Moronacity

As mountain bikers, it is imperative that we eat. Well, it’s imperative that anyone eat, but we need more energy than some, or many.

Pat arranged a Copper Harbor Fat Tire pre-ride for this morning. I started the day off right by making some buckwheat pancakes topped with raspberries picked in my yard and Upper Peninsula maple syrup. Yum. Let me tell you – yum. I drank some iced tea as I filled my Camelbak and put Heed in two water bottles – one to drink before the ride and one to drink during and after. I filled my flask with Hammer gel and threw my biking gear into a bag.

I met the guys in Calumet and we carpooled to the Harbor. I was the guide, so I headed over to Sam’s shop – the Keweenaw Adventure Company – to ask about any changes from last year’s course. Pat popped over to chat with Andrew, a talented Houghton bike mechanic who recently started working for Sam one day a week.

It was cold and windy in Copper Harbor, this morning, so business was slow for Sam. As a result, there was really nothing for Andrew to do, so I asked Sam if we could borrow Andrew for a ride. Sam consented and we snagged Andrew away for a great ride.

I was a little nervous about this ride because John, fellow Red Jacket and obsessive compulsive, was kind of a threat to me as I felt I couldn’t ride fast enough for him. This wasn’t the case at all. John and all the rest of us thoroughly enjoyed our ride and the pace. We took turns taking the lead and setting the pace. I led quite a few downhills and also through the trails around the Mountain Lodge, which can be confusing navigationally. At one point, the five of us were riding along with me in the sweep position as I had that moment that I treasure so much: that feeling of being a kid and simply enjoying riding my bike through the woods with my friends. That mindset is what makes mountain biking truly worth it.

Aside from speed, I realized early in the ride that I had my Maxxis Crossmark tires on instead of my Kenda Nevegals – the tire of choice for loose, rocky, steep terrain. I like an aggressive tire for aggressive terrain. It makes me feel more secure. I kept wondering about the tires and how they would perform at two particular spots on the course: the elbow turn on the Red Trail – a very steep downhill with an abrupt turn to the left with a somewhat loose tread, and Paul’s Plunge – the part of the race where people are most likely get hurt as they bounce down the rocky trail full of loose gravel. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my Crossmarks worked splendidly, so I decided to use them for the race Labor Day weekend. I’ll bring my Nevegals for back up in case we get a horrible downpour and I need a mud tire. It is highly unlikely, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Thimbleberry patches line the trails and roads of the Keweenaw.

One of the great things about the Copper Harbor trails are the berry patches spread throughout the land. Bilberries, blueberries, raspberries, and thimbleberries are everywhere. Thimbleberries are a special treat because they aren’t cultivated due to the delicate nature of the fruit, and they are found only in certain areas – the Keweenaw Peninsula being one of them. According to Wikipedia, thimbleberry leaves make great toilet paper due to their soft nature. I guess if I’m ever really in a pinch…

Following the race course, there is a section of road preceding Dancing Bear that leads up three successive, difficult climbs. They not only take power and a good set of lungs, but skill and a proper set of tires are a welcome advantage. Thimbleberry bushes surround the road at the entrance of Dancing Bear. This is usually a spot where the mountain bikers regroup while picking the bright pink berries and shoveling them into their mouths. This is what we like to call carbo loading.

This little guy was found crawling on my freshly picked thimbleberries. I freed him from his horrible predicament by encouraging him onto a leaf so I could release him into the freedom of my lawn.

I recently picked all of the ripe raspberries in my yard, and will keep picking them as they continue to ripen. I ate some and froze the rest for winter. I’d like to do the same with thimbleberries. After quitting my ride and Michigan House lunch with my fellow Red Jackets, I headed home to drop off my doggie bag and let the dogs out. I headed right back out the door for Churning Rapids to pick thimbleberries. They’re not as abundant here as they are in Copper Harbor, but I came home with a couple cups and am now preparing to freeze them.

It’s fascinating and gross at the same time: I saw a lot of different kinds of insects in my thimbleberry pan. The berries are going through a rinse/soak process of about five cycles to help remove some of these insects – hopefully all of them. It got me to thinking, though. Just how many bugs do we unknowingly eat on our trailside berry binges?