By K.C. Laughlin
The trip was to go 1000 miles around the perimeter of the state. On the first day, we rode to North Branch, about 70-75 miles. We stayed in a church to treat sunburn and rest sore muscles. Then we went as far as Moose Lake the next day—we stayed in a park right next to town.
So far it was going pretty well. The next day we went our longest ride to date, we went up to Grand Rapids. Tom Cameron met some friends and went out with them, and mixed up our campsite (with my stuff). So, I had no jacket, no sleeping bag, and I didn’t sleep a wink all night. We got up and rode 75 miles to Bemidji and camped in some girl’s backyard. That was as far north as we went, then we went southwest to Park Rapids. We stayed in the backyard of one of Randy’s friends.
The next morning we had the best breakfast of the trip—eggs, bacon, toast, juice, milk, and sweet rolls. The next day we rode to Alexandria. We ate dinner at a boy scout benefit—hamburgers and beans. We slept by a church. The next day four of us bummed out with swollen knees and ankles. We went as far as Glenwood, and physically gave out. Randy and Espen rode the remaining 150 miles back to Minnetonka. But we did try, and that’s what Mini-School is supposed to be all about-——TRYING.