We make it to the punch, soaking wet and covered in mud. Lighting and thunder, pouring rain, the minute you stand still mosquitos attacking us at every exposed piece of skin, and by looking closer there are a few wood-ticks crawling up your legs, how much more fun can one have??? Not much more, I'd say in my silly self.
Getting back to the parking-lot of the Namakagon Trailhead, wet and muddy...
Side-effects from the rain...
Back in the car we stop by at the Rock-Lake trail to see if everything is okay. The good thing to see was that all the sandwiches we dropped of on the way out were gone, of corse I wish I could have a few more, I'm hungry like there is no tomorrow. We decided not to ride this trail because I've done this one in 2004, also in the rain. Just like now, pouring rain, more lightning and off we go to our last trail-head option at the Telemark Resort, the Ojibwe Trail!!!
Here we run into Pete, another friend of Carolyn and Harry that lives here in the area, I got introduced to him earlier during this festival. He talks us into going for another ride, after all we're already soaked, might as well do it.
The Ojibwe Trail is long and hard, to make things worse many places are flooded and the lightning does not make me feel at ease, Carolyne splits after a few miles, we'll meet her back at the lodge.
Peet and I battle our way to the punch-location, completely exhausted and more than wet...
I have a hard time getting back to the trail-head, I hit the wall, no more energy left in my body, every stroke on the bike is getting harder. I'm cold, the fingers are numb, the shoes are filled with water, the butt so soar from riding with the wrong underwear, and the trail requires every piece of attention I have left. I wish I had a power-bar with me, I do that all the time, extort myself, hit the wall and don't have a energy-source to refuel, today I've just been biking since 9 in the morning, now it's almost 7 and all I had to eat was a small Calzone Pizza, and about 5 2inch slices of the Sublime Subs... way not enough for such a big boy like me!!!
Finally back at the Telemark Lodge, where Carolyn gets me some to chew on to regain energy...
One of the best moments in life are taking a hot shower after such rough moments. Specially I need to inspect my complete body of Ticks, these guys been crawling all over me every time I look. Also my butt is sore from all this riding and wearing the wrong underwear, usually I wear these designed for biking, they have no seams in the crotch, but this was a mistake I made this morning to just put on my regular ones. Now I'm paying for it, a chafed crotch is no fun!
No, no picture of my chafed crotch, but a close look at these Wood-ticks...
The Deer-tick is the one that carries the feared Lyme-disease, a third smaller that the wood-tick!!! I only found one crawling on me and it got squished before I could take a picture. These guys are really hard to kill, basically the best would be to squash them between two stones. And if you don't spot them they start to bite and dislodge themselves into the skin and become really difficult to be removed. So catch them early as long as they still crawl around!!!! Here is a link to the Wikipedia.
But no time to whine, back in the car and off to Cable where Pizza and Beer is waiting to complete this day.
Pizza and Beer at the Rivers Eatery in the Ideal Market of Cable...
This place is a sponsor of this Festival of the Trails in more than one way!!!
Eating and drinking with my new friends...
The whole family is involved making this delicious Pizzas, and serving the Beers from the Angry Minnow Brewery...
The day was a success for Harry and he thanks me lots for all the help I provided. I was really happy to have food in my belly and some beer flowing through my body again, what a great day this was, I'm ready to collapse as soon as we get back home...
Sunday, June 14th The last day if the Trail Fest!!!
A little visitor made himself comfortable in the Bib-number of Carolyn's bike...
In the morning Harry, heads out again, there is a time-trial for the more ambitious riders happening at the Hatchery Creek Park, and he needs to see for the right things. Carolyn and I take a little more time before we go back to yesterdays trailhead at Mosquito Brook. It's time for us to get out there too, I still need to get the Hatchery Creek Trail punched, even though I don't know how many times I was riding it yesterday, going back and forth to get things right. Again, I get the bikes ready and off we go, ohh boy is my butt sore, I think that is the last trail I ride for today. But I do forget fast, these trails are just too much fun to be on, and now that it does not rain, its perfect again.
Now that we got this one punched we deserved a little break...
The Horny Toad's motto is...
By now I ate way too much, all the raffle goodies are raffled-off and things are winding down, bikes get loaded back onto cars, good-byes are said and the place quiets down. It is time to pack-up all that stuff and get home for a good nap!!!
By 3 o'clock I can say "Mission Accomplished"...
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