Winding Down – Sunday, July 30

We’re a slow, but smiling group this morning after some ‘high performance’ summer evening socializing under the trees in front of the dormitory. Stuart Crow’s ‘Toaster’ (mini Airstream trailer) fit right into the ambiance, representing the helpful, but humorous support he has provided the Tour for years! Lots of laughs, many farewells and trying to synthesize the 2006 Tour experience. Our last night was capped off with a fantastic cocktail hour and dinner, sponsored by Stihl. Several TREE Fund board members attended and we all had a chance to say our official and unofficial thank-you’s and acknowledgements. Hope to see you all next year!

Saturday, July 29, 2006- Team Canada Sweeps Day 7 of Tour

By Marian Makar, Warren Hoselton, Greg Hill and John Wilson, Ontario, Canada

ST. PAUL, MN – Roll call was at 6:15 a.m. at the Hinckley Fire Museum.  Due to an overnight thunder and lightning storm, there was no power in town. But the very resourceful town caterer was still able to answer the bell and serve up a hearty breakfast for all.

Enduring strong headwinds and heavy rain, Team Canada rolled out across the rolling countryside of Minnesota, sporting fashionable shower caps over their helmets and shoes. 

Team Canada, once again, made a formidable appearance on the Tour — Captain Greg Hill, Right Winger Warren Hoselton, Left Winger Marian Makar, Right Defence Phil Graham, Left Defence John Wilson, Goalie Frank Bombardier and missing from the line up, Susan Mentis.  Although we make up a small percentage of the Tour riders, we have been welcomed with open arms, especially from those drafting behind us.

Despite all odds, including foreign culture, foreign currency, language barriers, miles versus kilometers, poor coffee, and no Canadian back bacon for breakfast, Team Canada was able to persevere.  

Due to our superior cycling skills, we were able to arrive into St. Paul hours ahead of the Hammerheads and we were able to prepare back bacon sandwiches and cold Molson Canadian beer for the hydration session which is so crucial to the post cycling cooling down ritual.

Summing up today’s activities, Warren Hoselton is quoted as saying “It was a hamstring-wrenching week capped with camaraderie, friendship, cycling and the love of trees which makes for life-long memories”.

Greg Hill said “The final day was just another character-building experience as the tough days on the Tour are. Missing by my side was the wit, sense of humor and stories of John White. But he was there helping to push my pedals through the strong headwinds and downpour. The encouragements of the present and past riders enable most of us to push ourselves well beyond what we thought we were capable of. The Tour is much, much more than just a cycling vacation!”     

John Wilson said “What a tough day to finish the tour – we must have gone through four seasons.  We had rain in the morning, high winds and blistering heat”. 

Marian Makar, four-year Tour veteran, said “This year’s support team was phenomenal and special thanks to my four chivalrous man servants for pulling me along this year’s route.”

Frank Bombardier said “I couldn’t have made it through the day without Bag Balm, Red Bull, ice and the support of my Canadian comrades, not to mention the incredible lunch that was provided by John Church of Wright Tree Service.  And thanks to Tasty Asian Take-Out for your generous donation to the TREE Fund!

Phil Graham said “ See you all next year – hope you can keep up!”

Hayward, WI to Hinckley, MN – Friday, July 28

By Rick Tagtow, Fairbank, Iowa

We just came from the Hinckley Fire Museum and there was much discussion about the hot, dry conditions during the summer that preceded the fire of September 1, 1894. We can all relate! A variety of bike computers and high tech watches recorded temperatures in the 105 degree range this afternoon so the goin’ was pretty slow as the day progressed.

The museum was sweet, though, and as we watched a video documenting the world-famous fire, we could almost feel the heat. Wait a minute… we could feel the heat. It’s still really, really hot outside and we’re all very grateful for our air-conditioned accommodations this evening.

The recent glaciations that flattened much of Iowa evidently missed the parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota that we have been traveling through for the past two days. As a result, each and every river that we cross (and there have been a ton of them) seems to bear a striking resemblance to the Grand Canyon when viewed from the seat of a bicycle.

Actually, the scenery is quite striking and I am sure my wife, Diana, and I will retrace this very route in the near future. Lots of wildlife, too, and I look forward to showing her the exact spot on the road where a very large deer ran across the road right in front of me.

I was trailing the rest of the riders (as is my custom), so I was the only one who witnessed the unfortunate encounter between the deer and an oncoming car. The impact is indeed stunning when witnessed from a distanced of about 30 feet. I felt like I was in a scene from the movie “Twister” as I dodged the grill, headlight and outside mirror that were dislodged from the vehicle.

The deer missed me by a good 10 feet when it landed, but I can’t help but wonder what would have happened had I hit the deer before it reached the car. Would the couple in the car be telling their friends about the collision and relating how bicycle parts were flying everywhere? Would they be relating how the dead deer landed a mere 10 feet away from them after it spun through the air?

Speaking of wildlife, the famed Minnesota insect population has not bothered me at all during this trip. I’m wondering if that may be more a function of the byproducts of so much physical exertion rather than a consequence of the recent lack of rain. Come to think of it, that might also explain why the other riders are so eager to pass me by. I was assuming they were just much better riders but maybe, just maybe, they simply prefer to be upwind.

I’ll ask around tomorrow. If I can catch up with someone… anyone.

A Rookie’s Point of View – Bayfield to Hayward, WI Thurs. 7-27

By Mike Edson, Greenwich, CT

I’ll admit it up front – I’m a tour rookie.  Brothers Jim and Kris encouraged me to join them in the 2006 Tour des Trees and it has been everything they led me to believe.  One would think that the most memorable part to date would be the incredible views we’ve seen riding along Lake Superior or the challenge of climbing Mt. Josephine just after crossing the Canadian-US border, but truth be told it’s the people.  I have never met a group of people that are as friendly, caring and supportive.  Whether or not you’re an arborist, this group makes you feel part of the family.  The commitment they show in training for this ride, raising funds for the TREE Fund and giving time during a very busy time of the year makes me feel fortunate to be included in the ride.  After this trip, if I have an emergency and the police don’t respond, I may just call an arborist for help.

First Tour Times

From:  Lindsey Purcell

Great experience from the physical and mental side of life.  Many thanks to the Canadian contingency (Yahoos!) for their gracious paceline!  Thanks to the Indianapolis Parks Foundation and all of the sponsors from this Hoosier in the Tour des Trees.  Thanks to all who participated for their help and assistance for my first and best Tour! Tom Ordway and Tim Womick talked me into this mess… thanks!  Also, to a great roomie, Paul Buck.  Thanks for the fellowship.

What an absolutely stunning day!!

By Paul Buck, Plymouth, MN

Picture perfect is the only way to describe it, as can be attested by the pictures. As a virgin rider to the Tour, I was initially apprehensive about fitting in and finding my place (near the back of the peloton), but it’s one big happy & tired family. The light bulb moment; although we are raising funds for trees, it’s really about the people! From the crazy support staff that won’t let a banana get to “banana bread brown”, to the sag wagon smiles, to the rider encouragement, to the sponsor & donor support from afar, to the 60+ passionate riders and their individual stories, to the surprise visit by my family; it is really about our connections to each other and the environment.

I need to find that person who told me that the ride was much easier than the fundraising!! The ride is a killer, but as of day three I’m still smiling as promised. No crashes and no flat tires (knock on the nearest tree). Am I’m exhausted? Most every mile after lunch. Do I get discouraged? Only on the last hill of the day, but then I remember my supporters who have encouraged me from afar. How can I let them down? Will I finish? Yes, with help from my roommate, my riding partner and God willing!

Thanks to everyone who has lifted my spirits, both near and far!!

Ride On!

Day Four – Duluth to Bayfield, WI

 

By Doug Anderson, Western Chapter ISA

Approximately 65 riders and support crew rolled out of the University of Minnesota at Duluth (UMD) this morning at 7:30, after a cafeteria breakfast of blueberry pancakes, sausage, Cream of Wheat, fruit, juice, and coffee. Many of us were a bit bleary-eyed after an extremely warm night spent in a brick dorm, which captured much of the heat. It was a beautiful night, with many stories shared as we waited out the heat a bit to retire to our rooms.

From the top of the bluff UMD is built on, we had a terrific view of the city and harbor, including both bridges, as we rode on Skyline Drive this morning.  This stretch of road is the traditional parking spot for many generations to come relax, enjoy each other’s company, and contemplate their city. The police escort made it easy to pull off for a few photo ops!We descended the hill to the base of the Bong Bridge, named after Richard Bong, a P-38 pilot in WWII with one of the highest kill ratios in the service. We had a great protected bike lane over the bridge into the City of Superior, in the state of Wisconsin. We stopped briefly on the other side of the bridge to pick up another police escort.

While we were waiting, Paul Wood, our coordinator and all-around great guy, came into the parking lot with a few spectators who had been waiting several blocks away at the end of the bridge, hoping to get a glimpse of the riders as we went by. Little did they know we had our own bike lane that stopped short of the end of the road! As it happened to be my Mom, sister, and six-year-old niece, I was very glad to see them. Many thanks to Paul from us all, he does a terrific job out here making sure it all goes smoothly.

Soon the other half of our escort arrived, which took us to the Millennium Trail head, where we were treated to a rest stop sponsored by the City of Superior.

Mary Morgan, their Parks and Recreation Administrator, was there to introduce Mayor Dave Ross, who spoke a few words of encouragement for our cause. Mary administers the third largest municipally owned city forest in the
United States, at over 4,400 acres.

Dick Welch of the local Tree Board spent many hours pulling the event together. The riders all enjoyed having all the food and drink sponsored by the local SuperOne store owner.

From there we headed to the Osaugie Trail, where were treated to another few miles of park trail riding before we hit the highway to start laying down some miles before lunch.

Around mile 63 — between 1:00 and 2:00 that afternoon for most of us — we found the City of Port Wing, where we found Jim Anttila and Lori Skaj of Candlelight Catering waiting with homemade sandwiches, fruit, and lots of cold drinks! They were a cheerful bunch, well received by tired riders who faced another 40 miles to the City of
Bayfield before the end of the day.

After 114 miles yesterday from Grand Marais to Duluth, and 85 the day before from Thunder Bay to Grand Marais, it was a tired bunch that arrived in the quaint little town of Bayfield, gateway to the Apostle Islands. We are split in to six different hotels, a bit of a logistical challenge for Paul Wood, our coordinator!

Fortunately, we are going to the Big Top Chautauqua tonight after dinner, a variety show of some kind, to lift our spirits as we set out tomorrow for our short day – a 74-mile jaunt into Hayward, Wisconsin.

Check here tomorrow for more news!

Highway 61 Revisited, by the shores of Gitche Gummie, by the shining deep sea waters

By Louise DesJardins

Tuesday.  Day two.
Sunrise, an amber crescent on the horizon, at Grand Marais, 5:30.  Lake Superior, the second largest fresh water lake in the world, looms for miles ahead.  Loons on the lake. Blue Water Café breakfast of pancakes, sausage, bacon, and eggs. 

We’re on the road by 7:30.  We have to ride 113 miles, give or take a few, today to reach Duluth.  In general the miles fly by quickly as we roll up and down hills and take long pulls on the flats.  Highway 61 (the scene of a few days of riding the tour in 2001) has a few stretches of road construction that present challenges, (a record 12 flats, one broken quick release, and one mangled handlebar, but we’re all safe tonight.  “A Triple A plus day,” said Tim Womick, who never seems to have a bad day despite three flats and a broken skewer.

We’ve seen lots of aspen, speckled alder, white spruce, larch, choke cherry, mountain ash, and red maple.  Also some amur choke cherry Prunus mackii , which is actually from China but likes it here. The Betula are hurting from wind, drought, leaf miner, and bronze birch borer.  We saw birch and red pine on lumber trucks heading for the pulp mills.   We saw a white spotted sawyer up close.  It was black, about an inch or so long with two inch antennae and one little white spot. 

 “My day was fantastic.  My longest day so far,” says Chris Jordan.  We’re hanging around Stuart Crow’s casita after a very long day of riding, at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, recovering. Bubba and Brian have set up their mechanics station outside to escape the heat.  “It was Maureen Hamb’s — the lady with the braid—longest day too.”   I ask around and find out that 13 more riders had their personal bests today:  Kristin Wild; John Harthoorn;  Tom Ordway;  Lindsey Purcell;  the brothers Edson: Jim, Chris, and  Mike;  Elizabeth Renner;  Marian Makar; John Wilson;  and Frank Bombardier, better known as three-fifths of Team Canada;. Rick Tagtow; and  Jeff Iles.

Superior Tour, Day 1, Thunder Bay to Grand Marais

by James Allen and Maureen Hamb, independent consulting arborists from
Santa Cruz, CA

After riding three previous Tours we waited with anticipation for the beginning of this years “Superior Tour”.   The excitement increased with the arrival of riders from across the US and Canada. Grizzled veterans, “hammerheads” and backpackers along with first time riders congregated at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario for the “kick-off” dinner the evening before Day 1.

Monday morning 62 riders converged in front of the dorms for departure. A ceremonial tree planting/mulching took place with a City Counselor and the City Forester.

Riders were escorted by two cycling City Police Officers out of Thunder Bay through the extensive network of bike trails. We wound through the trails that eventually developed into back roads; we skirted the escarpment that guards the city on our way to Route 61, our link to the US/Canada border.

Reaching Hiway 61 the Tour riders began to separate into groups. Team Canada had increased their numbers adding two riders, Frank Bombardier and John Wilson to replace Susan Mentis, a longtime rider whose spirit is sorely missed. Chris and Jim Edson, brothers from Pennsylvania had recruited their younger brother Mike to strengthen Team Edson. Their sisters are on the list for recruitment.

Al Gilens is back after taking a year off to assume the role of Tour Photographer. We are happy to have him in our ranks both as a rider and to capture the events of this Superior Tour.

The riders continued south down Hiway 61 through the beautiful mountains, conifer and birch forest systems. Support crews, led by Danny Sapp (our luggage guru), were on task and ready for riders to arrive at the first official break location at the Can-Op service station. We are fortunate to have a strong support team consisting of Tom Kraak, Kathy Gilmore, and Linda Nanni. We are always thankful to see them on the road attending to the riders’ needs.

Mechanical problems are well attended to by our Tour mechanics, Bubba and Brian. Between them they keep everyone running smoothly and perform their work graciously.

The border crossing was smooth and uneventful as the Border Patrol agent warned us of the upcoming climb. As we began the four-mile long ascent many of the riders were questioning whether they had trained enough for this event.

Just as the climb began to seem endless and the black flies found our lycra apparel, an easy target we were rewarded with a spectacular view of what would be our constant companion,
Lake Superior.

The summit was finally reached with a rewarding descent to follow. Riders became reacquainted with old friends and began making new ones as our destination of Grand Marais drew closer.Groups of Hammerheads passed us with regularity, sometimes two and three times during the day. Those that possess a higher level of cycling skill than others always offered a friendly greeting and words of support. Constant reminders of our purpose — support for tree research and a passion for our work with trees — was expressed throughout the day. Lunch awaited our arrival at the Grand Portage where we could all meet and exchange tails of our travels on the road to Grand Marais.
After refueling it was back on the road for the remaining 35 miles of our day. Our final rest stop was a public beach where riders lounged in the sun and the warmth of the rocks. Some took off their shoes for a refreshing dip to soothe their tired soles.

The final 12 miles of our day offered splendid views of Lake Superior and the surrounding countryside. Upon our arrival in Grand Marais, 84 miles from Thunder Bay, we were greeted by a wonderful lakeside setting, again offering opportunities for cooling off with a dip in the lake.

This was a great day to cover these miles, solidify our team and support tree research as we begin our journey toward Minneapolis.

Day One, Thunder Bay to Grand Marais, or “A trip down memory lane” – Phil Graham

It was a dark and stormy day, or at least Sunday had been.  While the bulk of the crew arrived from Minneapolis late on Sunday, Team Canada and a couple of other riders who had flown in were treated to a tour of Thunder Bay.  We rode, and met Shelley Vescio at a variety of sites where she was able to showcase some of her many accomplishments in the Thunder Bay urban forest.  We also had some press coverage, with a great article and picture in the Chronicle Journal.

Now, on to memory lane…  Twenty eight years ago I stayed in the same residence building at Lakehead University, setting out on an adventure that has lasted the rest of my life.  Today I stood in front of around 60 riders dedicated to raising money for tree research, in the same cafeteria I’d frequented many times before.  So now I’ve had two adventures start from LU. 

A few memorable things happened during my time at LU.  Mount St. Helens blew its top, John Lennon was murdered, and most significantly to Thunder Bay, a young man dipped his foot in the Atlantic Ocean and started to run across Canada.  Actually, he dipped his artificial leg in the ocean, because Terry Fox had lost his leg to cancer and felt that if everyone in Canada contributed a dollar to the cause, he could raise over twenty million dollars for cancer research. When he neared Thunder Bay that fall, he announced that the cancer had returned and was in his lungs and that he would have to end his run to fight the disease. Terry lost his fight with cancer, but his legacy lives on in annual runs all over Canada, hundreds of millions of dollars raised, and in a memorial site just outside of Thunder Bay.  When our ride gets a little tough, I just think back to how tough Terry Fox had to be to do his run.

But I digress.  Monday dawned clear with a good weather forecast, and we were eager to hit the road. After a breakfast sponsored by BC Hydro, dedication of a tree planting on campus, and the group picture on the front steps of the university, most of the group headed out with a police bicycle escort.  About a dozen of us stayed behind to watch Tim Womick work his magic in a Trail of Trees presentation to the kids at the campus daycare.  As usual, he was awesome, and the kids were thrilled with his presentation and with a visit from Professor Arboretum.  Then for us the cycling began, as we put the hammer down to catch up with the pack.  At our first rest stop we learned that the ride out for the rest of the group had been a little rough, with Elaine going down pretty hard. Bruised and scraped, she was back on the road later on. 

After eighty five miles, lots of headwinds, and lunch at the Grand Portage Casino, we rolled into the pretty town of Grand Marais to relax (or recover) and to relive the day’s adventures.  All in all, an awesome day.