A Pictorial Review Idea

During the Tree In The Road Ride a discussion of an idea from Jason Boucher came up which I thought might make for a good event, and maybe more. The idea would be to present a photographic review of Trans Iowa's history. 

Now, before we get too excited here, let's consider a few things. First off, there are several image takers which would have to be consulted and to get permissions from before any sort of show or more could be considered. Just to give you an idea, there are nine major contributors to Trans Iowa's imagery and several minor contributors. That's a LOT of permissions and editing to cull the best shots for any sort of showing.

I have well over 1,000 images alone which I have collected from those nine individuals, including my own, and from other minor contributors. To say that there is a wealth of images is not an understatement. Plus, I know there are thousands  of images no one has seen but the image takers themselves.

Wally Kilburg accounts for a vast amount of iconic T.I. Images. 

One snag is the fact that Wally Kilburg is no longer with us, and getting permissions for using his imagery, or even accessing it, is a big hurdle to overcome as of now.

I know Wally would be 100% all-in on this idea, but we cannot ask him anymore, so without those images, I'd be rather reticent to pursue the idea at all. Wally would have to be represented in anything like this idea.

Then you have a venue, a space to hold an event like this in, and what does this entail? Yeah, not totally insurmountable, but you all know if we picked a site there would be cries of it being unfair to those far away. Plus, any date chosen would be a big snag with several folks as well. Personally, I don't care about those two issues, because there is an inevitability about any of those two things. It will happen no matter what we do, so whatever.... 

It's a nice idea, but it wouldn't be easy to pull off. Maybe we would have to do some kind of a book to make it worthwhile, and this would complicate things further, but I know making money off this would be something some of the contributors would want to see happen to make it worth their time and efforts. Plus, you have to recognize the talent and product realized by these artists. Would this idea work if it could result in a coffee table type book? Maybe.

Look, I have no clear idea for this, and it is just an idea now. If enough folks wanted to see it happen, maybe the effort would be worth the time. I really do not know. It would have to be a collaborative effort, because I just do not see myself pulling this off alone. So, this really is not up to my decision. Plus, the whole thing with getting nine entities/people to enter into a collaborative agreement. That's a big ask.

But....I thought I'd throw it out there. You never know unless you try, even if it is just throwing something out to see what sticks. And maybe nothing will come of this. I'm good either way. 

A Celebration Of Life: Wally Kilburg

I'm taking a break from Friday News and Views this week to do a special post for my old friend and Trans Iowa volunteer/photographer/advisor Wally Kilburg who died last Monday. (You can read my eulogy HERE) 

Taken as I left Wally and his friend George the last time I spent time with Wally.

Wally was a special person in my life, and while I did not know him very long or all that well, he still managed to touch my life in a way that I did not expect. Of course, his elevation of Trans Iowa via his imagery was stellar. It is probably what he is most well known for by cyclists and since that is the case, I wanted to share my favorite Wally images today to celebrate a man and a life well-lived. 

These are going to be mostly Trans Iowa images, so many of these have been shown before, but I still wanted to share them with you today and to remind us all that we should take time to see, call, or get in touch with friends and family. If you get nothing else out of this post, I hope that it is that you act on that thought today. 

And with that.... (All Images by Wally Kilburg )

Current Iowa Wind and Rock RD, Sarah Cooper at a Trans Iowa start line.

 

Trans Iowa v9

Trans Iowa v9

Trans Iowa v10

Trans Iowa v10

T.I.v10

Trans Iowa v12

Trans Iowa v10

Trans Iowa v12

Trans Iowa v11

Current Iowa Wind and Rock RD, Steve Fuller finishing T.I.v9

Trans Iowa v9

Trans Iowa v12

Trans Iowa v9

Trans Iowa v12

The last shot here is really special to me. I never have had anyone capture myself and Trans Iowa in a way that made us all look like rock stars, but Wally did it and what a brilliant shot! Wally, being the sweetheart that he was, printed this out in large format and sent it to me for free. What a guy! What a gift! I look at this image on my wall often and I thank Wally every time for that. 

Goodbye Wally! I will miss you!

The last time I spent any significant time with Wally, and George Keslin, of course, the two were nearly inseparable, was at the end of checking cues for Trans Iowa v13. That was when Wally was just starting to deal with his wife Irene's failing health. 

It was a difficult day, at times, but we made it through and at the end of it all I sat out in the back of the motel that Wally and George were spending the night at for a bit of a chat. 

Wally was smoking a cigar, as he was wont to do, and we had a few beers at a picnic table sitting near a farm field facing East. I remember the breeze and the grass waving in the wind. It was a great day for mid-April, and it was warm enough to sit outside for quite some time. And that is exactly what we did.

Wally and George were quite a pair, and anyone who knew them could tell you that these two guys were two peas in a pod. They had shared many an adventure, and the stories were almost too wild to be true. I enjoyed being regaled by them with their tales. 

On one hand, I felt honored to be in the presence of such fast friends who were willing to share with me their lives. On the other hand I felt as though I was unworthy of being their friend. My life was a boring story compared to these two troopers! But Wally would not have had it any other way than to have me sitting there that evening. And I know that, if it were possible, he would have spent even more time with me. But it wasn't to be.

I saw Wally briefly at the very start of festivities for Trans Iowa v13, but he had to get back to Chicago to take care of Irene, and that journey was just beginning for him. In the end, it turned out to be the last time I spoke to him. 

So, I will always treasure that warm Spring evening at that picnic table out back of a motel in Grinnell. At least I had the chance to sit and relax once with Wally and his friend George and just put everything aside that had to do with Trans Iowa and just be with them. 

Rest easy, Wally! Thank you for all you did to enrich my, and others lives the way that you did.

A Eulogy For Wally Kilburg

Wally Kilburg at the checkpoint #2 for Trans Iowa v8.

A message has reached me today that a good friend to myself and to Trans Iowa, Wally Kilburg, has died today.

Wally came to be a friend via a random email in 2010 asking if he could be a moto follow vehicle for Trans Iowa. I was skeptical, and eventually Wally's persistence carried the day. I'm glad it did. Persistence was one of the qualities that Wally possessed in spades.

He was persistent in not only his desire to help me and Trans Iowa, but to be a force to help elevate the event via his talents as a photographer. But what you may not know is that Wally also was an advisor, a helper in reconning courses, and was fiercely loyal to myself and Trans Iowa.

Wally moved on after Trans Iowa was done to be a loyal and fiercely supportive husband as he watched his wife be taken away from him slowly by Alzheimers. He was a true inspiration to me from afar as I simultaneously watched my mother die from the same disease.

The struggles for Wally took him away from being my friend, and rightfully so, and so I was not in touch with him recently. That stings a bit, but I understand. I had my own struggles as well.

Wally, your memory will live on with me and many others as well. Thank you my friend.

Country Views: Camera Nerd

Escape Route; Black hawk Park w/Josh Paxton

 I was out for a ride yesterday and it was a ride for a specific purpose. I was helping a friend to get some imagery for a project he is working on. While this was happening it struck me that a LOT of cyclists are photographers and several are downright "camera nerds". 

Note: I say that out of love and respect for you if you, are in fact, a camera nerd. No putdown intended. 

I happen to know a few of these folks and a few of them have helped me out with imagery in the past. People like Steve Fuller, Wally Kilburg, George Keslin, Jason Boucher, and Jon Duke. All cyclists, all definitely camera nerds. 

I know Erik Mathy who takes 'camera nerdery' to the next level. It's amazing stuff, in my opinion, and when I spent time with Erik in 2022 at the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame days, I was constantly amazed by his talents. 

Well, on Tuesday I spent time with another camera freak, Josh Paxton. He is setting up something that is an image-heavy online thing and he wanted a section on cycling to be a prominent part of that project, so he talked me into being a 'model' for a day. We decided to head out to start the ride from Black Hawk Park.

Ford Road near Black Hawk Park

I've always liked this barn. The owner keeps it in pretty good shape.

We left the park and immediately were on Ford Road going North. It isn't all that long of a stretch, but it is picturesque in several spots. This is generally enhanced by good morning light and Fall colors, both of which were happening on this day.

Josh coming up on the intersection of Ford Road and Mt. Vernon Road. He forgot his helmet, so don't "@" me!

Ford Road looking North from the intersection with Mt. Vernon Road.

The thing about these camera nerds is that they stop. A lot! "Hey! Can I get you to ride toward me here?", or "Stand still here and act natural.", as the photographer sticks a $10,000.00 camera rig three inches from your face. "Yeah, no problem! I always have a camera pointed RIGHT AT MY HEAD!" I'm used to it, ya know? Ha ha! 

Josh riding up out of the Ford Road Access.

It was a glorious Fall morning.

We explored a bit of the Ford Road Access to the Washington Access fire road. We didn't go all the way to the Washington Access trail, but I was surprised to find that this trail had been cleared and was very rideable. It wasn't always so. I was out this way a couple of times, once in 2008 and another time six years later, and the Ford Road Access trail was impassable by bike and nearly so on foot. It's good to see it back in ship-shape again. 

I had forgotten that there is a pretty steep climb up from the flood plain to the road on the Ford Road Access. Josh had me ride down it a bit so he could photograph me climbing up. (This modeling gig! I tell ya! What these photogs put us through! Ha ha!) 

After a couple hours we were finished. It was great to get out early and ride some, despite all the stops and sessioning. Good to see Ford Road again and that the access trail is open. I need to get out that way again soon.

Trans Iowa Stories:"I'll Kill Ya!"

The third, and final, Trans Iowa v8 header art concept that was used on the site. Courtesy of Jeff Kerkove.

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

The events of the next Trans Iowa in the line of this story were all etched into my memory as if it were the first time I'd done it. In a way, it was the first time. I hadn't done all of the work to put on the event in five years. Now, I was on my own. Back in 2014 as I recapped Trans Iowa's history for this blog, I wrote the following, which should serve as a good recap of where I left off in the telling of the events surrounding version seven of Trans Iowa:

 "It was over. Trans Iowa V7 was done, but I had a "Dirt Rag" story to write, sponsors to thank, and some emotionally charged situations going on that seemed to put the endurance factor of Trans Iowa v7 on much longer than I imagined. There was the tension between David and I, my buddy MG was ticked off, and I had just about reached my limits in terms of being able to take any more. There was only one thing that fueled my desire to do another Trans Iowa- that was my complete and utter determination to put on a flawless Trans Iowa. Before the event was even done, I had silently vowed to myself that I would take Trans Iowa on and dominate the logistical and promotional parts of the event and show how it really could be done. I knew it could be way better."

It was also true that I had said after Trans Iowa v3 that I'd never do the event again alone. However; I never dreamed I'd end up in the situation I did at the time of v7. That pretty much lit a fire within me and I can say honestly I haven't been that motivated to do anything since. 

Lots of things needed attention, most of those having to do with recon of the route and cue sheets. One of the things I changed was that whatever the route was to be, that route would have a draft of cues for it well ahead of the event. In fact, they would be independently verified. The original plan was to have whomever was to verify the cues do it alone by my draft of the cues. That way any issues found would be natural, so to speak. I wouldn't be there to influence the outcome, and people would know the route was legit. However; my two volunteers that stepped up to do this, Wally and George, insisted I come along, since any issues could be sussed out easily if I was there, and it would save time and money. I acquiesced and in March of 2012, I joined them in Grinnell for the first "Checking Crew" ride. Here's what I wrote at the time leading up to the recon:

 "This year, besides having all the cues drafted far in advance, the cues will actually be double checked by a third party. This will happen this weekend when I will play tag along with the Checking Crew. My role will be to see if any clarifications are necessary and to take notes of any criticisms. By doing this extra step, it is my hope that the cues will reflect with accuracy where and when to turn out there."

I didn't really know Wally well yet, but I liked him as we got to know each other over the months going into T.I.v7 and afterward. George I knew even less. I had only met him once, at T.I.v7, and that briefly. I hadn't communicated with him outside of that. What I learned later, but didn't know that day in March of 2012, was that Wally and George had been life-long friends. They knew each other so well one could finish the other's sentences. Brothers from other mothers, for sure, and they have a rich, long history of events that they have shared over the years. But again- I hadn't learned that yet. 

So, as we tooled along in George's Ford 4X4, Bouncing down the gravel roads, we got to talking. Now, if you don't know me, I like to talk. I can spin a yarn, and I enjoy hearing them too. Well, at one point I was telling a story about something or another that I had done when George, who had been pretty quiet up to this point, piped up and said, "You know what I would have done if you'd done that to me?"

I responded and asked what that might be. 

George then snapped around, with a wild look, his eyes bulging and his face was tense, and he growled, "I'd a fu#@in killed ya!"

Pregnant pause.......for effect.....

A rider by the fire at Wally and George's Checkpoint Bravo during T.I.v8

Then Wally busted out laughing! The look on my face must have been priceless. I had no idea if George was serious or no, but his tone, and his overall countenance was very convincing! See, George had grown up in Chicago. He had that certain 'moxy', that inner city swagger thing. And Wally knew exactly where he was going with that the minute George opened up his trap. Man! Was that a funny thing right there.   

And for the rest of the day, that phrase, or variations thereof,  was repeated at various times in connection with various things, and my sides hurt from laughing so much. That recon was so much fun, and Wally and George were such great guys, not to mention such a good sounding board for my course ideas and cues, that they instantly became an indispensable resource to Trans Iowa. Not to mention, really good friends too. That was an unforgettable day. It wasn't the last one either.

The course checking was a great idea, and having the cues reviewed by two individuals with no horse in the race, (sorry for the pun), made for some raw, unfiltered critique that I was able to put to good use. Then, as if that weren't enough, I had Jeremy Fry and Steve Fuller use the revamped cues after the first vetting as they scouted the course for imagery opportunities. So, not only was T.I.v8 vetted out once, but twice by independent teams. I was out to make sure these cues were so spot-on that they could not be faulted.

Trans Iowa v8 saw Wally and George running the Checkpoint Bravo (#2) and they, once again, proved to have one of the coolest checkpoints ever seen in Trans Iowa's history. John Gorilla famously said later that there should have been a time limit on how long you could have stayed at that checkpoint! Keep in mind, this was literally about as far out in the sticks in Iowa as you could get. So, the little oasis of fun, fire, and liquor was a standout after miles and miles of nothing.  Recently, George related a little story about the Checkpoint Bravo experience:

Riders leaving Checkpoint Bravo, by Wally Kilburg

"Wally and I were at the beginning of the race and drove around checking on riders in the morning and hitting Ckeckpoint 1. (Dubbed Checkpoint Alpha that year) When we decided to head out to Ckeckpoint 2 (Bravo) we hit a store and bought some supplies and a couple of DuraFlame logs to help take the night’s chill away. We made our way out there and began setting up. The EZUP was the first thing followed by our chairs, coolers, generator/lights, music, and getting the fire pit ready. In the middle of all this we were approached by a couple of locals who lived a hundred yards or so up the road. My first thought was “I hope we don’t have any trouble!” But it turns out they just were curious about what we were doing. I don’t think they had ever seen, or had anybody setting up “camp", on their corner before.

We had a very friendly chat with them explaining what was going on. They were amazed that a bicycle race would be coming through this area with it being in the middle of nowhere. But they did think it was pretty cool and hoped we and the riders would have a good time. They were extremely nice and friendly and even offered to share their dinner with us and told us to stop by and warm up if we got cold. We thanked them for the offers and understanding that we meant no harm while invading their little corner of Iowa. I’m not 100% sure but I think one of them stopped over when we had a flurry of riders come through."

George went on to share with me the following about the riders getting too comfortable there at Checkpoint Bravo: 

"As a side note, you may remember that we had to chase several riders out of the checkpoint so they would continue the race. Some got very comfortable taking over our chairs and warming up by the fire as we handed out Cue sheets and offered encouragement. A few of the riders never left. I think it was close to 1AM by the time they were all picked up. LOL! Even MG who ran Ckeckpoint 3, (The secret Checkpoint "Charlie" that year, along with Jeremy Fry) if I recall correctly, hung around until the last possible moment. Good times!"

The other thing that came out of this version of Trans Iowa was Wally's imagery, and his desire to step into being a photographer for his main vocation. I cannot say whether Trans Iowa helped push him over the edge to do that with his life, but I am sure it was an influence. However that played out, I do know that because of Wally and George, Trans Iowa's imagery for posterity was enriched greatly. It all started with that ride to verify cues for v8.  

Next: Here I Am Again On My Own 

Trans Iowa Stories:"I'll Kill Ya!"

The third, and final, Trans Iowa v8 header art concept that was used on the site. Courtesy of Jeff Kerkove.

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

The events of the next Trans Iowa in the line of this story were all etched into my memory as if it were the first time I'd done it. In a way, it was the first time. I hadn't done all of the work to put on the event in five years. Now, I was on my own. Back in 2014 as I recapped Trans Iowa's history for this blog, I wrote the following, which should serve as a good recap of where I left off in the telling of the events surrounding version seven of Trans Iowa:

 "It was over. Trans Iowa V7 was done, but I had a "Dirt Rag" story to write, sponsors to thank, and some emotionally charged situations going on that seemed to put the endurance factor of Trans Iowa v7 on much longer than I imagined. There was the tension between David and I, my buddy MG was ticked off, and I had just about reached my limits in terms of being able to take any more. There was only one thing that fueled my desire to do another Trans Iowa- that was my complete and utter determination to put on a flawless Trans Iowa. Before the event was even done, I had silently vowed to myself that I would take Trans Iowa on and dominate the logistical and promotional parts of the event and show how it really could be done. I knew it could be way better."

It was also true that I had said after Trans Iowa v3 that I'd never do the event again alone. However; I never dreamed I'd end up in the situation I did at the time of v7. That pretty much lit a fire within me and I can say honestly I haven't been that motivated to do anything since. 

Lots of things needed attention, most of those having to do with recon of the route and cue sheets. One of the things I changed was that whatever the route was to be, that route would have a draft of cues for it well ahead of the event. In fact, they would be independently verified. The original plan was to have whomever was to verify the cues do it alone by my draft of the cues. That way any issues found would be natural, so to speak. I wouldn't be there to influence the outcome, and people would know the route was legit. However; my two volunteers that stepped up to do this, Wally and George, insisted I come along, since any issues could be sussed out easily if I was there, and it would save time and money. I acquiesced and in March of 2012, I joined them in Grinnell for the first "Checking Crew" ride. Here's what I wrote at the time leading up to the recon:

 "This year, besides having all the cues drafted far in advance, the cues will actually be double checked by a third party. This will happen this weekend when I will play tag along with the Checking Crew. My role will be to see if any clarifications are necessary and to take notes of any criticisms. By doing this extra step, it is my hope that the cues will reflect with accuracy where and when to turn out there."

I didn't really know Wally well yet, but I liked him as we got to know each other over the months going into T.I.v7 and afterward. George I knew even less. I had only met him once, at T.I.v7, and that briefly. I hadn't communicated with him outside of that. What I learned later, but didn't know that day in March of 2012, was that Wally and George had been life-long friends. They knew each other so well one could finish the other's sentences. Brothers from other mothers, for sure, and they have a rich, long history of events that they have shared over the years. But again- I hadn't learned that yet. 

So, as we tooled along in George's Ford 4X4, Bouncing down the gravel roads, we got to talking. Now, if you don't know me, I like to talk. I can spin a yarn, and I enjoy hearing them too. Well, at one point I was telling a story about something or another that I had done when George, who had been pretty quiet up to this point, piped up and said, "You know what I would have done if you'd done that to me?"

I responded and asked what that might be. 

George then snapped around, with a wild look, his eyes bulging and his face was tense, and he growled, "I'd a fu#@in killed ya!"

Pregnant pause.......for effect.....

A rider by the fire at Wally and George's Checkpoint Bravo during T.I.v8

Then Wally busted out laughing! The look on my face must have been priceless. I had no idea if George was serious or no, but his tone, and his overall countenance was very convincing! See, George had grown up in Chicago. He had that certain 'moxy', that inner city swagger thing. And Wally knew exactly where he was going with that the minute George opened up his trap. Man! Was that a funny thing right there.   

And for the rest of the day, that phrase, or variations thereof,  was repeated at various times in connection with various things, and my sides hurt from laughing so much. That recon was so much fun, and Wally and George were such great guys, not to mention such a good sounding board for my course ideas and cues, that they instantly became an indispensable resource to Trans Iowa. Not to mention, really good friends too. That was an unforgettable day. It wasn't the last one either.

The course checking was a great idea, and having the cues reviewed by two individuals with no horse in the race, (sorry for the pun), made for some raw, unfiltered critique that I was able to put to good use. Then, as if that weren't enough, I had Jeremy Fry and Steve Fuller use the revamped cues after the first vetting as they scouted the course for imagery opportunities. So, not only was T.I.v8 vetted out once, but twice by independent teams. I was out to make sure these cues were so spot-on that they could not be faulted.

Trans Iowa v8 saw Wally and George running the Checkpoint Bravo (#2) and they, once again, proved to have one of the coolest checkpoints ever seen in Trans Iowa's history. John Gorilla famously said later that there should have been a time limit on how long you could have stayed at that checkpoint! Keep in mind, this was literally about as far out in the sticks in Iowa as you could get. So, the little oasis of fun, fire, and liquor was a standout after miles and miles of nothing.  Recently, George related a little story about the Checkpoint Bravo experience:

Riders leaving Checkpoint Bravo, by Wally Kilburg

"Wally and I were at the beginning of the race and drove around checking on riders in the morning and hitting Ckeckpoint 1. (Dubbed Checkpoint Alpha that year) When we decided to head out to Ckeckpoint 2 (Bravo) we hit a store and bought some supplies and a couple of DuraFlame logs to help take the night’s chill away. We made our way out there and began setting up. The EZUP was the first thing followed by our chairs, coolers, generator/lights, music, and getting the fire pit ready. In the middle of all this we were approached by a couple of locals who lived a hundred yards or so up the road. My first thought was “I hope we don’t have any trouble!” But it turns out they just were curious about what we were doing. I don’t think they had ever seen, or had anybody setting up “camp", on their corner before.

We had a very friendly chat with them explaining what was going on. They were amazed that a bicycle race would be coming through this area with it being in the middle of nowhere. But they did think it was pretty cool and hoped we and the riders would have a good time. They were extremely nice and friendly and even offered to share their dinner with us and told us to stop by and warm up if we got cold. We thanked them for the offers and understanding that we meant no harm while invading their little corner of Iowa. I’m not 100% sure but I think one of them stopped over when we had a flurry of riders come through."

George went on to share with me the following about the riders getting too comfortable there at Checkpoint Bravo: 

"As a side note, you may remember that we had to chase several riders out of the checkpoint so they would continue the race. Some got very comfortable taking over our chairs and warming up by the fire as we handed out Cue sheets and offered encouragement. A few of the riders never left. I think it was close to 1AM by the time they were all picked up. LOL! Even MG who ran Ckeckpoint 3, (The secret Checkpoint "Charlie" that year, along with Jeremy Fry) if I recall correctly, hung around until the last possible moment. Good times!"

The other thing that came out of this version of Trans Iowa was Wally's imagery, and his desire to step into being a photographer for his main vocation. I cannot say whether Trans Iowa helped push him over the edge to do that with his life, but I am sure it was an influence. However that played out, I do know that because of Wally and George, Trans Iowa's imagery for posterity was enriched greatly. It all started with that ride to verify cues for v8.  

Next: Here I Am Again On My Own 

Trans Iowa Stories: A Fire In The Belly

T.I.v7- Passing some finishers as we searched for two lost riders Easter morning 2011.

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

Trans Iowa v7 wasn't even over yet and I had already committed to running a Trans Iowa again. "This couldn't be the way Trans Iowa would be run again", I was thinking.

I was, as I wrote in my last edition of these stories, very angry. I typically do not get really angry, I'm just not wired that way, but if I reach a point of frustration where 'that line gets crossed', well, then I am all about making some changes and that forcefully. Now, I had no intentions of violence toward David, although the source of my feelings was my perception at the time that he had let me down for no good reason. My anger wasn't aimed at anyone in particular. No- this was on me, and the next Trans Iowa was going to be the one that defined me. 

I somehow had realized at this point, innately I think, that Trans Iowa was Guitar Ted and Guitar Ted was Trans Iowa. The two were intertwined and regardless of who was helping me, and regardless of how I might try to deflect attention toward anyone helping, the public was already fixated on me being Trans Iowa. It just was how it came to be. Of course, I knew better, and I still hold to the narrative that I am a bit part player in the whole thing, but I am in the minority. However; at that time, bouncing around in David's Honda Element near the end of T.I.v7, all I knew was that people were looking to me to see what would happen next. And I was bound and determined to make that next experience the best one possible.

Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey on his way in after an incredible ride overcoming adversity in T.I.v7. Shot taken through a muddy wind shield!

The fire was lit. But first I had to get over what had just happened. There was the issue with David which eventually was resolved mid-Summer of 2011. Then there was the friendship with MG, which was on its way to being mended by late Summer as well. So, then I was able to turn my attention to Trans Iowa once again. There was no more distraction from putting on a mountain bike festival, or website work stress. The two sites I was running had been stabilized and the gravel site was running smoothly. Now it was time to make some plans.

We didn't have number plates for T.I.v7. We had "prayer flags"

I had a few people stepping up to help, but this version of Trans Iowa largely was resting on my shoulders. Route recon was, for the first time since Trans Iowa v3, all my baby. So, I was of the mind that I had to get cranking on that sooner than later. Maps were purchased, online resources were tapped, and I spent many nights digging into the possibilities.

One of those seriously considered possibilities was moving the event from Grinnell. I asked a few trusted folks about the possibility of moving Trans Iowa to somewhere West or South of Des Moines. Winterset, Iowa was a consideration, and the thought was we'd circumnavigate Des Moines, like Gravel Worlds does with Lincoln, Nebraska. However; after I considered the difficulties in setting up relationships, finding suitable venues, and making sure none of that cost me money, I quickly realized how well I had it in Grinnell. The event stayed put as a result.

I was on my own with those and other decisions this time, and the feeling of not having David Pals support and wisdom was felt sharply.  But that is not to say that I had no support. No- I had a lot of people and organizations looking to help in any way that they could. Grinnell was going to host again. That was a given, and Rob Versteegh, of Oakley, was onboard to provide access to "The Barn" and prizing for the winners. (Although the barn part fell through in the end) The volunteer list would once again include Wally and George, who had such a cool checkpoint set up that was so popular with the riders that I would have been a fool not to accept them again for T.I.v8. Plus, I had become fond of them rather quickly.

The group of cyclists from the Chicago area who called themselves the "Slender Fungus" were onboard as well to help in any way that they could. That and they promised to bring several riders to the next Trans Iowa. Support from other Trans Iowa stalwarts, such as Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey and Tim Ek were valuable motivations for me. I had more incentives than ever to move ahead with my plans.

Those plans included adding a covered bridge crossing to the route, going South, since we hadn't been that way before, and to have the most perfect cue sheets in Trans Iowa history. None of those things were easy, by the way, and one of those things didn't happen. The route finding was arduous. Not just in terms of research, but in the physical activity of route finding as well. One such story about the recon shows this in both ways.

One of the major hurdles to making any big loop course in Iowa is rivers. They impose a certain way of making routes that dictates what happens for an entire course. This is due to limited options to cross these rivers in many cases. The South Skunk River was a constant reminder of this, which for T.I.v8 happened to be the easier of my obstacles to overcome. The Des Moines River, however; was a beast to get around.

Tim Ek (R) and Charlie Farrow at CP#2 during T.I.v7. Tim was a major help to me back in this era of T.I.

I had searched online using Google Earth for hours trying to find a suitable bridge to get over the mighty Des Moines, and while there are several bridges, you can imagine almost all of them carry major highways. Not suitable or practical for a gravel road event! But I did come across one old steel gable bridge near Pella, Iowa that looked promising. The Iowa DOT maps showed that it was a gravel road, and Google earth images were inconclusive. I couldn't ask anybody, because the route had to be kept top-secret. So, the only way to find out was to make a four hour round trip down just to see. That doesn't include time doing any recon, by the way. That's just travel to and from. So, just to verify one bridge would take, in reality, most of a day. This was the sort of commitment I had to make to get the course developed, and my drive to do it right got me through all objections.

So, you can imagine the gut punch I felt when I found out that a farmer on the South side of that bridge had plowed the road asunder and taken it over as part of his farm field. I stood there at the Southern end of that bridge staring at a mere quarter mile of field to where the road picked up again. A quarter of a mile! No alternative was left to me other than to scrap that part of the planned course and go back home and start looking again. Now, I did get a few tidbits of information and I did figure out some things, so it wasn't a total loss, but getting over the Des Moines River was a huge problem.

Fortunately another find via Google Earth did actually pan out. I found evidence of another bridge over the Des Moines River leading from a gravel road which DOT maps showed coming out of a small town called Agency, Iowa. The town was once a Native American trading post and the site of Chief Wapello's grave. Perfect! I loved sending Trans Iowa through historical areas, even though the riders might never know they were historical areas. Another 2+ hour trip to get down there proved exciting due to the bridge not only proving out, but in that it had been recently replaced. So, there was little fear that it would be closed come time for T.I.v8.

Red arrows show return route of T.I.v8 on a paved county road bridge.

Recon was completed when we had a freak 50+ degree Sunny day the first week of 2012. I managed to get the cues started early, and the route looked great. No covered bridge though! I had one on the radar, but the return route wasn't lining up to take it in without adding a lot of mileage which would have put us over the self-imposed limitation of 340. The other bummer was that I ended up having to route the course over a paved county road bridge for the Des Moines River which was going to put in about two plus miles of pavement. But that was on the return route, and probably in the dead of night with the lowest traffic count possible. Besides, there was no other choice I could make without scrapping everything leading up to that point.

So, I poured over the cues diligently all the rest of the Winter. I mocked up a set, and through communication with Wally Kilburg, I was able to talk he and George Keslin into coming out to help verify my route. It was another layer of 'insurance' which I had conceived of post-T.I.v7 which would independently verify my cues. Originally I wasn't even going to go along, but Wally convinced me that my presence would not affect the outcome. In fact, he motioned that if a call had to be made to clarify a cue, mark a point for reference, or reroute, that my being along would be crucial to my goals. So, I relented and went along.

Wally and George would navigate by my draft cue sheets, and we could also look for a suitable Checkpoint #2 location. So, it was set up for mid-March and we would go on that first, unforgettable recon mission. I'll tell more about that later.

The point here is that I had to make a huge sacrifice in time, mileage, and effort to get T.I.v8 cues "spot on". I did those two previous mentioned recon trips to vet the bridges existences out, another previous recon effort of the Northern parts of the course, and that big drive in January which was well over 300 miles. The constant pouring over route maps, websites, and thinking about that course took a lot of energy. Then the drawing up of the cues, going over them three times or more to find mistakes, and make sure directions were clear. Look- the point I'm trying to drive home is this: I had a drive to make T.I.v8 perfect. I was energized like never before to pull this off. No false expectations, just 'nose-to-the-grindstone' work. All due to what happened in T.I.v7.

Did it work? Was T.I.v8 perfect? Yes, and no, and "it depends on who you ask". I guess the main thing that came out of Trans Iowa v7 was that this drive, this fire in my belly, well it made the rest of the Trans Iowa organizing and production after this a lot simpler, more precise, and it led to a lot less problems. And that was a good thing after an emotionally draining time going through things that should not have happened which undid friendships and hurt me personally.

I never went through anything quite like that again because of Trans Iowa. But that isn't to say that there weren't issues and excitement that I could have done without. That happened right up through to the end.

Next: We take a break from the story about the next Trans Iowa in the story, v8, and take a look at some of the artwork that defined the event in The Look Of Trans Iowa.

Trans Iowa Stories: A Fire In The Belly

T.I.v7- Passing some finishers as we searched for two lost riders Easter morning 2011.

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

Trans Iowa v7 wasn't even over yet and I had already committed to running a Trans Iowa again. "This couldn't be the way Trans Iowa would be run again", I was thinking.

I was, as I wrote in my last edition of these stories, very angry. I typically do not get really angry, I'm just not wired that way, but if I reach a point of frustration where 'that line gets crossed', well, then I am all about making some changes and that forcefully. Now, I had no intentions of violence toward David, although the source of my feelings was my perception at the time that he had let me down for no good reason. My anger wasn't aimed at anyone in particular. No- this was on me, and the next Trans Iowa was going to be the one that defined me. 

I somehow had realized at this point, innately I think, that Trans Iowa was Guitar Ted and Guitar Ted was Trans Iowa. The two were intertwined and regardless of who was helping me, and regardless of how I might try to deflect attention toward anyone helping, the public was already fixated on me being Trans Iowa. It just was how it came to be. Of course, I knew better, and I still hold to the narrative that I am a bit part player in the whole thing, but I am in the minority. However; at that time, bouncing around in David's Honda Element near the end of T.I.v7, all I knew was that people were looking to me to see what would happen next. And I was bound and determined to make that next experience the best one possible.

Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey on his way in after an incredible ride overcoming adversity in T.I.v7. Shot taken through a muddy wind shield!

The fire was lit. But first I had to get over what had just happened. There was the issue with David which eventually was resolved mid-Summer of 2011. Then there was the friendship with MG, which was on its way to being mended by late Summer as well. So, then I was able to turn my attention to Trans Iowa once again. There was no more distraction from putting on a mountain bike festival, or website work stress. The two sites I was running had been stabilized and the gravel site was running smoothly. Now it was time to make some plans.

We didn't have number plates for T.I.v7. We had "prayer flags"

I had a few people stepping up to help, but this version of Trans Iowa largely was resting on my shoulders. Route recon was, for the first time since Trans Iowa v3, all my baby. So, I was of the mind that I had to get cranking on that sooner than later. Maps were purchased, online resources were tapped, and I spent many nights digging into the possibilities.

One of those seriously considered possibilities was moving the event from Grinnell. I asked a few trusted folks about the possibility of moving Trans Iowa to somewhere West or South of Des Moines. Winterset, Iowa was a consideration, and the thought was we'd circumnavigate Des Moines, like Gravel Worlds does with Lincoln, Nebraska. However; after I considered the difficulties in setting up relationships, finding suitable venues, and making sure none of that cost me money, I quickly realized how well I had it in Grinnell. The event stayed put as a result.

I was on my own with those and other decisions this time, and the feeling of not having David Pals support and wisdom was felt sharply.  But that is not to say that I had no support. No- I had a lot of people and organizations looking to help in any way that they could. Grinnell was going to host again. That was a given, and Rob Versteegh, of Oakley, was onboard to provide access to "The Barn" and prizing for the winners. (Although the barn part fell through in the end) The volunteer list would once again include Wally and George, who had such a cool checkpoint set up that was so popular with the riders that I would have been a fool not to accept them again for T.I.v8. Plus, I had become fond of them rather quickly.

The group of cyclists from the Chicago area who called themselves the "Slender Fungus" were onboard as well to help in any way that they could. That and they promised to bring several riders to the next Trans Iowa. Support from other Trans Iowa stalwarts, such as Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey and Tim Ek were valuable motivations for me. I had more incentives than ever to move ahead with my plans.

Those plans included adding a covered bridge crossing to the route, going South, since we hadn't been that way before, and to have the most perfect cue sheets in Trans Iowa history. None of those things were easy, by the way, and one of those things didn't happen. The route finding was arduous. Not just in terms of research, but in the physical activity of route finding as well. One such story about the recon shows this in both ways.

One of the major hurdles to making any big loop course in Iowa is rivers. They impose a certain way of making routes that dictates what happens for an entire course. This is due to limited options to cross these rivers in many cases. The South Skunk River was a constant reminder of this, which for T.I.v8 happened to be the easier of my obstacles to overcome. The Des Moines River, however; was a beast to get around.

Tim Ek (R) and Charlie Farrow at CP#2 during T.I.v7. Tim was a major help to me back in this era of T.I.

I had searched online using Google Earth for hours trying to find a suitable bridge to get over the mighty Des Moines, and while there are several bridges, you can imagine almost all of them carry major highways. Not suitable or practical for a gravel road event! But I did come across one old steel gable bridge near Pella, Iowa that looked promising. The Iowa DOT maps showed that it was a gravel road, and Google earth images were inconclusive. I couldn't ask anybody, because the route had to be kept top-secret. So, the only way to find out was to make a four hour round trip down just to see. That doesn't include time doing any recon, by the way. That's just travel to and from. So, just to verify one bridge would take, in reality, most of a day. This was the sort of commitment I had to make to get the course developed, and my drive to do it right got me through all objections.

So, you can imagine the gut punch I felt when I found out that a farmer on the South side of that bridge had plowed the road asunder and taken it over as part of his farm field. I stood there at the Southern end of that bridge staring at a mere quarter mile of field to where the road picked up again. A quarter of a mile! No alternative was left to me other than to scrap that part of the planned course and go back home and start looking again. Now, I did get a few tidbits of information and I did figure out some things, so it wasn't a total loss, but getting over the Des Moines River was a huge problem.

Fortunately another find via Google Earth did actually pan out. I found evidence of another bridge over the Des Moines River leading from a gravel road which DOT maps showed coming out of a small town called Agency, Iowa. The town was once a Native American trading post and the site of Chief Wapello's grave. Perfect! I loved sending Trans Iowa through historical areas, even though the riders might never know they were historical areas. Another 2+ hour trip to get down there proved exciting due to the bridge not only proving out, but in that it had been recently replaced. So, there was little fear that it would be closed come time for T.I.v8.

Red arrows show return route of T.I.v8 on a paved county road bridge.

Recon was completed when we had a freak 50+ degree Sunny day the first week of 2012. I managed to get the cues started early, and the route looked great. No covered bridge though! I had one on the radar, but the return route wasn't lining up to take it in without adding a lot of mileage which would have put us over the self-imposed limitation of 340. The other bummer was that I ended up having to route the course over a paved county road bridge for the Des Moines River which was going to put in about two plus miles of pavement. But that was on the return route, and probably in the dead of night with the lowest traffic count possible. Besides, there was no other choice I could make without scrapping everything leading up to that point.

So, I poured over the cues diligently all the rest of the Winter. I mocked up a set, and through communication with Wally Kilburg, I was able to talk he and George Keslin into coming out to help verify my route. It was another layer of 'insurance' which I had conceived of post-T.I.v7 which would independently verify my cues. Originally I wasn't even going to go along, but Wally convinced me that my presence would not affect the outcome. In fact, he motioned that if a call had to be made to clarify a cue, mark a point for reference, or reroute, that my being along would be crucial to my goals. So, I relented and went along.

Wally and George would navigate by my draft cue sheets, and we could also look for a suitable Checkpoint #2 location. So, it was set up for mid-March and we would go on that first, unforgettable recon mission. I'll tell more about that later.

The point here is that I had to make a huge sacrifice in time, mileage, and effort to get T.I.v8 cues "spot on". I did those two previous mentioned recon trips to vet the bridges existences out, another previous recon effort of the Northern parts of the course, and that big drive in January which was well over 300 miles. The constant pouring over route maps, websites, and thinking about that course took a lot of energy. Then the drawing up of the cues, going over them three times or more to find mistakes, and make sure directions were clear. Look- the point I'm trying to drive home is this: I had a drive to make T.I.v8 perfect. I was energized like never before to pull this off. No false expectations, just 'nose-to-the-grindstone' work. All due to what happened in T.I.v7.

Did it work? Was T.I.v8 perfect? Yes, and no, and "it depends on who you ask". I guess the main thing that came out of Trans Iowa v7 was that this drive, this fire in my belly, well it made the rest of the Trans Iowa organizing and production after this a lot simpler, more precise, and it led to a lot less problems. And that was a good thing after an emotionally draining time going through things that should not have happened which undid friendships and hurt me personally.

I never went through anything quite like that again because of Trans Iowa. But that isn't to say that there weren't issues and excitement that I could have done without. That happened right up through to the end.

Next: We take a break from the story about the next Trans Iowa in the story, v8, and take a look at some of the artwork that defined the event in The Look Of Trans Iowa.

Trans Iowa v12: Sponsorship News

More than just a header!

Every event I do has help from volunteers, and in the case of Trans Iowa, sometimes from folks that love the event. They want to play a part, but are not looking for any kind of return in the public eye. Just knowing that they helped gives them satisfaction. This next story is concerning an individual that fits this description.

While I cannot reveal the identity of this person, I can tell you what this person is doing for Trans Iowa. It's a pretty cool gesture, in my opinion, and I think folks will really appreciate this. Especially if you are like me, and get a kick out of stickers. See that header image from the Trans Iowa site? That will be getting translated into a 4" X 8" sticker, just right for displaying on your vehicle, work bench, or kegerator.

It should be exactly as you see here, or pretty darn close. There was a discussion about putting on the mileage, but I figured that Trans Iowa isn't always about finishing the event, and maybe if you didn't finish it, and the mileage was on the sticker, you would not feel comfortable sticking the sticker up. If ya know what I mean. So, the mileage was left off.

Not only that, but this will also be translated into a banner, much like we had at Trans Iowa v11's checkpoint #1. So, hopefully this time the banner will make the rounds on the course instead of just getting to the first checkpoint! I'm sure many T.I.v12 hopefuls have similar ambitions!

Images, recon, and more....

I also wanted to give a shout out to my friends and invaluable helpers, Wally and George, who have been with me since Trans Iowa v7. Wally started out by wanting to be a chase vehicle guy on a moto, but eventually wound up doing Checkpoint #2 with George for Trans Iowa v7 and v8. If you were lucky enough to have been at either one of those remote checkpoints, you know that they were legendary stops. Wally and George then became my defacto Spring recon cue card checkers and course checkers. Wally, with capable assistance from George, have also been the "Official Photography" for Trans Iowa the last several years as well. Many of you have seen the excellent work Wally puts out, but what you may not know is that during the years Wally has been a friend and asset to Trans Iowa, he transitioned into becoming a full time studio owner/operator. His business, The Studio at 46 West, has become a place known for quality imagery and I am proud to say that I have had Wally out to Trans Iowa to do what he does.

One of Wally's images from the weather shortened T.I.v11 last year.

I'm certain that if you have an event, or need something special in the realm of imagery, Wally can find a way to pull it off and make your jaw drop. He's a very talented guy, and I am blessed to have him as a Trans Iowa supporter, and more importantly, a friend. Check his stuff out, it is really good.

I'm also really excited to be partnered up with WTB who have taken a shine to Trans Iowa and have done some extraordinary things along with Trans Iowa. They have introduced tires with Trans Iowa, and last year, Trans Iowa got the very first samples of the highly acclaimed Nano 40 TCS tires, which were the first tires introduced with a systemic approach that included rims and a tubeless accessory ensemble which made going tubeless a really easy thing to do.

This year they plan on doing something again with Trans Iowa, which I feel will be extraordinary and well received by the riders. I cannot say exactly what it is yet, but I am really excited about this, as this will be, in my opinion, one of the most popular things WTB has done on the gravel side of cycling so far. Yes, even bigger than the Nano 40 TCS tires. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I don't think so. Stay tuned......

Look for another Trans Iowa sponsorship post coming soon.