Days 48 to 50: Milaca, MN to Lake Itaska, MN

Note: Dan is providing a brief update for Liz

August is here already! Tuesday, August 1 Elizabeth’s ride is from Milaca to Crow Wing, MN – a distance of 81 miles and relatively low 1220 feet of climb. It was a long day riding along the Mississippi River but not particularly hard. Today Elizabeth stops to take pictures of the birds grazing in the wheat fields.

Charles A. Lindbergh grew up near Little Falls, MN before becoming famous by flying his single engine airplane “The Spirit of Saint Louis” nonstop from New York to Paris. The Lindbergh family donated his boyhood home to become a museum. Elizabeth’s route took her right by the house and adjacent park just outside of Little Falls.

With little more than an hour left to go a major thunderstorm chased the riders off the route. Some ended up getting shuttled on to the destination. Elizabeth was riding alone and ended up sheltering in a family’s garage until the worst of the storm had passed. As usual, Elizabeth made some new friends of the folks who invited her in out of the storm.

Wednesday the ride was only a little shorter at 73 miles and 1400 feet of climb going from Crow Wing to Walker, MN. The first 12 miles where on roads to Brainerd where they joined the Paul Bunyan State Trail (paved greenway) for about 54 miles. Elizabeth stopped at a tribute to Paul Bunyan to have her picture taken with one of the “monuments”.

The trail continued north but the group left the trail and hopped on the road for the last 7 miles to the Quietwoods Campground on the shore of Tenmile Lake.

Thursday, August 3 the group traveled from Walker to Lake Itaska, MN – about 53 miles. Typical for Elizabeth on this ride, she’s up at 5:30 to catch the sunrise over the lake before morning coffee!

Just before lunch, Elizabeth and a few others who were riding together came across a house with a bike in the front yard advertising a bike shop. The owner saw the group and invited them to his bike repair shop in the back. He said he was retiring and offered any parts inventory for half price. And he offered to check out and tune up any minor issues for free. Elizabeth ended up with a new chain and was able to verify that the rest of her bike was ready for another 1900 miles.

After leaving their new friend behind the group continued up the road towards Lake Itaska.

It turns out that Lake Itaska is the starting point of the Mississippi River. Elizabeth enjoys a quick wade before continuing on to pitch her tent for the night.