June 30, 2024
Duluth to Minneapolis
Wait, now I have to ride back home???
For whatever reason I never seem to sleep that well when camping. In this case that wasn't the best thing given the level of physical activity the previous day. I certainly can't blame it on Tom who does not snore or on my new air mattress which performed brilliantly, unlike the previous one which I discovered had multiple leaks the first night of my previous camping tour on the Lake Wobegon Trail. As a consequence, I was not very enthusiastic when my alarm went off at 6:30am. However, there was nothing to be done but pack up camp and get ready to head back. Knowing how long it took the previous day, I was pretty sure I'd be arriving home right about dark.
With two of us to pack up camp, we were able to get on the road before 8am, but not early enough that either of us felt we had the time to stop at the cafe in town for breakfast. Instead we raided the gas station convenience store. I bought gatorade and a big of cheap chocolate frosted donuts. Normally I would eat much more healthy food, but when you are cycling long distances, carbs and sugar are your friends.
The first 10 miles were obviously the reverse of the last 10 miles yesterday, hence all uphill. The first uphill out of the campground was a bit cruel hitting around 8% and just long enough to make you think twice about picking a campsite down the hill. Through Gary New Duluth is flattish and a nice little reprieve. I had vivid memories of the quick descent from the Munger trail down Becks Rd into New Duluth and was anticipating a nasty grind. Luckily for our leges, the grade actually was a pretty gentle 2-4%, something that was entirely manageable.
Once past those first 10 miles, the trail was an ever so slight downhill grade. This was a mercy because it meant we could ride a bit faster and didn't have to work so hard to pedal. Given that neither Tom nor I have ever ridden this far in two days, we were pretty grateful for this. We had the same nice tree-lined path for 70 miles that we'd had the previous day, except without the howling headwind. One by one we ticked off the little towns along the way, stopping only briefly for photos at the St Louis River bridge, a potty break in Mahtowa where we discovered the little park had a waterfall coming out the front grill of an old rusted out car, a picture and potty stop in Willow River, and finally a return to Hinkley.
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We decided to have a proper meal stop in Hinkley. I was getting tired of eating donuts, goldfish crackers, dried pineapple, energy bars, and gummy bears. We found a mexican restaurant where we had an actual sit-down meal. I enjoyed my taco salad. I have no idea what Tom ate, but it looked like it made him happy. I also discovered in Hinkley that not applying sunscreen that morning was a poor choice. My face was looking distinctly more red than it had the previous day, so I took the opportunity to cover my face in sunscreen.
Next up? That stretch on MN61 that we were both dreading. The previous day it had felt like it was a slight uphill gradient. Near the end of lunch I checked the elevation profile and discovered my hunch had been correct. This was good news because it meant we'd now have a slight downhill gradient. Can I just take a moment here to say how nice it is to fly along the road at low effort? Instead of a 30 mile slog into the wind, we had a very lovely 30 mile cruise. We made it back to North Branch shortly before 5pm. This was where my route with Tom parted. Tom was headed to Chipotle for dinner and some chill time before heading home. I, on the other hand, had 65 miles yet to ride.
Given how fast the Sunrise Prairie and Hardwood Creek trails had been the previous day, I was concerned they might be slow going the other way. Fortunately it appears these trails are legitimately flat because they were just as fast on the way back. Along the way I got a couple messages from Don checking in on my progress. Once I hit White Bear Lake, I got a message saying he was going to come meet me. We ended up connecting on Centerville Rd just north of St Paul. From there Don took me on his local knowledge routes thoughtfully avoiding as many hills as possible, which is not that easy in St Paul. Thanks to Don we made quick work of St Paul depositing me at the Mississippi River in short order. From there the last 15 miles were all familiar territory and a nice quick ride. Having learned my lesson with the construction in Bloomington the previous day, I took a different bike route across Richfield to my house arriving just as the sun was setting. What amazed me most about the last 25 or so miles was that I actually still had a surprising amount of strength left in my legs. Yes, climbing was slower, but my cruising ability was still largely intact, and I actually pushed pretty hard across St Paul and the rest of the way home.
So what made this trip possible for a cyclist like myself that normally only rides about 120 miles a week, mostly while commuting? First, nutrition. This was something I've learned a lot about the last couple years. I used to eat very little while riding and wondered whey I always ran out of energy when others could do much longer distances. Now I understand the importance of not just eating frequently, but what things I need to eat frequently (carbs and sugar.) Second, I also have to attribute a great deal of the success to my bike. No way I would have made it to Duluth in that headwind, and if I had, certainly not in under 12 hours of ride time. It's a real treat to tour in a velomobile, snack bar handy at your sides, no aero penalty to all that gear, the world's most comfortable seat, and the only thing sore at the end of the day are my legs. Being able to ride relatively fast without much effort goes a long way to making long distances achievable.
Do I intend to do something like this again? I'm not sure. Do I recommend it? That depends on how much you like to challenge yourself and suffer. Am I glad I made the trip. Yes. There is something satisfying about accomplishing something you're not actually sure you can do. I really don't think I would have followed through with the plan if Tom and Don hadn't been along for so much of the ride. On the ride up there were several points where I think I would have quit if it was just me. Had I stuck it out, I doubt I would have arrived before sunset. When I encounter something hard I tend to stop a lot to bemoan my fate and stupidity. Having someone else along definitely inspires you to keep going. The biggest take-away for me is, be willing to take a chance and challenge yourself. Push your boundaries and see what you're really capable of, and when you do, invite a couple friends along to join in the suffering! Be sure to check back in over the next couple weeks. I've got a lot of video footage yet to edit.
Today's ride: 167 miles (269 km)
Total: 336 miles (541 km)
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