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Please consider a donation to conservationist organizations

Part of Tracy's goal with this race is to bring awareness and support for the following conservationist organizations. In support of Tracy and this cause please consider a donation to these organizations. You will find a "Moots miles" donation button on their web sites:

Rivers Unlimited
Little Miami State Park

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Historic Timber

After recuperating with Cathy and Jay in Whitefish for 2 days I knew I should go or I might not. I went into town and prepared for the up coming journey . I got a back up cyclometer. Directions for the race go completely off of mileage, if you don't know your mileage you do not know where you are. I sent some stuff home, got anti nausea pills so I could eat, lidocaine patches so I could pedal, and altitude meds so I could think.... and then I pried myself from town. I planned on a forty mile day to Ferndale to test the knee out. Things went well but when I got to Ferndale I got a bit confused so I stopped a truck to ask the driver for directions. The guy inside and I talked about where the hotel was and eventually he said ... "why don't you come home with my sons and me?"  I said, "okay". He told me how to get there and that I would recognize his house as the house with.... "stuff" in the front yard. I figured if I got there and felt weird I could always go to the hotel. He had stuff in the yard alright. Dozers, mowers, cars, targets, tree houses (not in the tree) and a myriad other things. His was the TOTAL man house. Tools on the kitchen table, a 350 magnum on the kitchen counter, house half finished, T.V. on but no one watching, air gun pellets everywhere, and a pair of vice grips on the bathroom shower faucet, and clothes on the floor.... everywhere and anywhere. Yet I felt comfortable. His sons where engaging and kind, and he was interesting and generous. He was a logger, but he logged off the bottom of the nearby lakes and rivers. He would dive in total darkness in any weather unless the lakes were frozen bringing up the logs that had sunk over one hundred years ago. He would feel along the bottom until he found a group of logs and then slowly extract each one using a winch on a special boat. "Historic timber". The things people do.

10 comments:

  1. I'm so curious about what he DID with the timber... who would want that water-logged stuff? Such interesting things you're learning - keep the stories coming!

    I hope the Great Basin hasn't been too hard on you today and you carried enough WATER!!!
    Love, -cindylist

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  2. Old water-logged timbers are very valuable...most have been cut from virgin forests (joking aside)...
    http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/24/us/with-timber-scarce-old-logs-deep-in-a-lake-become-a-sunken-treasure.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
    Scientists think that this might be the secret behind the sound of a Strativarius instrument

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  3. Tracy, you are simply amazing!! I've spent the last 2 hours reading your blog....from the very beginning! Your journey has been incredible and I love your photos, video & audio clips. Keep smilin' & peddlin' you lean, mean machine! At that MOOTS you're riding?? Flawless she is!! ROCK on!!
    Pam H.

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  4. Tracy- Keep your ass moving sister.....You are definitely an inspiration! I know that you WILL finish this, physically distressed or not, you GOT THIS!!!! Put your headphones on and keep peddling!

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  5. That's a neat story Tracy. I remember seeing a documentary segment on that very thing a few years ago. An article about a company in Maine that does this... http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/blogs/salvaging-centuries-old-logs-from-maines-lake-bottoms ---- Tracking your progress every day.

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  6. Hey Tracy! This is your chaplain writing. I'm following and praying on your behalf. You've met some angels in disguise. (thank goodness). Keep pressing on. We love you!
    Chap Karen and Sarah

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  7. Hey Tracy~~~You are truely amazing! You WILL finish and oh what a tribute to all of us 50 something's it will be...Be safe. I am proud of you...love you
    Lori

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  8. I like it, Tracy Burge commenting, "The things people do."
    HA!
    Julie

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  9. Sounds like TLC could make a show out of this guy..."The Things People Do". Couldn't be any worse than Swamp People or Duck Dynasty. My sons would definitely watch it!

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