Ever heard of a BHAG? It’s a vision, a dream, an idea that seems a little bit beyond reality. It’s a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. In the sport of mountain biking and the world of advocacy, it’s the kind of thing that can transform a community.

My most memorable bike story (good) would probably be my first mini bike tour from Boulder to Steamboat. I loved being up in the mountains riding on bike roads by myself.
My worst memorable moment would be breaking my collar bone on my first ride on my new racer-x. It was on a singletrack right next to the bike path in north boulder and I came around a corner too fast and lost the front wheel. It required two surgeries and sucked.

Working with CORBA (Chippewa Off-Road Bike Association), we spent the weekend building trails at Hickory Ridge, a large plot of public land with exciting potential. Located just a few hours south of Chequamegon, the folks in the Chippewa area aren’t content with putting their bikes on the car and driving north; they’re working hard to have their own notable trail system.

It’s week three in the Upper Midwest and we’ve decided that the trails up here are just as good as anything we’ve ridden throughout the country. Don’t be fooled folks – the mountain biking is well worth the drive.

The Boneyard Trail photo, one of Wide Eyed World’s most popular, was recently published in issue #9 of Bike Monkey Magazine. “We’re thankful to have Bike Monkey as a client and really appreciate the opportunity to publish unique mountain biking photos.” says Leslie.

We traded in the country roads of Wisconsin for the (sub) urban streets of Minneapolis this past weekend. The visit started with the Thursday night group ride at Lebanon Hills. Organized by the Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists, this weekly ride is just one of the many events that this very successful club puts on. MORC, at 800+ members strong, is an important part of the mountain biking scene not just in the metro area, but statewide. They are a stellar example of what happens when a unified group moves in a positive direction.

I just talked to my sister this evening – she’s been riding every other day, exploring more trails, and wondering if it will ever get easier. I just smile knowing it’s the beginning of a new sport, the start of a healthy outlet, and the beginning a wonderful journey to discover the outdoors. Ride on!

Lebanon Hills is one of the better urban trail system that we’ve ridden. There is definitely something for everyone from the new beginner to the seasoned vet. The advanced trails include drops, log features, rock gardens and flow sections (berms, rollers, small table-tops).

After a month off, we headed back out east and landed in Vernon County, Wisconsin. It’s a beautiful area in the Upper Midwest – often referredto as the Driftless Region. It was a very mellow, yet very awesome week.

After a month off we’ve been sampling interstates once again. This time we chose I-90 for our journey from Colorado to Wisconsin and have found it to be our favorite. Not sure why – maybe it’s the great trails we found in Rapid City, the prairie grassland landscape, or the 60ft green giant statue that we looked for in Blue Earth, MN…