Raindrops Keep Falling

Day 123, August 2, 2011,  Raindrops Keep Falling

Route from Stanchfield to Hickory Lake Campground, Aitkin, MN

94.4 miles, averaging 13.3 mph

Worst Moment – I left Ruby about 7 – a half hour later the rain started, sometimes it was only a drizzle, but sometimes it was really coming down.  Okay, I know that there are some cross-country cyclists that go for weeks in the rain, but I’d rather not.  Around noon the sun came out and I was in a headwind.

Best Moment – The rain stopped and the sun came out around noon.  Then the wind started – read worst moment.

The crops in the farmland got a good drink today.  The showers from yesterday and today added up to nearly 2 inches of rain in some nearby areas.  It’s so different from the crops in some parts of the south when I rode through there.  The streams and lakes are overflowing.  Even what looks like they would be marshy areas are under water.

Today’s overall route was gaining elevation, without a lot of up or down.  Rockies, here we come    !  (Hope the knees hold out.  That worries me a little bit as some of the hills in Wisconsin and Michigan seemed to take their toll – one day at a time.)

Of course there were more lakes. For several miles I was along Mille Lacs Lake. This is supposedly one of the largest of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes, and was quite pretty with lots of resorts and fishing camps along its shores.  Just as I was approaching a scenic overview of the lake, I see Ruby waiting to turn back onto the main highway.  I think that perhaps Neita has seen me and is waiting for me so I can get dry socks, but no she pulls out and keeps going.  She didn’t see me, but offers to wait when I called her to let her know my location.

Mille Lacs Lake

Hickory Lake

Hickory Lake

During the ride today, it occurred to me that there were three significant items left out of yesterday’s blog:

1.     The first was the last 5 or 6 miles of the day.  I was in Grandy – the campground was in Stanchfield; which shouldn’t be very far.  I entered the address in the GPS and had about 8 miles to go.  I headed out – down the county roads on my way in the rain to the campground.  I got about two miles on the road and the pavement ended and the mud began.  I was not happy but didn’t really know where else to go.  My bike and I looked like we had been on an epic cycle cross route –covered in mud.  County roads in Minnesota are not the same as county roads in Wisconsin

2.     Just as I was getting off the muck & mud slicked county roads and back on to pavement, I tried to verify which way to turn.  It was raining and my GPS lost its signal. I turned right thinking I’d find somewhere more sheltered to figure things out.  Then a miracle happened I saw this huge red and white motorhome with Neita in it coming toward me – I’d turned the wrong way, but only had half a mile to go.

3.     2567 photos – I didn’t mention the number of photos taken since the beginning of the trip. I love digital cameras!

If you would like to donate to my ride, my link for the Lance Armstrong Foundation is http://grassroots2011.livestrong.org/billsbigride197.  I really appreciate your support.