May 19, 2024
Mankato to Faribault
Finally, we are officially on the way. We rode 41 miles today, most of it on the Sakatah Singing Hills rail trail, a trail as lovely as its name. Most of our rides this trip are much shorter than they used to be, back when we had young legs. We rode at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery and taking advantage of rest stops, especially when they were next to water.
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When we rode this trail 8 years ago, it was in nowhere near the excellent condition we found today.
The reflections and bird songs at a pullout early on the ride were delightful.
I am terrible at seeing birds, but I love the Merlin app, which identifies birds by their songs. These showed in a 30-40 second recording; I did manage to see the red-winged blackbird.
In the you never know what you’ll see category, this giant ant was one of several at an exterminator’s office in Faribault.
This is our group of six riders for the first leg of the trip. We will add more as we proceed east. Nancy, in the red helmet, and Ken, on the far right, are the leaders and organizers. I’ve been riding with them since 2013. With the exception of two newcomers to the group joining in Buffalo, all of us have ridden together many times.
First ice cream of the trip, only a DQ, but it’s early in both the ride and the season.
Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 56 miles (90 km)
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