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Getting ready
Jul. 10th, 2023 08:28 amSometime early next week I'll be heading north for the annual picnic. Events start Thursday, though we usually want some people on site Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest to get the infrastructure deployed. Hasler is not going to make it this year, he will be greatly missed. Someone has been lined up to transport infrastructure that was at his house. I'm not sure if we had anything stashed at Kobe's place, she's out of state for an extended time. I don't think anyone really keeps track much of where stuff is.
The only thing I'm really doing this year is sugar engines. I lit a test last night and it went well. So I need to prep materials and package them for transport. I also need to buy some more stump remover, I only bought one container until I did a test.
I found that the instability of the Suzuki bike was due to me lowering only the back half. The front needs to be lowered at the same time. However the kickstand that's on the bike doesn't allow that, the bike would fall over with it as is. I've ordered a new one but it's coming from China and won't be here until days after I'm leaving to go north, so I may opt for the other bike. I really want my center of gravity lower than it was last year. I have some very nice soft luggage that I picked up that will work on any bike. The Suzuki is equipped for rough off-road stuff but it turns out I do zero of that. Going back to the sands is the worst I do and having done it once now, I can see that absolutely any bike can handle it. OK maybe not a HD cruiser :)
I kind of wanted to do Bond Falls on this trip (it's been on my list for years). The best way to do that seems to be to go through Escanaba and Iron River. It's probably a couple extra hours on the trip. If I do that it might be on the way home, and I'd probably want to try to find someplace to stay maybe in St Ignace, if the state park has any spots when I roll up, otherwise a hotel. I'm going to save the stuff close to the bridge for later; we have a LOT of time up there coming up - first for ABC though I'll be out exploring on my own during the day when J is in rehearsals so probably Traverse area for that, then later during Bridge Walk when we have the cabin for a week so we need more time to burn than normal. G&A have already said that they plan to stay and take advantage of the time. Not sure about Bill and Clark, Margaret says probably not.
Last year I managed to visit St Mary's Falls near Copper City which even the locals didn't know about. I'm hoping to visit a few other firsts while up there. Also I AM going to go Yooperlite hunting, I was just too exhausted last year, mainly as a result of the rabies shots which I think must be what ran me down, I was dragging around the whole time. The Mineral Museum is on my list as well, I haven't been there for decades - they were on the primary campus last time I went. Also visiting with Janice, maybe crashing there Sunday night. I'll be a lot more likely to do something other than just buzz straight home if I have a night's rest and a shower before departing the Keweenaw.
I need to make an itinerary for the travel portion and a bullet list for when I'm there, otherwise I just tend to just go from A to B and realize I passed something an hour after the fact.
The only thing I'm really doing this year is sugar engines. I lit a test last night and it went well. So I need to prep materials and package them for transport. I also need to buy some more stump remover, I only bought one container until I did a test.
I found that the instability of the Suzuki bike was due to me lowering only the back half. The front needs to be lowered at the same time. However the kickstand that's on the bike doesn't allow that, the bike would fall over with it as is. I've ordered a new one but it's coming from China and won't be here until days after I'm leaving to go north, so I may opt for the other bike. I really want my center of gravity lower than it was last year. I have some very nice soft luggage that I picked up that will work on any bike. The Suzuki is equipped for rough off-road stuff but it turns out I do zero of that. Going back to the sands is the worst I do and having done it once now, I can see that absolutely any bike can handle it. OK maybe not a HD cruiser :)
I kind of wanted to do Bond Falls on this trip (it's been on my list for years). The best way to do that seems to be to go through Escanaba and Iron River. It's probably a couple extra hours on the trip. If I do that it might be on the way home, and I'd probably want to try to find someplace to stay maybe in St Ignace, if the state park has any spots when I roll up, otherwise a hotel. I'm going to save the stuff close to the bridge for later; we have a LOT of time up there coming up - first for ABC though I'll be out exploring on my own during the day when J is in rehearsals so probably Traverse area for that, then later during Bridge Walk when we have the cabin for a week so we need more time to burn than normal. G&A have already said that they plan to stay and take advantage of the time. Not sure about Bill and Clark, Margaret says probably not.
Last year I managed to visit St Mary's Falls near Copper City which even the locals didn't know about. I'm hoping to visit a few other firsts while up there. Also I AM going to go Yooperlite hunting, I was just too exhausted last year, mainly as a result of the rabies shots which I think must be what ran me down, I was dragging around the whole time. The Mineral Museum is on my list as well, I haven't been there for decades - they were on the primary campus last time I went. Also visiting with Janice, maybe crashing there Sunday night. I'll be a lot more likely to do something other than just buzz straight home if I have a night's rest and a shower before departing the Keweenaw.
I need to make an itinerary for the travel portion and a bullet list for when I'm there, otherwise I just tend to just go from A to B and realize I passed something an hour after the fact.
