Fog in the Sleepy Hollow Valley

This photo was taken from one of the local fire towers last night just before sunset. It had rained all day and as evening wore on the fog was incredible. An elevated vantage point such as this provided for some spectacular views of the fog as it drifted through the surrounding valleys!

The Tree-Root Waterfall

The Tree-Root Cascade, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Here's a pretty unique waterfall.

This cascade is formed by the roots of a bigleaf maple growing through the creek bed. The water flows over the roots in a curtain and plunges into a somewhat deep pool.

This waterfall, like many others in the area, only flows during the rainy season. It's completely bone dry right now.

Country life

Evidence of beavers upstream.


Evidence of people upstream.

Fire in the Sky

Horsethief Lake, Columbia Hills State Park, Wishram, WashingtonSeptember 20, ..

Spring Evening at High Falls

Grand Portage State Park, MN. The water level at High Falls right now is perfect for doing long exposures and capturing many layers of water. Get there and visit the falls now while the water conditions are optimum for this kind of shot!


These photos were taken a few days ago at Grand Portage State Park in Northeast Minnesota. After the ice broke up on the river this year, the water level was initially at a level of 3.5 feet. A few days after the ice-out, the river level was at 8 feet. Since then, the river level dropped a bit to just over 5 feet, but it is now on the rise again. With more moisture in the forecast for the next day or two, it may reach 8 feet again (or more!). This weekend is shaping up to be another great one to view the falls... come out and see it while the water is high!

Dance in the North Sky

Some friends had told me about seeing the Aurora in the early morning hours of March 10th, but unfortunately I was already asleep and missed the activity. The following evening, however, I noticed the telltale green glow in the Northern sky at 9:30 PM. I called a friend of mine and within 15 minutes we were both headed up into the woods to get away from any man-made lights. Just moments after we arrived in my planned shooting area the Aurora intensified and really started to put on a show. By 11:00 PM the sky was bursting with dancing lights. At one point the lights filled about 50% of the entire sky. I would have needed a fisheye lens (which I unfortunately do not own) in order to capture the entire breadth of the lights. We stood in awe at not only the movements but the colors we were seeing. Dominated by green, we also saw shades of red, purple and white. Rarely is the aurora seen this powerfully in Northern Minnesota. I was almost in a trance staring at this amazing show and I kept having to remind myself to keep taking pictures!

Brevet Season

Over the weekend, local bike shop and cycling club Ride Studio Cafe hosted a group ride followed by a Brevet Season Kick-Off Party that lasted well into the night. Organised by the RSC and cycling legends The Blayleys, this event included food, drink, a bike show, and an information session about various aspects of randonneuring.





This event struck me as significant on a number of levels. It was a coming together of the worlds of road racing, randonneuring and casual cycling, which rarely happens in other communities. It also showed just how much local interest there is in randonneuring. The room was absolutely packed and by the time things got started it was almost impossible to move. No one expected such a turnout.






Though many beautiful and unusual bicycles were brought in for the bike show and contest, it was impossible to photograph them due to their sheer proximity to one another. Frames bearing the marks of Weigle, Vanilla, ANT, Rawland, Rivendell, Sketchy, Gunnar and Seven were a common sight, as were refurbished vintage mystery frames. The glitter of hammered fenders set the room aglow. Saddlebags swayed to the soft French music that played in the background. Map sleeves glistened. Leather saddles of at least 4 different makes flaunted their rivets and cut-outs.Light and heavy, racy and sedate, with integrated lighting and without, rando bikes filled the entire room and spilled outside. Waist-deep in a sea of lovely bikes, yet unable to photograph them... oh how I suffered! The winners of the bike contest were a stunningly crafted JP Weigle, a refurbished vintage Raleigh, and a customised Seven rando bike (this one).






Last year it took me a while to understand what randonneuring really was, and I suspect many readers might like to have it explained. French in origin, randonneuring is defined as a "noncompetitive, timed, endurance cycling sport." It involves riding in organised long distance events, with the goal to finish within a specific time frame. The rides are unsupported (no van with supplies and mechanical help to follow riders around) and take place regardless of weather conditions. Control points along the way ensure participants cover the entire route.




Official randonneuring events (aka randonnées) are sanctioned internationally by the Audax Club Parisien and in the US by Randonneurs USA. Our local organisation here in Boston isthe New England Randonneurs (NER).




The shortest type ofrandonnée (petiterandonnée?)is called the Populaire, and it is 100km - a metric century. But the prototypical randonnées are the brevets - rides 200km or longer. Local organisations will usually host a brevet series starting in spring, consisting of 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km rides spread out through the season. Hence, the Brevet Season.




Other types ofrandonnéesinclude the Flèche (a 24 hour team event, described very nicely here), and the so-called granderandonnées, the most famous of which is the 1200km Paris-Brest-Paris(for some time there was a local granderandonnéeBoston-Montreal-Boston, but sadly it appears to have been discontinued). The schedule for all the local randonnées this season is postedhere.






A number of well known local randonneurs attended the Brevet Kick-Off Party, and it was a pleasure to see them in person.






It was particularly excited to spot Emily O'Brien - a woman known for riding long distance on fixed gear, eating pickles, and making custom bicycle bags named after pickles.





I also finally met a few people whom I'd previously only corresponded with - including Cris C., who arrived on his well-loved ANT.





Presentations were given byMelinda Lyon of the New England Randonneurs, Pamela Blalock, andMatt Roy of MM Racing. Matt was at a disadvantage in that he went on last and it was already quite late. But I am so glad I stayed for his presentation, because he is an extremely engaging and charismatic speaker. At 10pm, Matt's talk made me want to immediately get up and ride a few hundred miles - whilst meticulously following his instructions of course.





While I find the idea of randonneuring exciting and romantic, I doubt that I can actually do it. The routes are hilly and challenging, and the people who do these things are extremely strong riders, no matter how much they might downplay it in conversation. Randonneurs tend to make a point of being inclusive and assuring others that "anyone can do it," and they honestly believe it. They also have a habit of describing rides in a way that makes it seem all about the scenery and camaraderie, conveniently leaving out the part about it being difficult! But in fact it is very difficult, and I am not a sufficiently strong cyclist at this stage. It is also a must that participants be able to fix their own mechanical problems, since there is no support. While I have the know-how, I cannot physically work on my bike and that presents a problem. Finally - and I hate to say this, but it's true - I am simply not committed enough. Though I ride a lot, I do it on my own time instead of planning my life around rides that take place on specific dates. When push comes to shove, personal things have priority and in the past it has been very difficult for me to commit to organised cycling events. For serious randonneurs, their lives basically revolve around the brevet season, as a great deal of commitment is required to both take part in and train for the events.



Some day I would like to take part in a brevet (or a flèche - those sound like so much fun!), and I certainly do not mean to discourage others from doing it. It's just that there has been such a tendency to romanticise randonneuring and to contrast it with racing, that the popular image of the activity does not, in my opinion, adequately reflect how challenging and demanding it actually is. It's good to go into something with realistic expectations.






As you can see, the Brevet Season Kick-Off Event has given me a lot to think about. More than anything, I am still overwhelmed by how significant it felt to be there. We could practically feel a new era dawning as more and more people filled the room (several of us mentioned that independently so I know it wasn't just my overactive imagination!). While it doesn't mean that the local population will now rush en masse to join the New England Randonneurs (though it's a great idea to support them), I do think it's indicative of a growing interest in a particular type of cycling: long rides on bikes that are fast yet practical, and without an overt competitive element. It's the kind of cycling I like best so far, and I appreciate that it is so well supported locally. More low-light pictures of the event here!