We departed the Lakeside View motel at 7 as usual. I was able to make coffee in the room. A treat for me. Sandy revealed that unlike me, she is less than fond of the aroma of fresh coffee. Good thing this was our last opportunity to share a room with coffee privileges.😎
We headed down the road to Brainerd via the Paul Bunyon Trail (PBT). It's an asphalt trail about 10 or 12 feet wide. Like any other paved surface, its condition varies from smooth to cracks resembling a lunar landscape. But mostly, it's mildly cracked with tar filling the crevasses. It's well shaded but the trees and growth don't obscure an afternoon sun. The trail does guard against winds from the side. Most of what we felt came from behind.
Occasionally, we would encounter noticeable ups and downs with signage warning cyclists of same. It felt a bit humorous to see and experience considering all we've seen and ridden so far. That did make the PBT more fun because it's quite long and monotonous. Scenic from time to time but monotonous. The grade of the terrain is v e r y gradual. Typically it's difficult to tell visually if you're going up or down. The only thing that gives it away is your speed relative to how your legs feel with the effort. That means going down is easier than going up!
This section of trail was familiar to me as I rode it last year in my run up to Bemidji from Brainerd. It was largely as I had remembered but of course I was headed in the opposite direction! We ate breakfast at "Joe's Viddles". As it turns out, we had lunch there last year! Kinda like old times:-)
As it also turns out, the trail was far from cleared of storm debris. Lots of trees across the trail. All but 2 or 3 of them simply called for us to duck under branches or pick our way through the brush. Once we had to stop and pick up our bikes over a significant log. No biggie. One we had to walk around the end/tree top in the tall grass. Others had blazed that trail before we got there. There was a short but steep climb back to the trail. Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal at all, but we are pushing bikes laden with stuff! My front panniers are not suited for off road adventures. No clearance. One more was our biggest challenge. There was no way around. We had to go through. Not a lot of fun but with a few choice words we made it through.
It's incredible how far ranging the destruction from the storm had on the area. We were over 100 miles from Itaska State Park yet the wind damage had been evident throughout! People in Bemidji and Walker had been without power for about 3 days and a week later some are still without power! Glad we missed that blow.
But in the closing 30 miles of the ride today, there was scant evidence of the storm. The trail was in very good shape even in the area where construction of a new trail bridge was being built. Seeing that being constructed was impressive. We stopped at Nisswa (not a typo) for lunch. The A&W restaurant sold "All American Food". They even made their own root beer on premises. Bill and Sandy had a root beer float. I had a milkshake. My only regret was I decided not to have a root beer float too. I did have a "Coney" (chili dog). Mm mm.
That made the final miles enjoyable. We rolled into Brainerd and found the Rodeway Inn. Actually as we neared it things began coming back to me from last year. We stayed there last year too. Last year it was the last room in Brainerd. There had been a big storm nearby and all the neighboring power companies had crews on site. We got lucky. 1. We missed the storm and 2. We got a room.
But now the riding part of this saga is coming to a close. Tomorrow Bill and Sandy will pack up their bikes and continue their journey to family camp in Central Lake, Michigan. I will be picked up by Hertz at 9 with a rental car to teleport be back to the land of heat and humidity.
It has been one hell of a journey. And it has been about the journey not the destination. From start to this point. We crossed over the 2,000 mile point today. I'm glad I had the company of my beautiful loving wife, Pam, for the first part up to Whitefish. She had to fly home. She's my soulmate and inspiration. Then there's the one and only Gay Rehnback. He also parted ways and headed south to tag up with the Transamerica route to ride home to the Beach. Godspeed. And finally, the dynamic duo. We traveled together for nearly 3 weeks. They will continue on to Central Lake, Michigan where they'll meet up w their daughter and son in law for family camp. I look forward to the next adventure with them. It was a blast. A long, grueling, challenging, fun experience. I think we'll have a few tales to share.
This is not the end of this blog, however. I plan on at least 2 more posts. One will be an epilogue. The other a collection of thoughts and random experiences, and a couple of surprises. As you read this, if you've been following me and have anything you would like to read more about, don't hesitate to suggest something. This entire blog has been a culmination of my thoughts and experiences tapped out on my iPhone 6+ I only wish I could have found a format to post pictures with my blog. It wasn't meant to be. I post some things on Facebook. Others will reside in my collection.
It's been real.
Today
66 miles
5 hours 20 minutes in the saddle
12.3 mph avg
26.5 max
You're the best. Hugs to you all.
Cheers!
Kim
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