A Little Break

, We took a vacation to Whitefish, MT and Glacier National Park. We had a great time. It was beautiful the whole time we were there. Perfect for hiking, biking and just hanging out. The week before we got there, they had just gotten 3-4 feet of snow in Glacier. That made some of the hiking difficult and a lot of the park was still closed, but we found some great trails and saw some great sights.

Hiking in the snow to Avalanche Lake.

We found some trails without snow. And some snow the higher you went. That's Shawn looking

for the trail. We were on the Whitefish Ski Resort hiking trail

and wanted to get to get to the top. No such luck.

Back in Glacier. We wanted to see as much as we could. The Going-to-the-Sun road was closed to cars at Avalanche Lake. But, open to bikes. We took out the bikes and went up.Shawn made it a little higher up than I did. Near the pass, until the snow on the road made him turn around. It was beautiful.

It was a great relaxing vacation. Time to gear up and get back to work.

On The Run

We took time away this fall to play a little. In early October we went to the cities and we both completed the Twin Cities Marathon. It was a little chilly, but a good day to run. It was my first long distance run and my goal was to just finish. This was Shawn's 2nd marathon of the summer and he set out to run under 3 hours and to qualify for the Boston Marathon. All goals attained!

No pain here! Oh, the pain! I think I can, I think I can... After passing our cheering section...

and a little pep talk from my sister... I did it!

Last weekend, we went to Door County, WI where Shawn did the Fall 50.

Yes, the 50 means 50 miles. It was an absolutely gorgeous course. The leaves were still brilliant and it was mostly on sparse roads next to the water. I was signed up to do the race as a team, but got sick that week and was unable to run. Luckily, I had a very understanding team that did very well without their 5th person. So, instead I was able to follow Shawn. He did terrific! Made it look very easy!

Rounding the corner to the finish line!

He did it!

A heat wave, and how we beat it.

About 70 years ago, a channel was dug to divert water from a nearby open-pit iron mine. From the pictures we have seen, it was a project of epic proportions that pretty much desecrated the land in its path. Unfortunately that path went right through the farmstead that we now call home, splitting the field in two and no doubt leaving behind quite a mess.

But that was then, and Nature has an incredible way of winning back her territory. Today, we are gifted with a beautiful 'river' that is just a stones-throw from the barn. With lakes in either direction, it is a perfect starting point for some local paddling adventures. We've also found it to be a great place to sit and watch the world go by on a hot summer day.

Here's to enjoying summer!

Hot sun and cool ideas at the MREA fair

Lisa and I attended the Midwest Renewable Energy Association Fair in Custer Wisconsin this past weekend. This is an annual event that began 20 years ago for the hardcore solar power enthusiasts, but has since diversified into "all things sustainable." With hundreds of workshops and exhibitors (not to mention AWESOME food and live music venues), there is definitely something for everyone here. We took in all three days, learning about everything from medicinal herbs to straw bale construction to bio diesel engine conversions...lots of ideas to keep us busy back at Green Gate! Here are a few pics. Note the solar panels and wind towers in the background. Here is the alternative fuel/vehicle area. They had a variety of rigs converted to electric, veggie oil, bio diesel, etc.

I, of course, spent a lot of time in the natural construction area, where they were demonstrating straw bale, cord wood, straw-clay, earth block, and whole tree methods...

...Our next guest house is already taking shape in my mind.

3 granola bars, 2 water bottles, and a passport.

The die-hards around here know that the best time of year starts after most of us have shoved our skis in the basement closet. Its called crust-skiing, and I was fortunate to get an invite to make a loop across several lakes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area along the US-Canadian border near Ely. Over a smooth layer of packed snow, it was a day of fast, blissful, wide-open skiing, with occasional stops for photos, portages (we had to walk them), and snacks. A cool rock on Moose Lake.

Elton, the speck on the shoreline, making a run (er, ski) for the border.

Some rapids along one of our several portages...walk across this log and you're in Canada.

Refueling stop, somewhere on Basswood Lake. 30-something degrees and sunny...what a way to cap off the 2009 ski season!

Still on the skinny skis

For most of the frigid winter, it is best to 'time' your ski workouts for the warmest part of the day. Then comes March... Ahhh, March. Longer days, abundant snow, and warmer temps- so much warmer that now it pays to get out there at dawn before the sun turns the trails to mush. And if you're lucky, the groomer just laid down fresh cords.

The view from the top of the alpine runs.Admittedly these pics were taken on a frosty morning about a week ago, before we got several days of rain. But with more snow in the forecast this week, we could be back in business for a little while longer.

Minnesota, without the bugs.

Lisa and I jetted down to Mexico for our Yucatan honeymoon last week. We started out in Tulum, biking and baking on the beach for a couple days.

Then we detoured off the 'gringo trail' and worked our way down the coast to the town of Bacalar, just short of the Belize border. The quiet little town overlooks Laguna Bacalar, a 30 mile long freshwater lake that was a piece of heaven.

We stayed at a cozy little resort at the edge of town and right on the water.

We found a tandem kayak to paddled across the lake so we could explore the endless supply of uninhabited mangroves and beaches.

With a week of sun, sand and all the fresh food we could eat, we are back home to reality (frozen lakes and long underwear). Back to work...

Kayaking

It's not all work on the Homestead. Sometimes we play. Shawn's sister and niece spent the week. One day we decided to go kayaking. Instead of having to load the boats on cars, we were able to walk them from the house to the lake. (Thanks to Shawn's kayak carrier, one person can tow our kayak). It's pretty slick.

History repeats itself.

A cold, rainy start to the 50k trail race at Lutsen. I opted to be warm and dry instead of fashionable, so kept on my lightweight cycling raincoat. I ran this event in 2003, finishing in tough shape and barely able to walk for a couple of days. Not wanting to suffer like that again, I started slow, or at least thought I was starting slow. I later realized it wasn't slow enough. Dan and I coming through the first checkpoint at around mile 7. I decided to convert my raincoat into a pretty little skirt after the rain stopped and I warmed up (not a slave to fashionhere...). We ran together for quite awhile, then Dan picked up the pace and I decided to let him go. I was surprised to reach the turnaround point at exactly 2 hours- alot faster than anticipated. I came upon Dan again near that same checkpoint, this time on the return trip (now about mile #24). Dan was fading fast, I was feeling good. We chatted briefly, then I went ahead, anxious to finish. Around mile 26, I hit the same 'wall' as in 2003 (at almost the exact same point!). My quads just aren't accustomed to the pounding of the Superior Hiking Trail and I was starting to suffer. I walked the steeper uphills and did my best on the descents. Fortunately, the last few miles are mostly downhill! Everyone said I 'looked strong' near the end, but I felt like crap and just wanted to STOP! Ultra-running is all about being mentally tough and smart enough to know how to pace yourself from the start...I've got alot to learn! It's also about looking good even when you're feeling bad, which I why you'll noticeI left my yellow dress/raincoat in my dropbag so I wouldn't have to wear it across the finish line :) On the good side, I finished a few minutes faster than my 2003 time, in worse conditions. Now I just need to train my brain and my legs for the longer distances- hopefully a 50 mile ultra in July....

Time to play

We've been working hard on the barn, yet find ample time to play and train. Shawn has a 50k trail run coming up and has been doing long training runs. What a great way to enjoy all of the trails and back roads we have up here. He has discovered new trails this spring. I can't wait to check them out. I may need to check them out via bike, I'm not up to the 4 hour run quite yet.

Snow Happens

Had to strap on the boards one last time for the year...how often do you get to ski on Easter?? The trails were not up to the usual state of Giants Ridge perfection, but who cares in April! Happy Easter everyone.