If you received cross-country skis for Christmas, you needed to be patient to use them. It was foggy, 35 and a nice shade of brown in Minneapolis on what is normally a snowy day. While all the new road bike owners were logging miles on the dry streets, skiers were left wondering when they’ll be able to earn their own miles. Patience paid off on … Continue reading Skiing Is Back
It doesn’t feel like Christmas in Minneapolis. Temperatures are in the 30s and the ground is a March shade of brown. Some boulevards are even muddy. Mud. In December. This time last year, Audra and I already had our season passes to Theo Wirth Park and had been cross-country skiing a handful of times. There is truth to Minneapolis having some of the most unpredictable weather … Continue reading Christmas Hike
The Subaru was loaded up and ready to go at 10 a.m. on Saturday. I picked up Phil from Angry Catfish shortly after. He was waiting for me with two sprinkled cake donuts as requested. It was a wonderful way to start the morning. We were off and rolling to Whitewater State Park, one of the few areas in the state to fish trout this time … Continue reading One Fish
Kind of. Slick Minneapolis winter roads are keeping me inside. While I was laid up, I bought a couple things to bide my time and prepare for being active outdoors once again. One item was a new fly fishing rod and reel, the other was a trainer. The doctor told me to “take it easy for 4-6 weeks,” which sounds more like a death sentence … Continue reading Back In The Saddle
If you’ve wondered why I haven’t been posting much lately, it’s because I came down with pneumonia a couple weeks ago. It knocked me on my ass. Literally. During the worst of it, two weeks ago, I had a fever of 103F for four days and energy was at an all-time low. While at the doctor, the simple task of holding my arms above my head … Continue reading An Outdoorsman (Me) with Pneumonia
It wasn’t more than a week ago in Minneapolis that I could walk outside in an unbuttoned without a chill. I could bike home from work without gloves, crack a window and night and hear the crunch of leaves underfoot. Things are different now. Winter coats are required, sidewalks need to be shoveled and that crunch underfoot is ice and snow. Winter is here. I’m … Continue reading #FindingWinter with Mountain Hardwear
Mend Provisions, my local fly shop, is the reason I’m into fly fishing. I was given my first spin casting rod and reel when I was three and began fly fishing when I was six or so. My form was awful, but the panfish didn’t seem to care how the fly got to the water. That’s all it was. I would infrequently use my dad’s … Continue reading Fly Tying. Not For The Impatient.
You could stick to the groomed trails–play it safe and easy by riding the tracks of many before you. Or you could cut your own trail. It isn’t easy, but the sweat you trade for the experience you’re rewarded with pays off. Minneapolis offers many miles of groomed trails and inner-ring suburbs offer many more. These groomed trails are top-notch. Some are just wide enough … Continue reading Backcountry Cross-Country Skiing: Your New Winter Plans.
If you get a chance to view a Warren Miller film in a theater, do it. I don’t care if you have other plans. Your new plans involve Warren Miller. It’s like going to a concert, but this concert has skiing and snowboarding, a fun crowd, prizes and travels the world. It was a night of fun and mountain wanderlust. But first, the pre-party. Thanks … Continue reading “No Turning Back” As Rad As Expected
Minneapolis has been seeing a fantastic fall. Plenty of sunshine, little rain and temperatures regularly above 60F. If you like fall colors and dislike humidity, this has been the month for you. And it looks to continue. Seeing the colors change around Minneapolis proper, Audra and I wanted to get in a hike to enjoy fall before it transforms into winter. Lebanon Hills in the … Continue reading Lebanon Hills
Birch & Flannel 