We left Saturday morning and as always when trying to gather 6 people together and roll out, we left about 30 minutes after we wished. We picked up a 7th part way through the cities and all headed out north. We have done this Duluth trip many times in the past, but always with the design of riding up and back, stopping only for snacks along the way and breakfast in Duluth (we usually leave in the evening to get the darkness out of the way). This time it would be different as we were loaded for camping overnight in Duluth.
We were fortunate enough to have Ken ride with us as far as Hugo. After breakfast, he pealed off, having to buck a pretty good headwind for the return ride home. Down to 6, we continued north. Our progress was slowed somewhat in Forest Lake as we had to maneuver our way through a parade. I am still kicking myself for not taking any pictures. A quick stop for some cool drinks in North Branch and to say goodbye to Michael and it was the long stretch of highway to Hinckley. We were moving at a pretty slow pace, even with a strong tailwind. Too many stops and general lolly gagging was starting to make this into one of the hardest Duluth rides yet.
After lunch in Hinckley (a very good i
dea) we hit the Munger Trail. There was some serious miles left and we put it to the pedals. The stopping was kept to a minimum and the pace was kept up and we found ourselves climbing up to the campground at Spirit Mountain around 10:15. Unfortunately, that was not enough time to make it to Fitgers (our ultimate destination) before the kitchen closed. So we called a cab to take us to Pizza Luce. A few cold beers sure felt nice, but after 160 miles of hot, humid riding, we were buzzing and sleepy very quickly. There was barely any talk when we made it back to camp. Everyone crawled into their bunks and crashed hard.
(a present from the trail gods)I awoke Sunday morning not sure if I was going to ride home, or hang out with people in Duluth. I was still quite tired from the day before so I figured I would see how breakfast went and take it from there. No sooner had I poured my first cup of coffee and the rain started. And it really rained. We took shelter under an overhang at the bathrooms and made our plan of riding into Duluth to wait for our rides to come fetch us. The rain only lasted for roughly 30 minutes and we soon were cranking our way slowly toward Duluth proper. None of us are from that area, so we grabbed a map at a convenience store and decided to ride Skyline Parkway all the way into town.
Anyone familiar with the layout of Duluth, knows that it has the steepest streets in MN. They aren't that long, but there are some VERY steep ones. And of course, anytime you are talking about Skyline anything, you know there are going to be some hills involved. It was spectacular. We all felt good on our bikes (I'm sure because we knew we didn't have to be one them for 15 hours) and we just enjoyed the morning. Stopping to check out the views, taking a dip in a small swimming hole, and soaking in the now beautiful morning. And the day was just getting started.
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