Scamp-venture #2: Smokey's Maiden Voyage

After the Hamel Time Trial on Saturday, Jay and I took Smokey and the Scamp up to Cable, WI to pre-ride the Cheq Short & Fat course and get some quality family-camping time in.

The morning started out rough - I fell of the trainer on my bike, the dog peed on Jay's pillow, and with 4 miles left in our crazy windy time trail (the 4 TAIL WIND miles none the less), my shifter broke, leaving me in my 2nd easiest gear after a hill climb. I spun my brains out in the tail wind, averaging only 22-some mph, desperately trying to repair my shifter with any latent Jedi powers I had yet to tap into. It didn't work. Yoda didn't appear as some ghostly image in front of me to calm my racing heart and show me how to shift my bike with my mental powers.... Nope. I spun like crazy and bounced in my saddle as I crossed the line.

Lucky for me, I was still able to pull a second place finish and since it was the last TT of the year, my super mechanic hubby can worry about it another day.

After a few tours of the Scamp given (Bonnie, I like your idea of cover charges! Ha!), Jay and I grabbed the lil puppy and headed to the great north woods. I was surprised, after this week's frost advisories, that there weren't more fall leaves to look at. Small splashes of red hid within the trees, peaking out only as you just happened to stop hunting for them. But, when it comes down to it, I don't know if I'm ready to say goodbye to summer yet.

We had an awesome hook-up on some very untouched land, blocks from the forrest trails, and one mile into the course. Jay pulled the lil Scamp onto the property and we set up our lil home away from home. It was total heaven. We took Smokey for a walk before we took our TT-tired legs out on the mountain bikes to check out the course. Smokey had a blast tearing through the Scamp - onto the bed, under it, onto the couch - it was rad!

The trail was great too, and any time Jay and I can get away and ride together just for the sake of riding, it's awesome. And sadly, it's pretty rare between April and December, so we took advantage BIG TIME this weekend.

Spent as heck, we bailed on the course early and returned to the Scamp to start planning out dinner. We hit up Lakewoods for some tasty grub and returned to the camper for some quality time snuggling in the warmth of our camper and watched Pineapple Express with the puppy. The old married couple we are, we had the lights out before midnite, but rose happily as the sun filled our windows to wake us for our next ride.

Thanks to all the help Pete gave us last week, I was able to start the morning off with my very first cup of Scamper Java! Oh, the simple pleasures in life.

With coffee in hand, we took Smokey to the canoe landing to explore (and for Jay and I to use the public outhouses). :O) It was beautiful!

And Smokey had a blast - toeing the edge of the river, smelling mushrooms and rolling on the shoreline, it was the most splendid way to start off my day.

So, once Smokey was tired and ready for a nap, we returned to our lil Scamp, dressing in our cycling clothes, and mounted up the ole bikes and hit the trail again. Today was a perfect late-summer, early-fall day. Cool temps, beautiful sunny skies, and great wooded trails to enjoy it on. If there weren't so many darn races, this is what every weekend could be like, eh? Too bad we like racing so much! ;O)

Well exercised, we returned to pack up camp and head home. Within a few hours, we were happily home and vegging out on the couch. Quietly enjoying the outdoors is so rejuvenating, and yet exhausting at the same time. Although I can't wait for the next adventure, I am happy to be home with my sweet hubby and puppy, lazily watching football as the sun approaches the horizon.

Loving & Living Life,

Kristy Kreme