I used to put panniers on my bike during spring break, then I would gradually add weight over spring until I was riding with the appropriate weight when school got out. Now, I didn't even put panniers on the new bike at all until we got to the start of the tour! The first few miles took a little adjustment (especially since we started on a downhill, so I was riding at speed). Probably that's not the recommended approach! You can get away with stuff once you have experience. Youthful enthusiasm is also helpful at a different age. I'm at the experienced place in life.

You are my hero/role model when it comes to outdoor solitude. I can do it for a few days, maybe even a week. But two weeks or more would be too much. On the other hand, if I could keep my cell phone charged for that long, I'd be willing to give it a try.

"Hello Verne," replied the Reptilian Water Rat.

From the beginning of your blog, I knew you were channeling Ed Abbey, just as, from the beginning of this blog, you knew pasties would be the central theme. I also suspect, from the beginning, you were onto my wolverines joke. I'm pretty sure wolverines don't inhabit Michigan anymore. (If they ever did.) But that's the way colleges name their sports teams. They go for the aggressive animals. If I was in charge of the NCAA, the universities would be required to name their teams after something more representative of their area. In that case, the University of Michigan Wolverines would be re-named the University of Michigan Apple Trees. Or the University of Michigan Squirrels.

Totally agree. I'm not exactly sure why I quit backpacking when I took up bike touring. Maybe it was because I tend to immerse myself in whatever my latest outdoor activity is. At various times throughout my life, I thought car camping combined with day hikes was as good as you can get. Then backpacking was the best. Then I discovered wilderness canoeing, which became my new best. Then I went back to backpacking again. Then mountain biking was the best for a while. Then I went back to backpacking again. Then I thought RAGBRAI was the best. Then I "progressed" to bike touring. Surely, nothing could surpass bike touring, I thought. I said this in one of my previous journals, but there is certainly a possibility I could move on to something like surfing as my next best thing. I'm like a plastic Walmart bag blowing in the wind.

I look forward to the U.P. adventure whenever it happens. Yes, a perfect day on the road for me involves speaking to no one. When I can string several days of that together... even better. If I knew my family were ok somehow, I think I could easily do 6 weeks of solitude, maybe more. I love the TV series ALONE (not the American or English versions, but the Aussie and northern European ones). I'd have to 'tap out' because I'd starve since I don't have fishing or trapping skills. But most people 'tap out' because they miss family/friends. Well, I only see my family once a year anyway, and I know my friends will still be there in a month, two or three... so I think I would kill it on the mental/emotional side of that challenge.

I could certainly live in something that small forever, but maybe not quiet that design. Despite the big front door, it seems it would be very dark inside. I think I'd rather hang in my tent!

A bit of IA in MN :-)

I love the writing in this page and agree with your feelings. And there is nothing I hate more (that I can think of off the top of my head anyway) than being cold when sleeping in my tent. Which is why, as a cold sleeper, I use a 15F bag on ALL of my tours and take a gazillion layers when temps are supposed to be below about 37F. I agree that there is nothing better than cuddling up in the sleeping bag and enjoying SILENCE.

I am such a fan of popcorn. If I were on death row, it would definitely be a part of my final meal :-)

I love that crisp bright spring sun in all of these pics - none of the haze or higher sun angle you get later in the year. Ahhh... the first time in the the tent in spring is always special.

Verne says HELLO!

Oh my, do I ever know this kind of fun!

So your beginning makes me think of the Ed Abbey quote that inspires my blog title. It says, so 'ramble out yonder, while you still can... while it's still there." My approach to work, touring and life is to do it now, while I can, before life makes me stick close to 'home'. But you can be a role model for finding fun near home. All of my 3-day weekend tours in the past have been fun, and so has been the quest of riding a portion of every single tiny road. Fun is where you find it I guess.

When you first wrote U.P., the first thing I thought was "PASTIES!". So I was not surprised where that landed on your list. You've got to come to Oz someday, though. Pretty much every bakery has pasties - some pretty awful, some quite good.

So do wolverines ever get used to humans and obnoxious like raccoons? Are they campsite bandits?

While many things cross over between backpacking and bike touring, I've always felt they are still two very different experiences. I think being alpine feels so much more of a 'high' while hiking than on the bike - maybe because you can access more remote places.