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.

The beautiful, winding bike trail.

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.  

A commemorative plaque.

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 made it across the slippery rocks.

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. 

Walking across the Mississippi River.

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.

Memorable Hikes – Itasca State Park, Minnesota 2011

Continuing my Friday series on memorable hikes…

My husband and I went camping in Itasca State Park. This park is a beautiful treasure in Minnesota. In this park, the headwaters of the Mississippi begin. We camped here with our boys when they were younger, but this year it was just my husband and I.

It’s always fun to say “I’ve walked across the Mississippi River.”

One afternoon we took off hiking on a trail from the campground, and I was in the lead. As we were walking along I noticed black in the treetops above me, on my right. I stopped to look and noticed there were two black cubs high in the tree…so then I thought…hmmm, where’s mama?

Tree tops (a photo w/o the cubs).

I looked to the left of the path and there she was, staring right at us. At that moment I couldn’t remember what I was suppose to do. We’ve been to so many parks and read so many signs telling one how to react to bears…black bears or grizzly bears… play dead for one and act big for another, but in this moment – when I needed to know – I forgot! So we stood there, and then slowly stepped backwards. The cubs climbed down the tree, walked over the path in front of us and joined  their mama, all the while the mama kept her eyes on us. And we kept our eyes on her too!

The mama bear, keeping her eyes on us.

When the cubs were safely with their mama we watched them scamper off into the woods and we kept going on our hike, happy to have had a safe, and memorable, encounter with the black bears.

Beautiful Itasca State Park.