Colorado Wildlife

These photos were taken by my friends,The Christian Family. They recently journeyed out West to the Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park areas in Colorado.

Rocky Mountain National Park became America's 10th national park in 1915. The park has 355 miles of hiking trails. Its elk herd is at 3000 and it has over 800 big horn sheep...And lets not forget the above red fox and marmot from above.

Why Did the Sandhill Cranes Cross the Road?

I see sandhill cranes along my bicycle route between Sun Prairie and Columbus almost every time I ride. However, over the past 7 years, this past Saturday was the first time that I've seen sandhill cranes on a road. As I was peddling East I noticed 3 cranes cross the road from left to right. As I slowed to possibly reach for my camera one of the cranes swiftly walked into tall grass on the right. The two remaining cranes hesitated and then began walking in circles on the the road. As I took the above picture, the cranes flew off while squawking very loudly.

The Elroy-Sparta Trail

The Elroy-Sparta Trail is an ideal trail for bicyclists of every skill level. For the novice cyclist there are several trail heads a short distance from each other which gives riders a chance to rest and replenish fluids and eat snacks. The trail crawls through mostly wooded areas so everyone will like the cover from the hot summer sun. The three tunnels are great features which causes the novice rider to keep their mind off of their hurting body. And because you must walk your bicycle through the tunnels...this provides an extra break from your saddle.

The trail is also good for experienced bicyclists who like to peddle lots of miles. The Elroy-Sparta Trail is 32 miles long and connects with the 400 Trail which extends another 20 miles. Riding these trails back and forth in one day would be over 100 miles...a great opportunity for a century ride.

The above photos were taken in mid-June of this year. Because my trek South was cut short I decided to peddle to Sparta before going home so I could ride this great trail. Because of flooding the trail was actually closed. However, I decided to make an executive decision. Because I had peddled all the way there I decided to ride trail in spite of its closure. On that day I peddled the entire Elroy-Sparta Trail without seeing one other rider. There were some areas of the trail that were a little rough because of flood waters, however, I made it it to the end safe and sound while wondering why the trail was completely closed in the first place. It was the first time I've ever ridden on a bike trail for that long of a distance and didn't see another cyclist.

Team In Training

Team In Training is a non-profit organization that assists in training amateur athletes to compete in marathons/triathlons, half marathons/triathlons and century bicycle rides. In turn, Team In Training raises money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Pictured above is my friend Grant. Grant is a coach for the Wisconsin chapter of Team In Training. This past June he trained and helped other Wisconsin bicyclists participate in America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride-Lake Tahoe. To see more pictures of the ride, click here.

Click here for information on Team In Training. Grant can be contacted at gcoisman@yahoo.com

Click here for information on The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.