Actif Epica 2017 .

 Actif Epica 2017  was not in my plans. I had free entry for AE  which I won in the raffle at Arrowhead 135  few years ago. But could not to do last year (Yeva was too small to leave her without me)
But when my friends Thomas Woods( I met Thomas first time in 2013 during the Actif Epica race)  wrote at FB that he planning to go (2 weeks before the start ), I decided to ask him about carpool. And he said that he is OK about carpool. Next step find place to stay. I asked Doris Nelson  (me and Amy O. stayed at her house last visit) if it will be ok to stay at her house? And she was so nice to let do it for us . She was volunteer in this year

Night water butterflies . End of the season

Night water butterflies . The season #6 is over.
I really love this  meeting with my friends. The time which we spent together..


I love Cedar Lake

Arrowhead 135 , 2017

Arrowhead  135 (AH)  have a  special place in my heart.
2017 it was my 4th try and 3rd finish.
Every AH never was easy.
2014 - DNF (batteries in my light was dead, I had cold night at my bivy and get frozen butt) report here
2015 - Diarrhea 2nd women finish . At the 1st check point I bought prune juice and rest of the race had terrible diarrhea )
2016 -  SuperMom  finish 3rd 7 weeks after Yeva was born with the stop at the check points for feeding baby and pumped my milk during the race (it was brutal race and I proud of myself) report here 

Lake Minnetonka from the beginning by the end

It was my old dream to ride |crossing Lake Minnetonka.  I rode across small lakes before, but always wonted something BIG )
 It was fun to find someone who want to go with Steven Steichen, I never saw or rode with him before. But I found him in a group where is guys with good experience of adventure .
  The weather was perfect. In the morning was little cold, but by the end of out trip was really HOT!

Valenki against 45 north boots

I made 14 miles ride with test drive my Russian wool boots Valenki against 45 north .
Russia against USA ))) flat pedals against clips . Cheap against expensive.
Russian wool boots this is what my grandparents wearing , what every family have in a small towns. All my childhood time we had this at family . It was boots for outside ( when in winter time you have to go outside for the firewood, to do stuff outside and, of course, to go to the restroom ( yeah first 15 years in my life we have only outside restroom ))
I really love this boots . It keeps my feet warm, have space for the extra#3,#4 pair of socks.
For really cold temperatures it will be right choice.
Need to thinking about how to make them work with clip pedals )

Arrowhead 135 DNF- frozen butt . 2014

Today I will back in 2014 and tell you about my 1 st experience at Arrowhead 135. DNF

I came to my 1st Arrowhead 135 with experience Tuscobia 150 (1 finish and 1 DNF ), Actif Epica (2 times finish) . But everyone talking around me about how hard the AH135

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 This video about RACE I love watch it 
 I have no idea what this race looks like.
And decided to go. Registration. Than preparation.

Winter bike camping with my girls.

Dreams comes true. I started to dreams about winter camping with my girls since last winter. When Dan mads possible to me to rode  fat bike with trailer , my dream started to be more real.
But I have only one warm sleeping bag...
 2 weeks ago  started game from GearJunkie  - Check Point MN  

and I saw that they have sleeping bag The North Face for winter.  13 hours driving for checkpoint hunting with my friend and sleeping bag is MINE! This mean that I have all what I need and now i can planning my bike camping.
For school vocation we went to the Two Harbor (to the Dan's mom) and this is perfect wild place with wonderful nature place to make my dream.
Of course I was not sure about many things/
First of all winter camping needs more stuff that in summer . My Salsa beargrease do not have bike rack and possibility to do it and a lot of questions how I can put all together for 3 of us.
 I packaged all stuff on my bike, trailer, backpack, frame bag  and all fit. No extra space left.
We started and weather do not promised nothing good. Snowy!