Thursday, November 12, 2015

TRAM 2003, Days 1 and 2

I looked through the folder and I do have some of the photos published by staff but I also have a bunch of my own.  My belief is that I, like staff, had just obtained my first digital camera that year.  I still have it, it is bulky, but frankly it is sort of vaguely hanging around the edge of my memory that the camera in my back pocket for that ride was big and bulky.

Here is the ritual beginning, Andy and I touching the rear tires of our bicycles into Big Stone Lake on the western boundary of the state.
It is early, the sun is up and already shining on South Dakota on the other side of the lake.  On our side of the lake we are down into the river valley (Glacial River Warren) and sun hasn't actually hit us yet.

This one is taken a few minutes later and it looks like the sun has arrived in Minnesota.  Along with the sunny GRider.
The Big Stone City referred to on the monument is the South Dakota town just across the bridge from our Minnesota town of origin, Ortonville.  The ride that day was from Ortonville to Montevideo.

And one from a rest stop later on in the day.
It is a farm and that looks like it should be farm equipment but as I looked at it then and my thoughts now confirm, that is snow removal equipment, a giant tractor mounted snow blower if you will.

The following day we rode from Montevideo to Redwood Falls.  I remember that the wildlife management area which occupies much of the low lying land along that stretch of the Minnesota River was a lot prettier than I expected.  Based on the sun angle I think this must be rest stop 1.  As is immediately apparent, Day 2 was bicycle brand jersey day.
I was riding my Independent Fabrication Crown Jewel Special Edition Custom Build, one of the nicest steel bicycles in the history of hand welded steel bicycles.  The Bianchi Babe was on her trusty Bianchi Veloce.

At a later rest stop we were joined by Santini for a more complete bicycle brand jersey display.
She was riding her Specialized Elite.  Mostly the jersey seems to be advertising Laura's bike shop but there is a visible Specialized logo on the jersey so it counts.

I have a lot of photos of Day 3 so I am going to split that off into a separate post and will be back with that sometime before the end of the month.

3 comments:

Santini said...

Yay! I consider this documentation of TRAM rides on our blogs to be an excellent thing! I remember the bike jersey day, and someone commenting to me that there was such a thing as too much matching.

I see BDE has one of those ubiquitous peanut butter sandwiches that fueled so many miles.

Good stuff.

I hope and expect to finish TRAM 2002 before the end of the month, as well.

Emily M said...

Excellent representation... I, as staff, do not have any photos of the actual riding, rest stops, etc, so yours are a needed addition to the family record.

BDE said...

If Santini were holding half a banana that last picture would have had another ubiquitous TRAM food item.
Very fun to see these pictures.