Maximalist Loaded Beersploring

Recently we all loaded up our bikes and rode together to a nature reserve west of Minneapolis.  You've likely already heard about it in one of the other blogs posted here as well as on our facebook page, so I'll present you my take on it via the following pictures I snapped along the way.  These photos are not intended to tell the whole story, partially because that would take too long and also because I didn't take pictures for the entire duration of the trip. 

Anyhoo, here we are loaded down and rolling on the LRT trail west of Minneapolis.  It rained most of the way.

Not unlike myself and several others, Bob was loaded with enough gear to survive several nuclear winters.

Speaking of loaded, Marketing Guy had several slices of toasted white bread, two whole chickens, a Coke and a guitar amp under the tarp.  To the question, "Why'd you bring all that crap for?" he answered, "Why not?"  Amen.

Greg bought a new outfit, and Jim bought a new beard.  Both of them looked stunning.

There were lots of trailers.  Nothing wrong with that.

There were some bridge club rest stops along the way.  The plethora of bridges turned a 2-hour ride into 5-hour epic, but that's pretty much par for the course for us.  There was a brewery stop planned, but it turned out they were closed.  Had they been open we would still not yet have arrived at the camping spot.

Here is visual proof that short people can indeed mix with the taller folks. 

I think Jim was spinning one of his amusing yarns about his days in Colorado in this photo, which explains why there is smiling (and maybe even some laughter) involved.

Tree Beard. 

Not Tree Beard.  Not even close.  Sorry FNG.  Keep trying.

We met this guy, who told us he had just escaped the local mental institution.  We gave him some Doritos and some water.  I've never seen a happier person in my life.

Somebody call the cops.

I only took one picture of the camp.  It's of Greg!  Later we took turns burning the ticks off him with our lit cigarettes. 

Al in all it was what it was and is what it ain't.  We are already scheming our next outing and thinking of ways to carry even more stuff that we won't need.  Some folks like to go minimalist and test themselves against nature, but that's just dopey if you ask me.  Maximalist is the way to go.