Lake Itasca to Grand Rapids

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Leaving Lake Itasca

The first day of any tour is always interesting. Not quite sure what form you are in, riding a 90 pound bike for the first time in years, you have to be sure not to push yourself too hard. Touring bikes are simply slower than race bikes, but the change in pace takes getting used to. You can make a touring bike go as fast as a road bike, but it will almost certainly kill your knees, especially in the beginning of a ride. A stiff northern wind added to the challenge today, as I turned North towards Bemidji. If it keeps blowing from the North, though, I won't complain. Not one bit. It was tough going at first, but I had a nice breakfast with Ericca's aunt and cousins etc. in Bemidji. After that, it got better, and I found my groove about 55 miles into the day.

The ride was pleasant, and the 120 miles to Grand Rapids were no problem, really. Drivers were courteous and waved. Once I stopped in the middle of nowhere to check the map and stretch my legs, and the first car that came by stopped to see if I needed any help. Minnesota really nice.

I ran out of water and gas just as I approached Bena, on Highway 2 (which was the least pleasant stretch of the ride). There was a small gas station (read: liquor store), and as I was looking for the most calorie-dense food in the store, a young and heavily intoxicated young man followed me around very closely. Just as I thought he might start humping my leg, he finally popped the question that had so obviously been on his mind from the time he first saw me: "Why are you wearing tights, man?" I started to explain things to him, but exercise was all he needed to hear. He could respect that. We hugged, and I made a friend that day.

Otherwise, the ride was fairly eventless, the countryside is beautiful up here, and the weather was great. The thunderstorms stayed South.

Mississippi River Crossings
Here is a series of pictures of the Mississippi that I took whenever I crossed over it.

Mississippi River Crossing 2

Mississippi River Crossing 3

Mississippi River Crossing 4

Mississippi River Crossing 5

Mississippi River Crossing 6

Mississippi River Crossing 7 (Lake Bemidji)

Mississippi River Crossing 8

Mississippi River Crossing 9

Mississippi River Crossing 10

Mississippi River Crossing 11

Mississippi River Crossing 12

Mississippi River Crossing 13

Camping in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is the start of the Mesabi Trail, which starts at the local County Fairgrounds. The adjacent green space is also a campground, which has showers and bathrooms, for $10 per night. The caretaker has a mean dog, but is a fun guy, who gave me a stern warning against going to New Orleans. It's a bad place. You see, he used to get drunk with his friends, who would get just a little less drunk than he. Then they would pool their resources and buy a one-way ticket to the farthest place they could afford and put him on a plane, always making sure he did not have any money on him. He would wake up later, not knowing where he was. One time, he happened to wake up in New Orleans. He would then hitchhike back to Colorado and hang out with his friends some more.

He quit drinking in 1973.

Grand Rapids Campground at the Fairgrounds

Road Kill Tally
One thing I like to keep track of when I ride my bike is the road kill I find. I myself have a pregnant bunny-rabbit on my account, but it was an accident during a crit. In any case, I think the road kill you find can tell you much about the region you are riding through, so I will keep you abreast of developments in this area. Today started out slowly, apparently it is a good time to be an animal living by the road, and an unexpected front runner has emerged. I doubt it will hold its position for long, the racoon was coming on strongly towards the end of the day. Here it is, the first official road kill tally (insects are excluded from competition):

1. Skunk: 5
2. Deer: 4
3. Frog: 4
4. Racoon: 3
5. Bird: 2
6. Porcupine: 1
7. Cat: 1
8. Turtle: 1

Who will take home top honors?