Hope all is well as the summer ends.
Happy Trails,
Mike
Monday, September 7, 2009
Update
I don't know if anyone reads this anymore, but I just wanted to let everyone know that my car was broken into roughly two weeks ago and a fair amount of valuable things, such as my backpack with my computer and several important files, were stolen. All of the checks had been handed over to Global Volunteers by then, so no need to worry about that aspect. However, the theft has delayed my thank-you letter writing project to all donors since the donor database was in my backpack. Thus I apologize if you get a thank-you too late. Just wanted to keep everyone informed and updated.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Donation Totals To Date
As of today, 6/12, $4,967.77 has been raised!
Many thanks to all donors for their amazing generosity.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Done!
As of this morning's 13 mile run from Pine Island to Rochester via the Douglas Trail, the Great Transversal of Minnesota is officially over. I only have time for a quick update now, but more pictures and posting will be coming shortly.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Day 5 Complete!
After 114 miles of biking, day 5 is now finished. Only 1 more day left!
I was blessed with a strong tailwind for the entire day, making the miles roll by much faster than yesterday. However, some strong rain in the morning and temperatures in the mid-50s meant that after the first hour I was soaked to the bone and in the beginning stages of hypothermia. It was an eery replay of my rollerski trek two days ago. However, my faithful support crew saved the day again. After putting on dry clothes, spending some time in the RV with the heat blasting, and eating the last of our leftover pizza (and a few snickers bars on the side), my outlook improved by several orders of magnitude.
I reached Pine Island in good spirits after covering 97 miles. Once there, I decided to ride the remaining 17 miles back to my house. Although the official plan called for stopping in Pine Island today, it isn't too often that I have the privelege of riding with a tailwind on a point-to-point course. Thus I decided to prolong my ride. Even though I made it to Rochester today, I will still run the 13 miles from Pine Island to Rochester tomorrow.
Finally, a big thanks to my brother Ian who biked with me for about 10 miles around Nerstrand, MN. It made a very lonely part of the ride much more bearable.
Day 3 Pictures: Rollerskiing on the William Munger Trail
Mikey and Henry Walker on the trail
Are these my poles?
Ian: post-bike
Ian, Mikey and Henry
Day 5. 11:04 am
Mikey is currently recovering from hypothermia in the RV. He has covered 42 miles and will be back on the roads momentarily.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Day 4 Complete!
Day 4, the bike leg from Hinckley to Stillwater, is now complete. Total distance for the day was 73 miles. There was a constant headwind, however, making it more difficult than I had anticipated. Hopefully the winds reverse tomorrow!
Pictures from yesterday and today will be coming soon.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Day 3 Complete! And Halfway Done!
Day 3, with 60 miles of rollerskiing, is now complete!. After looking at weather reports that called for up to an inch of rain throughout the day and a high temperature of 47 degrees, I figured it would be better to just start skiing from the access point at the campground rather than at the true start of the trail. Doing so cut off 10 miles, but it turned out to be wise decision as it started downpouring on Henry and I after about 15 minutes. In less than 3 miles we were soaked to the bone. This turned out to be quite dangerous, however, since it was also about 40 degrees. By the time we made our first stop after 28 miles, we were in the beginning stages of hypothermia.
Yet things improved drastically after this low point, as the deluge let up to more of a drizzle and the temperature climbed another 5 degrees. Furthermore, we stopped approximately every 10 miles, making the trip physically and mentally much easier.
A huge shout-out to Henry Walker, my partner in misery, who made the ski today infinitely more enjoyable. Not only did Henry not balk at my idea of the Transversal when he first heard it, he also thought it would be great fun to do the ski portion with me. Not too many people would drop everything on a Monday and ski for 7 hours without complaining about a 40 degree rain. I honestly don't think I would have been able to complete the ski if it weren't for Henry. Many, many, thanks.
Pictures should be coming soon (whenever I get more time to upload them). I also think took some video footage on our camera, which means we should be able to upload the footage at the same time we do the pictures. Check back soon!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Whitecaps 
Day 2 Complete!
Day 2 dawned rainy, cold (42 degrees), and very, very windy. The wind transformed the previously tranquil Lake Superior into water with huge swells and whitecaps. Since kayaking would have posed an extreme risk of capsizing, I decided to run the distance instead of kayaking. Thus, I ran 17 miles along scenic highway 61 (the same route Grandma's marathon uses). The pictures that follow document my run. Enjoy!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Day 1 Complete!
After 7 hours, 22 miles, and 4 snickers bars, day one of the Great Transversal is complete! Some pictures from the day can be found above. More pictures and commentary to come. Also, plenty of video footage was taken, but that will be uploaded after the trek is complete. Enjoy!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
A Note on Pictures and Video
As the week progresses, I will do my best to upload pictures of the day's events. My sister will also be filming the endeavor. However, all videos will be uploaded after the trek is completed because we do not have the cords that allow for video uploads to the computer. Pictures, however, will be uploaded daily, assuming I find adequate internet connections along the way. Bottom line: be patient! There will be plenty of video feed and pictures taken, but there might be a slight delay in posting them.
A Few Big Shout-Outs
I have two huge thank-you's after today:
First, to Dan Soderberg for loaning me two kayak sprayskirts for a week. For free. Not only did it save me countless hassles from bypassing the rental scene, it also gives me the privilege of using some very, very nice equipment. Dan's generosity is even more amazing when one considers that I posted my request on an on-line bulletin board and he, who had never met me, responded so quickly. A huge thank you to Dan!
Second, to Rochester Cycling and Fitness (http://cycling-fitness.com/). Specifically, to Matt and Deb, the owners. Even though there was a week-long backlog, they gave my bike a thorough tune-up on an hour's notice. For free. And they threw in a spare tube at no charge. Many thanks for their extreme generosity shown to my cause. For all of you Rochester residents, and even non-Rochester citizens, support this shop!
Pictures!
The images that follow should give you a better idea of our transportation and support setup.
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