Tag: fitness

“Up North” Wisconsin

Early August is a wonderful time of year, while the summer feels like it is getting long, there is still so much time left to have fun. In northern Wisconsin, the weather is typically around 75 to 85 during the day and cools off to a wonderful mid-60’s at night. For my family, early August means we gather on the shores of the Chippewa Flowage near Hayward for a week of camping and fun. For over 20 years now the tradition remains, with extended family from my wife’s side making the pilgrimage from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, California and Arizona.

The activities are varied, of course we have typical camping go-to’s such as campfires, stargazing and cornhole, but our location also provides several other opportunities. These include paddleboarding, mountain biking, water sports and even sneaking in some pickleball at a nearby resort. Whatever your activity preference is, you can find it in northern Wisconsin, and no I am not sponsored in any way by the Wisconsin tourism department, although if you are interested let me know!

Let’s start off with a little paddleboarding. As mentioned we camp on the shores of the Chippewa Flowage, also called the Lake Chippewa. This body of water was created when the Winter Dam was completed on the Chippewa river in 1923. The result is the 3rd largest lake in Wisconsin and is littered with coves, islands and floating bogs. If you are planning on exploring the lake in a motor boat, be sure to have a good map or GPS as it is easy to get lost. For paddleboarding you rarely get out far enough for this to be a problem, but prudence should still be used. With all the coves and islands, this lake is a bit more forgiving of wind. While it can still whip up some whitecaps, there is usually a shoreline or bay that can be explored.

The paddleboard that I have is an inflatable, with 3 smaller built in keels. Like all sporting goods equipment choices there are personal preferences and trade-offs and SUP’s are no different. Rigid or inflatable and removable or fixed keels are probably the two biggest decisions. I am not an avid paddleboarder, which no doubt alters my choices. For me the number one concern is ease of use. For me, this means I can easily pack the board and nothing is forgotten or lost. An inflatable rolls up and fits in a large pack with the take down paddle and pump all in one bag. Also, since the keels are built in, there is nothing to forget. I have used someone else’s board when the keel wasn’t installed and it is not fun. Because I don’t paddleboard everyday or even every month for that matter, the time it takes to inflate a paddleboard is also a non-issue for me, it is all part of the experience for that event.

Now for a little mountain biking. Northern Wisconsin has a ton of it! Since my hub was at Lake Chippewa, I was mostly exploring the CAMBA (Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association) system and the Trek trails that surround the Mt Telemark area near Cable. The CAMBA network covers over 135 miles of single track spread out over the Hayward to Cable stretch and also includes a section further north at Mt. Ashwabay.

The CAMBA trails link seamlessly with the Trek trails and using Mt. Telemark as a base is a mountain bikers paradise. They have gear, food, showers, even a disc golf course for some non-biking downtime. The Trek trails also seem to be ever-expanding, it seems as though there are new trails every time I go there. Additionally there is a trail type for all riders. Whether your jam is easy flow, XC, technical downhill, fast flow or downhill jumplines, they have you covered. Being from Minnesota I have a soft spot for Cuyuna, but I have to admit, the CAMBA/Trek trail systems take the cake for me. There is also lodging right at Telemark if you want to stay there for a weekend of fun.

One of the best parts of spending some time “up north” is the nighttime skies. Far from light pollution the sky lights up and shooting stars are common. With a few setting changes, even a smartphone can take incredible images, even being able to see the Milky Way.

August 17, 2026
Biking Bentonville

It seems as though Bentonville has achieved a mythic status when it comes to mountain biking…and now I understand why.

For 7 days we stayed near Bentonville in the next town over called Bella Vista. This is a distinction by name only as far as I’m concerned. For the visitor it is the same community. The group we had was diverse. Myself and two sons are intermediate mountain bikers who are comfortable on blue and some black trails. My wife is more of a beginner, preferring the green trails. My father in law is most comfortable on green and some blue trails and my mother in law likes the paved trails.

A couple other notes on our stay, it was hot! Our riding days were from July 4th through the 10th with high temps each day in the 90’s. In the end I don’t think this mattered too much, if anything it made us slow down a little bit, enjoy the rides and not burn ourselves out early in the week.

As far as bike setups go we were all riding full suspension mountain bikes (with the exception of MIL) of different makes and models. In my opinion the most important part of your rig when headed to Bentonville is the tire selection. A good tire with sidewall protection is a must. This area is full of chunky sharp rocks that could wreak havoc on cheaper tires. My father in law had cheaper stock tires that came on his bike that were setup tubeless. After just a couple rides there were about 10 small pinhole leaks where sealant could be seen leaking out and one big enough that required a bacon strip. By the end of the week sealant was weeping through the sidewall of his rear tire. On the other hand, my boys had Maxxis tires (Aggressor and Assegai) and had no issues all week. The biggest surprise for me was the Bontrager Gunnison Pro XR tires that I had on. These were also setup tubeless, but at $55 each I was not sure how they would hold up. After 145 miles of riding over the week, I can honestly say I am quite impressed. These tires showed no signs of premature wear, no pin holes, no leaks, etc. While there were a couple sections where a little more tread could have helped, that is on tire selection not on the tire. I will definitely look at Bontrager tires in the future.

Getting back to tire tread. While many of the trails in Bentonville might be classified as XC trails, even the green trails have some loose sections. I would really recommend a trail tire that has some good tread and cornering ability.

OK, on to the trails and the riding. What makes Bentonville such a special place is the accessibility of the trails and the variety of trails that provide for riding of all levels. It was easy for all 6 of us to park in the same spot, disperse in different directions, ride for several hours and meet back with different routes and stories to tell.

While nearly all of the trails can be accessed via bike path, the most central trail cluster is Slaughter Pen. This trail system is literally dispersed through the community, offering a wide variety of climbs, descents, difficulty and jump lines. In general the Slaughter Pen trails loosely follow the paved greenway trail and they can all be ridden right into downtown Bentonville. Slaughter Pen is also home to the OZ Castle, which is a great system of flowy jumplines with a central hub (The Castle).

Coler and Hand Cut Hollow can also be ridden to from Bentonville, with each of them sitting just East and West of Slaughter Pen respectively. Coler is home to the unique Airship Cafe, a ride-in cafe where a mid-ride coffee or beer can be enjoyed. Hand Cut Hollow, is home to the insidious Zone 4 trail, touted as the toughest climb in the area. While it was probably a bit out of our league, the boys and I thought we should give it a try. While we did finish the trail, it certainly lived up to the hype!

North of Bentonville (technically Bella Vista, where our Air B&B was) lies the extensive Back 40 and Little Sugar trail systems. Together these trail systems are nearly 100 miles of wonderful trail that feel like back country but still wind through homes, lakes, waterfalls, and golf courses. Personally, the Back 40 and Little Sugar trails were my favorite. I love getting out and “getting lost” on a trail systems, even if only metaphorically. While preparation needs to be considered, one welcome feature is several trailside locations to fill water. In fact on one 4 hour tour of the Little Sugar trails, my older son was just fine with his two on-bike water bottles.

While a slight drive from Bentonville, the next town over of Rogers, has another unique location called the Railyard. This is an all paved bike park that has green, blue and black jumps and flow lines. Like other parts of the area, The Railyard also has connecting trails and a paved greenway trail that leads around the lake. I have never been a great jumper, but I know that I improved after spending a couple hours at the Railyard. There is something to be said for being able to take the same predictable jump over and over again when learning something new.

As mentioned earlier, there is something for everyone in Bentonville and the surrounding communities. There is great shopping, art, food, kayaking and swimming. With how hot the weather was, a favorite activity after a long hot bike was to take a refreshing dip in the creek behind Buddy Pegs bike shop.

If you are a mountain biking enthusiast, then Bentonville should definitely be on your list and don’t be afraid to bring the whole family!

July 14, 2026
Ugly Bikes Rule

A bike is one of the most magnificent contraptions ever made. In my opinion there has never been and likely will never be another invention that allows for human movement as efficiently as a bicycle, not to mention that it is so much fun! There are only a few activities that when performed bring an almost involuntary smile to your face. Take notice the next time you grab your bike and start cranking on those pedals, as the speed builds and you feel the wind in your face, I bet there is a smile on your face. One of the other activities, swinging. Don’t believe me? Next time you are near a playground, go for a swing and tell me you don’t smile, regardless of your age!

Like all activities and hobbies, things can get expensive if you let them. I own several bikes: somewhere between “not enough” and “just one more”. Everything from carbon frame road bikes with hydraulic disc brakes to a single speed steel mountain bike and many in between. I like to ride all of my bikes and for different reasons and purposes, however, there are a few of them that bring me joy no matter what, and the funny thing is: these tend to be the older, heavier, “uglier” bikes.

Perhaps it is the stories they tell, nostalgia, or some other intangible aesthetic, but embrace it and don’t let the haters get you down! While the cycling community as a whole is a pretty relaxed group, there will always be a few sideways glances as you cruise down the greenway on your purple Huffy. Who cares, they are probably jealous! There will always be pressure to upgrade or get the new thing, and I would be lying if I said I never went down that path, but rest assured there is nothing wrong with keeping your ugly bike.

This is where I’ll get on the safety and maintenance soapbox. If your ugly bike hasn’t been ridden for some time, it would be a good idea to get it serviced. Bearings can dry out, brake pads harden, and tires can crack. Fortunately, older bikes are easy to work on and fix, either by yourself or a shop.

Another option is giving that ugly bike a brand new set of clothes. The images below are of a bike that was saved by my wife’s grandpa on a trash pick-up day. I rode that bike many miles as a commuter, and finally decided I didn’t want to get rid of it, but also wanted to give it a second life. This was an extensive project that included stripping the bike completely, deep cleaning, a few new components, and a paint job. I think the end result is great and I’m glad I gave this ugly bike a second chance.

The next bike is also a favorite of mine. It is a vintage Raleigh steel frame, turned into a single speed bike. This bike has mismatched parts, is a little too small for me, and I had to “get creative” on the fork and stem junction, but I love it. This one even carried me on a 54 mile gravel (mud) race and performed brilliantly, much better than the rider.

The bottom line is that cycling should be fun and bring you joy. For some, that is getting the lightest, highest tech bike money can buy. For others, that might mean pulling that old Huffy out of the rafters and getting it cleaned up. If you have an ugly bike, embrace it and go for a ride!

“Riding a bicycle is the closest you can get to flying”, Robin Williams

May 20, 2026
2026 Granny’s Gravel Grinder

Grass roots bike events are special. It is rare that you will find big corporate sponsor tents, media coverage or big pay outs. What you will find are nice people, small crowds and home brew aid stations. Granny’s Gravel Grinder is no exception…well there are a couple exceptions, at Granny’s you also get post race tacos and a root beer float!

Granny’s Gravel Grinder is a race put on by Chase Wark of Wark’s Cycling Services and is quite literally hosted from his grandma’s house in central Minnesota. Chase also puts on the The Hotdish 100 race which takes place in Winona, MN. Together with the Day Across Minnesota (DAMN) and the Filthy 50, they make up the Northstar Gravel Series. At Granny’s you can choose from three distances: 100, 50 and 25 miles.

2026 marks the 4th year of the event and my third trip to Granny’s house, and to be clear I am no elite athlete, I enjoy endurance events because of the challenge, I’m not out there to win and my results show that! Two years ago I did the 50 mile event, which was my first long distance race ever. It rained all night and into the start of the race. It was a total mud-fest and a total blast, made even harder by my decision to ride my single speed. Last year I decided I needed more punishment and did the 100 mile, as it was part of my prep for the Lutsen 99er. The weather was perfect, but the race was very difficult for me. Those last 30 miles are brutal! Oh and by the way, when I say it is a 100 or 50 miles race they are actually 109 and 57 respectively. Even though I knew the race distances going into it, there was a real psychological impact when I got to mile 89. My head felt like I should be nearly done, but I knew it was really another 20 miles…Uff Da! This year I went back to the 50 mile. I think I was actually in better shape this year than last year, but I wanted to ride the same event that my younger son is participating in, and it allowed me to try and push a little harder instead of just surviving.

For the second year in a row the weather was perfect, starting the 50 mile race at 10 AM under sunny skies and 50 degrees with just a slight breeze. The start was sure to be fast and it didn’t disappoint. My gravel bike is a carbon frame from bikes direct that has pretty nice components on it including Shimano Ultegra groupset and hydraulic disc brakes. For tires I was running Maxxis Rambler 40mm, set up tubeless. My nutrition for this ride was a home-brew calorie and electrolyte mix that I carried in a 2-liter hydration pack. This is the hydration pack that I have used for a few years now, it is inexpensive, but it is light, and has been on thousands of miles with me. I’ve used this pack for 3 granny’s, one Lutsen 99er, two Chequamegon’s and much of the training. You can see from the picture it is still in great shape, although I did just wash it. The only thing I changed was swapping the bladder that came with it for a Nathan bladder and hose which are more supple and user friendly. There is plenty of room for a light jacket, spare tubes, snacks and more. The following are affiliate links. If you click and purchase I may receive a commission at no cost to you, but rest assured I would not endorse a product or brand that I don’t use myself.

N Nevo Rhino Pack

Nathan Hydration Bladder

My 15 year old and I planned to ride together with a goal of holding 16 mph. To this end we were doing quite well, keeping each other in check, taking turns when we lost a group and making sure we were having a good time. For the 50 miler, there is one aid station at about the 34 mile mark, which is set up at Jitters coffee shop in Ogilve, MN. Like always the aid station provided something for everyone; chips, drinks, pickles, fruit snacks, and much more. Our nutrition and hydration were on point, bodies feeling good and ready to go…until we left the aid station. As we pulled away and headed south, the wind hit like a ton of bricks. On top of legs that were maybe a little more tired than we realized, our pace slowed to about 14 mph. We would continue to battle the wind for the rest of the race, with our bodies going through the ebbs and flows of an endurance event. Although this is a gravel event, there are a few small sections of blacktop and I would be lying if I didn’t find a bit of relief when on the blacktop sections. It’s amazing what a difference it makes in speed and effort when going from loose gravel to blacktop! We continued to grind through the race and eventually one of us had to make a move. Before the race, my son and I decided we would race it together but the finish line is up for grabs. With about a half mile to go, I went for it, making the final turn through the pasture (yes the final stretch is through a field). I thought I was in the driver’s seat, when on the final corner, he shot past me and I had no answer. Fortunately in the picture below I was still in the lead!

It was a great day and a great finish, made better knowing that tacos and root beer floats waited for us. I should also mention that my older son, who was originally planning on doing the 100 mile race went down to the 25 mile since he is in the middle of track season and also nursing some calf tightness. He was planning on taking it chill and just following the crowd through the 25 mile course. His plans changed when he found himself in the lead, but kept taking wrong turns since there was nobody to follow. A mid-race Strava purchase set him on course and he won the 25 mile race despite the several wrong turns. I joked with him if he won a new bike, his response was; “no, a big cookie” and of course a hug from Granny! Which is the way it should be for events like this. Thanks again Chase, Granny, and the whole family!

May 4, 2026