Outward Bound

April 14, 2024

Hi folks, Greg here. I'm writing in my notebook at one of the backpacking sites in Afton State Park, Minnesota. When I get home tomorrow, I'll type what I've written into my computer so everybody can read about my fine day.

Yes, this is a backpacking campground, but I didn't hike here with a backpack. I rode my bike here. I should say, I rode my bike most of the way, but I suffered an embarrassing defeat on the last mile.

If anybody (even a tough guy like me) thinks they're going to zip up the final hill on their bike, with 35-pounds of stuff attached to it, I'm here to dispel your delusional dreams. I could see impending failure as soon as I looked up that trail. It was made for hiking, not biking. Even so, I thought I'd give it my best effort.

I built up some good speed on the approach, started uphill, shifted quickly down to the easiest gear, pedaled hard for about five seconds, stood up on the pedals and turned the crank a few more times, and came to a sudden stop. I'm glad I was able to dismount before falling down sideways. I was also glad I had my ankle brace on for the dismount. Who knows what kind of tendon-ripping sound I might have heard from that joint while planting my left foot onto the trail?

I walked my bike the rest of the way.

Can you believe I went back down the trail to set the timer on my phone so I could re-create that scene?

About half-way up, I was saying some pretty bad swear words about this bloody switchback.

I know I could easily have skipped over this embarrassing ordeal, but that would have been wrong for a couple of reasons. 1) I want people to know that, despite all appearances, I'm not some kind of cycling superhero. I'm just a regular guy. And 2), I know millions of Cycleblazers use my journals as a source for planning their own exciting cycling routes. It's my responsibility to give them fair warning.

************

Okay, I've written too many words about the last mile of today's bike ride. I think I should back up and tell everyone about the first seventeen miles.

My ride began from my garage. Before I got to the end of the block, I heard loud drumbeats coming from the Hastings Middle School. As much as I wanted to get out of town, I felt compelled to go out of my way to see what was going on. I'm glad I did. Thanks to my short detour, I filmed a video, into which I managed to sneak in a most appropriate pun.

I'll be crossing that bridge in a matter of minutes.

While crossing the bridge, I saw this barge chooglin' up the Mississippi River. I waited about five minutes so I could get this picture of it underneath the railroad lift bridge.

After the bridge, there was a mile-long climb on a very busy four-lane highway, then a quarter-mile of quite busy two-lane highway, and then a left hand turn onto a quiet road into the countryside. The quiet road felt like an escape from insanity. For the rest of the day, I enjoyed peaceful farmland, forestland, wetlands, wildlife, nice rolling hills, a few big hills, and a beautiful state park.

What I did not enjoy was the all-day, 15-m.p.h. wind. Ninety percent of the time it was a direct headwind, the other 10% was a not-very-pleasant crosswind. At the end of the day, though, I shouldn't be such a whiny baby about it. I mean, I only rode a total of 18 miles.

But the strange thing is that I came to appreciate a headwind in kind of an odd way. On a hilly day like today, the hills seemed to block the headwind in such a way that it made the pain of climbing no more painful than the pain of pedaling into a headwind on a flat road. Perhaps I've noticed that effect in the past, but I've never fully realized it before.

Alright, back to the pictures.

My first wildlife sighting was some kind of wool-bearing deer.

My second wildlife sighting was some kind of cross between a yak a zebra and a goat.

The last time I was here, this bridge was torn out. I had to carry my loaded bike down into a culvert and then back up, while the workers and their machinery did their thing.

My third wildlife sighting was some sort of reptilian water rat.

From that wetland area, there was another good climb up to the state park entrance. I've been to Afton State Park several times in the past. It has a great diversity of landscapes and great hiking trails. I've even backpacked to the campground, but that was more than 20-years ago, so I think I forgot how steep the trail is to get up there.

Anyway, I was happy to be here once again. I followed the bike trail into the hilly park instead of the main road. That might have been a mistake. The road didn't have nearly as many cracks, crevices, and holes. The trail wasn't as busy though. I only saw a few hikers and zero bikers.

I like that the view-blockers are devoid of leaves.

Out of a birch forest and into the prairie.

Then I rode down to river level via a network of hiking trails. I assumed they were trails for hikers and bikers to share, but, judging by the negative looks from a few hikers, I might have been wrong about that.

After setting up my tent, I always take a picture of my campsite.

After photographing my site, I started writing in my notebook for a while. When I got hungry, I cooked my meal. When I was full, I took a nap on the top of my picnic table and enjoyed the warm sun. I didn't fall into a very deep sleep though. Occasionally, I'd open my eyes and see things like bare tree branches, blue skies, contrails, crescent moons, and little songbirds.

According to Ride With GPS, that un-cyclable climb up to the campground topped out at 12%. That's laughable. I guarantee you, it was at least twice that.

Heart

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Today's ride: 18 miles (29 km)
Total: 18 miles (29 km)

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Comment on this entry	Comment	5

Nancy GrahamLoving the wildlife sightings. And what nice weather for you tour. AND to be sent off by a live band. I think you must just live right ;’-).
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8 months ago

Keith KleinHi,
One thing I learned in my 13 years of going back and forth between Mankato and my metro area home was that hills end, the wind never does. Andy Hampsten said that he became a great climber by heading west from Fargo until he was completely worn out by the headwind, then just coasting home again with the wind behind him.
Cheers,
Keith
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8 months ago

Bob DistelbergI've often thought the same thing about cycling uphill into a headwind. I think it does actually block the wind a little. Or, maybe it's just the fact that you're already going slower because of the hill, and that makes the wind feel a little less obnoxious.
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8 months ago

Gregory GarceauTo Nancy GrahamYes. I can't believe it myself, but I must live right.
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8 months ago

Gregory GarceauTo Keith KleinI have heard before that pedaling into the wind (and using a higher gear than you normally would) is great training for climbing for folks who don't live in the mountains.
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8 months ago