I will provide a relatively in-depth recap of the journey as I recall it.  So make yourself a nice cup of tea and prepare to kick back and read in amusement and/or bemusement.  Alternatively, you could just kind of skim a few of the paragraphs that seem most interesting.

Rich and I got a pretty early start with my old telemark skis and boots and a couple bags of luggage. On our way from Omaha to Steamboat Springs we stopped at A Taste of India restaurant at the Overton exit.  It is a unique stop and one that I recommend. If you want to limit your wait time you can call in your order.  Last time it took about 30 minutes from call-in time to food-ready time.  The folks there are nice.  I like everything I’ve ordered there except the malai kofta. They’ve also got some Indian grocery items for sale.  Upon Rich’s realization that he did not have a swimsuit, we also stopped at the Ogalalla Walmart which had an excellent selection of swimwear.  We also decided to stop at the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Cheyenne to buy some poop bags, based on Bluebird’s recommended equipment list. It is a nice establishment and one that I certainly recommend.  There is also a Nepalese restaurant called Durbar in the same shopping center area that I look forward to trying at some point.  We made it into Steamboat Springs by around 7 p.m. and went to How Ya Doin’ Pizza, right next to Storm Peak Brewery, which we enjoyed last time we were in town.  I had a tasty pizza with a delicious combination of vegetables and a tasty brown ale of some kind.  The next day we got up early, ate some oatmeal mixed with trail mix (great combo, except the peanuts didn't seem too harmonious) and headed out to Bluebird Backcountry whose pre-arrival directions indicated we should arrive about an hour early to allow time for getting rental gear, making sure our various passes were in order, etc.  The road in to the basecamp area was relatively well-plowed and fairly easy to travel.  But it was a dirt road with no gravel to speak of and just a few rocky and icy areas. My car is a 2014 Hyundai Accent.  

Anyhow, we arrived and got situated, met our instructor – an affable fellow named Aiden – and chatted with Charlotte and Amy, who were also signed up for Backcountry 1.  It was a beautiful day.  Most participants seemed to have rental skis:  I think it is what is referred to as an alpine touring (AT) setup with Dynafit bindings.  Those skis were a bit wider than my old tele skis.  However, I bought my skis back in 2005 or so, and I would be damned if I didn’t give ‘em a chance to do some climbing before it was all said and done! Well, they mostly worked just fine. I brought up the rear and fell down a few times on the downhills.  No one seemed to mind and we had a good time learning the basics and even getting fed bacon by a very kind fellow from London who was manning the hospitality hut at The Perch area.  I bought skis on the long side based on some kind of chart I found online back in 2009:  179 cm when I really do much better and feel more in control with 165 cm; however, I didn't know that back then and I liked the idea of more stability based on a longer ski.  Anyway, after completing our course we were encouraged to tool around as much as we liked.  I confided to Aiden that I was somewhat concerned about hitting a tree.  He mentioned that we might want to take the direct route back down to the basecamp.  However, he seemed pretty enthusiastic about a forested route called “The Shire.” So, after some “skinning” up onto a ridge we got to a slope that headed down towards The Shire where we were pleased to note our new acquaintances, Charlotte and Amy, calmly and assuredly navigating their way through the relatively dense trees.  Their speed control was admirable and it did not look daunting in the least.  That sets the stage for this video, which follows the trials and tribulations of two Nebraskiers making their way gradually back towards the basecamp.

 

So it wasn’t easy, especially for Rich who kept sinking into the snow down to his crotch.  Mostly one leg at a time, but occasionally both.  I also fell down and it was quite a struggle to get up due to the powdery nature of the snow which allowed you to sink in pretty easily.   After a few of these types of incidents and some considering of the pros and cons, we applied our skins to limit our sliding and to improve our control. We eventually made it back to basecamp at around 3:40 where, it turns out, they liked everyone to be off the slopes by 4 p.m.   My feet were a bit sore from pushing myself around most of the day, but I was generally feeling pretty good.  Rich had a sore ankle and was clearly tired from digging himself out of the snow repeatedly, but still his usual upbeat self.  Overall a great introduction to backcountry skiing.  

The day had warmed significantly.  The sun's warmth felt great while we were out there skiing; however, the road consistency had become pretty slippery and boggy in places.  I watched a few vehicles get towed out by a patient, good-humored, and proficient Bluebird employee or possibly just a friendly frequent skier.  Although that seemed like a good option for the Accent, I soon realized the Hyundai was not equipped with a tow hook/clevice or a front bumper that could accommodate a strap.  I walked up the road for a ways and formulated a general strategy that I could summarize thusly:  don’t stop, choose a good line, and stay out of the deep puddles.  So, after coming to terms with this general approach, I planned on firing up the Accent and backing up to an icy area that was pretty flat and appeared to be pretty firm.  However, my front tyres had found a slippery, icy depression that did kept me from achieving this modest goal.  Rich pushed. Rich pushed again.  A couple of beer-toting fellows walked past and affably returned my greeting.  After it was agreed upon that my vehicle was not ideally suited to its current circumstances:  “Sporty!” quipped one of our soon-to-be-saviors, our benefactors set their beers down in a convenient snow shelf and had at it.  Repeatedly. There was a whole zone of icy hummocks. The Accent slid from side to side. She bucked.  She whinnied.  We (and by we I mean everyone who was actually exerting themselves, which did not include me) stopped, rested, and agreed upon a good line to get onto solid ground. Eventually, our team's efforts were rewarded! Rich and I profusely thanked these good Samaritans.

  

This whole time, I was kind of locked in on the road conditions and the exit.  I had not realized that I hadn’t yet returned my expertly designed ski backpack with avalanche kit compartments.  I say “expertly designed” because it seemed to have enough capacity for plenty of items (i.e., 70-oz Camelbak, heavy fleece, outside/stowable straps for helmet, several Clif bars) and yet didn’t extend laterally or vertically enough to interfere with my range of motion.  I don’t recall even noticing the pack during my adventure.  So I took it back to basecamp where the staff was undergoing their after-hours meeting/debriefing.  I also chatted with an employee who helped solidify my strategy. His recommendations?:  go fast on the straights and slow around the corners. He also provided two general options: 1) wait until the sun sets and things firm up a bit, or 2) if you go now, there will be many employees leaving soon thereafter so, if you get stuck, there will be some people behind you who may actually need to push us out so that we’re not blocking the road.  Since we didn’t have any beer (I know, the shame is rekindled) or satisfying meal-worthy foodstuffs, I decided that option 2 was preferable.  

So I gunned it!  We made it through the early stretch with some moderate banging of the undercarriage on some mud and ice.  I just picked my lines and punched it! Bam!  Bam!  Things got intense.  Then they got real intense when I got to a soupy corner.  I came in hot.  I started sliding downhill to the outside of the turn, down into a soupy void/ditch.  I kept the wheels turned, slowed a bit and then accelerated evenly as the car seemed to be sliding inevitably towards the muddy maw of the thawed road.  Rich was ahootin’ and ahollerin’ either “No!  No!  No!” or “Go! Go!  Go!”, which we did.  The rest of the 2 mile course featured just a few more turns, which I took a bit more slowly and gradually, and a whole lot of rutted, puddly dirt which I hit pretty fast and tried to find the shallows.  There were some impacts to the undercarriage, and some mud splashing every which way, but visibility remained and we eventually made it back to the highway!  Huzzah! 

 

We decided we weren’t going back the next day, even though I had imprudently purchased a 4-day pass. Dang it!  

 

So, that evening we had a delicious meal and a couple beers at Dude & Dan's, a bar with some delicious gourmet menu items.  A nice soak in the hot tub felt good that evening and the next day we were ready to hit the resort.  First we watched a ski tutorial by Jens, which I highly recommend.  

One $245 lift ticket and a $40 ski rental later and we were on the slopes!  Although we hadn’t been out there for two years, I felt like my skiing had improved since then.  Rich and I started on the greens, but finished up on some pretty steep and challenging-to-us runs.  The last one we did was called “Heavenly Daze” and featured a beautiful view of Steamboat Springs below.  

It almost looked like you could fall off the slope in some places and, defying gravity, perhaps with a slight boost from an updraft, plummet down into town.  All in all, we had another great day and enjoyed some excellent, warm skiing conditions.  There were just a few icy spots on Vertigo, but they weren’t bad: skiers in the eastern part of the U.S. probably wouldn’t even consider it worth mentioning.   

 

Whilst enjoying the wintery sliding fun I mentioned the snow forecast in the afternoon to some of my fellow lift riders; however, they poo-poohed the potential precip, suggesting one to three inches.  Indeed, as we were leaving Steamboat Springs, there wasn’t much more than a dusting. The same up by Rabbit Ears Pass. However, once we got down into the lowlands between Cowdrey and Laramie it got a bit icy and slushy.  On the other hand, the visibility was poor, so there was that.  Traffic wasn’t bad, and it seemed to have emboldened the local apex predators in the vicinity of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest because we beheld a couple of healthy-looking wolves hanging around out in the pastureland.  No, we didn’t get photos because we were too busy gawking and keeping my eyes on the road.  A short stretch of Interstate 80 was closed, but we had a fairly easy detour just outside Laramie along Highway 210.  We stopped in Cheyenne for some breakfast, but I didn’t want to stop to eat inside because the snow was wet, heavy, and piling up fast – not the Accent’s forte.  So we drove on as I ruminated upon my Subway Veggie sub and cookies.  The traffic along I-80 was a bit of a jumbled mess, with packed down snow, snow plows, as well as numerous truck trailers overturned and resultant lane closures.  The snow gradually tapered off as we headed east.  Somewhere between North Platte and Gothenburg we were pretty much snow free. A scraping noise from beneath the vehicle reminded me of the snow and ice:  I figured it was probably some ice stuck in the wheel wells or something similar. Well, I guess it was, if you consider a broken, dragging undercarriage-protector something similar. I tore off the broken piece and stowed it in the boot (i.e., trunk).  We stopped in Overton for some more Indian food (phoned it in this time to expedite the process) and that’s where I removed part of the undercarriage armour.  Unfortunately, that piece was not a big part of the problem because, as we were leaving the Taste of India, the dragging sound persisted.  I removed the rest of the undercarriage plate.  This part was bigger, so I decided to lay it to rest in a handy Overton dumpster.  

I’m not sure if I’ll replace that part, since I don’t drive on gravel roads much, but I’ll be sure to let you know how that all turns out.  I guess it's called a "splash shield."

 

Here’s another thing I’ll let you know about: looks like there’s an e-bike shop that just opened down at 144^thand F or so:  Pedego Electric Bikes!

I was a bit surprised to see this impending business model, as I guess I always figured the e-bikes would just get incorporated into the existing bicycle/velocipede shoppes. But, I guess there is a potentially different demographic that doesn’t really care if it's associated with the traditional bicycling model.  

No matter how you roll, we all can agree it’s the heart that brings you back.  I ain’t telling you no lie.

May the road take you somewhere beautiful and/or may your engine be undamaged by debris/water/minimum maintenance roads.

Springly regards,

BSO

 

 

 

 

Year of Riding the Water Tiger

 February 4, 2022

Happy Chinese New Year!

Perhaps you are reading this from the Olympic City as the Winter Olympics gets underway?   That would be dope.  You could be out watching the athletes perform amazing feats of strength, skill, speed, etc.  There would probably even be some fun parties and people to interact with.  Wait a minute, I guess with the COVID situation you just go directly to and from whichever events you are authorized to witness and you may need a government-approved journalist pass or somethings.  Well, I am not typing this from China.  Maybe next year, or in four years or whatever?  Honestly, if I were down with the Olympic fandom, I think I would like to enjoy it in moderation in China’s younger sibling’s country of Taiwan, who won't be hosting the winter games this year, or any other year, due to the overbearing Chinese government and their lack of a skiing industry.  Although visiting Taiwan sounds great, I think you still might have to quarantine for 14 days or so upon arrival, so I hope you’re not in a hurry.  Taiwanese athletes apparently can compete as long as they pretend to be from a place called Chinese Taipei.  Taiwan, on the other hand, seems pretty relaxed and fun.  It would be like visiting China except without the wall, I’m guessing?  I think of Taiwan as a kind of bicycling utopia, possibly due to the fact that the trusty Olde Bastarde was constructed in Taiwan and I know they still make a lot of bikes there.  Also, if you are more of a boycott-the-Olympics type of person, I’m pretty sure you could find some awesome non-Olympic-related activities to enjoy in Taiwan.  Let’s have a look, shall we?:

1.    Visit Yushan National Park

2.    Ride a bicycle around Taiwan

3.    Drink some bubble tea and check out a Mandopop show

4.    Go up into a tall building in Taipei, maybe Taipei 101 would be nice?

5.    Eat some street food, it’s reputedly awesome!

6.  Learn about the indigenous Austronesian people of Taiwan.

7.  Contemplate the legacy of Chiang Kai-shek

8.  Visit some temples

 

Now let’s pounce back to the year of the water tiger!  This year has a high risk and reward factor and rewards those who are self-confident and willing to take risks.  So someone like Chuck Norris should be doing well this year.  Let’s see what Chuck Norris is up to these days.  Here’s a thoughtful piece about breathing and 2022, although no mention of the water tiger.   Speaking of breathing, I may have mentioned that I read Breath, by James Nestor and enjoyed it immensely.  I have even added some breathing exercises to the start of most of my days and there is a chance I will eventually sign up for one of those Wim Hof method classes. And, although I don’t think Wim has met Chuck, he does mention him in this video where he’s showing off some sweet nunchaku moves!  

So let's all ride the tiger or the Tigris or maybe Tigger.  Whatever it takes!

May your days be auspicious and fierce.

Love, 

BSO

 

 

 

50 for 50!

 January 22, 2022

50 things  (or at least a few) to do when you turn 50!

As you may know, I like to make lists.  So here is a great chance (listed in order of importance)!: 

1.    Get/stay moderately active.  Gradually. Lately I’ve developed shin splints. I think it happened because I started adding some interval training to my moderate regime and, also, because I’ve been doing more running than bicycling these days.  Now I’m trying to avoid doing activities that involve high/uneven impact to my lower legs as much and it’s kind of a bummer.  My takeaway is that I got a bit outside of my moderately active zone there due to my excitement about an upcoming backcountry-lite ski trip.

2.    Do something you’ve thought/talked about for a long time.  Like planning a backcountry ski trip!  Our lives are not infinite, so no need to further procrastinate any longer!

3.    Try some strength training to keep whatever strength you’ve got left.  You will only get weaker if you opt for the couch!

4.    Make sure your loved ones know how much they mean to you.  This is really something we should all do at every age, but it’s easy to get caught up in your own busy life and forget to really listen to our loved ones and help them understand how much you love them.

5.    Do something you haven’t done for awhile that you used to really like.  Like doing some rock climbing or visiting a climbing gym! Luckily I’ve got a 4-year old gift card my friend Rich gave me for my 46^thbirthday that didn’t have an expiration date. I dragged Child Snot out there awhile back and he was not overly enthusiastic, but we may try it again soon. Otherwise I’ll just ditch the kid and go hit the bouldering area for awhile, in moderation of course.

6.    Play a musical instrument more often.  Or maybe start playing one that you haven’t before.  Trust me, it’ll be fun and/or good for you!  Anyone complaining about the noise?  Ask ‘em to join your band!

7.    Find a good book to read and ignore the rest of the world.

8.    Ride your bike.

9.    Eat a burrito 

10.Embrace your age.  I received several pairs of suspenders that I had placed on my Amazon wish list! No more problems with digestion associated with that unnatural cincture known as “the belt”!  I also like to include the optional “the” in front of things, such as “the COVID” or “the parents (these days)”, etc.

11.Buy and wear one or more tracksuits as often as you want, wherever you want.

12.Buy everyone the same type of gift for Christmas, birthdays, etc.  May I recommend socks?  No? You’re more of a tie guy, aren’t you!?

13.Don’t feel obligated to go to the next social event you don’t feel like attending.  It’s your life (what’s left of it)!  

14.Buy a shofar, or dust of ye olde one, and BLAST!

15.Anytime someone mentions anything related to your age just yell “Don’t sass me, ya damn kid/whippersnapper/hooligan!”

16.Don’t feel like doing something?  Get grouchy!  Maybe they’ll go away and you can get a little peace and quiet around here!

17.Start whatever kind of elaborate project you’ve been thinking about for a while or that is a recent inspiration.  Finishing is optional.

18.Don’t feel old yet?  Just go skiing or on a long bike ride or something and then sit around for a few days doing nothing afterwards.  Why?  Because you are sore and you earned a rest!  Besides, you’re not as young as you used to be!  And embrace the oldness (see #10).

19.Learn to/remember how to play dominoes, bridge, or cribbage.  You will make new friends and win plenty of games/bets once you make it to the retirement home.

20.Boss people around more.  Old people deserve respect, dammit!

21.Kick back and watch some sports/movies/soap operas/whatever the hell you want to watch in the other room if they don’t want to watch your show.  To hell with them!

22.Have mercy on your liver!  I recommend having your last alcoholic drink 1.5 hours or more before bedtime.  So, 8:30, in other words.  And then drink some water.

23.Don’t like the way the world is going?  Ignore it!  No one wants to hear your political views and listening/watching the news is probably just make you want to go on some kind of incoherent rant. 

24.Don’t like the way the world is going?  Run for office!  First you might want to watch the movie Dave as a kind of inspirational how-to manual for political activity.

25.Calm down.  You are now in a position to feel comfortable about anything and/or everything. What’s the point in getting wound up? You’ll get through this, just like you did the 1^sthalf (or more) of your life.

26.People telling you you’re doing something wrong and you don’t like it?  Ask them two questions:  

a.    Am I going to blow myself or someone else up?  (If yes, ask them to explain why to make sure they’re not just yanking your chain.  If no, proceed to part b.

b.    Would you mind shutting the fuck up and let me get on with it?

27.Not sure if you should say something you are thinking?  Go ahead and say it!  If it causes any backlash refer to item #14 and/or #15.

28.Get very enthusiastic and/or involved in some type of leisure sport.  Might I recommend table tennis and/or bocce ball?  Stop by around 7.  Shall we say Thursdays?  Invite your friends/co-workers!

29.Don’t like the options you’ve been presented with? Let them know you don’t want to be limited.  Either just grumpily and enigmatically repeat “No!” (don’t elaborate or explain) or state, “I demand more options!”

30.Really like something, but other people don’t know what it is?  This suppression cannot continue!  Become the kind of person who must relate everything to your mania, be it cats, the Wizard of Oz, dragons, unicorns, beaches, etc.  Let the people know!

31.Talk over the interrupters.  Even if they’re louder doesn’t mean you have to listen. Go ahead and finish that sentence even if it’s incoherent rambling that can’t be heard.  At least you’re not rudely interrupting!

32.Tell a joke whenever the hell you feel like it. 

33.Take a day off.

34.Don’t feel like finishing a list?  Don’t! 

 

So there you have it!  That's how we quinquagenerians roll!

Sincerely, 

BSO