A quiz

Sunset last night over Lake Bemidji, the end of our longest day.

While traveling along the Katy trail we were inspired by the undaunted courage of Lewis and Clark. They simply refused to let any obstacles in their way stop them. We needed similar perseverance today as we experienced an attempt to convert a planted red pine plantation into a more natural forest.

60 years ago hundreds of people worked in Bemidji saw Mills and lumber yards. Hundreds more worked in lumber camps, carrying on the work of Paul Bunyan. After forests were clear cut, new trees were planted in rows. We saw a sign explaining that the planted trees were being thinned to create a more natural forest. The thinned forest is more susceptible to wind damage. A second thinning is planned for when the trees have adapted to the windier conditions.

Explanation of why the plantation is being thinned.

Obstacle number 1. No problem, we'll just go around it.

Obstacle number 2. The trees on the right were thinned. Hmm, guess we'll need to go over it.

Obstacle number 3. Once again the trees on the right were thinned. We built up speed and went through it.

Actually, we turned around and went back the way we came when we came to obstacle number 3. This was not because we were daunted, we simply wanted to reread the explanation of why the thinned pines were more natural and healthier that the unthinned pines.

We spotted several birds around Lake Bemidji.

We realized we were ill equipped for taking pictures of live animals, so we headed into the city of Bemidji to take some pictures of non-mobile animals.

We spotted a dog going for a ride on the Paul Bunyan trail. I haven't kept an accurate count, but I've seen at least a half dozen canines on this trip who have trained their humans to transport them along trails.

Some dogs like to ride in front, some prefer the back.

We've picked up some new trivia on this trip. Here's a quiz. If you can ace the quiz, there's no need for you to cycle through the rust belt, you can just relax at home. There's no need to mention that looking up the answers is cheating.

1) We ate something called Lavosh this week. What is it?

A) A flat bread with toppings, similar to pizza.

B) A dish made from pickled white fish. Very spicy!

C) Beef.

D) A cocktail. Don't drink it if you have more than a few miles left to bike.

2) The elevation of the headwaters of the Mississippi River is 1475 feet above sea level. Which state is the river touching when it's elevation is down to 700 feet?

A) Minnesota.

B) Iowa.

C) Missouri.

D) Arkansas.

3) Which of these states has the most miles of bike trails?

A) Minnesota.

B) Illinois.

C) Missouri.

D) Iowa.

E) Indiana.

4) Which is the furthest north state commercial barge traffic can reach on the Mississippi?

A) Minnesota.

B) Wisconsin.

C) Iowa.

D) Illinois.

5) How long does it take a drop of water to get from the headwaters of the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico?

A) 1 week.

B) 1 month.

C) 3 months.

D) 1 year.

E) 3 years.

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Boris FayferFirst one i can guess easy if it sound like Lavash, you can get this bread everywhere were Georgians live
For next 3 i would say Minnesota for respect
And for last one a will chose E, no rush
i hope i am wrong and need to travel
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6 years ago

Alain AbbateTo Boris FayferYou are right about Lavosh, sometimes it is spelled Lavash. You must go to Atlanta more than me, you seem to know a lot about Georgia.
You are also right that it is good to respect Minnesota. You would like biking here for sure.
Mississippi water is a little faster than you think.
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6 years ago