Snow Day

Snow days.  Some people, teachers, students...hate 'em or love 'em.  For me, well, the first thing I usually do when the official word comes through is head out the door to do anything.  Since there is snow, that anything would have to involve it in some way.  Usually I'll be out grooming ski or fatbike trails as soon as possible, do some snowshoeing or even the dreaded shoveling or plowing the endless driveway.

All that said, fresh snow is also an exciting time to get the camera out.  The outside world is now wiped clean with a untouched layer of white making everything new again and seemingly giving me fresh eyes to see.  It's a favorite time to be out and the change in the scenery breathes a clearer vision it seems into my camera.

The Driveway & Molly

Cliff's Field with Queen Annes Lace

Legacy White Oak

Cliff's Corner in Black & White

Field Edge with Molly Tracks

 Oak in Black on White

Ash Standing Tall and Proud

Swirls Grounded

Bent in Submission

Nature's Towering Cathedral

Ageless Fatbiking

We’ve all done it.  We see some of the same people at a trailhead from time to time, even recognizing their vehicle or their bike or the skis they snap into, but for whatever reason, we fail to introduce ourselves.  Opportunity lost I guess.  I’m guilty-I’ll sometimes be in a hurry to just start pedaling or poling and want to be away from the parking lot as quickly as possible.  An introduction might include that I’m a trail builder and groomer here and at times I want to be unanimous.   Those were mistakes I’d made when I’d see an older gentleman pull up on his bike, take a drink of water from his bottle and load the truck that had long been sitting at the trailhead.  Retired, I’d guess (and was correct) with unlimited time to ride.  What stopped me when I saw him this winter was the Pugsley he rolled in on- a fellow fatbiker…. Now  I needed to walk over and talk riding-sort of the last straw to an introduction.

Rod Villand is a Westby native and has retired from his La Crosse Wisconsin painting business and owns a cabin nearby. A good reason to frequent my home turf of Levis Mound.  If anything can become a common kindship, it’s unloading a fatbike and taking it for a spin.  The tribe of us fatbikers is still small in number, and I think that is what bonds us yet -and I like that. 

I’d heard about Rod from another friend who’d seen him pull up with a small trials motorcycle in the back of his truck-something more rare than fatbikes are to be sure.  He’d been a competitive trials rider in the Midwest starting in the mid ‘70s after a stint on dirt bikes prior to that.  Mountain bikes first came along in the ‘80’s and he re-called riding those early bullmoose handlebar rigid bikes on the very first trails I began building at Levis Mound.  Those trails were rough-we really didn’t know much about trail building then, but they were good enough to make it from his cabin 4 miles away, explore the mounds and return.  Even in those days, he was hardcore enough to slap studded tires on his bike and pedal nearby snowmobile trails- “Snowbiking” before snowbiking was cool (pun intended).

Owning and running your own business meant a hiatus from cycling for a number of years, but luckily for myself, his retirement put dirt back under his tires and a new friend on our trails.  When asked “why a fatbike?”  He said he was just “fascinated by the much larger tires,” which connected him to his motorcycling days.  When he speaks of bikes-the pedal or motorcycle variety, there is a kid-like sparkle in his eyes, something I’ve seen often while cruising singletrack together or chatting back at the trailhead.  He obviously loves riding-sand, rock,  snow….doesn’t matter.  A shop from La Crosse let him demo a Pugsley at Levis and that was all it took, he was sold.  The thought of riding anywhere, at anytime of year was “very appealing.” 

Like any mountain biker, soon tweaks and modifications start popping up on your ride.  Most fatbikers depend on, and are happy with the suspension afforded by the big tires, but being 67 years old and still banging off rocks and roots required a little more cush on the front end.  A Maveric fork was swapped in for the rigid one and Rod reported a much easier recovery on the shoulders after riding.  Seeing as our newly formed winter riding group had just gained a few new bikers, he did have a worry about keeping up with other riders  (I think it was a little unfounded-the guy can ride!).   He decided the next addition would be a Bionx electric assist on the bike.  Although seriously worried it would be “wimpy” to use one, the desire to be able to ride longer and more aggressively won out.  “There are 4 settings on the assist, and I figure each one is good for every five years of my age.”  The Bionx only kicks in when torque is applied to the pedals, so one still has to ride hard to make it all work.  “On the climbs at Levis my tongue would be in the spokes without it!” 

There seems to be a friendliness that flows through the fatbike scene and the people that ride them- the big fat tires opening a door to conversation, stories of rides and of trails. It is a connection and for myself, one that got me across the parking lot to meet a new friend. “When you’re retired, you have a lot more time to play, and my fatbike set-up helps me ride consecutive days, with younger friends and hopefully for more years.”  I hope so too Rod. Age doesn’t seem to matter, just the love of riding and wanting to get out the door.   I won’t make the same mistake of missing those opportunities to meet new people-if anything, introducing myself to Rod cured that and I’m grateful.

Sweaty Yeti

Russell in Winter Colour

It has become apparent that the Fatbike scene is not just a flash in the pan novelty. The big wheeled bikes have been around for some time, the first being modified double rim jobs first seen in the Iditasport race in Alaska.  In the rest of the country, they have been rare it seems until the past couple years and now they are popping up in a lot of cyclists garages-especially this winter.  I've long ago embraced the fatbike as my all around, all season bike-I just like how it rides and where it can go.

If you have a bunch of people with a new found love of winter riding, you'll probably get someone who thinks out loud- "Well, we should race these things!"  And there was and we do.  The just-for-fun races kicked into full gear last year, including our inaugural "Sweaty Yeti" race at the Levis Mound Trail.  Although small in turnout, there was a growing enthusiasm there and we brought it back for a second year.  Doubling the riders and having the perfect winter day made for a great race-the course getting better with every lap (Thank goodness!). 

This post isn't a race report really-as race director, I tried to be sure I had great volunteers and as many ducks in a row as possible so riders visiting our trail would have a "I wanna-come-back" experience.  Everything starts running itself after the gun goes off, so I had a rare opportunity to walk the course, camera in hand and make a few photographs of what this whole snowbike/fatbike thing is about.  

Scott on Bear Den

We'd had an unwelcome dump of snow 2 days prior to the race, which made the job of all the groomers that more difficult.  One trail however, the Bear Den, turned out to be amazing.  It was conceived as a winter only downhill section after last years race, and with the addition of a connecting trail, ended up being the racers favorite.  Good friend Scott Cole above gave it his approval.

Racing on Bear Den

A short connector trail off the Upper Glen trail turned out well, and even with a small climb midway through, it remained a swoopy fast section worthy of a race course.

Justin Racin

Hammerhead, nice guy and eventual race winner Justin Piontek rocked the course and could traverse the climbs and downhills at amazing speeds-ahh, it pays to be young and have a great coach.  Unlike so many top race dogs, Justin is friendly and always appreciative of the work done by trailbuilders and our meager race prizes of hand made mittens and aSand Creek sixpack seemed to be more than enough as race winnings.

The Sweaty Yeti

It's very difficult to get a good photograph of a Sweaty Yeti....I just know one came riding in and he was.  

Flyin Down the Bear Den

The new snow left a very scenic landscape and I liked the longer distance images of the riders as they passed by.

The Look

Upper Glen is not an easy climb, but once up and over the rocky crag, one is is rewarded with a fast sketchy downhill-well worth the gear grinding effort.

I Heart MY FatBike!

GoPros

Good friend and singletrack grooming guru Dan Hiller decided to make his bike as heavy as possible during the race, so Go Pro cameras were attached at about every braze-on-we're all anxiously waiting for the amazing video he'll produce!

Upper Glen Climb

Jen on Upper Glen

There are core groups of Fatbikers around the state and Jen Barden is a top notch pedal masher from the Wausau clan.  She'll be at the highest podium for most races, but more importantly is an advocate for the sport and so enthusiastic for everything that includes a bike and being on a trail.

One by Nine Climb

Too twisty and narrow for a snowmachine to groom, all of the new winter trails had to be packed by snowshoe-working out well in our case because we had so many volunteers putting in the hours to make it work.  As the race went on, these sections just became firmer and firmer and a blast to ride.

Elevation

Trail volunteer Mark Haferman finally pulled the trigger on a fatbike and decided to enjoy some of his singletrack handiwork by racing this year-all smiles by the end.

Race Start

My recent piece on ski trails and fatbikes living together should have included this image or several others of skiers and bikers alongside each other.  Okay, so this was an unusual case with the race and all, but still it illustrates that these sports can work together as my biker trash friends Laura, Phil and Dan can attest to.

Sweaty Start

I decided to finish this post with the start photograph.  Keeping with the fun-at-all costs theme of fatbike racing, we used a Le Mans start-shotgun blast and a running sprint around a deer and back to mount the bike and willy-nilly take off.  It works and is a fan favorite.  I just like seeing all these fatbikes speeding away on "my" trail!

The Fruit Market

I always have the best intentions when I travel to a new destination-to try and photograph things that I haven't seen before (always a goal) or show what I experience.  A trip to a World Games would seem to be a great opportunity, but coaching duties come first and photos second, so I come away with few images.  While staying in our Host town of Seoul South Korea, I did have an opportunity one early morning to stroll near the youth hostel, camera in hand and seek out some pictures.  It was before 5:00 and a side street off a busy main drag invited me to check it out.  From a block away I could see lights on and a few bodies scurrying around.  This might be the place.

The shop above was the first I ran across-I liked the quietness of this corner-no one seemed to be about and just a few vehicles drove by.  Stacks of crated oranges stacked outside the protective plastic walls.

There were common characteristics of each of these shops-small light bulbs illuminating the storefronts, sheets of plastic protecting the fruit, kerosene floor heater warming them, and a sleeping korean or two.  I walked by this shop twice and the old man curled up in the bent wood chair never moved, oblivious to me or any customers who might interrupt his sleep.

I wasn't sure how this all worked-perhaps a wholesale market?  It seemed the shop keepers were busy moving boxes around a lot and small mini trucks, cars and even motorcycles would pull up in the cold morning air, load crates and speed off.  A steady humm of quiet hushed business.

I noticed this "tea lady" a couple times but only made this picture of her.  She had a small cart with instant sweet coffee, hot water and tea, and she would stop at each shop to offer her warm drink to customers and shop keepers.

Side streets and alleys were always the same-mini trucks and tiny cars, a web of electrical wires and soft colored bulbs surrounded by high rise apartments-pretty typical for Seoul.

While the fruit market was busy, other streets I walked past hadn't quite woken up yet and seemed very peaceful.  In talking to some of the locals, Seoul is very safe, police don't usually carry guns, theft is almost non existent.  I felt very safe in this city of 25 million.  After an hour or so of wandering, my hands succumbed to the cold, and I was in desperate need of coffee.  I arrived back at the Hostel to a few residents out for their morning smoke or perhaps waiting for the tea lady to push by.  Either way, we were all starting our day and on this one, I was glad to have had the camera in hand once again.

Faces of the Games

I've always been intrigued by portraits, in the stories they can tell when done well...maybe an elusive goal of mine for a very long time.  For several of the past Special Olympic World Games, I've tried to shoot portraits of athletes, not just ones on Team USA, but other countries as well.  Coaching and photography are at odds with each other during competition, but I manage to make a few images anyway.

We're together for such a short time and become close, quickly appreciating each other and learning just a little of their lives and their stories. If nothing else, they are a reminder of the person I had the privilege to come to know for a few brief weeks.  Sadly, I may never see them again,  so the pictures become even a more valuable record of who they are and our time together.

Some Crazy Coaches

Although not entirely a portrait, this image kind of sets the stage for the rest of the photos-these three friends have coached at four Winter World Games together and can pick up that friendship right where it left off years ago.  I think the expressions here illustrate that closeness that I'm so thankful for.

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Kimmo

Kimmo is the Finnish Head Coach and someone I have become close to over the years.  A World Games can become like a reunion of sorts, with old friends getting back together once every four years.  I don't take these friendships for granted, and it pains me to to think one day I won't have this chance again.  Kimmo is a fun loving coach, always quick with a laugh and thru his broken English we have lively conversations.  He always puts athletes first and I respect him greatly...crazy Finn. ;)

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Standing Out

It's a known fact that our motto is "hurry up and wait" so one must be more than patient.  Coaches also need to be ever watchful, knowing at all times where their athletes are, so keeping a careful eye out is requirement numeral uno for the staff.

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The Pay-Off

Being at a World Games is payment enough, but no one should not be fooled into thinking the medals don't matter.  Every athlete wants to take their place on the highest podium spot-that's where the payoff comes from all the months of hard work, travel, lousy food and sleepless nights.    

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Proud Coach

Usually few photographs of me appear here on my site, but I'll indulge myself some in this post-just have to for there are far too many people that will be missed and I became close to.  Laura was our team Captain and hails from New Ham-sure ;) and was one of the hardest working athletes on the team.  She just was the one person you always loved to see in the morning and would be willing to help in anyway she could.  Besides all that, she is a top notch skier and a great example of a world games athlete.

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Kansas Spitfire

Helen is from Kansas-the hotbed of XC skiing.  She has such a great fun loving and friendly personality-how could I not love her.  She skied hard, laughed loudly and took all of the world games experiences in-just as it should be.

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Dynamic Duo

Games faces on before the 1 kilometer race.  We'd always stage races in a tunnel under the stadium-the perfect place to see how athletes handle the pre-race.  These two guys were just awesome to be around.  Junichi saved the day in the airport in Japan, translating to TSA agents there for the figure skating team.  David is a hoot-his stories and daily banter (" how do you know?") is the stuff I'll always remember.

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Birthday Boy

 Jimmer celebrated his 18th birthday and did his best to let everyone at the World Games know.  He had quite the following of Korean girls and spent maybe just a little too much time cultivating those friendships.  The Korean Head Coach also befriended Jim and was kind enough to hand deliver a birthday cake on the special day-just a small thing, but so typical of the games.

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Rain Day

We were totally rained out one day and the weather was just miserable and this images sums up the face of a Head Coach scrambling in his mind to come up with a plan for the day ahead.

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Prepped and Ready

 Jerry was our oldest athlete on the team at 57 years young and an outstanding skiier-always with the questions of how he'd done.  Bryan is a Global Messanger and had one of the most dramatic finishes in a race ever-televised for the world to see.

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One Last World Games

Erin, retiring skier and veteran of two World Games.  She always pushed to do longer races, even with limited training time back in Pennsylvania.  She knows the game face.

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The Captain

 The captain again here.  A prepared athlete if there ever was one.  Nothing bothered her and she was up for any challenge.

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Game Faces

Trying their best to do the game faces I taught them...too bad a second later they burst into laughter.

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The Medal Brings it Home

A rare smile from Jeremy and there were more thana few times we wondered if he really enjoyed the games.  Then, something like this would happen and we discovered he really was taking everything in and appreciating his time in Korea.

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Ever Watchful

At times there are things going on in every direction and it takes all hand on deck to pull it all off.  I had the very best coaching staffs one could hope for.

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"Seriously?"

"Lunch" was about the only downtime we had all day and it provided us all with a much needed break and a chance to just talk to each other-the conversations I will miss, the cold food, not-so-much.

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Reflection

At the end of the games, I think all coaches take a minute to reflect on all that had just transpired during the previous crazy, hectic, proud and intense days...and a quiet moment like this is what is most needed.