Bike Trails – Page 2 – Valerie's Voice

Bike Trails and Fire Towers

We like to getaway and ride different bike trails. There are so many to choose from. This year we went to Pequot Lakes in northern Minnesota. Our first stop was in Crosby, Minnesota to ride our bicycles on the Cuyuna Trail System. These trails are well-known for mountain biking, but there is a nice paved trail to ride also.

Huntington Mine Lake is along one of the Cuyuna Trails.

The trail goes past old iron ore mine pits, which are now beautiful lakes, with no development on them. The mountain bike trails go through the woods, and a bicycle with special tires is needed. The mountain bike paths are red dirt, from the iron in the soil.

A photo of our group at Huntington Mine Lake.

After our trail ride we continued to drive north to Pequot Lakes, our destination. We planned to ride our bikes the next day on the Paul Bunyan trail, one of the longest bike trails in the state. The Paul Bunyan Trail used to be the Burlington-Northern railway tracks.

At the Paul Bunyan trailhead in Pequot Lakes.

We rode a small portion of the trail. The weather was hot and humid, but the portion of the trail we rode was shaded and scenic, with surrounding lakes. We’re grateful for the many wonderful trails that have been created on old railway lines.

Above the tree line on the fire tower in Pequot Lakes. I’m in the red shirt.

The third morning we decided to hike in Paul M. Theide Fire Tower Park. The DNR recently acquired this land to create this park to protect the historic fire tower there. The small park is lovely with a nice picnic pavilion and a few trails that lead to the fire tower. The tower, built in 1935, is accessible to climb if one is so inclined. I learned this is the second tower to be built on this site. The first was a wooden structure built in 1927. The current tower is in excellent shape (no carvings in the wooden steps). I climbed up four flights (of eight) and was already above the tree line and could see for miles. Unfortunately, I left my camera down at the bottom.

Climbing the tower brought back memories of vacationing with my parents and friends in cabins on Rainy Lake in the 1960’s. There was a fire tower within walking distance of the resort where we stayed. We would climb the tower every year, several times during the week. I do remember some of us kids carving our names in the wooden steps. Whoops.

Several years later we went up to see the resort at the end of the road, Highway 11 East out of International Falls, and the fire tower was fenced in and locked up. I learned it’s called the Black Bay Fire Tower, or Rainy Lake Fire Tower, and it was built in 1939. I couldn’t find much more information online about this tower.

The historic fire tower in Paul M. Thiede park.

There is another accessible fire tower in Itasca State Park which we have climbed a few times; once with our two sons when they were younger, and a few times over the years when we’ve camped in the state park.

A few dozen fire towers remain in Minnesota. At one time there were 120-150 in the early to mid 1900’s. At that time there were about 5,000 fire towers throughout the United States. A majority of the “second generation” fire towers were built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930’s. These towers were built of galvanized steel and included steps. Earlier towers were made of wood and used ladders to access the cab. As airplanes and modern technology took over the task of spotting wildfires, many towers were taken out of service.

I’m grateful for organizations that have insight and resources to re-purpose railway lines and preserve fire towers.

A beautiful hibiscus bloom on the hotel patio.

Stillwater Loop

Going on bike rides has been a great way for Gary and I to get away during this pandemic. Gary bikes frequently with his bike club, but we have gone on rides together too. It’s an activity we both enjoy. And Minnesota has an abundance of bike trails to explore.

One day we went up to Stillwater to ride the “Loop Trail.” This trail goes along the river walk through town, then up the hill to the new, expansive bridge crossing the St. Croix River over into Wisconsin and back to Stillwater, creating a five-mile loop.

The new bridge crossing the St. Croix River in Stillwater.

Another view of the new, expansive Stillwater bridge.

This photo was taken in May 2018, showing the newly opened bridge from a distance.

The paved bike trail on the Wisconsin side guides one to a steep, downhill road leading to the historic Stillwater lift bridge, now repurposed as a pedestrian/bicycle bridge. Until recently the old lift bridge was the only bridge, in Stillwater, for vehicles to cross the St. Croix River.

Approaching the steep hill going down towards the old Stillwater bridge.

The old lift bridge made into a new bicycle/pedestrian bridge. The bridge still lifts for tall boat traffic on the St. Croix River.

The old bridge became too congested and a new bridge was built. In comparison, looking at the old lift bridge and the new superhighway bridge, is comical because of the major size difference. It does make for a fun five-mile bicycle ride.

After the loop trail we rode past the old, Zephyr train depot, now the Zephyr Theater, on a trail along Brown’s Creek. Another lovely ride, in the shade, slightly uphill for six miles and connects to the Gateway Trail. After we turned around at the intersection of Brown’s Creek and Gateway it felt like we glided down into Stillwater. It was fun.

A view of the old lift bridge in the background…photo taken from the new high bridge in Stillwater, MN.

We were in Stillwater on a weekday and it was bustling. The weather was sunny and hot, a great day to be by water…we ate our lunch on the deck of a restaurant near the river, and after lunch we laid out blankets on the shore and watched the people and boats go by.

A view of the St. Croix River and the old lift bridge, lifted up.

Owatonna, MN

Recently we spent a day exploring the bike trails in Owatonna, a town 30 miles south of Northfield.

Our first stop was to get some homemade pie, to-go, for a snack on the trail later. My husband’s bike club often stops for a break at The Kernel to get a piece of pie which the guys claim is delicious. A quick Google search of The Kernel comes up with this review: “American chow, including an all-day breakfast & homemade pie, offered in this unfussy local diner.’” I like the description “unfussy local diner”.

There were many benches along the trail. I like the tree silhouettes on this
bench back.

We rode on three short trails along the Straight River, over and under bridges and around a couple hairpin curves on a wide, paved trail, lined with benches, street lamps, and mature trees.

I noticed more than a few bat houses. I’m not sure when they were put up but it seems it was some sort of project at one time.

One of several bat boxes in trees along the path.

It was a gorgeous day and a delightful ride.

We stopped to eat our delicious pie selections at a picnic table along the river and spent a long while watching a great blue heron stealthily walk the shoreline looking for fish, or pie perhaps!

There were a lot of ducks on or near the river and multiple Canadian Geese on shore. The geese are nice to look at but messy to be around.

After our initial ride and pie break we drove to explore a different park in Owatonna; Mineral Springs Park. In this park there is a statue of Owatonna next to a plaque explaining the Legend of Owatonna: a frail, Native American princess who was restored to health by drinking water from the mineral springs in the area.

A statue of Owatonna, a native American princess healed by the mineral springs.

Contrary to the legend, the town of Owatonna was named after the Straight River, not the princess. In the Dakota language Wakpá Owóthaŋna means Straight River and it was first settled in 1853 near the river.

There were actual mineral springs gurgling out of a large, water fountain and cistern in the park. We tasted the water…it was cold but had an “irony” taste to it.

The mineral springs water bubbling up through the fountain.

There were more bicycle and walking trails throughout the park.

As we walked the trail along the river we stopped to read a red granite plaque with a Native American letter etched into it, credited to Chief Seattle in 1854. We normally do not stop to read lengthy plaques but after reading the first two sentences we were drawn in and began taking turns reading it out loud.

This red granite stone with a long text we would normally pass by.

The the piece is called Teach Your Children. After doing some research on the internet I found out there is controversy as to how much of this letter was actually written by Chief Seattle and how much of it changed in translation and how much was really a part of one letter… but we enjoyed it none-the-less. We found it very profound and poetic. Here are a few excerpts from this letter:

“The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? The land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them? Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect.”

“Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth. This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a stand in it. What he does to the web, he does to himself.”

“We love this earth as a newborn loves his mother’s heartbeat. So, if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it. Care for it as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you received it. Preserve the land for all children and love it, as God loves us all.”

Owatonna has a lot of areas to explore but this day we were focused on bike trails, parks, and pie! We were not disappointed.

Still A Favorite

Cannon Valley Trail is a favorite bike trail that we ride several times a season.

The CVT is a sanctuary for me. A canopy of trees welcomes me and I feel I’m entering a special space. The trail is mostly shaded, and a lot of it follows the Cannon River, which adds to the ambiance of the trail.

When out of tree cover, the Cannon Valley Trail passes fields of wild flowers. I like that it was an old railroad line and therefore fairly flat, and it’s paved. And… it is close to home. After traveling to other trails to ride in new territory, it is always good to come home to this sanctuary trail.

Recently we discovered another trail that we really enjoyed. It’s the Trout Run Trail in Decorah, Iowa. Although it’s not very convenient location-wise, it is very scenic and now another favorite.

The route is only eleven miles but seems longer because there are many hills on half of the trail. It makes a loop around Decorah and travels through a farmer’s field, rolling hills, and city parks. The vistas at the top of the hills are breathtaking…beautiful landscapes, small farms and fields, winding roads, and green forests.

At the top of the first hill we climbed on the Trout Run Trail.

Through corn fields, on both sides of the trail.

This loop also passes Decorah’s Fish Hatchery where the well-known eagle cam is but we couldn’t spot the eagle’s nest. The rainbow trout in the tanks were fun to watch…several tanks filled with hundreds of trout in one tank, all swimming and splashing about. We didn’t see an eagle at the hatchery, although they are often seen hanging out there we’re told.

However, on our ride through a city park, along the Root River, we spotted an eagle in a field eating, what looked to be, a rabbit, and a vulture was close by waiting for leftovers I guess.

We watched this eagle eating his prey…In this photo the eagle took flight for a short distance.

At the end of our ride on a very hot and humid day, we drove into town and bought ourselves some ice cream from the Whippy Dip, a popular local ice cream place in Decorah.

Ice cream and bike rides go together. It’s a fun treat to look forward to at the end of a ride.

Nine Mile Creek Trail

Last week, on a most beautiful Minnesota summer day, we took our bikes up to Edina and biked on the Nine Mile Creek Trail.

The temperatures were just right for riding, the humidity was low, and the sky was bright blue.

My husband rode on this trail with his bike club last year and found it fascinating. He wanted me to experience it, so off we went.

What set this trail apart from other bike trails is there are lengthy stretches of boardwalk…spanning over the marsh and through the woods with lots of shady areas. It runs along Nine Mile Creek but there are landmarks to remind you that you are in the city…a concrete bridge over Highway 100, a stretch along the back side of Edina High School, and other industrial buildings, shops and businesses…and then the trail bends and once again you’re back in the woods.

There were numerous bridges made from wood and one boardwalk was almost a mile long (.85 miles). The bridges are wider than a normal bike trail which added to the beauty of the trail.

It’s always fun to discover new trails…and this one was very unique. We are grateful for the many bicycle trails in Minnesota.

Mr. Turtle, the only wildlife we saw on the trail.

The Grand Rounds

Last week, on one of those gorgeous Minnesota summer days, Gary and I decided to head to Minneapolis with our bikes and take off on the terrific trail system called the Grand Rounds.

The Grand Rounds has over 100 miles of paved walking and biking trails that meander through urban areas connecting different city parks and lakes.

This system has been around a long time. It was conceived by Horace W. S. Cleveland in the early days of the Minneapolis park system and has been well maintained. It has been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.

We started our tour at Minnehaha Falls and rode our bikes along Minnehaha Creek, past Lake Nokomis, then along one side of Lake Harriet, continuing around the loop of Lake Bde Maka Ska…..(formerly known as Lake Calhoun).

The new name for Lake Calhoun – Lake Bde Maka Ska.

We stopped for lunch back at the Bread and Pickle on Lake Harriet. We ate a delicious egg salad sandwich, which we were surprised to see on the menu, and then surprised at how tasty it was. It was lovely setting: looking out on the lake, seeing sailboats, and watching people.

After lunch we finished the Lake Harriet loop, rode past Lake Hiawatha and back to Minnehaha Falls. We treated ourselves to ice cream at the pavilion in the park, after clocking 20 miles.

Minnehaha Falls…I had to take the picture looking into the sun so the colors are distorted.

We viewed Minnehaha Falls – the falls were full and beautiful – encompassed by lush green trees and shrubs. There were many folks out enjoying the gorgeous scenery, and weather, on this weekday afternoon.

I had a great time riding my pedal-assist bicycle. We did stop at one garden…because… well, it’s just hard to resist gardens.

It is also fun looking at all the houses along the Parkway and the lakes. There are so many charming homes and biking past them is a great way to see them.

Biking and Wading

A fun poster in the cabin: Paul Bunyan and the tail of Babe the Blue Ox, on bikes.

Up, down and around bends describes the loop section we rode on the Paul Bunyan and Heartland bike trails one morning, in northern Minnesota. The trail is scenic, hilly, and paved.

There were many wild flowers along the way through the forest, and along Leech Lake at times. I enjoyed riding my new e-bike. After completing the loop we collected a reward ribbon from the Chamber of Commerce, which is close to the trailhead. They give ribbons to anyone who completed the 23 mile loop. We are fortunate to have these trails here in Minnesota.

On another day we took a break from biking and went to Itasca State Park. When we learned we were so close to this well-known Minnesota state park we had to go. Of course we walked across the mighty Mississippi.

Crossing the Mississippi River on the rocks separating Lake Itasca from the beginnings of the Mississippi River. I’m in the yellow jacket.

I walked over the slippery rocks to the other side but the headwaters are shallow, about 18″ deep so you can roll up your pant legs and wade through the waters too. I did both.

The rock dam indicates the end of Lake Itasca and the beginning of the mighty river. It is about 2 feet across. They say the river’s channel appears much as it did when Henry Rowe Schoolcraft discovered the source in 1832.

They were selling “award” ribbons for walking across the Mississippi River at the gift shop in the park, but we opted not to buy one. This was not my first time walking across the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi, but it’s always fun.

Schaar’s Bluff

On one of our last, beautiful autumn days, Gary and I drove to Hastings to check out a bike trail, and we discovered a park.

A view overlooking the Mississippi River from on top of the bluff.

Spring Lake Park Reserve is part of the Dakota County Park system and includes one long bluff, overlooking the Mississippi River.

Schaaar’s Bluff derived its name from the Schaar family who owned and operated a family farm on the site from the late 1890’s until 1973, when they sold it to Dakota County to be included in the Spring Lake Park Reserve.

The park offers fantastic views of the Mississippi River. There is a picnic area, campfire rings, a playground, a Gathering Center, and lots of paved and unpaved trails for hiking and biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. There are oak trees to form wooded areas, lots of open spaces, and some prairie portions.

The beautiful, wooden fence along the bluff.

While looking at an overview map of the area, a woman directed us to some unpaved trails along Schaar’s bluff. The trail was covered with leaves so it was not obvious to find the path. The trail went along the river and was very scenic. There was a significant drop-off to the river.

The obscure trail-head for path along the bluff.

We hiked on a few trails that day. One trail took us across a steel bridge that had a short, sharp jog in it…really? That’s not something you see very often.

A bridge with a sharp corner halfway across.

The Gathering Center was in use, for some company’s retreat. The funky building design was fun and inside, in the women’s bathroom, was a plaque explaining how the Center is “harvesting rain.” It states “Schaars Bluff Gathering Center is gathering rain from our rooftops for the toilets in our restrooms.” It makes me happy to know they are recycling rain water.

A fire pit outside the Gathering Center.

Another unique highlight of the park was a Tobacco-Free Zone sign posted, informing smokers there are designated smoking areas in the park…one can smoke only in the parking lots and along the roadways. That was a first for me. I have not noticed that sign in other parks.

This is the first time I’ve noticed a no smoking sign in a park, but I assume they are posted in all Dakota County parks.

I’m grateful for the Schaar’s who offered their land to the county, to make this wonderful park along the mighty Mississippi River, with it’s scenic beauty for others to enjoy. We will visit it again.

The silo still stands near the park entrance.

Turtle and Lego

Two words…turtle and Lego… captured my attention last week when scanning through the newspaper. Two words for two different, but interesting, entities…together in one title. It may have caught my attention because we encountered two large turtles on Northfield’s bike trail this past summer, and because of my fondness for Legos.

The article reported of a turtle fitted for wheelchair made of Legos. Now that’s creative!

Article in newspaper that caught my attention.

The article states: “A wild turtle with a broken shell is rolling around on a wheelchair made of Legos while he’s on the mend at the Maryland Zoo.”

The eastern box turtle had fractures to the underside of his shell, and according to the article, keeping the shell bottom off the ground is important for healing after surgery. The zoo’s veterinarian asked a friend, who is a Lego enthusiast, if he would create a custom, turtle-sized, Lego wheelchair to help the turtle mend.

A photo of one Lego town (not on the bed downstairs) made by my boys. Of course I thought I had many pictures of the creations they made, but it turns out, I don’t.

My two boys played with Legos for hours when they were young…it was a favorite play time of theirs and I do believe they have good memories of building cities together, and all the vehicles and buildings that go along with that. We set a piece of plywood on top of a bed we had in our finished basement as a platform for Lego towns and Lego creations. I used to joke that at one time our Lego collection was the most valuable item in our house. We still have Legos, sorted by color, in plastic boxes, ready for the grandchildren to play with someday.

Recently we were at the Mall of America and walked past the Lego store. It’s always fun to stop and look at their displays of oversized figures and vehicles and space ships.

Huge action figure at the LEGO store in MOA.

Legos have always made me smile…to see the many different creations, and also, to remember the special memories of my two little boys playing together with their Legos.

I hope the turtle heals quickly…it has no idea of the wonders of Legos.

Another Turtle on the Trail

Last week we were, once again, biking on the new trail in town when we noticed a turtle on the path. We stopped to take a look and discovered this turtle was a different species than the turtle we saw a few weeks ago.

I took a picture, hoping to identify it later. When I first saw the turtle I thought it was a snapping turtle, but I didn’t test it by dangling a stick in front of his face to see if he’d snap. After a quick research, I’m pretty certain it is a snapping turtle. Click here for more information.

I wonder how many species of turtles are in the area along the river, and near the path? Hopefully we’ll see a new and different one the next time.