Alborn MN · Greenway Fire Department · MJ's Lodge and Resort · North Woods Quads · Pengilly MN · Range Riders ATV Club · Rays · Rays Sport and Cycle · Trail · Wilderness Wheelers ·Jul 25, 2022

Third Annual Leonard Hardy Ride

What a great day of riding for a great reason! Almost 40 SXS and ATV riders got together on Saturday July 23rd for the Third Annual Leonard Hardy Ride. What a beautiful day it turned out to be! We started at MJ’s Lodge & Resort, located in Pengilly, MN. I really loved the homey feel of this place. As soon as I got there I could smell the flowers, food, and the breeze off the lake. When I walked in to get registered I was welcomed by the smiling veterans from the VFW Keewatin Post 5516.

I arrived early and as I waited for all my fellow riders to gather, I was amazed at the turn out. An hour before the ride even started, I decided to get a head count. I started counting, and counting and counting, and the closer it got to ride time the more I realized what an amazing group had shown up to support this ride! Not only did we have the wonderful VFW veterans but also people from many different clubs and surrounding areas. On top of a great ride, we also did “Split the Pot”, a silent auction and even dinner after the event was included with your registration ticket.

The event started with Leonard Hardy’s brother letting us know a little about why we were all there and it was a very heartfelt moment. Which was followed by the presenting of the flag.

Once we got moving, we were escorted by the Greenway Fire Department’s fire trucks. I found that really neat to have that kind of community involvement. And the kid inside me always likes to see fire trucks lol. Our first stop was at Nameless Lake where I got to take a great first group pic shot with the lake in the background. It also had a couple nice picnic tables and a grill spot which is always nice.

Then we ventured down the trails, which were perfect due to the rain the night before. We had no dust. I didn’t even see any bugs! What we did have was mud, which is my happy place. Someone had nicely marked the trail earlier in the day with blue arrows so that we all knew where to go which was extremely nice. There were a few spots that I thought someone would get stuck in, but we were all up for the challenge and all made it through.

Next, we stopped at a very picturesque stop on a power line. I met so many great people every time we stopped. It was filled with laughter, snacks, and I learned a lot about what people liked and didn’t like about what they were driving. I always think these conversations are a great way for us to share our passion for riding.

On the next stretch of trail our group tended to spread out quite a bit, which was nice. Those that wanted to go fast and hit every puddle tended to stay together and those who wanted to take it a little slower and enjoy the day stuck together which I think made it a nice day for all. Everyone went at their own speed.

Our next stop was at a flat sandy spot with a lot of places that people could play on if they wanted to. This is where my ATV decided to stop working. Luckily, I was with a great group of people which I cannot thank enough. As soon as I mentioned to one person that my wheeler would not start the word spread and soon there was a team around helping me out.

While they were helping me, one of the SXS was up playing on the hills and flipped over. Instantly, everyone ran over to help. By the time I got to them they had already got it flipped back right and the many firemen, first responders and EMTs that came for the ride were checking the riders out for injuries. One of the people in the SXS ended up getting stitches right there and then! But everyone was okay! Again, I cannot express how great a group of people this was!! So willing to help their fellow rider!

Unfortunately, we could not get my ride going again. When it came time to get going again I had so many offers to ride along with others, it was so nice to have a group of people that just want to have a good time and make sure everyone gets home safe and sound. I ended up jumping into a Polaris RZR with the secretary of the North Woods Quads Club out of Hill City, MN. I instantly loved her ride and her driving style. Bucket seats with 5 point seat belts, side mirrors and rear view mirrors, stereo, perfect spots to put your feet, and I definitely took advantage of the bar which was perfect for gripping whichever way you were turning. A true shout out to her taking me on as a passenger (not sure if you want your name mentioned 😊) Also I loved how the RZR handled! We went through a lot of mud and some pretty rocky spots, and it was no problem for it.

Check out what we have at Rays Sport and Cycle

Our next stop was at a nice little spot where there is a little picnic table and a nice view maintained by the Red Rock Riders ATV Club out of Pengilly, MN. This ended up being our “lunch” stop for everyone to share and eat food. Anything from chips being passed around to sandwich stuff to beef sticks. And of course, lots of stories and just good conversation.

We definitely got good and muddy on this adventure but that’s the way I like it! I will try to add some videos on Facebook as the pictures truly don’t do the magnificent mud justice. If you went on the ride and have some good ones, please share and comment! Our next stop was on the Pengilly to Alborn Trail, which is a very nice spot to go to the bathroom, take a breather and meet other riders from other groups. This pleasant trail is maintained by the Range Riders ATV Club.

Then it was back to MJ’s Lodge & Resort for more fun and food.

Once we got back to MJ’s we were able to present our registration ticket for some very good pulled pork sandwiches, chips, beans or coleslaw. They mentioned they had made something like 75 lbs of pork for the event. Thank you to the cooks and everyone who helped with the event. It is a big undertaking and a lot goes into it! It was really fun watching the people that won the “Split the Pot” at the beginning of the day and the silent auction winners get the stuff they won. I was glad to see how many people stuck around after and participated.

After the whole day we were all full, happy and tired after spending a wonderful day out in nature. As tired as we all were, a couple from Pengilly took the time to not only go get their personal truck and trailer and give me a ride all the way back to my four-wheeler but also loaded it on their personal trailer, in the bug infested evening with the sun going down, and brought me all the way back to the Pengilly parking lot and loaded my four-wheeler onto my trailer and even helped me strap it down. From my family to yours a huge THANK YOU!!!. You are amazing people!! Also, a thank you to Wade Yuhala for the caring you expressed to the entire group in making sure it was a great day!