Ride And Abide

Perhaps, I should go back a few months... or years, actually. I had met Josh when he was still working at Freewheel in Minneapolis (around 2009) and  when he decided to break out and pursue his own vision of what a bike shop is, I was happy to support him  -  Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop and Coffee Bar .  After hanging around the shop and joining the team I kept hearing about  The Dakota 50 (pronounced: five - oh)  in Spearfish, South Dakota.  I knew very little of what the event actually was and I signed up and found myself heading there over Labor Day weekend 2010. Dakota 5-0 2010 That was the worst day ever on a bike.  Weather:  perfect.  Bike:  performed flawlessly.  I was out of shape... So out of shape, in fact, that I did not know what out of shape even meant.  Somehow  I managed to finish the race.  9 hours and 30-some minutes after I departed the community center in Spearfish, I returned....

Dick Proenneke in Alone in the Wilderness part II I had viewed this videography around 2005.  At first I was merely entertained.  He does a great job telling a story and the footage is engaging.  Since the time I was first introduced to his story, I find myself reflecting on his story... then go and rewatch his video... or do some Google searching about Dick.  Then I started to really think about his story and what he had done.  Initially the story seemed like a tale about a camping trip in the wilderness... the more I thought about it, I started to consider all of the tribulations of the situation he put himself in.... but, more importantly the tribulations of all the situations that he had removed himself from.   Essentially removing himself from society (seems OK, actually)... and all the inter-personal contact of other people - and that is something I cannot wrap my head around. So.. I believe he went up there as a reasonably short-ter...