We completed a 9-day bicycling
adventure through Wisconsin, Minnesota, to Thunder Bay
Ontario Canada in June 2005. We biked a 410-mile route that
included highways and bike trails.
Of the 9 days, we spent one day driving up, 6 days
biking, and 2 days driving home. We usually rode 60-80
miles/day.
Our trip began in Hager City, Wisconsin (on the
Mississippi across from Red Wing, MN).
We biked north on Hwy 35, following the Great River
Road. We crossed into Minnesota at St Croix Falls.
On to Hinkley, MN where we encountered a severe
thunderstorm with hail.
We biked the Willard Munger trail north to Duluth, MN,
the Western Waterfront Trail through Duluth, and old
Rt 61 along the northern shore of Lake Superior.
We biked portions of the Gitchee-Gummi Trail, which is
still under development.
One boy crashed his bike on the Gitchee-Gummi trail on
a sharp turn. He shattered his carbon fiber fork and
ruined his front wheel. We transported him to Two
Harbors Memorial Hospital where he was treated for
abrasions and his right arm x-rayed. No fractures,
but his elbow was sprained. His arm was splinted and
the doctor ordered no biking for 24 hours. After that
he continued the ride with his arm splinted using a
spare bike.
BTW, the doctor was also a cyclist and knew the turn
where our guy crashed. He had previous patients from
that same spot.
We biked through about a half dozen or more beautiful
State Parks, past incredible rocky Lake Superior
shoreline, lighthouses, etc., etc.
Crossing the border into Canada was amazingly easy.
No paperwork was asked for, not even a drivers
license. We had birth certificates, written parental
permission slips, and photo IDs along for all the
boys.
Crossing the Canadian Shield into Thunder Bay
presented us with some steep climbs. We saw one moose
and a bald eagle along the way.
We visited Kakabeka Falls Prov Park and Fort William.
A major storm system producing lightning and golf ball
size hail north of Thunder Bay. Under the potential
threat of tornado we decided to stay at a hotel that
night.
We later celebrated the ride at Mall of America in
suburban Minneapolis.
The trip cost $300.00, which included 3 hotels, and 5
nights of camping. Most of the 25 meals were eaten at
restaurants (some pretty nice ones too). We also
included high carb snacks.
This completes the northern anchor of a larger ride
criss crossing America. We've been doing installments
of 250-500 miles for several summers. We've biked
about 4,000 miles so far; north/south now from Thunder
Bay ON to Memphis, TN; and east/west from Portland, ME
to Couer d'Alene, ID.
It was a great experience for the boys, ages 14-16.
They were all first year riders in our Iron Man
cycling program. I am very proud of each of them.
Cliff Golden
Scoutmaster Troop 33
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