Well, it’s been a month since the last Ramble. I guess that is better than the two months between show 9 and 10. Anyway, Seeley Dave and TJ are back for Northwoods Ramble Show 11 and a review of the winter that wasn’t. 2024 started with a New Year's Day paddle down the Namekagon River for Dave and Liz. With almost no snow this winter, we go snow whale (swale?) watching to see the huge piles of manmade snow the Birkie has stored and intends to spread out to create a 10K loop for the 50th-anniversary. TJ explains how labor-intensive the Birkie’s snowmaking capabilities are. We discuss the huge economic hit the area has taken from winter's lack of visitors. Dave gives an update on his frozen lake riding goals. Sawmill Saloon Trek Trails powered by OTM at Telemark  Old Man Mountain Divide Racks Bikepacking Gear Library Santa Cycle Rampage Lake Owen Resort Skating on Thin Ice Science Yogo man video  Manitou Suspension Bar Stools Waco Brothers Northwoods --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/northwoods-ramble/message

After a hiatus of almost two months, Seeley Dave and TJ are back on another Northwoods Ramble. In this episode, TJ gives an end-of-the-year overview of the new Trek Trails powered by OTM at Telemark. Dave goes back to the 414 for the 22nd annual Santa Cycle Rampage. The show includes some Santa Shenanigans, but Dave misses out on perfect black ice on the south end of Lake Owen while in Milwaukee, and wonders if chasing the ephemeral is a healthy behavior. Dave also gets out the packraft and does his first winter bikerafting trip. TJ then talks about skiing the Birkie course with a packraft. The bikepacking gear lending library also now includes Old Man Mountain Divide racks for mountain and fat bikes. Sawmill Saloon Trek Trails powered by OTM at Telemark  Old Man Mountain Divide Racks Bikepacking Gear Library Santa Cycle Rampage Lake Owen Resort Skating on Thin Ice Science Yogo man video  Manitou Suspension Bar Stools Waco Brothers Northwoods Hughbob and the Hustle North Country --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/northwoods-ramble/message

In this episode, Seeley Dave heads to Wausau for the Ironbull Red Granite Grinder to photograph the 144-mile course and interview participants at the finish. After those interviews, Dave talks with Ben Welnak at his cool A-frame Airbnb about this year's Acorn Mast, deer hunting, and fishing Slab Crappies on Moose Lake with Drew from the Sawmill and recants a tall tale or two about wolves. The intro and hyperborean update on Life Above 8 is recorded in his 'Merica garage for a change of pace.   Sawmill Saloon Tour de Chequamegon Manitou Suspension Bar Stools Iron Bull Red Granite Grinder Travel Wisconsin Embark Maple Energy The Vonbuckinator Up North Stays Northwoods Sauna Company Waco Brothers Northwoods --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/northwoods-ramble/message

This episode features an interview with return guest Josh Rizzo of The Nxrth.com website. We record that interview outside at Home Base Lodging at Mt Telemark and discuss the cool new trailside lodging there as well as go through the remaining regional gravel races of the season on his website’s calendar. First though, Seeley Dave gives a fall seasonal update on Life Above 8 that includes the Cable Fall Festival, his recon rides on the 2023 Tour de Chequamegon route and he gets into the modifications he has been making to his Yuba Sweet Curry to turn it from an urban utility ride to a Northwoods capable UTV also good for dogpacking with Cowboy.  Dave also mentions the Northwoods Ramble will be at the Ironbull Red Granite Grinder the weekend of Oct. 14th to record some race reports at the finish for a future podcast. So be sure to look for Dave somewhere near the finish, most likely close to wherever Redeye Brewing is serving up their latest beer release! Home Base Lodging at Mt Telemark Boomtown Tree Service Cable Fall Festival Angry Minnow Brewing Tour de Chequamegon  Wren rigid carbon fat bike fork Manitou Mastodon Pro LE Iron Bull Red Granite Grinder⁠  presented by Travel Wisconsin and Redeye Brewing --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/northwoods-ramble/message

This episode opens with an update on Life Above 8 that includes a discussion of the Chequamegon MTB Festival that just finished, including the new route. The intro also includes some photos of current flora and a couple of photos from Seeley professional nature photographer Paul Ostrum. Dave then interviews Michelle and Dwayne Allgire of Pedal Power Adventures after they complete riding the Wisconsin Waterfall Loop he developed. Chequamegon MTB Festival Pedal Power Adventures Wisconsin Waterfall Loop  Paul Ostrum Photography   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/northwoods-ramble/message

In this episode, Seeley Dave gives the latest Update on Life Above 8, including some news about the Valhalla Beach Party Route, then has an interview Josh Rizzo of The Nxrth.com. Josh was up from Eau Claire with his brother and both of them were "working from ROAM" at ROAM Adventure Basecamp. He lets us know how that went, talks about the amenities at ROAM and then we get into his website, and ramble about some different bikepacking topics. In the closing segment, Dave gives a shout out for the new Standing Rocks Enduro, Aug. 19th. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/northwoods-ramble/message

In episode 5, Seeley Dave interviews Ben Welnak, who started the popular Mountain Bike Radio podcast. Ben talks about how he landed in Hayward after living in Colorado, the guys also ramble about the similarities between Durango and Hayward. Ben's sauna rentals: Northwoods Sauna Ben's vacation rental properties: Up North Stays Turtle Flambeau Flowage Camping Sites Marinette Waterfall Loop route collection Dave also welcomes back TJ, who gives and update on the new green trail up to the top of Telemark and the new downhill runs that are part of the Trek Trails Powered by OTM at Telemark Village. They share a video of them riding, the new green trail up and back down, discuss the next green and blue downhill trails that Rock Solid will soon have two crews building at Telemark. TJ also talks about a new Enduro series he is planning at the downhill parks around Lake Superior. Superior Shore MTB Tour Trailhead Map --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/northwoods-ramble/message

In this show Seeley Dave interviews Joel Harrison and Daryl McNutt from New Moon Ski & Bike Shop in Hayward, WI. They chat about New Moon taking over the Hungry Bear gravel race, some improvements New Moon can make with their greater resources and what is going to stay the same. After the interview, Dave reviews the different sleeping pads available to borrow from the Bikepacking Gear Lending Library. Thanks as always to my buddy from Butternut, Hugh Robert Masterson for allowing me to use the Northwoods song by Hugh Bob and the Hustle. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/northwoods-ramble/message

In this shorter solo episode of the Northwoods Ramble, Seeley Dave goes through all the things in the bikepacking gear lending library that he has put together. Seeley area community members and visitors can borrow or rent this gear to try bikepacking without having to invest in all the expensive camping equipment and bikepacking-specific bags for something they may not like or have time to do often enough to justify the expense of owning everything. In this episode Dave describes the tents, quilts, air mattresses, bags and other gear, explains how they work, and their benefits and features. Below is a list of the Bikepacking Gear Lending Library Equipment I have available to loan as of this podcast. Email me at seeleydave2021@gmail.com if you are interested in borrowing any of it. 5 Salsa EXP Anything Cradle5 Salsa EXP Dry Bag for Anything Cradle5 Relevate Designs Terrapin 14L Seatpack5 Big Agness Copper Spur HV UL2 Bikepacking Shelter5 Exped Synmat Ultra 1R Mummy air mattress5 Enlightened Equipment Apex 50° Quilt5 Trekology pillows5 BRS 3000T Stoves1 (so far) Alpacka Raft Caribou RTS1 (so far) Aqua Bound Whiskey 4 Piece Paddle Visit ⁠the episode webpage on LifeAboveEight.com for more info⁠. Watch this on our Life Above 8 YouTube Channel --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/northwoods-ramble/message

For our second Northwoods Ramble, Seeley Dave and TJ are joined by Joe Vadeboncoeur, who after 30 years with Trek is now working with TJ at the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation to build a mountain bike park at the site of the former Telemark Lodge. In this show, TJ first gives an update on the Ride The Keweenaw Family enduro he and his daughter races in Copper Harbor, then we all talk about the new Trek Trails powered by OTM (One Track Mind Foundation) at Telemark Village. Joe also gives a solid overview of the Epic Bike Fest coming this weekend on the first episode of our new Northwoods Ramble video podcast. Seeley Dave heads to Marinette County for the ribbon cutting at their new Strong Falls Trails. He gets lost for a while but finally makes it to the great new trails for a ride and snaps some photos. Listen in and hear what he thinks of the wicked trails built wicked fast. Finally, Seeley Dave gives his Woods and Weather report in which he describes the latest wildflowers and the guys wonder what is the difference between a weed and a wild flower. The conversation flows much more naturally in this second episode compared to the first, but there remain a few production and format issues to improve. I hope to improve the flow of the show intro, either by prerecording it or just getting better with practice. I also hope to always include something about bikepacking, even if it is just a routine mention to show some of the gear from the new community bikepacking lending library that people can borrow. Visit the episode webpage on LifeAboveEight.com for more info. Below is a list of the Bikepacking Gear Lending Library Equipment I have available to loan as of this podcast. Email me at seeleydave2021@gmail.com if you are interested in borrowing any of it. 5 Salsa EXP Anything Cradle5 Salsa EXP Dry Bag for Anything Cradle5 Relevate Designs Terrapin 14L Seatpack5 Big Agness Copper Spur HV UL2 Bikepacking Shelter5 Exped Synmat Ultra 1R Mummy air mattress5 Enlightened Equipment Apex 50° Quilt5 Trekology pillows5 BRS 3000T Stoves1 (so far) Alpacka Raft Caribou RTS1 (so far) Aqua Bound Whiskey 4 Piece Paddle --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/northwoods-ramble/message

In this first episode of the Northwood Ramble, Seeley Dave and TJ discuss six long months of winter in the Northwoods, how much they enjoy the relatively fast pace of spring now that is finally here with all the ephemeral wildflowers, fawns, fox kits and bear cubs. They also discuss the community bikepacking gear lending library, which includes a packraft and TJ gives an update on the new Trek Trails powered by OTM at Telemark Village. They also discuss Dave's recent ride with Andy Swartz and the Gravel In Paradise crew over in Mercer, WI, bushwhacking to a new unnamed waterfall on the Marengo River and more. Note: Dave later found out that the waterfall on the Marengo River is in the middle of private land. So the only way to legally view it is to travel on the Marengo River. In order to do that from the bottom of the falls, one must go up-current, making it more difficult despite the fact that the Marengo is shallow enough to walk or line a packraft in that section. You can find more about this podcast as well as more photos and download gpx tracks of the routes on LifeAboveEight.com. Below is a list of the Bikepacking Gear Lending Library Equipment I have available to loan as of this podcast. Email me at seeleydave2021@gmail.com if you are interested in borrowing any of it. 5 Salsa EXP Anything Cradle5 Salsa EXP Dry Bag for Anything Cradle5 Relevate Designs Terrapin 14L Seatpack5 Big Agness Copper Spur HV UL2 Bikepacking Shelter5 Exped Synmat Ultra 1R Mummy air mattress5 Enlightened Equipment Apex 50° Quilt5 Trekology pillows5 BRS 3000T Stoves1 (so far) Alpacka Raft Caribou RTS1 (so far) Aqua Bound Whiskey 4 Piece Paddle --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/northwoods-ramble/message