Day 7 - Hastings to Cannon Falls - TOM

June 22, 2024

Day 7 - Hastings to Cannon Falls

The Home Stretch

According to those brave souls who tented last night, it rained a lot. I wouldn’t know. I was sleeping on the floor of the gymnasium. It wasn’t raining when I got up, and it didn’t rain while I was riding today.

It may not have been raining, but it certainly wasn’t dry.

There is evidence of flooding everywhere. I don’t think this little stream normally rages like this.

The canon river is out of its banks. Downstream of the point where we joined the Cannon Valley Trail this morning, there are 4 miles of flooded trail. Luckily, we were headed upstream

One of the mile markers from the railroad that used to be here.

As I was riding along the trail, I heard what sounded like several gunshots just up ahead. Then I noticed that a large tree was falling from the riverbank into the river. It was swept away downstream before I could get the phone out to take a picture.

Before I got to the end of the trail at the fairgrounds, there was a gentleman redirecting traffic off the trail and through town. He said that the trail up ahead was closed because they were sandbagging along the river to protect some homes from the flooding.

At the end of the ride, I found my luggage safe and dry under a pavilion at the fairgrounds. I was happy to discover that my leaking front tire on the car still had enough air pressure in it to drive. I will take it to the tire store or garage on Monday.

After a few goodbyes to some of the folks I met on the tour, I hit the road to Rochester and my niece’s house. I was there by 11:00 am.

To cap off the tour and to keep alive my streak of trying to visit a brewery in every town along the way, I went to the Kinney Creek brewery in Rochester with my niece’s husband and his two adult sons.

The beer wasn’t that great but we had fun playing some of the games in the taproom. Here we are trying to drive nails into a tree stump with the narrow end of a blacksmith’s hammer. I guess you could say we were drinking and driving.

There was one big last gully washer of a rainstorm this afternoon, but the weather starting tomorrow is supposed to be nice. Of course. I won’t be riding my bicycle. I must say this has been my wettest week of bicycle riding ever, but if it weren’t for things like this, there would be no stories to tell.

Today's ride: 28 miles (45 km)
Total: 277 miles (446 km)

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Nancy GrahamI have enjoyed your trip Journal John, and of course will be on the lookout for the next one ;’-). Thanks for sharing your tour.
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