74 miles
853 feet ascent
745 feet descent
2,546 calories
Today was a treat of sorts as the ride was along two of Minnesota's "rails to trails" paths, the Central Lakes Trail and the Lake Wobegon Trail.
Central Lakes Trail
Central Lakes Trail
Lake Wobegon Trail
"Rails to trails" consist of old railroad tracks that have been converted into multi-use trails for hikers, bikers, joggers, and pretty much any non-motorized means of transportation. In some cases, as today, they are paved, while in others they are packed dirt or gravel. The beauty of them is that they are free of cars and noise and have very gentle grades. They are in the countryside for the most part, but because they were railroads in the past, they also go right through the heart of most towns, so you get the best of both worlds.
Trailside Clyde (this horse was huge)
"Ole" In Alexandria, MN
Break Time On Lake Wobegon Trail
If you've ever listened to the radio show, "A Prairie Home Companion", then you fully understand the title of today's posting. If you haven't, they always had a small segment covering the "news" from the fictitious small town of Lake Wobegon, MN. I'm sure there are some samples on YouTube, if you are interested, but unless you've spent time in a small town you might not "get" some of the humor.
On long hauls like today with lots of "saddle" time, it is easy to get hungry, and sometimes the mind can play tricks on you. For example, I noticed today after seeing about two million Cattails over the past five days that they look very much like corn dogs or pot stickers. Don't you think!
Cattail, Corn Dog, or Pot Sticker?
Have you ever eaten a cattail..... many parts are edible..... Euell Gibbons, Grape Nuts commercial...... for those old enough to remember. The corm, can be eaten, but at a much earlier stage before it turn brown...In a couple of more weeks it would be a mouth full of fuzz. Fine for stuffing pillows or menstrual pads for Native American women back in the day. Probably way too much information for a Sunday morning.......
ReplyDeleteLooks like you picked up a theoretical friend in Alexandria. Be careful, Central Lakes Trail is a Black Diamond and Worbegon is a Double Black Diamond trail in Minnesota. Glad you made it!
ReplyDeleteIn 74 miles, you climbed less elevation than our lunch ride in Whiting Ranch--told you Minnesota was flat :) Be sure to try a Walleye Dinner while you're in the area. Keep those updates coming, Andy Dufresne! Your former colleagues have your blog open all day as we anxiously await new pictures of oversized animal sculptures. We imagine riding with you on your adventure as we clutch the gray bars of our cubicles, picturing a life far away from meetings, documents and deadlines :)
ReplyDeleteTo get a good understanding of Garrison Keillor and The Prairie Home Companion in the zeitgeist of modern culture, look no further than the Simpsons: https://youtu.be/tmkq7yylRkU
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