May 30, 2006
I’m going to try from now through the month of June to take longer bike trips as much as possible. I think I would like to challenge myself to do at least three days of 20+ mile trips. At some point I would like to do a portion of the Willard Munger Trail that connects Duluth, MN to Hinkley.
In other news, Michael and I will be going to Madison next weekend, and I’ll be staying a couple more days on my own. Instead of going by car, we’ll be going by bus, and I’ll be renting a bike while I’m there.
I used to live in Madison, so it’s not unfamiliar territory at all. This year, Madison received a Gold rating from the League of American Bicyclists as a premeir bike-friendly city. I think it’s time to visit the town on a bicycle!
After the trip, I will be going to the City of Minneapolis’ Bicycle Advisory Committee to talk about the damage to the trails by police vehicles near the Light Rail. The issue was put on their agenda after I emaile some folks with Transit for Livable Communities and the Midtown Greenway Coalition.
Total distance today: 22 miles.
May 20, 2006
First, my apologies for not posting in a while. We were dealing with the loss of a family pet recently. We will miss her dearly.
I’ve uploaded photos to my Flickr photospace of some discoveries I made while on the Hiawatha Line LRT bike/pedestrian trail. Between the Cedar-Riverside station and the Franklin Avenue station, there are distinct tire markings, along with damage to both the trail and grasses alongside it.
I’ve seen many a police car driving up and down this trail that has distinct signs reading “NO MOTOR VEHICLES” at its entrances. While I do think that a police presence makes this area safer, I’m wondering if they are abusing their privilege to drive on this trail.
I will be writing letters to my city councilor, the mayor’s office, and a few transit, bicycling, and trail advocacy groups to see what might be done. Again, I’m not saying that police shouldn’t patrol the area, but perhaps they could patrol the area on bikes or smaller (and lighter) 4-wheel all-terrain vehicles. On one occasion, I was coming around a corner to get on the trail, and I almost hit a police car. There may be a safety concern for bicyclist with this too.
If anyone has suggestions, please feel free to comment and point me in the right direction!
May 10, 2006
I decided to embark on an adventure outside the bounds of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and biked to my friend Chris’ house in Mounds View, MN. This outer suburb was my home in 2002, before I accepted a position which took me to Rochester to work at the Mayo Clinic. Pictured to the right is me and my friend Chris, whom I visited by bike and had a great dinner in Fridley!
The ride north to Mounds View was actually quite nice. Nothing too challenging or daunting, but very long. It was about 23 miles north on trails to the house near Long Lake Road. The Anoka County Mississippi river trail is in need of some repair in places, but it was pleasant, nonetheless. After biking well past 63rd Avenue, I hit the Rice Creek Regional Trail, which was very windey, curvy, and hilly! I had to walk my bike up some of those hills on the trail. The scenery was gorgeous, however!
Thank goodness for buses with bike racks, as I caught a 10 bus near 73rd and Central Avenue back to Downtown Minneapolis, and then rode home from there. This was a great ride, and most certainly what I needed to break my record for cycling so far in a day! Unfortunately, I left my camera at home. Next time I’ll get photos!
Total Distance Today: 27 miles.
May 7, 2006
On Friday I biked down to Hidden Falls Park along the Mississippi River. This is a great trail with lots of woods and scenery. I must say though, that I feel like I was among some interesting “presences” while biking south of the park. This cave was just incredibly gorgeous. It left me wondering how old it was, if it had a name, and if there were any legends or stories about it.
About 100 yards south of this cave, I came to a bend in the trail that seemed deeper in the woods, and the presence felt so much stronger. It was as if the air was thinner and cooler in that one spot, and time could have stood still. Very powerful place. I had a sense of urgency to leave, and so I followed my instincts and pedaled out!
Be careful of flooding on a portion of the trail by the river just north of the Highway 5 bridge if you try this one soon.
Total Distance Today: 14 miles.
May 2, 2006
I have to spend more time in Minnehaha Park! The biking and walking trails alone are beautiful!
I intended to bike down to Hidden Falls, but the weather looked a bit iffy, so I turned around and went back up West River Parkway. Such a crazy thing, weather. As soon as I got home it seemed to clear.
I’m aching to try to do a long bike ride starting in the morning and coming home at night, to see where it takes me. The rear carry-bag is working out well for carrying maps, snacks, camera, etc now. Oh, and there is a HUGE difference after cleaning and re-lubing a bike chain. I completely recommend it to anyone who bikes a lot!
Total Distance Today: 11 miles.
