August 31, 2022
Day 3 - Sauk Centre to…
Today was another very memorable day, and for completely different reasons than all the other days. Granted those days were uniquely memorable too, probably because that is the nature of an adventure.
My dad lived in Sauk Centre for awhile growing up. There is a cafe in town from back in those days called the Ding Dong Cafe. It’s right next to the train tracks, hence the cafe name. He was insistent that I eat breakfast there. I took my time packing up to let my laundry dry and my batteries for the lights and gear charge, and then rode over to the cafe for breakfast. I did take out and ate across the street in a little park.
I was conveniently right on the trail and headed off west towards my goal of Fergus falls. A little ways out of Sauk Centre you pass from Stearns County into Todd County, or so I’m told. The county line is very easy to see because that is where the trail goes from reasonably maintained to this:
There is trail there somewhere between the big tufts of grass growing up through the massive cracks in the trail. The margins were also in the process of being mowed so not only do you get to dodge big tufts of grass, but you also get to differentiate between what is mowed, and what is growing on the trail. It gave me something to do honestly. Stimulating in its own special way. I also got to enjoy the experience all by myself. I did not see another trail user until…honestly I’m not sure. I just know I rode a long ways without seeing anyone else. Judging by the look of the trail, I’d say hardly anyone rides that stretch.
The first town I entered was West Union. I liked West Union. It had character. Sort of. It also had a water pump and an outhouse in a small park on the trail that had a slippery slide and swings, The kind that towns have ripped out for safety reasons. Classic. Reminds me of growing up in Northome.
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I think the next town is Nelson, but I’d have to look that up. Presently I lack that level of ambition. The next town of note is Osakis. I’ve been here before. Osakis is where the Lake Wobegon trail ends. There’s a big lake there that is known for diversity of waterfowl. I did not check the lake for things of note, first because I’m here to ride bike, and second because I did not leave Sauk Centre until 11am and had 70 miles to ride with mostly uphill.
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Having never ridden the Central Lakes before, I had no idea what to expect. I checked some online reviews about the trail, but didn’t find much info. That should have probably been my first clue. The first town past Osakis turns out to be Nelson. There is nothing of note there. Then you ride through long stretches of farms and some trees before coming to Alexandria. The locals call it Alex. Alex has lots aof things. Road crossings, people, some lakes, and food. Here I stopped for lunch at subway. This time I actually went in to place my order, mostly just so I could use a real bathroom with a sink and soap and stuff. Real luxury. I also stopped at the gas station next door and bought a bottle of Gatorade. Now that the wind has subsided, I am being blasted by the sun instead. Honestly, if I had to pick one, I’d pick wind. When I checked the weather report tonight, it said the high was 86. I believe it. To get up to subway, I wound my way along a path beside the lake. It was scenic. It was also bumpy. And then it ended with a ridiculously steep little hill. One could rightly call it an embankment. It was hard to even push the velo up the little hill. Forget riding up it. I probably would have snapped my chain trying. I took a different way back that avoided the little hill.
the next two towns are Garfield and Brandon. Outside Garfield I met a white cat. I did my best to woo it in for ear scratches and pets, but it completely ignored me. Most devastating, but my cats at horn will definitely make up for it.
The path in this area is not very wooded. I also noted how it seems to be getting bumpier the further I went. With the afternoon sun blazing down on me, I was starting to find my fun quotient decreasing rapidly. The fact that I was still mostly pedaling uphill was not helping. The closer I got to Brandon, the more I started to think about aborting and heading back to Sauk Centre.
Just outside Brandon I found a rare shady spot and pulled over to consult Google maps. I took a good hard look at what was coming up for scenery and tree cover. The lakes in Ashby looked potentially scenic, but then I’ve seen quite a few lakes already. How different could they be? Most concerning though, was the lack of tree cover. The elevation profile also showed that I’d get downhill for awhile followed by uphill, followed by more downhill to Fergus Falls. Hardly anything for towns meaning less places to get more water and cool off. I had a sneaking suspicion that the more rural the trail got, the bumpier it would get. Given how it was already, that did it. I turned around.
I stopped in the little trailside park in Garfield to use the toilet. There I met a guy on a trike. We exchanged the usual about the velomobile, and then I mentioned I’d turned around outside Brandon. He said “that’s smart. The trail is basically washboard beyond Brandon. You don’t want to ride that.” I already was feeling satisfied with my decision. This confirmed it was the right one.
I fairly flew on the way back, or at least as much as was wise with the bumpy trail. I was back in Alexandria before I knew it and snapped these photos of Sven the explorer (likely not his actual name. I didn’t check.)
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The ride back was quite a bit quicker than the ride out. That little bit of downhill gradient is noticeable. With the cracks in the trail i very nearly literally flew. You’ve really got to pay attention and pick your line to avoid the worst of it. I ticked off the towns one by one in much more rapid fashion than the ride out. 20+mph will do that. I only stopped briefly in Osakis for a comfort break. I arrived back at the campsite around 6:30pm. The proprietor was quite surprised to see me. I told him the trail was in pretty rough shape, not to mention the lack of tree cover. He said things are quite open out in that area beyond Brandon. I’ve got the same grassy campsite with lake view as last night. I’ve had my shower and washed up my clothes along with supper at the same Mexican place.
My legs feel good. My neck took a beating from the trail and probably the worthless sleeping mat. In the morning I continue my homeward trend, probably after answering even more questions from curious fellow campers. Hard to set up a tent when everyone is crowding around to investigate. The traditional response here is “I never seen such a thing.” No really. These are the EXACT words everyone here uses. It’s hilarious.
I do not have concrete plans for tomorrow. I do know that I will take the route along the river through St. Cloud and stick with the Mississippi River Trail to the cities instead of the slightly shorter and substantially hillier rural route. I would like to at least get to Monticello. Not needing to detour to sporting goods store in St Cloud will get me through there a lot faster. Temp will be high like today again and once into St Cloud, there is no tree cover. That will impact progress. However, I will also be going mainly downhill. That will increase airflow and shorten ride time. We will see how it goes. I get where I get.
And that’s the news from Lake Wobegon where the sun is having a bake-off competition, the trails themselves need to be mowed, and Fergus Falls is a place I’ve still never been. Oh, and one of my waking shoes got pushed far enough back by the rear wheel that it is wedged in where I can’t fish it out. I’ll have to try and retrieve it when I get home. Another reason to hustle back. Walking anywhere in road bike shoes is dicey
addendum:
In the middle of nowhere I was pulled aside by a guy on a moped so he could take a photo. He flagged me down from the road near the path.
This will be my last night of camping. I am not keen for another night of rustic camping in Clearwater. It’s my own bed or a hotel.
Today's ride: 76 miles (122 km)
Total: 210 miles (338 km)
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