August 1, 2023
A Tale of Two Trails.
Today marks the start of the third month of my journey. I have been riding the same roads and trails I rode in 2021 when I went from home to Minnesota only in reverse. I will most likely take a few different roads this time but for the most part I will stick to the plan as it follows the Great American Rail Trail and as a rail trail has the least bit of hill climbs.
Today I was on the Hennepin Canal Trail followed by the Illinois Chicago Canal Trail. When I was out this way before the ICCT was terrible. The grass had not been mowed and the trail was tough to find at times. The area had received a lot of rain and the trail and it’s surroundings were wet and muddy. Mosquitoes were worse than on Deal Island and trees were down everywhere. I bad mouthed that trail to whom ever would listen. This year the trail has been great so far. The area is dry and although there are some troublesome flies, mosquitoes have not been a problem. The grass has been cut at least once. And the trail and it’s surroundings are dry…..so dry the trail is hard packed and pretty darn smooth. NICE RIDING!
The Hennepin on the other hand is a huge disappointment however. It has been poorly maintained, is rough with huge pot holes, and in places 1 inch gravel has been thrown at trouble spots making steering difficult. The vegetation has over grown much of the trail requiring evasive cycling so as not to loose an eye or one’s head. I’d give be this trail a 2-3/10.
Why has this happened? Well I am told that since the trails are state owned they must be maintained by state contractors…..ie: unions. And no one not part of the union is allowed to work on the trail. This is unlike the majority of trails in the US as most are maintained by volunteer groups who usually do a fantastic job. Also Illinois has not funded trail maintenance as it should. Sad because these sort of trails provide a source of revenue for local communities as well as an outdoor area for folks to exercise.
Tomorrow I’ll be back on the ICCT for a short distance before hitting some roads to get to the Kankakee River Trail and Park. This is a beautiful area that goes for miles and includes multiple picnicking areas as well as camping spots. After that I’m hoping for a WarmShowers host in Rensselaer.
Poor cell service so pics will have to wait.
See ya on the trail.
Today's ride: 66 miles (106 km)
Total: 2,645 miles (4,257 km)
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