NOBODIES NOVEMBER RIDE JOURNAL #4

This morning the temperature was around 24 degrees, as I headed out to work. There was very little frost because the dew point was 11. http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/maps/sfcobs/dwp.rxml



The road was dry and there was very little wind. It felt nice out despite the cooler temperature.



Nice looking sunrise.

When I got home about 4:30, it was a beautiful fall day. It was calm and the air temperature and the bright sun made it very pleasant.

Soon there will be snow in our backyard! But the five day forecast indicates temperatures a little above normal with not much precipitation.

It was forty five degrees.

NOBODIES NOVEMBER RIDE JOURNAL #3

Headed to work at 10:00 AM in above normal conditions. Today the forecast is for decreasing temperatures as the day progresses.

The roads were a little wet from some overnight light rain.

I returned home at 8:30, Roads were dry and the winds we had during the day had decreased.

The temperature was right around freezing. The five day forecast is for a warming trend with daytime temperatures above normal.

NOBODIES NOVEMBER RIDE JOURNAL #2

It was an above normal temp for my commute. This time of year our average high is in the mid to low 40's and our lows are right around 30. Leaving for work at 7:00 with the temperature near 40 is very nice.

The roads were clear and dry as I headed out.

Returning home at 7pm to my neck of the woods, Gary New Duluth was shinning like a star.

It was about 46 degrees when I got home. Nice weather for November 3.

NOBODIES NOVEMBER RIDE JOURNAL #1

When November comes, my riding days are numbered. My CX 650 has difficulty starting, when the temperature is in the low 30's. My garage usually is about 10 degrees warmer than the outside temperature, so my bike does not object too much in the morning, but when it is time to leave work my bike objects; it is ready for its winter slumber. It is partly due to my battery (third season), but also my starter clutch does not operate very well when it is cold. This may very well be my last week of riding the 650.

MORNING TEMPERATURE A 7:30 AS I LEAVE FOR WORK

We didn't have much of a frost this morning.

When I came home at 5:30, the sun was starting to set. This is main street in Gary New Duluth.

The evening temperature was 50! I think that may be a bit above normal.

To prolong my riding season, I will start riding my 1971 Suzuki TS 125. It is an amazing 2 cycle bike with a kick start. It starts in subzero weather. I will ride until I get scared by ice and snow.

A NORWEGIAN PERFECT NUMBER

The study of numbers is really not my thing. Numerology is a bit out there in my opinion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numerology

But there are some numbers that are very significant to us Norwegians. To name a few; tree, turdy tree and of course turdy tree and a turd. Recently I realized I was approaching a very important number on my CX 650 odometer. Today just before I got to the intersection of Grand Ave. and 88th Ave. West my odometer reached that significant number! I stopped and celebrated.

It truly was a momentous occasion. One that I will cherish for a long time.

Yes, my odometer read all trees! Turdy Tree Tho'sand-Tree Hundred Trudy-Tree and a Turd miles!

TOGO OR NOT TOGO

Another lesson in wandering was the focus of one of our late summer rides. Destination Wandering is a technique that helps one learn more about the art of wandering. It is simple in that it offers a specific destination with no designated route. The motorcycle club chose Togo as its destination. Togo is a small "town" in Northern Minnesota found on State Highway 1. http://minnesota.hometownlocator.com/mn/itasca/togo.cfm As you will discover Togo is a very special place. But enough about Togo, Highway 1 is a motorcyclist dream road because: it has many scenic sections, it is cuts through the north wood's wilderness, it has some very unique sections and it crosses the entire state west to east. I don't know about you but the Nobodies love roads that go the distance. http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/469172







This Nobody ride started in Duluth. The picture (above) is looking down 6th Ave. East. Lake Superior is in the background. This ride was lead by yours truly, Kickstand, with nobody else riding along.

We took County Highway 4 north crossing Island Lake about 10 miles north of Duluth. County Highway 4 is a good road and a typical Northern Minnesota highway featuring a lot of forest and low traffic.

ISLAND LAKE BRIDGE

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/showreport.html?downum=69037200

COUNTY HIGHWAY 4

You will find the occasional connivance store/ gas station along Highway 4. There are many lakes and cabins so in the summer these stores keep busy.

This might be the intersection of Highway 4 and Highway 169 near Biwabik

http://www.cityofbiwabik.com/

Highway 1 heading toward Cook.

This is State Highway 1

State Highway 1

Nice picture of State Highway 1. I like taking pictures of the roads I ride.

I counted about eight 10 mile a hour turns on the section of Highway 1 I traveled. These turns were 90 degrees.

Highway 1 gets noticeably narrower after leaving Cook Minnesota. It is a 14 mile stretch from Cook to Togo.

This is Togo. I think there are about 8 people living in downtown Togo. This building may have once been a school, now it may be an apartment or some type of manufacturing business.

There were three building in Togo. The one pictured above looks like a possible business. The other building was a house. Since there were a couple of guys outside the house with rifles, I chose not to stop and take a picture of them. People in Northern Minnesota are some times touchy about having their picture taken.

Back to civilization at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 65. A real bar and grill.

Wandering involves surprises, like this section of construction on Highway 65.

I took County Highway 22 east. Nice road.

Then I took County Highway 25 south.

County Highway 25 intersects County Highway 27. I took 27 east a few miles then continued south on County Highway 7. Traveling through Zim, Sax and Kelsey ( all towns that aren't towns). I then continue to wander toward home with a vague idea of where I was.

I ended up wandering 275 miles, on 5.5 gallons of gas, two bags of peanuts, a cup of coffee and one bottle of apple juice.

MUFFIN RUN

The Nobodies believe every day is a good day to ride. Backflash and I rode up to Two Harbors last Saturday meeting Jawa The Puttz at the Vanilla Bean for breakfast. This traditional ride is call the Muffin Run.

It was a rather cool day about 40 degrees at best. Flashback had the classic look with his nine zipper motorcycle jacket while Jawa and I wore our stich.

Lake Superior had some nice waves.

We have a good number of folks who windsurf and kayak on Lake Superior in these conditions. They mainly do it along our sandy beach on Park Point. The rocky shore along Highway 61 pose more of a danger. http://www.lakesuperiorphoto.com/surfing_wind_surf_kayaking/photos_lake_superior_surfing.html

I may look cold, but looks can be deceiving. I'm just struggling to stand up due to the furious wind.

This picture was taken at Brighten Beach on the city limits of Duluth http://www.superiortrails.com/duluth_1.html Here is a link to stuff to do in Duluth.

BRIGHTEN BEACH Back ground in photo is Duluth

When Flashback and I got back to Duluth we went an visited a friend in St. Mary's hospital. I took this picture from the sky walk connecting the hospital's buildings. You see the Aerial Lift Bridge and Park Point (narrow strip of land).

You may be able to see the kite surfers on Lake Superior in this picture. What a sport.

Check this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z7oTfJsVOE

So the Nobodies' Muffin Run in the cold weather is quite tame compared to what these kite surfers were doing!