December Miles

Amish Market and Home: 10.35 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 47 minutes, average speed 13.0

We just had to get some December miles on the tandem. This ride took the sting out of not being able to bike the Florida Keys as planned. The temperature was a bit cooler than down south but we still enjoyed pedaling down this familiar road in our neighborhood. With the sun shining we were able to forget about the thermometer reading of 33 degrees.

This is likely to be our final Tandem post for 2013.  The cold and snow is on its way here in Minnesota.  We have now biked 23 months straight which included some cold days just to keep our record going.  We are hoping to get a decent day in January so the tandem can help us ring in the New Year.

Total tandem miles for 2013: 2103
2008 still holds our record miles of 3774 with 2011 having the fewest miles of 1891.  The tandem alone now has a total of 20,876 miles since its purchase in 2005.  I guess you can say we got our money’s worth out of this bike.

Happy Holidays to all!

2013 Night Owl Classic

22 Mile Night Flight: 23.72 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 2 hours 6 minutes, average speed 11.2

What a beautiful night for a bike ride. The Night Owl Classic is a bike ride along the Mississippi River, through the beautiful Summit & Cathedral Hill neighborhoods and areas of downtown St. Paul. The ride tours some of St. Paul's most well-known landmarks; all with the backdrop of the twinkling skyline. We gathered at the Union Depot on 4^th and Sibley, downtown St. Paul, for our first evening ride down the streets of this metropolis and to the foot of Minnesota’s Capitol Building. We weren’t the only tandem recumbents this time—we were joined by Joan and John Laabs and Michelle and Alan Andersen.

This night biking event began at 7:00pm and routed us along the Mississippi River, onto Summit Avenue and then back to the Depot. It was a short route but more of a challenge than I expected. The streets were well-tended by the city police but the bumps in the route could not be detected in the dark and riding tandem made this ride slightly nerve-wrecking for my captain. We made it back to the Depot by 9:00pm and packed the bike to head back to our hotel for the night.

Biking in the Twin Cities is such a treat. Each time we set out we encounter more scenic paths to follow. We are already looking forward to our next adventure in this bicycle haven.

Lakes and Bike Trails of the Twin Cities

Minneapolis Lakes: 25.62 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 2 hours 12 minutes, average speed 11.5

Our bike ride today was the ultimate! Since our hotel for the night was in St. Louis Park, we took advantage of the bike trails in the area. We arrived early at the Doubletree Inn and began pedaling our route at 10:00am. Just down the road from the hotel, we picked up the bike paths that eventually put us on the smooth pavement of the Cedar Lake Trail. I got the opportunity to visit with other cyclists while waiting for a train to clear our path. The locals gave us great suggestions for lunch and we were excited to try the Tin Fish Eatery on Lake Calhoun.

We exited the Cedar Trail at the north end of the West River Parkway, another beautifully paved bike trail, and soon came across the Stone Arch Bridge at St. Anthony Falls, the only natural major waterfall on the upper Mississippi River.

The Parkway led us to the Midtown Greenway, A biker’s highway that cuts across the Cities. We were now in search of the Tin Fish Eatery and a rest along Lake Calhoun. The food at the Tin Fish was very good and the dining experience was unique.

We were just arriving back at our hotel when we received a call letting us know that our room was ready so we checked in and had a little down time before getting ready to meet up with the Night Owl Riders downtown St. Paul.

Mesabi Weekend–August 8 to 11

Day 1 Mesabi Bike Trail—Virginia to Gilbert: 18.80 miles TANDEM Pedal Time: 1 hour 43 minutes, average speed 10.9

Our Mesabi Weekend began with a drive to Babbitt, MN for a stay with my brother, Paul. He made us some awesome blueberry pancakes Friday morning and then we were off to Soudan to tour the Underground Mine.

We put on a hard hat and ventured a half-mile into the earth at the Soudan Underground Mine. The $12 ticket was well-worth the cost. Our tour guide, Karl, did an awesome job helping us see, feel, hear and understand the impact of mining on the lives of these northeastern Minnesota settlers. His introduction to the mine got our attention as he began speaking to us in Dutch. He explained later that most miners here would have also been frustrated trying to understand a co-worker. As an ex-miner, Karl was able to help us understand the sacrifices this line of work requires—not only medical but emotional as well.

Our 90-minute tour started 689 feet below sea level and 2,341 feet below the surface at Level No. 27. The cage ride down held 10 adults closely together but the miners would have been packed tighter and the door to the cage would have taken up precious space so was not installed in the days of operation of this “Cadillac of Mines.”

The Soudan Mine opened in 1882 and was Minnesota’s first iron ore mine. Operations went underground by 1892 after numerous accidents. When technology changed, the ore from the mine was no longer needed. Low-cost ores of the Mesabi Range took over. The Soudan Mine stopped mining ore in 1962.

Our two-night stay at the AmericInn in Virginia put us close to the 115-mile, paved Mesabi Bike Trail. We checked in at 3:00pm, paid $10 for our 3-day Wheel Passes and suited up to ride. We pedaled from Virginia to Gilbert, stopping to see the Rouchleau Mine and outdoor equipment display at the Mineview in the Sky.

As we pedaled away from the Mineview, the sky began to darken. We reached Gilbert but did not feel we could make it to Eveleth without getting wet so we turned back towards Virginia and celebrated rolling over 20,000 miles and our 33^rd anniversary with a wonderful meal at Adventures. We started out on our ride with temperatures in the 70’s which dropped into the 60’s by ride’s end. The few raindrops we did get did not hinder our enjoyment of this day’s riding.

Day 2 Mesabi Bike Trail—Virginia to Hibbing: 63.27 miles
(mile markers 71-40) TANDEM Pedal Time: 5 hours 24 minutes, average speed 11.6

What a beautiful day for this planned bike ride. Paul joined us at 10:00am and we pedaled out of Virginia towards Hibbing. We quickly passed through the small town of Mountain Iron and then through the town of Kinney without even realizing it. At Buhl we stopped to view an abandoned open mine pit—a fabulous view.

Our next stop was in Hibbing for a patio lunch at Zimmy’s. It was getting late and we were hungry. The food was worth waiting for and the rest was needed. We were now as far west as we would go on the Mesabi today.

Our next stop was at the World’s largest operating open pit mine—the Hull-Rust-Mahoning—known as the “Grand Canyon of the North”. The area’s first mining lease was awarded to Frank Hibbing in 1891. The village of Hibbing grew up near the mine pit and in 1918 the heart of the community was mounted on steel wheels and moved two miles to the south to make room for the mine's expansion. The combined Hull-Rust- Mahoning Mine and Hibbing Taconite open pit covers 5,000 acres. The view here was breathtaking!

Heading back towards Virginia, we came upon Chisholm. We stopped to walk across the Bridge of Peace which was proudly flying the flags of countries world-round, representing the cultural diversity of the area’s residents. We did not have time to tour the Minnesota Museum of Mining this day so will have to return north another time to bike more of the Mesabi.

Supper was at Grandma’s back in Virginia followed by a few card games with Paul before we collapsed for the night. We truly enjoyed touring along the Mesabi Bike Trail on this beautiful day. The trip was made even more special with the company of my brother, Paul.

Day 3 Mesabi Bike Trail—Hibbing to Nashwauk: 32.52 miles
(mile markers 40-25) TANDEM Pedal Time: 2 hours 29 minutes, average speed 13.0

Today started with a drive to view the Laurentian Divide just outside Virginia. The Divide runs along the crest of a ridge of low rocky hills known as the Giant’s Range. These hills separate the headwaters of streams that flow north and south. Streams on the North Slope flow through Canada to Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean. On the south slope streams flow into Lake Superior and the Atlantic Ocean or to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The rocks of the Laurentian Divide are more than 2 billion years old.

A drive to Hibbing put us back on the Mesabi Trail. With our bike trip of 32 miles today, we were able to bike through the small villages of Kelly Lake, Keewatin and Nashwauk giving us a weekend total of 47.5 miles one way on this well-designed bike trail in the north.

We will return to bike the remaining miles someday soon and look forward to spending more time on the Range.

Trail Opening Ceremony—St. Paul, MN

Dinkytown Greenway Trail Opening: 39.35 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 3 hours 19 minutes, average speed 11.8

We didn’t have to search very hard to find a ride for today. An email was sent advertising the grand opening of the Dinkytown Greenway Trail near the University campus of St. Paul, MN giving us a chance to bike the Twin Cities again. We are getting to know quite a bit about the vast biking opportunities of this metropolis. Our ride began from South St. Paul where Amy & Luke live, about 10 miles from the grand opening meeting place on the campus lawn of the University of Minnesota.

The grand opening celebrated a key link by providing safe bike travel across the Twin Cities. We were joined by Mayor Rybak at the site of the proposed Surley Brewery in Minneapolis. You need not be a beer drinker to enjoy what is being planned here. We are excited to check it out next fall when it is complete.

The Brewery owner was at the site to welcome us and explain what they have planned and why this site was chosen. Brewery tours and a restaurant are part of the plan.

Back on our bikes, we pedaled with the group to the site of the grand opening celebration. We were greeted by many officials responsible for getting this $2.3 million dollar connection complete and they promised more surprises to come.

We parted from the group following our ride on the newly paved Dinkytown section of the Greenway and continued routing ourselves back to South St. Paul. Lunch was way overdue and we were getting hungry. As we entered onto the Big Rivers Regional Trail in Mendota Heights, we saw the Lucky 13 Pub and enjoyed a hearty meal on the patio beside the trail.

We wanted to see if we could get back using only the trail systems and with the exception of a few miles, this was accomplished. We truly enjoyed this day of biking in the “Big Cities” and look forward to our next adventure here.

Bucksnort Dam

Bucksnort Loop: 55.09 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 4 hours 30 minutes, average speed 12.2
2940 feet of climb!

Bike riding was the only thing on our “to do” list today. We planned a route from home to Lanesboro to pick up the Root River Trail towards Fountain where we planned on biking the scenic back roads to Chatfield. We were unsure of the quality of Keeper, Kindred and Juniper roads so we stopped at the grocery store in Fountain to ask for advice. The butcher here was very friendly and even though he was busy, he took the time to advise us to stay clear of Hwy 52 and the three unknown roads which were gravel. He suggested we take Fillmore County Roads 8 to 11 for a valley view route to Chatfield. We took the butcher’s advice but instead of heading to Chatfield, we found ourselves in Bucksnort. The only structure left in this town was a dam. We stopped here to rest before tackling the climb necessary to put Bucksnort behind us.

We were now rested and ready to climb. We powered up one hill after another until we came to the quiet village of Pilot Mound. What beautiful surroundings. High on a hill we saw an American flag waving at us and welcoming us to town. This sure would be a nice place for a beverage stop but the only thing left in town was a forgotten rock sculpture that once clearly displayed the name of the village but has now eroded away and only a few letters were legible.

Back in our neighborhood, we began to see familiar sights. The round barn is our sign that this journey would soon be ending. Our exploration today led to a new route for us to enjoy. We did not make it to Chatfield today, but Bucksnort was a worthy substitute.

Paddle & Pedal Winona, MN

Lake Winona Paddle and LaCanne Park to Prairie Island Pedal: 10.36 miles
TRIKE Pedal Time: 1 hour 8 minutes, average speed 9.1

Our trip to Winona was full of adventure. We started out with family visits in the morning and then kayaked Lake Winona in the afternoon before getting ready to meet up with good friends, Tim & Deneice, for supper.

Following an early supper, we all decided to continue our visit and get some exercise. Tim suggested a bike tour starting at LaCanne Park and continuing on towards Prairie Island. We passed over a wooden bridge with lots of character, then toured through Prairie Island Park and finally finished our ride with a spin though the area’s manufacturing neighborhood—a very enjoyable route.

Minnehaha Falls Burley Biking

West River Parkway–Minneapolis: 11.84 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 1 hour 8 minutes, average speed 10.2

This tandem/Burley adventure took us to the West River Parkway bike trail along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We started at the Minnehaha Park and Falls and progressed north towards the University of Minnesota. We saw many great sites along this 12-mile journey. Of course the falls were spectacular and Kennedy enjoyed the boats on the river.

Minnehaha Park is one of Minneapolis’ oldest and most popular parks, attracting over 850,000 thousand visitors. The 193-acre park features a 53-foot waterfall, limestone bluffs and river overlooks and has been on my “must see” list for some time. I was grateful to see it this day when the water was flowing rapidly over the rocks.

We stopped for a short snack at the Bohemian Flats near the University which also gave Kennedy a chance to explore the authentic paddle wheeler, the Minneapolis Queen. We then pedaled back to the Falls where we had lunch at the Sea Salt Eatery—very enjoyable!

Kennedy’s biking miles for 2013 now total 73. She is slowly getting used to these trips with grandma and grandpa pulling her behind in the Burley.

15th Annual Shooting Star Bike Ride

Shooting Star Trail & Byway: 14.00 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: About 1 hour

Early on this Saturday morning, we gathered with Alan & Michelle Andersen and Mike & Tasha Nelsen, to register for the Shooting Star Bike Ride. We pedaled from the Nelsen’s campsite to the start of the bike tour at the Rose Pedaler, paid our fees and headed out on the trail. Our plans were to bike the 62-mile route. Shortly after we started, lightning began to flash and thunder began to roll. We needed to get off the bikes soon. Our rescuers this time were Tasha and Mike. Their house was located along our route–14 miles from the start. They provided not only a safe spot to discuss our next move but also offered to feed us a true He-Man’s breakfast.

Tour D’Amico Bicycle Ride

Dennis’ Birthday Ride: 30.59 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 2 hours 45 minutes, average speed 11.0

This little bike tour in Golden Valley, MN has been on our to-do list for some time. It takes place each year on the 4^th of July, which is also Dennis’ birthday, and this year we had plans to be in the Twin Cities which made it very easy to work into our schedule and not only would we be riding the tandem in this event but Kennedy would be joining us in the Burley for her first organized bike ride—A very happy 54^th to Dennis!

We were full of spirit as we began pedaling along the 30-mile route. We kept a close watch behind us as Kennedy settled in for the ride. Many riders passed us commenting on our red, white and blue outfits and of course on our precious cargo.

Our route started at D’Amico & Sons in Golden Valley and then spurred west along the Luce Line Trail and then south towards the water town of Wayzata. We enjoyed strolling along the Wayzata Bay which lead to a rest stop at D’Amico & Sons and included a variety of delicious salads, fruit and snacks. Kennedy enjoyed walking around the water rocks which created a perfect photo op for Grandma until it was time to return to the Burley and continue our ride.

We could tell Kennedy was getting tired when it took some coaxing to get her helmet back on but once the tandem wheels began spinning, she fell asleep and napped through an invitation to join a local parade that was lining up to start. We declined with the explanation that we were on a bicycle tour and had a map we needed to follow.

The afternoon temperature was getting very hot as we pedaled along but we all stayed hydrated with plenty of water aboard. We did experience a few incorrect markings along the route but made it to the finish in time to enjoy lunch under the shade of the D’Amico umbrellas.

We spent this awesome riding day with Kennedy and at ride’s end she still had smiles to share. She did a wonderful job entertaining her Grandma and Grandpa and we look forward to the next ride we can all do together.

Burley Biking with Kennedy

South St. Paul to Inver Grove Heights: 10.64 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 1 hour 11 minutes, average speed 8.8

We were off work early today and biking the streets of South St. Paul routing to pick up Kennedy from day care in Inver Grove Heights. She was surprised to see her Grandma and Grandpa roll up with the Burley attached to the tandem and had no problem getting ready to ride—she was all smiles.

The route back to Kennedy’s house included a stop at a park and a visit to Dairy Queen—a special treat on this hot July day.

Triking Along the Root River Trail

Neighborhood Test Ride & RRT to Harmony: 55.10 miles
TRIKE Pedal Time: 5 hours 41 minutes, average speed 9.8

After taking the trike out for a short neighborhood jaunt and making a few minor tweaks, I was ready to introduce it to the Root River Trail with a challenging ride from Lanesboro to Harmony. The first half of this route was very hilly but on the trike I just continued to crank up each hill with no worries of going too slow and tipping over. I reached the top with just enough energy to pedal to the Crunchy Side for a break before enjoying the downhill coast back to Lanesboro. The trike handled better than expected and I counted 7 “WOWs” from bikers passing by. The unusual paint job seems to draw attention.

While breaking in Preston, we began a conversation with an Iowa bike group and realized we had met them before at the 2012 PIGS Rally in Cresco. Keith and Mary Wherry, Cresco bike shop owners, showered Dennis with compliments on the trike design and build. The trike proved to be a worthy addition to my growing bicycle collection.

Total June Miles: 285                  Total 2013 Miles: 742

The rain this season has put us behind for total miles.  Last year at this time we had double the miles, however, the weather had a lot to do with the completion of the trike in just 3 months, much earlier than expected.

COWS Wrangler Ride–Lanesboro, Minnesota

RRT Lanesboro to Harmony: 45.78 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 4 hours 1 minute, average speed 11.3

The continued threat of storms caused this Wrangler group to gather at the Veerkamp farm to discuss if biking today would be an option. We missed our planned ride start by one hour which allowed the storms to clear out of the area giving us 4 hours of dry riding.

The trail was showing much damage caused by recent storms that hit southeastern Minnesota. We needed to be especially cautious around the areas covered with mud. Keeping the bike upright through each mudslide was a challenge for each captain.

The temperature was really heating up as we reached the trail signs warning us of the steep hills we needed to climb before reaching our lunch stop. Dennis and I placed ourselves ahead of the group to secure seating for 8 at the Crunchy Side in Harmony and make sure plenty of water would be waiting as each team arrived.

Pedaling back to Lanesboro was effortless. The wind was at our back and the trail rewarded us for our earlier climbing efforts. We all made it back to the start dry, safe and ready to eat again.

Back at the farm, we shared another meal together before saying good-bye to the 2013 Root River Wrangler Riders.

Funny Flamingos

Chatfield Loop: 44.63 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 3 hours 36 minutes, average speed 12.3

We finally had a day to bike with no worries. We journeyed along the country roads towards Chatfield where we stopped for a DQ treat. The temperature was in the 80’s and the skies were blue throughout our ride.

Along our route near Eyota, we spotted a pond and as we got closer, noticed flamingos on its edge. In my excitement, I halted the bike and quietly inched towards the pond to get a photo before they could run away and as I got closer, was disappointed to learn a joke was played on me—the birds were not real! Someone had quite a sense of humor. We had a hearty laugh and then continued on our journey towards home—a delightful little voyage.