Le Grand du Nord Registration 2021

Are you ready? Registration for Le Grand du Nord goes live on Monday, March 1, 2021!

Please visit the Le Grand du Nord Registration Page to begin the process. Or, if you are familiar with our new registration host, BikeReg, you can go directly to our event there. Our website does have info that is not present on that BikeReg site, though.

Please note that we will be utilizing chip timing this year to facilitate wave starts. These are both new features to our events. Both are being used to help keep our event as safe as possible due to Covid 19. Thank you for being mindful of this as you choose your wave on the registration site.

Registration links and buttons will be in place by Sunday night on the website.

Thanks and Ride the Good Line!

Jeremy

Full Tilt Boogie

This week has seen us go from contemplation to full planning. After months of watching, predicting, idling, and brainstorming we have entered the “Full Tilt Boogie” phase. My old dogsledding boss, Paul Schurke was always using terribly outdated expressions and I’d like to carry on the tradition.

We are excited to be switching to BikeReg for our online registration platform. We are planning to have registration go live for Le Grand du Nord on or very near to March 1. We have decided to go one event at a time. Our dates are set for The Wolf & The Fox as well as The Heck of the North, but we are resisting the temptation to register for the season all at once. Mainly, this comes from a continued respect for the unpredictability of the C19 pandemic. We will make it easy for those riders who chose to push their 2020 Heck registrations to 2021, too. But YES, we are planning to host those other events as long as the season is safe. Thank you for your patience with this.

Who have you welcomed to cycling this season? A co-worker? Family member, neighbor, friends at school? We will be offering discounts at time of online registration for those welcoming and those deciding to ride a Heck event for the first time. This is about getting people outside. This is about promoting cycling as a great physical and mental experience. This is about bringing those who may have never thought cycling or gravel riding was for them into the sport we love. Thank you for making this one of our priority actions this season.

In preparation for the coming cycling season, we want to begin the process of rolling out some of our amazing partners. Our friends at Minnesota Randonneurs (see their information at the bottom of the page) have some great events planned for the year. (I can attest to the Coulee Challenge as being one heck of a ride as I was part of the scouting team that finished in 2018.)

We are also really excited to have two of our premier partners back for 2021, Otso Cycles and Wolf Tooth Components. They bring not only very cool and innovative products (check out this from Wolf Tooth, and this from Otso) but also do right by Minnesota as local brands that are invested in cycling here on the North Shore and around the Midwest. Stay tuned for more from our dedicated partners.

Here is more about Wolf Tooth-

• Website: https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/

• Instagram: @wolf_tooth_comp

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WolfToothComponents

• Info: Wolf Tooth makes bicycling components, tools, and accessories with an emphasis on precision engineering and local manufacturing here in Minnesota. Wolf Tooth’s chainrings, headsets, multi-tools, and other items are designed to make your bike faster, lighter, and more versatile.

 And Otso-

• Website: https://otsocycles.com/

• Instagram: @otsocycles

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OtsoCycles/

• Info: Otso Cycles designs and makes bikes that are inspired by Minnesota roads and trails. Otso’s bikes are known for their adjustable geometry, massive tire clearance, frames with superior ride quality, and versatility for gravel racing and bikepacking alike.
  

Please stay tuned as we ramp up for the season via this Cadence site and our Facebook page, too. We will be keeping a close eye on C19 pandemic levels as always.

Ride the Good Line

Jeremy

From Minnesota Randonneurs:

If you are looking to fill in your 2021 riding season with more fun, long distance training rides, check out Minnesota Randonneurs.  They offer a full schedule of rides on roads and gravel from 100k-600k (62-375 miles) great for anyone training for Heck and other long distance events or just enjoy getting out to explore our state on a bicycle. 

Minnesota Randonneurs has established covid guidelines to ensure rider and community safety while encouraging the camaraderie that makes long distance rides fun. 

Once you join Minnesota Randonneurs you can ride as many rando events as you want for the year at no extra cost. 

Check out their website at Minnesota Randonneurs to see their schedule as well as dates for several other long distance road and gravel events going on in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest this year. 

In 2022, Minnesota Randonneurs will again be hosting the 1200k (750 mile) Coulee Challenge event with riders from all over the US joining us for a fully supported 3-4 day randonnee of the Driftless country in SE Minnesota and SW Wisconsin. 

The most famous randonneur event in the world is Paris-Brest-Paris, next held in 2023 in France, with over 7,000 entrants from around the world cycling an event first run in 1891.  If you are a long distance cyclist, this needs to be on your list.

We are a Go

We are a GO.

After working with representatives from MN Dept's of Health, OSHA, Natural Resources, we were given guidance last Friday that would allow us to start producing events this season. We are still working toward our goal of online registration beginning March 1 via our Heck of the North website. We are having to make some major decisions about design, safety and creative features for the season. Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate this ever changing situation.

We will be working overtime to re-tool the events to continue to be creative, safe and challenging for this 2021 season. I will admit that the task is daunting. But we are motivated by our continued love and passion for cycling, welcoming new riders and tapping into the creative energy of our amazing partners (sponsors, community and volunteers.) This collective power will see us through a great season.

Please stay tuned to our website and Facebook page for upcoming reminders and updates.

Let’s Ride the Good Line together this year!

Jeremy

Figuring it all out

On course, Le Grand du Nord photo Clint Austin

I am just out of a Teams meeting with representatives from the MN Dept of Health, OSHA and Dept of Natural Resources. I contacted the state of Minnesota to determine how serious they were about guidelines that prohibit cycling/running events over 13 miles on public roads. Turns out, they are pretty serious. At the same time, it was one of the better meetings I have had with state officials in the 13 years I have been putting this gravel circus on. Kudos to them for being receptive, thoughtful and knowledgeable.

We will work with this team in the next two weeks in order to determine how feasible an event might be for this Spring. This is what we do. Stay tuned to this site for the latest.

And, while we train, make plans and dream, do not hesitate to contact our Gravel Go-To crew for all the questions you may have about our beautiful world of cycling.

Be well and Ride the Good Line!

Jeremy and the Heck Advisory Group

The Adventure Dance

Loaded with miles to go

I started down the road, fully loaded, paralleling the East Branch of the Baptism River. This trip would be solo. My trusty travel companion, Farrow, was surely deep into a new book, convalescing from recent hip surgery. I thought that adventure is still alive. It is stepping into an experience where the outcome is not for sure. It is certainly the possibility of plans changing, expectations scrambled. It is lonely, at times and even scary. I thought for miles about a dance with a partner simply called “the unknown.” And I do believe that the best adventures are out in the wilds somewhere, too.

Finally on January 19 a window of opportunity opened to have a crack at my beloved Winter Wolf route. This is a piece that I have worked on for a few years, finally culminating in the course that winds between Finland and Grand Marais, Minnesota. After beating my head against trail usage politics on the North Shore, one day, Farrow and I just decided to ride plowed roads between our destinations. That fateful trip convinced me that I was not missing much and had some of the most beautiful passages spanning the North Shore virtually to myself.

The significance of the Winter Wolf route this year is simply the act of getting out and riding long even if there is not an event associated with it. As a bonus, I have thrown out the challenge of camping out if one takes on the route. My love of spending nights on the ground has convinced me that it completely changes the feel of the experience.

Instead of doing a play by play, or crafting a mythical story as Farrow does so well, I will give snapshots of the journey with hopefully some beneficial advice.

Looking North on the Caribou Trail

• Total trip time was 34 hours. I left the North Shore State Trail parking lot in Finland at 0800, arrived at my sleep spot at about 1730 that evening (at dark-thirty.) I began riding the next day at 0700 and returned to Finland at just after 1900. I was going steady, stopping as little as possible during riding time. I found the Grand Marais to Finland section, even without the unplowed sections, to be more challenging than the first day.

• The USFS is still prohibiting camping at campgrounds. I am clarifying with my partners there whether one is permitted to tent camp at one of the many other lake access turn-offs enroute. It is permissible to camp on USFS land, our public land. But Leave No Trace ethics are strongly recommended!

• My experience was that The Trestle Inn (18 miles from the start or 62 miles east of Grand Marais on the way home) was not open at either time. Be prepared to carry water or have the means to melt snow. Most creeks/rivers were locked up with ice, too.

• My bike weighed close to 80 lbs with water on board. Despite having some pretty light gear, stuff just adds up! I kept feeling like I was starting a touring motorcycle at the start of the day. But magically, that rig rolled well. I also kept tire pressure up to close to 12 psi.

• The roads were a mix of hard pack dirt/ice, straight ice or snow covered with 1-2” and tire tracks. I kept tire pressure high (relatively speaking) with this in mind. Studded tires are a must for this route.

• The unplowed section from mile 22-32 was almost completely rideable. There were sections of truck ruts necessitating some walking. The snowmobile tracks had set up well which greatly added in the ability to spin instead of push. Going against all wisdom, I kept tire pressure high and was still able to get through OK. Anything softer, and I would have dropped pressure.

• The second unplowed section between mile 62 and 67 was the same. Mostly hard packed snowmobile trail and generally rideable.

• Temps at the start were well below zero. I was lucky to find a pair of older, blue-laced 45NRTH Wolfgar boots last month. I think I am sold. I am not going to get into the platform pedal vs clip option here, but I am convinced now that I can keep my feet warm AND have the power transfer that is so welcome when spinning a heavy rig like this. Yes, I had a couple of episodes of cold toes…but walking a few minutes took care of it and the efficiency of pedaling was very worth it.

• I am trying vapor barrier layering and I think it has a place in upper body clothing and also for sleeping. I use an old Patagonia Houdini jacket against my skin then a midweight zip-neck baselayer on top. When it was cold, I added an ancient Patagonia Nano-Puff pullover then my Wintergreen Boundary Waters hooded Windshirt as a windbreak layer. Though moisture management proved to be tricky at times, I stayed dyer than usual and was never cold. Except when I stopped to camp…

So when a heated cabin comes along…are you strong enough to resist? No, not this time!

So my Winter Wolf completion comes with an asterisk. Here’s a pro tip. If you know a guy on course and he lives very near your day’s destination point, it is best you just keep riding. Because otherwise, your grand plans to sleep in your new tipi tent with fancy titanium wood stove will surely come crashing down at the first utterance of “heated cabin.” OK. I know. Let me have it. To my credit, I have spent more nights outside in the Winter than most. And I have suffered with the best off them. Maybe as I approach 50 next month, wisdom is finally creeping up on me so that I do not ride past cozy cabins anymore. Or maybe I am just getting soft. So my Winter Wolf competition comes with an asterisk. It just means I have more work to look forward to later this Winter!

• About that sleeping outside stuff. I did carry everything I needed to sleep well during the trip. This included a -40 degree down bag, Nemo air mattress and ground sheet. I am trying a new Seek Outside tipi tent with a titanium stove that I am able to fit easily within my bike bags. So I was ready!

• That vapor barrier thing works well (at least better) keeping your insulating layers dry; whether it is your clothing or your sleeping bag. I have sewn up a silnylon bag to use inside of my down bag with good success. But be warned. The moisture you produce in sweat stays next to you (and not wetting the bag or clothes.) It is a “unique” feeling. When I stopped for the night, getting ready to set up my tent, the first thing I did was strip out of my base layers on top and thrown on dry, insulating shirts and coats.

An Egg McMuffin makes a solid lunch item. And my slightly custom-hemmed (I sewed the ankle cuff in a couple of inches) Wintergreen Half Zip guide Pants worked perfectly with a long underwear layer.

• I mentioned that I carried 5 liters of water to begin. On the second day, I “knew” I would be probably OK with the 3 liters on my back which worked well for me. Obviously, everyone will vary slightly from this amount.

• Expect most things you might eat in the Summer to freeze into a tooth shattering block in the Winter. I have switched to fruit “fig” bars because they are always malleable. I’m also a fan of McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches (trust me, I stay away from fast food 99% of my life) and homemade pizza for supper or snacking.

• I do not do drink mixes anymore and have never looked back. I have yet to suffer any electrolyte problems (that I am aware of) from using just warm water and food from home (or the drive thru.)

It was blowing in Grand Marais the morning I left

• Grand Marais is one of my favorite places. The Java Moose is open for coffee and Holiday Gas Station is an easy option. But many other restaurants may be shuttered for the season/covid. Check them out before you leave. The municipal campground is open! This was to be my destination before I sinned. Again, call to confirm this! For the camping, not the sinning part.

• That ride dropping into Grand Marais is thrilling. But there is also 1200 feet of climbing heading out of town. From the water of the bay to the eastern tip of The Grade at mile 92, you have some climbing ahead of you.

• Heading into Grand Marais and Finland necessitated having decent lighting. But for this short of a trip, a good headlamp sufficed. Also, always run a red tail light.

• And a word about traffic. One of the best things about this route is the near absence of cars, or any humans, for that matter. BUT be warned. There is logging. I had four logging trucks pass me, two unloaded and two loaded. All were law abiding and well within the speed limits. And two even had the courtesy to use their low-pitched air horns before passing. Instead of being rude, this was frankly a welcomed safety move on their part. Be smart and stay right, stay bright while riding.

• And 80 miles at a go without people is either a blessing or a curse depending on your frame of mind. As is goes with long distance cycling, if it’s going like hell, put your head down, pedal and wait it out. Your mind will change. As when it’s all perfect and high and nothing could go wrong, wait 15 minutes and be prepared for dark times. It happens. Bring music (use cautiously always being alert to traffic.) Bring a friend. Or go solo. They all have their pros and cons.

Constant travel companions. Wolves on the road.

And finally, there are the wolves. Chance are, you will not be so lucky to see one. But I can almost guarantee tracks. They use the roads just like we do. Easy traveling and fun things to pee on along the way. I was also treated to a sighting of THREE lynx just lounging/playing on the road on Perent Lake Rd. Then, a beautiful fisher scratching around in the road not 5 minutes after the lynx. Yes, moose tracks for sure. And fox. It is always quiet enroute on these roads in the Winter (except for the occasional logging truck,) but signs of wildlife are always near. This is one of the best things about this route. The quiet, in fact, was deafening at times. We get so use to having constant chatter that hearing nothing but the wind through the trees and your own thoughts can be disconcerting, at first. But roll with it. Learn from it. I promise you will come back stronger, wiser and healthier. OK, maybe after a couple of days.

Please feel free to email any comments or questions. jeremybkershaw@gmail.com