To Lake City

June 4, 2021

Yesterday was unpleasantly hot, but today is even worse. It’s already above 70 when we arise at 6, and by midday it will be up into the 90’s. We’re conflicted about how to plan our days during this heat wave - we want to get an early start and get most of our miles in while it’s still fairly pleasant, but we don’t want to arrive at the end of the ride too early in the day to check into our motel and have no good place to cool off.

For this morning there’s no question though - we’re leaving at 7:30, because that’s the time we agreed on last night when Greg let us know he was going to accompany us for the front half of the ride. Greg is just pulling up on his bike when I roll mine out the door, and then he points out that Feeshko is on the stage also. She’s off in the wings walking their dog and toting a sactchel crammed with a thousand delights. She must think we’re undernourished, because she’s brought everything. She pulls one thing after another out of her bottomless satchel, offering it up for immediate consumption or to take along for later in the day. Grapes? Tangerines? Nutrition bars? Hard boiled eggs? Trail mix? She’s even brought along dehydration relief powder in case I have an SVT episode and need a quick remedy.

My one disappointment, and it’s a big one, is that she didn’t bring Greg’s Caribou Coffee cycling jersey that I’ve been coveting. Just an oversight, I’m sure. She could still send it to Elizabeth back in Portland to hold for me until we return home.

The Feeshko would love to see New York and wonders if there’s room in Rachael’s panniers for a mascot to tag along.

We have our route to Lake City mapped and loaded, but tour guide Greg has other ideas. Claiming that the road we planned to take is closed for construction, he takes us bushwhacking through the outskirts of town just for the fun of it.

Hastings has some nice pike paths, but they could do with resurfacing.

Greg thought we’d enjoy taking the scenic route out of Hastings.

Finally though we’re on route, and we make good time as we head south. After climbing gradually for about ten miles we enjoy a fast two mile drop to Welch Village on the bank of the Cannon River.

Drag racers lay down the hammer on Route 316.

A collection worth stopping for. Greg and Rocky are happy to wait around in the blazing sun while I check it out.

A McCormick-Deering 10-20? Looks like it still has the original tires. I didn’t notice the ignition crank until trying to identify it.

Approaching the drop into Cannon Valley. A 300 foot drop in two miles is the closest to a real descent we’ll see in this state.

The Welch Creamery, in Welch Village beside the Cannon River.

Welch Village is right at the midpoint of the the CVT, the Cannon Valley Trail. A 20 mile long user-supported ($5/day user fee) paved trail that connects Redwing and Cannon Falls, it’s a delight to cycle and from the looks this morning is heavily used. We’re just biking the lower half today to it’s end in Red Wing, but with more time and on a less oppressive day it would be great to ride it in the other direction also to Cannon Falls.

About halfway to Red Wing, Greg comes to his turnoff to return north to Hastings. He’s picked an improbable place to leave the trail - a steep scramble up a faint path through the weeds to the level of Highway 61 about forty feet above us. We’re both sorry to see him go - he’s been great company. He and the Feeshko really enriched the start of our tour.

Crossing the Cannon River at Welch Village.

On the CVT (Cannon Valley Trail), a 20 mile cycling and ski route between Redwing and Cannon Falls.

Our tour guide comes to his turnoff when the CVT crosses under Highway 61. He was sure there was a path leading up there. I hope he remembered to check for ticks!

The next five miles to Red Wing are more of the same, which is of course great. A shady path through the wetlands, with overarching branches protecting us from the blazing sun. And there are turtles! But then you’d expect it in a Turtle Reserve.

Three green sliders! The CVT passes through the heart of the Cannon River Turtle Preserve. It looks like they’re satisfying their mission.

Mastering the yoga basics: the kurmasana (Turtle Pose).

We arrive in Red Wing by mid-morning. It’s too hot by now and we aren’t really interested in hanging around exploring for long. We pick up a few things from the grocery to supplement what we brought from the Feeshko and have a quick picnic in the park and then we’re off again.

The last 20 miles to Lake City are all on Highway 61. Easy riding on a smooth broad shoulder with a tailwind pushing us long. We arrive in Lake City at 12:30 and hopefully check in at the motel to see if they’ll let us in earlier than their advertised check in time of 3:00. Otherwise we’re thinking we’ll just hide out in the Burger King next door for a couple of hours.

We’re in luck! We’re given the keys to our room and spend most of the afternoon there - cooling off, showering, doing the laundry, reading, blogging. At 4:30 we brace ourselves and head off on our bikes again to the other end of town for a much better than expected meal of butterfly pasta with sort of a Greek preparation. After that we’ve got just enough left to bike back to the room and shelter again. At 6:30 it’s still 92 out, and at sundown it’s 90. I tell us that we really should walk across the street to look at the lake, but we don’t. It will look more attractive in the morning when we leave town, I’m sure.

We passed this impressive building south of Red Wing four years ago also. It still surprises me that this is a correctional facility, built in 1890 as a reform school.

The 20 miles south of Red Wing all looked much like this: a flat, well shouldered highway, threading between limestone bluffs. Very hot and unshaded, but it helped that we had a tailwind.

Approaching Rattlesnake Bluff in Frontenac State Park. On a cooler day we would have detoured into the park for its famous views overlooking the river, but we were more interested in getting close to an air conditioner.

Video sound track: End of the Road, by Kim Waters

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Ride stats today: 47 miles, 1,100’; for the tour: 167 miles, 4,500’

Today's ride: 47 miles (76 km)
Total: 167 miles (269 km)

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Andrea BrownOh goodness, that does sound hot. Those shady trails are so beautiful, though!
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3 years ago

Suzanne GibsonSo exciting to see you on the road again! What a wonderful meet-up with the Feeshko and Greg! I loved seeing the video of you guys riding together. And that is HOT! Hope it cools down a little for the coming days.
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3 years ago

Keith KleinHi again,
CVT was part of my favorite loop ride back in the day. Never too thrilled with Highway 61 though, especially in the heat. Good memories, all in all.
Cheers,
Keith
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Keith KleinI didn’t realize you hailed from this part of the world. I’d like to come back and ride the upper end of the CVT some day - I’ll bet it’s an even nicer ride up that way. Surprising that you preferred Burgundy.
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3 years ago

Keith KleinHi Scott,
You should try riding the same route in December. You would get a very different view of the gopher state, if your toes don’t fall off from frostbite. The reason you see Minnesotans riding fast in the summer is to outrun the mosquitos. Sitting out of an evening to enjoy the sunset is really not an option without a screened in space or massive amounts of DEET. I could go on about tornadoes (lost my back porch and six trees to one), flash floods from thunderstorms, camping in my office for two days while waiting for the highways to be cleared of snow, or the fact that in one calendar year we saw a 150F difference in temperature (-46 to +104). Here in Burgundy I can ride all year long, weather is less of an issue, and our terrasse looking over the vineyards is usable at least six months of the year without worrying about getting encephalitis from a random insect bite. Loved the people in MN, but on the whole I prefer France. YMMV
Cheers,
Keith
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Suzanne GibsonComing your way fast. We’ll be in Starnberg before you know it. Better start saving up for that beer you owe me.
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3 years ago

Suzanne GibsonTo Scott AndersonMooching your way around the world, are you?
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3 years ago