We enjoyed another bike ride on a rail to trail system…the Root River Trail, formerly the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. We started our ride at the trailhead in Lanesboro.
It’s an easy-going trail that winds along the Root River and offers a lot of shade and a lot of views of the Root River. The river was flowing swiftly because of recent rains in the area – a welcome sight after seeing many signs of drought lately.
We rode the most popular section of the trail (and beyond) on Saturday morning. It was busy but not crowded. However, when we arrived at the town of Whalen, known for its wonderful pie shop, there were lots of people congregated along the trail. Of course we stopped too, for pie, even though we had eaten a fabulous, and substantial, breakfast at the B&B we were staying at in Lanesboro. The pie was yummy!
It was humid, but we felt the cool breeze from biking. On our way back it did start to rain, but just lightly, and we were ok with that since most of our state needs rain. It didn’t “dampen” our spirits.
I was intrigued to see this placard along the trail featuring part of a poem, “The Ghost Tree Speaks” by Richard J. Dorer. It “spoke to me”. I like trees, nature, words.
Back home I looked online for the poem and found it is also a book title, so I believe the placard is an excerpt from the poem. I also found this quote by the author Richard J. Doer:
“The charred body of a burned tree, a ghost tree, stands in a blackened swath in Minnesota’s wilderness forest. Through the years the tree watched seasons pass, and with them generations of animals and men–Indians, voyageurs, pioneers, timber-cruisers. Finally, a moment of man’s carelessness with a match denied the tree the fulfilling destiny of being a ship’s mast, a sheltering house, or a sturdy floor. Eventually he will fall and Mother Earth will take him back in her embrace.”
It was another great trail ride, with an interesting twist.