SEVEN MINIONS FOR LAST OFFICIAL FORT CUSTER
ADVENTURES OF TEAM TAYLOR!
POLAR BEAR FAMILY KILLS AT PEAK TO PEAK!
Belo News
October 26, 2013
Augusta, Mi. - As dawn broke VERY late over the Shark Cove, our intrepid hero, the Sharkman was already on his way to the Fort in Yeti Boy's pick up truck. As he loaded his bike into the back of the truck he mentioned to Yeti Boy that if the sky opened up, like the radar seemed to be showing, they would be heading right back to the Cove.
As the two drove on in the darkness, Yeti Boy lamented his being on a tour of Myanmar the past two weeks and not getting any miles in before Iceman. Yeti Boy was so concerned, he began to developing a plan for a Sunday ride in the event the rains did come.
Sharkman was pleased to see familiar faces at the Trail Head as Yeti Boy screeched his ole pick up truck into the parking spot and started unloading their bikes.
Ironman, sporting a new beard, causing Sharkman not to know who he was at first, was circling the lot on his cross bike, looking like a caged tiger ready to attack.
Danimal was also present with a potential Minion, Jay Bridgeman (name to be determined) circling the lot. Welcome to the mighty Minion Nation, Jay!
Stingray was also making the start, riding a new dual suspension mountain bike and Hambone, who is becoming a regular, also was ready to rock!
After pit stops by Sharkman (too much morning coffee) and Yeti Boy, Sharkman suggested that Ironman, on his "sports car" of mountain bikes, lead out.
Sharkman stated he would stay with Yeti Boy, who was lacking in miles and suffering from a cold and jet lag.
As the nation launched, the discussion turned to the impending rain and how sleet would be falling any minute. However, and to everyone's surprise, not only did the dawn finally, come, but with it, sunshine and warm temps! Is this a great country or what?!?
As the nation launched, the discussion turned to the impending rain and how sleet would be falling any minute. However, and to everyone's surprise, not only did the dawn finally, come, but with it, sunshine and warm temps! Is this a great country or what?!?
Ironman led out to the Green Trail until the cut off back to the Crazy Beaver on the Red, at which time Sharkman and Yeti Boy lost the pack.
However, Sharkman and Yeti Boy did follow on the Crazy Beaver, back to the start of the Red, then did the Blue/Red/Green route ending up with around 18 miles at 9.9 mph. Not bad for a guy who spent two weeks in Myanmar and was fighting a cold AND jet lag. As both of Sharkman's son in laws say, "Yeti Boy is a force of nature!"
Belo News has no idea were the rest of the riders went, but Stingray reported in later in the day that a good ride was had by all!
And so ends the "regular" season..... but stay tuned for a report on Iceman next week, as well as periodic ride announcements for the Fort after Deer Season and if winter snow isn't too bad.
Thanks to the mighty Minion Nation for another great season and good luck to all the Minions doing Iceman! Make the Nation proud.....or at least have a great time!
ADVENTURES OF OUR OWN ICEMAN AND TEAM
TAYLOR!
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| Iceman and Bounty Hunter on the Iceman Trail! |
ICEMAN EXPLAINS HOW HE GOT HIS NAME!
Belo News
October 26, 2013
Deep Lake/Traverse City, Mi. - After last weeks edition hit the streets (or should we say "net") Iceman reported in that he was sorry to be missing the ride, but was planning a major training effort that combined riding Barry-Roubaix and then the Iceman course back to back! Oh, the humanity! And all of this after suffering kidney stones! Oh, double the humanity!
Belo News immediately "embedded" Iceman with the expedition team and the following is Icemans's report!
(Editors Note - where else can you get this type of in-depth, cycling specific reporting? Only Belo
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| Iceman in fall colors! |
"Sharkman,
Week of 10/14 I found myself in the ER on two different occasions battling kidney stones….causing me to miss my trip to the Peak to Peak race at Crystal Mountain. So after all of my pain and suffering for almost five days, and believe me when I say pain and suffering and two more days to recover, I loaded up the buggy and went off to try to get some miles in.
Thursday 10/24: My version of your Minion BR double: Bounty Hunter, Nick Head and I rode the Deep Lake Trail AND the 30+ mile Barry Roubaix course, a nice weeknight jaunt of 42 miles on our MTB. It lasted into the cold dark night. As we were finishing the ride after being snowed on and sleeted on we were pulling into the
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| Bounty Hunter and Nick Head.... |
We got in the car and headed for Traverse City to ride the ICEMAN course on Friday morning!! Spent the night in the tiniest cabin you will ever see at the ICEMAN finish line…otherwise known as Timber Ridge RV resort and Park. We woke to a beautiful, but chilly 31 degree morning. Bone dry, crisp air. My sister, who lives in TC, and is a Team Taylor Honorary member, drove us to Kalkaska at9:00am. And what did we see?! 2 – 3 inches of snow in Kalkaska!!!
Since I don’t know the ICEMAN course all that well and there were zero tracks, we were nervous to proceed on untracked trails for fear of getting lost. Luckily, some other crazy person showed up at the trail head, kissed his wife goodbye and rode over to our car to see what we were doing. I asked him, hey do you know the course very well? Answer was, “like the back of my hand!” Just what myself and the Bounty Hunter needed to hear!!! So off we went with this stranger on a single speed MTB into the slick snow covered trail. Turns out this guy is in my WAVE #4, is buddies with Steve Brown (aka Iceman creator) and buddies Karl the course builder. So Single Speed Dan led us through the snow which slowly turned to mud. The snow lasted at least 10 miles into the Pere Marquette Forest. It
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| Bounty Hunter and Iceman. Was it cold? |
Dan showed us all the new little intricacies that have been added to the course, some not even marked or ridden on yet… “hey Karl showed me this one, come on.” There are about 6 new little add on loops to get the course around certain sand pits, bottlenecks and other. Most won’t remember the course well enough to even recognize the changes, but Single Speed Dan was on top of it. They did remove one of my favorite little descents and the single track after the logging road that was so backed up last year is still there with a new by-pass trail…it is off camber and slow…and greasy/muddy when we rode. It will be slow and backed up again, Particularly for the later waves…mark my words and build your patience now. Forecast is for rain on Saturday…Oh boy!
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| Iceman saves puppy! Is this a great country or what?!? |
The Subaru Fly Zone will be the place to watch… there will be crashes on the entry. It’s a semi trailer unit that they turned into a tunnel…single file and watch out for the depression upon entry into the tunnel. Should be a blast!
But here is the highlight of the day. About 3 miles from Timber Ridge we passed a puppy on the trail. We said hi and he looked up at us with dazed and confused eyes. Guilt got to me and we turned around to go get him. No tags, no nothing. He hesitated for a few seconds and then came right to me wanting to be picked up. He was freezing cold and shaking. . Great what do we do now. We loaded him up and carried him with us. He was so happy to be warming up in my home made kangaroo pouch. One and half very slow miles later we came across a lady and she didn’t recognize the pup. She took him in and back to her house to see if she could find the owner!! We were off the hook, but had saved him!! This weekend I will swing by her house to check on the puppy. Oh the humanity!!!!!
Net, a great MTB excursion with Nick Head and Bounty Hunter. Cold, crappy nights sleep, 75 miles of MTBing in less than 18 hours, saved a puppy, learned a few new twists. Is this a great country or what!!
ICEMANIA baby. See you all up there.
Cheers and have a good ICEMAN.
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| Bounty Hunter says, "See ya at the Iceman Cometh!" |
Iceman
p.s. For those that wonder why my name is Iceman, it has nothing to do with this great race. One bitter cold October morning years ago, as a rookie cyclist I decided to show up for this thing called the Minion ride. I complained the entire ride about how cold it was, somehow the Sharkman came up with Iceman… this is before we even knew of the amazing race called the ICEMAN.
(Editors Note - Iceman leaves out the part that he was not really dressed for the cold weather AND he won the final sprint!)
(Editors Note - Thanks for a great write up Iceman and see you up at Iceman!)
POLAR BEAR FAMILY KILLS AT PEAK TO PEAK!
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| Polar Bear and Baby Bear do the Nation proud! |
Belo News
October 19, 2013
Crystal Mountain, Mi. - As reported above, Iceman might have missed the Peak2Peak Race up at Crystal Mountain, but our own Polar Bear and his daughter, Baby Bear, did the Nation proud by taking special honors at this grueling race! Polar Bear (another Minion who got his name for riding in shorts in cold weather - Polar Bear is a Brit and they are all tough, eh? Stiff upper lip and all that stuff…..) managed to WIN the Sport Category and Baby Bear captured second place in her age group in the same category! Oh, the humanity! Double win for the Minion Nation! Way to go Polar Bear and Baby Bear!
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| Polar Bear on top of the Podium! Yes! |
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| Baby Bear takes Second in her age category! |
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