Just Life | Steve Tilford

It is kind of strange for me to have missed most all of summer. By that I mean I had a broken hip nearly all summer, so I missed what I normally do, plus I was physically not anywhere that really had a summer. I spent most of the last 3 months either in Colorado or up here in Wisconsin, and at both places, the weather never seemed summer like. I’ve been mildly cold the past three months.

I like some hot, midwestern summer. Not a ton of it, but enough to make me appreciate milder weather. I grew up with hot summers. I guess it’s in my genes. I do complain more about being way too hot than I used to remember, but I think that is just my body and mind being out of sync, alittle war within myself.

It hasn’t really been warm since I got up to Cable. Hardly in the 60’s any day. Today is not any different.

A bunch of us are riding from here at Dennis’ up to Washburn Wisconsin to get a marriage license for Pat Lemeiux and Gwen Jorgensen. They had a crazy year between them this year. They have a homes in Australia and Spain and have travelled extensively pretty much the past 9 months. Pat actually just baled out of a “short” trip to New Zealand for last week to ride Chequamegon. Gwen did a photo shoot down there, for shoes, but they made here run in shoes two sizes too small. Sponsorship and its joys!

Anyway, Gwen had a stellar season, winning the Triathlon National, but more important, World Championships too. She has a couple months off, just one race in the Carribean, then back to the travel routine. They are fitting in a small wedding up here in Cable in a couple weeks. Dennis is actually going to marry them. He got a license to perform marriages last year. He has a rule that he only marries Olympians or Tour de France riders. He’s stuck to it and this wedding is going to qualify.

It’s a little too early for me. We’re leaving at 9, which is the crack of dawn around here. I’m not sure how we’re going to shuttle everyone back here. I think it is 70 miles one way and I’m pretty sure that I can’t ride both directions. I can hardly ride 2 hours of singletrack, so 3-4 hours on the road is going to be challenging.

Gwen, scrapping the bottom of the dessert pan last night after dinner.

A bunch of us pulling a boat lift out of a lake. I was in my underwear.

A little northern woods lake home.

Gwen winning in Edmonton to secure the 2014 ITU World Championship.

Yesterday was a pretty great day. We all suited up and headed up to Washburn, WI, the county seat of Bayfield County, a small town on Lake Superior, so Pat and Gwen could get a marriage license. Pat was stressing all night about not having his social security card, which no one has, but the form stated they needed. It was way more casual than you could have imagined. There was a question on the form asking if you are fertile or not. I told the woman that seemed not appropriate, but she said they needed that information if cousins marry. Wow was all I could come up with.

It was a 62 mile ride up to Washburn and we did it under 3 hours, tailwind. Pat pulled the whole way, me most of it too. Bill did the first hour and then I took over. I am feeling a little tweaked from all this activity and wasn’t having the best day. Plus, I’m not big on tailwind riding. Makes my butt hurt, not enough pressure on the pedals.

It’s pretty warm up here right now. By warm, I mean it is already in the 60’s this morning. I think singletrack is the choice today. It is going muggy in the woods. I still am riding a rigid fork, so I’m getting beat up a little here off-road, but it is normally super smooth, so it isn’t that big a deal.

Okay, some pictures from yesterday.