Tempus Fugit

Latin (tem-pu̇s-ˈfü-git): Time Flies

Author: garry.c.stewart

  • MDH2010 – Day 2

    It’s early. Some are still trying to sleep. But the keeners in the room next door are up and revving up the bikes in the parking lot. I think they slept in their cycling gear. As the ranch is not fully open for the season yet, there is nobody in the restaurant so breakfast is a combination of bars, fruit and miscellaneous snack food left over from yesterday, a truly healthy way to start the day.

    With everybody roused out of bed, bikes checked, water loaded we’re off, heading north on the Buffalo Gap Trail. Our goal, to see how close we can get to where the BGT intersects the MDH. A couple of miles down the trail, I’m having mechanical problems with my bike. After a consult with Daniel, our senior bike mechanic on the trip, he diagnosis it as a chain link that is damaged and sticking. After a quick repair were once again roaring down the trail.

    It seems rather quickly we’ve crossed the creek that marked our farthest distance on the Sunday 2009 trip and it seems lake a good time to stop for a mid-morning snack. We power on after the break and enjoy the new scenery and are having great fun on the trail. Well, I am any way. I couple of guys are feeling the pain that was inflicted yesterday and are taking a more “relaxed” approach to the day. If you look very closely at this picture you can see them while some of us are further up the trail. We need to get on the road back to Winnipeg so we’re watching our ride time and have planned a 2 hours out, and 2 hours back, but we stretched that a bit because everybody kept on saying “lets just go over there to that next marker”.

    Eventually, we call it quits and turn around an head back to the Ranch. Doug is off trying to catch Josh and Elijah who have at least a 3-4 mile head start, Danial and Scott set a fast and steady pace, and Eric and I enjoy the ride back together stopping to take pictures and enjoy the scenery and a beautiful afternoon. At one point on the ride back I had a very clear and special thought as I watched the riders ahead, that this is “the best of days”. I hope to hold on to that memory for a very long time.

    Back at the ranch, so to speak, we shower up, pack up,  and enjoy another round of steak dinners while discussing the days ride. In another 9 hours more or less with a few stops for gas and food, where back in Winnipeg. I think everybody is looking forward to possible the first ever 2nd trip to the MDH and the same year this fall. In fact, we may have booked that ranch already. 


  • Ride Report

    Well the first trip to the Maah Daah Hey trail is over and we’re on our way home. This years ride was dry and sunny all weekend long as opposed to last years mud fest. Our hosts at the Buffalo Gap Ranch we’re awesome and treated us to some excellent steak meals. We consumed quite a bit of prime beef

    On Saturday we arrived at the south end of the original MDH trail and parked at the very beautiful Bully Pit Golf course to catck a little sleep and wait for the sun to come up. Eric was out early riding the new bike around the parking lot while the rest of us waited for the temperature to warm up. Later Scott “stole” a golf cart and took it for a joy ride.

    Eventually we braved the cool temperatures and changed into the gear. Just befoer we left we were visited by the local sheriff who informed us that the golf course was open and that perhaps we should park somewhere else. I think it has something to do with the gold cart incident. He was pretty soft about it and later we checked with the course people and got the OK.

    Our warm-up was a quarter mile steep climb up followed by a lot more steep climbing on the trail. At this point we’re on the MDH II trail a newly opened extension of the original and the gravel on the trail is quite soft and loose as it hasn’t been packed down by too many riders. The scenery is gorgeous and the trail is challenging. One we turn around the ride back seems quick as there more down than up and the howling wind is at our back.

    A short drive back to Medora and some of the guys are looking for a place to eat but tourist season hasn’t started yet and nothing is open. We share the food some of us brought and then head out on some familiar trails behind town starting at about MDH mile 5. Right away we cross 3 streams and got our feet soaked and then a killer long climb to the top of the plateau. We came close to the scene of my 2005 crash but managed to take a different trail to explore some new trail.

    Back at the ranch some guys had some lunch and then while some napped Doug, Eric and I went out for another short ride. After that it was bring on the beef for a big steak dinner. That pretty much did everbody in and we called it a night.

    Day 2 in the next post.

  • MDH 2010

    We’re getting ready to head out tonight to Medora, North Dakota to ride the Maah Daah Hey trail. I think all the riders are really pumped about the trip as we’ll be riding the new MDH II section of the trail and the conditions are reported to be dry and fast!

    I know somebody who has a brand new bike and is itching to give it a good workout on some twisty downhills at some kind of crazy speeds.

    Cell phone coverage on the trail is non-existant but there will be some twitter activity (#MDH2010) and some Blog post on the way down and at the end of day.

    The only down side is the drive through the night to get there. Breakfast at Perkins in Dickenson at 3am is always a highlight!

  • MDH trip getting closer

    In a little over a week, we’ll be going to the Maah Daah Hey trail and most likely riding on the new MDH II section for the 1st time. What does the trail look like? Watch the video.

  • Breaking Up

    Took this photo a couple of days ago when it was very sunny and warm on a lunchtime walk. Not like tonight where it’s trying hard to snow again! Noooooo!

  • Going the Distance


    Going the Distance
    Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

    Saturday was a great day for getting out on the bikes. The weather was warm, sunny and the snow was almost totally gone.

    In the morning Eric called and we took the mountain bikes out for a spin down South Drive. we got a little wet but managed to avoid the bigger puddles and thankfully didn’t get splashed by any cars. We had a great ride and talked about all kinds of things and distance just flew by.

    In the afternoon I took the road bike out to Birds Hill and did about 4 1/2 laps. Just as I was starting out a paceline of about 5 guys flew by so I tried to catch up, but that just didn’t happen. They had too big a lead and I just couldn’t seem to close the gap. I had the iPod playing a Maxwell session and I just settled into what I felt was a fairly hard pace… until two guys passed me. I got on to their wheel for a short time but realized quickly that their pace was out of my league right now. This was a little discouraging. I thought the winter training would have me in better shape, but actual riding if so different that on the trainer. A couple of more solo laps and then I hooked up with some fellow FOG riders for a good fast pace.

    All in all a fairly high mileage day for so early in the year and a good couple of rides.

  • First Ride

    Well, the first road ride outside in 2010. Scott and I did a few laps around Birds Hill Park this afternoon. The road was mainly dry and clear and the temperature was a pleasant +3 with light winds. It felt good to get back out on the road and off the indoor trainer. However, I suspect there will be a few more indoor sessions before I’m able to make a full return to the open road for the season.

    Next time I’m going to let those nice guys who road by and offered to take the picture do it. Scott is looking good, and I look like a dork holding camera taking a picture of himself, which I was. Oh well, next time.

  • Death of a Snowman

    It was a long, slow painful demise. First he went blind (lost his button eyes), then he suffered through a double amputation (both his stick arms fell off), but a remarkable surgical procedure managed to re-attach one of his arms. Then, he suffered a stroke (fell over), but made a good recovery for a few days and was up and about. But in the end the overwhelming sunshine and hot temperatures took him out and he layed down his life.

    Snowman, we’ll miss you.

  • On the Trainer

    In my mind there is nothing more boring that riding a trainer indoors, alone. The time just drags on and on and on. Each tick of the clock seems like an eternity. I’ve tried watching TV, no help. I’m usually listening to a podcast which helps somewhat for the first 30-40 minutes and then I just want it all to be over.

    I have one training DVD that I’ve used once a week since Christmas. It’s a one hour killer workout and the time seems to fly by, but you still want it to be over, but for another reason say like so you won’t throw up, or collapse in a heap on the floor. But there is this guy pushing you on. “hurry”, “don’t be last”, “earn you rest day”, it’s sort of a love hate relationship.

    BTW, does anybody know someone who speaks Italian? I’m looking for somebody to help me pronounce “Vado troppo veloce per te?“.

  • Icebike 12


    My #1 Cheer Leader
    Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

    Had a great ride at Icebike 12 today at The Forks. I did the usual Abominable class race which this year was 3 laps for ~15km. Turnout was lighter that usual. Not sure if it was the snowy conditionsor the Super Bowl or what. Lots of years it’s been much colder.

    I was surprised that even after road riding late into the fall, and doing some workouts on the trainer, the 1st 1/2 lap was a killer. My legs were burning and I seemed to be sucking wind a bit. After that, I settled in and felt pretty good for most of the race.

    The St. Boniface hospital side was the main challenge with all the fresh loose snow on the slope of the river bank. This section of the course required a little off the bike running which was just as fast as trying to ride it.

    The other interesting spot was dropping down to the lower part of the trail after crossing the Provencher Bridge. The drop wasn’t too bad inspite of the loose show, it was that big rock half way down that was ready to greet anybody who lost control.

    A good day all in all especially with Scott, Mandy, Shirley & friends cheering me on. It always helps the keep you pushing hard when you’re feeling like easing up. The results will be up later in the week, so we’ll see how I finished up them.

    However, this was yet another year where I didn’t win a door prize! Dozens of prizes each year, 8 or 9 years of being in the race, and so far they have yet to pull my number. What’s up with that?