Some sap

I had two TRAM reflections that I was trying to figure out how to share without being sappy. It's tough, because I'm so mushy, as you'd expect, so I'll just be direct.

1. When riding, I said to Steve, "I wish life was just one big, long supported bike ride." As I thought about it more, although I have a real life, it is like a supported bike ride. I'm very privileged: I'm financially secure, educated, have a great family, live in a democratic society, have access to food, health care, and clean water, etc. My hardest, worse days are nothing compared to what many people deal with, including many in our country.

2. I have said it before, and I'll say it again: I have really great friends. They are funny and nice, of course, but they genuinely care about other people and will go out of their way to help others on a daily basis. That's amazing.

I'm feeling very grateful this week.

TRAMtastic

I really enjoyed riding my bike for five days, seeing new parts of Minnesota, and being reminded - when talking with other riders and volunteers - why I do these MS fundraising rides. A brief recap:

Wednesday
We drove to St. Joseph, checked in, got on our bikes, and did a relatively short, but really hot and humid (heat index of 100+ degrees) bike ride to Sauk Centre. We set up camp along the edge of the lake and went to the city's splash pad to cool off. That night, a huge storm came through, flattening tents and blowing lake water directly into my tent. It would have been hilarious to see me running around at 2 a.m., trying to reattach my rain fly to my tent, getting my tent zipper stuck in the mad rush to keep my tent dry. I acquired Steve as a roommate in my tiny tent (filled with all my luggage) when his tent pole snapped in the wind. It was quite an adventure.

Thursday

We rode to Fergus Falls, and stayed on the grounds of the now-defunct state hospital for the mentally ill. It was a hot day, too, but not as humid, thankfully. We also got relief from a short, light rain shower.

Friday

Friday was Stacy's birthday. We attached ribbons to her helmet, and party hats to Steve's helmet and my helmet. This was a great way to meet other riders, who wanted to be part of the celebration. We rode to Wadena, by way of Phelps Mill, where we cooled off in the Otter Tail River. It was hot again, with temps reaching the mid-90s.

Saturday

Saturday was hilly. After we at hot dogs at one of the rest stops, it turned stormy (weather-wise, not stomach-wise). A cold rain and lots of, well, scenic lightning. We arrived in Little Falls to find our luggage sitting in at least 2-inches of water. The garbage bags I had in the luggage helped keep most of my key items dry, thankfully. After setting up my tent in the rain while shivering, the rain stopped and we were able to dry out our items when we ate in Little Falls. The townspeople there were super nice and fun.

For those who haven't fallen victim to hearing tales of my vivid dreams in the past, the short story is that I tend to have vivid dreams. Saturday night I dreamed about some of the people who I know who have MS, which was kind of a cool connection to my ride, although I'd rather dream about no one having MS.

Sunday

Sunday was a great riding day. Good weather, good moods, and a great breakfast hosted by the Bowlus Fire Department and others in the community. We rode back to St. Joseph where Dan met us with brats, chips, soda, and beer.

Let me know if you want to see more photos. I can send you a link.

I'm feeling really great about our team raising $56,566 through these two bike rides this year, which is helping offset the feeling of not wanting to return to my regularly programmed life and preferring to just stay in vacation mode.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MaggieTRAM2016

The Value of the Meander

Today, I met Matt at the Fort (see this season's obligatory shot of the river from the Fort), and we decided to just ride and not follow a planned route. We rode over some familiar terrain, but tried some new roads and learned a thing or two. I'm sure this is some sort of metaphor for life, blah, blah, but I'm really happy just to have learned how good or bad some roads are.

I realized when we stopped at our first of several snack breaks (snacks were a stated priority for today; I'd recommend the gf chili chocolate brownie at the Hopkins Depot), that the BikeMS bracelet Alicia made me a year or two ago matches my jersey.

We start the TRAM on Wednesday. I am really excited despite the super toasty weather forecast! It's a fun ride and there are lots of good reminders throughout the week of why it is so important to do it.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to cooking dinner with and catching up with my friend Marcy tonight. She's good people. Although she is just one person.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MaggieTRAM2016

Stranger and Wilder Than Ever

It's been a while since I've posted anything here, partly due to the fact that I had a gap in adventures, other than a couple of short overnight visits from some cool people and a road trip with two of my brothers (and my nephews, for a portion of the trip!) to attend my sweet Uncle Andy's funeral. 

Dan and I took a long July 4th weekend trip to the Badlands of North Dakota, a place that Teddy Roosevelt credits for his presidency. The National Park Service compiled some good Badlandsy quotes of his, including: 

"I grow very fond of this place, and it certainly has a desolate, grim beauty of its own, that has a curious fascination for me."

"After nightfall the face of the country seems to alter marvelously, and the clear moonlight only intensifies the change. The river gleams like running quicksilver, and the moonbeams play over the grassy stretches of the plateaus...The Bad Lands seem to be stranger and wilder than ever, the silvery rays turning the country into a kind of grim fairyland."

It was a great trip, full of wildlife sightings from my campsite and bike seat, including bison (good to see them from a distance from my bike seat; terrifying as all hell to try to cross the herd via bike), elk, wild horses, turkeys, prairie dogs with their cute little chirpy noises and butts in the air, magpies, and other things that I'm sure I'm forgetting. The icing on the cake was getting to see our friends Dave, Ann, and their kids. Without further adieu here are some photos.

Panoramic view from our campsite

Little Missouri River - from our campsite

The remnants of a 200-300 bison herd that moved through the campground

We learned that dogs are allowed in the campground and near the visitor centers,
but not on any hiking trails, even with a leash

I love the layers in the rock that carry over from one mound to another,
illustrating the definition of sedimentary rock

After navigating the bison, I did two pretty similar rides through the park.

While the elevation isn't like what you'd see in the mountains,
it was fun to be on some hills bigger than what you find in most of MN

Couldn't resist taking this one, which reminded me of Aslan's stone table

Panoramic view of the Maah Daah Hey mountain biking/hiking trail that Dan explored

In short, the fracking infuriates me

I already posted this on FB, but I cannot stop laughing

View from the other side of the campground

Same side, just before dusk (photo credit Dave)

From downtown Minneapolis when
my cousins Nat and Jeri visited

In 10 days, I'll be packing for the 5-day MS TRAM bike ride, and am looking forward to being on the move for a good cause. Thanks for all of the kind words of support. One of the people for whom I ride is my cousin's wife, who I was lucky to see at the funeral. Thanks for helping me make a difference.  http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MaggieTRAM2016