Today's goal was to get website pictures for the second half of the trail tour. I transported the bike and gear to Elysian. Elysian is almost exactly halfway between Mankato and Faribault. I headed east in search of interesting subjects to photograph.
As I started East, it was sunny and a bit chilly. I put on a windbreaker and proceeded. It gradually got warmer. After a few miles, I was back to my shirtsleeved. In fact, I got a little bit of sunburn on my nose and arms.
Very evident was the overall progress on greening. Trees, shrubs and grasses are coming to life. Just about every songbird was back. First bird I saw was a goldfinch, and then a catbird. In just a short time, the list had expanded from the common to the more difficult to identify. I even saw a Canadian Goose resting on her nest.
It is interesting to note that Bloodroot is found in Lime Valley entrance to the 22 Entrance, inside Sakatah State Park and the last few miles before Faribault. The rest of the area contained none. It is also interesting that Dutchman's Breeches are nearly always found near Bloodroot and not usually by itself. Perhaps someone knows the answer...
I was planning on stopping in Warsaw for lunch, but there was only one restarant and it wasn't opened in the afternoon. Warsaw has no downtown, I find this incredibly strange. Not even a gas station.
Ate in Faribault and headed back. To give you some idea, I took over 4 hours to get to Faribault due to stopping for pictures. It only took 1.5 hours to get back. It went very fast.
Perhaps I'll expand more tomorrow... I am very tired. :-)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Trip Report - May 4th
Took a quick ride Sunday with my wife Donna. We rode from Madison Lake to Elysian. There was a slight wind with us, and against us on the way back. It slowed us down about 1 MPH. The trail is getting very green. It was athe weekend for Bloodroot and Dutchmen's Breeches! They were all over the trail, in greater abundance and more spread out than I have seen before in prior years. Also saw a Woodchuck burrow.
We stopped at Elysian at Alley Scoops, had a nice visit with Joanne, and headed back. It was an hour before sunset when we got back to the Madision Lake trailhead. Wonderful ride.
We stopped at Elysian at Alley Scoops, had a nice visit with Joanne, and headed back. It was an hour before sunset when we got back to the Madision Lake trailhead. Wonderful ride.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Diversionary Trip to RJT - May 3rd
Yesterday (Saturday) I carried my bicycle to Lake Crystal, to watch my son's soccer game. After the game, I left on bicycle. It started out chilly, it was very windy and it pushed a good bit of the way East. The plans were to ride from Lake Crystal to Rapidan, from there to Mankato along the Red Jacket Trail and from Mankato, it was a choice of Lime Valley Road entrance to 22 entrance on the Sakatah, or taking the less impressive county-5 return home. As I came out of Mankato, I realized that I would be facing into the wind, and my Daughter's birthday party at 5pm dictated that I take the county-5 home, missing the Sakatah entirely.
The ride turned out to be quite fine. My first stop, just before Rapidan, was the Rapidan Dam Store. It is probably one of the best kept secrets in Southern Minnesota. Nestled in a valley near the Rapidan Dam, the cafe/restaurant is a common hangout for the locals, and some savvy travelers, but usually goes unnoticed. I have been stopping there for years. It's a cafe with personality, a place that you couldn't design... it's a cafe with a haphazard outdoors theme, very common, yet cozy surroundings - Very Minnesotan. The owners are nice people, the food is terriffic, and they have the best Banana Cream pie ever (IMHO).
Passing through the town of Rapidan, you get to the south trailhead of the Red Jacket Trail (RJT) - the Red Jacket is a nice trail for families, it's a nice quick trip and easy access to Mankato. It's a great little trail, if you are visiting the Sakatah as a vacation, you should take a half day and spend it on the RJT as well.
Spring has hit the RJT as well. Nice flowers there, and interestingly, the mix was slightly different from the Sakatah. There are the usual Bloodroot and Dutchmen's Breeches, but in addition, I saw 2 types of Hepatica and some very nice Trout Lilies. I have not observed the last 2 on the Sakatah. I need to ask someone about that sometime and see why that is so.
Nice day yesterday, hope to ride the Sakatah this afternoon.
The ride turned out to be quite fine. My first stop, just before Rapidan, was the Rapidan Dam Store. It is probably one of the best kept secrets in Southern Minnesota. Nestled in a valley near the Rapidan Dam, the cafe/restaurant is a common hangout for the locals, and some savvy travelers, but usually goes unnoticed. I have been stopping there for years. It's a cafe with personality, a place that you couldn't design... it's a cafe with a haphazard outdoors theme, very common, yet cozy surroundings - Very Minnesotan. The owners are nice people, the food is terriffic, and they have the best Banana Cream pie ever (IMHO).
Passing through the town of Rapidan, you get to the south trailhead of the Red Jacket Trail (RJT) - the Red Jacket is a nice trail for families, it's a nice quick trip and easy access to Mankato. It's a great little trail, if you are visiting the Sakatah as a vacation, you should take a half day and spend it on the RJT as well.
Spring has hit the RJT as well. Nice flowers there, and interestingly, the mix was slightly different from the Sakatah. There are the usual Bloodroot and Dutchmen's Breeches, but in addition, I saw 2 types of Hepatica and some very nice Trout Lilies. I have not observed the last 2 on the Sakatah. I need to ask someone about that sometime and see why that is so.
Nice day yesterday, hope to ride the Sakatah this afternoon.
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