...LOCOMOTIVE!

BIG RED...More powerful than a locomotive!

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DEER

Once my knees are shot from bicycling...hunting will be my next obsession. These photos were taken by my friend Annette. Although she won't tell me where the photos were taken I will assume the secret spot is somewhere near Hastings, MN.

The gun barrel belongs to a 1400 Remington 20 ha. The deer photos were taken by a motion camera.

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Libby Dam 2010

Libby Dam is located in Northwest Montana. The 422 feet tall, 3055 feet long dam holds back the waters of Lake Koocanusa which supplies water for the Kootenai River. The dam was dedicated in 1975.

For bicyclists, the best part about this beautiful area is Hwy 37. This secondary highway is 68 miles long and stretches from Eureka to Libby Montana. Hwy 37 has a wide shoulder and several pull out areas where one can stop to rest and take photos. Libby Dam features picnic tables, restrooms, and drinking water which makes it a cool place to have lunch and rest. Hwy 37 is not flat. The hwy is hilly and curvy as it hugs Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenai River. Traffic is almost non-existent which is the ultimate dream come true for bicyclists.

For more photos of this area check out the following posts: "Lake Koocanusa" from July 27, 2006; "Mighty River" and "Libby Dam" from August 2, 2006.

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Simply - Beautiful - BIG RED

Wonewoc, WI is the midway point of The 400 Trail. The name "Wonewoc" is of Native American origin and translates to "howling hills".

King's Canyon & Sequoia National Parks

"Pictures don't do it justice" is a popular phrase when photographing interpreted beautiful scenery. When taking photos of the giant sequoia trees in King's Canyon and Sequoia National Parks this phrase holds true. The giant sequoias are so massive that it is nearly impossible to capture an entire tree in one frame. These photos were taken over Thanksgiving weekend 2009.

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B'Gosh!

Who's that lurking in the ally? B'Gosh! It's BIG RED!

PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY

Nothing is better than a scenic drive. Typically my favorite scenic drives involve the back roads of Montana and the southern landscapes of Utah. These routes are not well known and make the scenic drives that more enjoyable. It's nice to enjoy places that are beautiful, pristine, and magnificent that only the locals know about.

The Pacific Coast Highway is the opposite of this. Often mentioned as one of the worlds most scenic highways this curvy breathtaking roads treks the cliffs of California along the Pacific Ocean. The beauty of this highway is no secret. Simply stated, every turn on this road is awesome. With waters as blue as the sky, if not bluer, the oceans waves crash on rocky cliffs and recede back into its own depths gathering momentum for its next watery assault on the beach and cliffs.

These photos were taken early December 2010 south of San Francisco.

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La Crosse River State Trail

The La Crosse River State Trail is the connecting link between the Sparta-Elroy Trail and the Great River State Trail. The trail stretches 21.5 miles from Onalaska to Sparta. The trail is very flat which makes it ideal for the cyclist who is attempting their first half century ride. A few extra miles can be added exploring Onalaska, Sparta, or the few small villages that the trail treks through. My favorite stop is the Le Coulee Cheese House in downtown West Salem. Not only do they offer a wide variety of cheese...their ice cream selection is an ideal savior on a hot summer day. Photos taken Memorial Day weekend 2010

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HIGH-WHEELER

My buddy Grant and I spotted this high-wheeler art piece tipped over in a yard a mile north of The Town of Bristol.

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RED VINED SILO

With Fall comes brilliant red and orange foliage. Usually the foliage is on trees, but in this case a vibrant red vine was circling a silo between Columbus and Beaver Dam.

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HUMPTY DUMPTY

Humpty Dumpty was eyeing BIG RED
But found no helmet to fit his big head
To ride the Co-motion
Ride bare-headed was his notion
And he ended up scrambled instead

~ poem by, Janet K.


Humpty Dumpty wanted to take BIG RED for a spin. Unfortunately, his feet couldn't reach the pedals.

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PUMPKINS

In keeping with tradition, during the Fall harvest many of our friends have sent cute pictures of little babies, children, and sometimes even adorable puppies nicely pictured in a pumpkin patch. Because we don't have moppets or fury pets I thought I'd include a few photos of MY baby searching for the great pumpkin. Isn't BIG RED cute? Only 2 years and picking out a pumpkin all by herself!

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BIG FOOT SIGHTING...

Typically, Big Foot sightings are reserved for the thick forests of America's Northwest. All summer long cyclists were on the look-out for the elusive creature walking the rows of corn north of Sun Prairie. Big Red would agree...Seeing is believing.

Devil's Lake State Park ~ Wisconsin...September 2010

Fall isn't complete without a visit to Devil's Lake State Park. It was a beautiful late September day when we visited the park last month. However, we were way to early for beautiful Fall colors. NO PROBLEM! It gives us an excuse to visit again this month.

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Astico County Park ~ Dodge County, Wisconsin

Astico County Park is a frequent destination while riding my bike East of Sun Prairie. Typically void of people, which is why its a frequent destination, it is a great place to take a break under a shade tree and refill my water bottles using 1 of the 2 artesian wells. The water is always ice-cold! The park has great views of the Crawfish River and is mostly paved enabling you to easily add on a couple miles to your total distance for the day while pedaling through the park.

Astico Country Park is located 3 miles East of Columbus, WI on Hwy 60. Depending on the route from Sun Prairie, your ride could be anywhere from 40 to 55 miles round trip.

LIFE-JACKET?

I've always said I'll ride a bicycle anytime and anywhere...But I refuse to wear a life-jacket while doing so. Would you need a helmet on this thing?

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

I look forward to revisiting Yosemite National Park (YNP). One advantage of visiting a national park in the off-season (Liz and I visited YNP in November) is the obvious lack of people. Unfortunately, the off-season is typically not as beautiful as the busy tourist season. YNP has potential. Over the years I've heard many friendly discussions on which park is more spectacular, Yosemite National Park or Glacier National Park. I can honestly say GNP is more spectacular. However, I reserve the right to change my mind after visiting YNP when the trees have green leaves and the waterfalls are full of roaring white-water.

There were 2 highlights when we visited. The Mist Trail is a must. The day hike is straight up the side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and almost straight down. The trail gives close-up views of Vernal Falls, Emerald Pool, and Nevada Falls. One can get so close to the falls that the wet spray will slap you in the face. The second highlight are the many Giant Sequoia groves. This was my first experience with the giant trees of the West....they were breathtaking!

Bike the Barns

This past Saturday Liz and I were on on a walk when an abnormal amount of cyclists were pedaling west on Happy Valley Rd. We later found out the cyclists were on an organized ride called "Bike the Barns". After looking at the Bike the Barns website it seems like a cool ride to participate in next year. Check it out at http://www.macsac.org/bikethebarns/

Death Valley National Park

If it wasn't for a bright sunny sky, most of Death Valley National Park looks like the dark side of the moon. Liz and I were not expecting much when we went way out out of way to spend Thanksgiving Day 2009 in DVNP...but we are glad we did. The park provided us with some of the more unique high (and low) desert landscapes that we've ever viewed.

The only thing missing was turkey.