Bike camping, Take 2

This post deserved its own Flickr gallery, but I got carried away. So sue me if it takes half an hour to load. (Or, better yet, get a faster Internet connection.)

Here's Sylvia overseeing the packing process. I held off doing things the way I usually do them because we were being filmed for a documentary, which included seeing how we pack our bikes. Can you believe all that crap fits into four panniers and a trailer?

Viola! Here's the bike and Burley fully packed outside CRC Coffee. That's a Surly Long Haul Trucker in case you're wondering -- built out with Campy 9spd. Email me if you wanna know how it's done.

This is April's rig. Yes, I let her get offf easy. But she still pulled about 30 pounds with the trailer.

April comes across the meadow, as seen in Brooks-Vision.

A load o' wood I pulled back to camp using April's bike and the BOB. The kids manning the campground office tried to shaft me by claiming my trailer was "about the same size" as the rack used to portion the wood. I heaped it up to make sure I got my money's worth.

Joel reading J Sheridan LeFanu by the campfire. We had lots of fun deconstructing the Victorian plot. Probably too much geeky fun for our neighbors.

Angela basks in the afterglow of Friday the 13th.

The morning after. Angela and Joel have skip in their steps; Eric and the guy taking the photo do not.

Home, sweet hydrating home, IOWA! (It was quite hot, even though we were not in Iowa.)

Pulling the critter about on a short day excursion.

Eric and Joel talk about something seemingly important. Maybe Eric never let go of the fact that he couldn't land the role of Edward Scissorhands in the Fargo Community production last fall.

April taking a breather. After all, every mother is a working mother.

This is one of those shots I will blow up and make into a poster one day. Sylvia enjoys some colorful wildflowers. This describes her whole personality -- appreciative, yet looking to the next challenge/stimulus. That's my girl.

Matt and Alicia lending much needed ambiance to the camp. Since we missed the Winnipeg Folk Fest this year, it was nice to get a fix of camping, beer, friends and live music. It was beautiful, and that's all I have to say about that.

Saying goodbye to Joel (he had to leave a day early). He was hooked on the concept of bike camping. (And he's going to tell all his friends.)

The camp in full swing. It looks straight out of a Rainbow Family gathering, eh? Well, except we're all wearing clothes.

Sylvia oversees the camp tasks. I'm continually amazed at how at home she is camping and traveling.

The simplest items become toys to a kid ...

You know it's not going to be the usual gathering when Trevor shows up (with a fresh knee scar from the Thirsty 7's). Trevor is a vegan-powered wattage generator. It was nice to see him relax.

Before all debauchery ensued, I did make sure to honor the Triple Gem.

Eric takes a turn with the axe.

Matt leaves no doubt about his destination. I'm proud he's adding to my legacy of well-thought-out stickers on the Toyota.

Camping a la Fleck means at least one thing -- good food.

Matt checks his bottle for a leak. For Trevor's sake, let's hope he's not practicing beer goggling.

It got late. We had lots of grand ideas, none of which seemed to come to fruition. These included heisting free wood from the storage lot and having a midnight concert in the campground's Amphitheatre (they really have one). Dismayed, Trevor concocted a scheme to film a 40-second video of me entitled "Meat and Whiskey." You have to come to my next party to view it. I really am not a Jack Daniel's fan, but everyone was impressed by my demonstration of how it burns when you blow it into the fire.

Trevor on trash detail while the rest of us get packed up. Ah, the ever-versatile BOB trailer.

Taking a dip in Minnehaha Creek on the way back. Another wonderful trip by bike. It was especially rewarding to turn some friends onto the concept. Maybe in the process we broadened their idea of just how much is possible when you travel by bike.