The Mesabi Trail through Iron Ore Country

The Mesabi Trail is yet another of Minnesota's paved distance bike paths -- ultimately to run from the Mississippi River in Grand Rapids to the Boundary Waters in Ely.  The combination of old logging roads and rail grades make for a more interesting ride -- all with views that demonstrate MINING is king up here.  Then and now.

The forecast of several consecutive sunny days was too good to be true:  indeed we found ourselves a bit wet on the 2nd day (as in drenching downpour!).  But we rode a couple interesting sections and it ranks as one of the more engaging trails we've found.

The Prairie River a few miles before joining in the Mississippi

A floating bridge along the bike path!  

The majority of the mining here was open pit -- so piles of tailings and adjoining sparkling blue lakes.  

Hull Rust Mahoning Mine near Hibbing

The Hull Rust Mahoning Mine is sometimes nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the East.  A vast gash through the earth:  3 miles by 7 miles by 800 feet deep and 1.5 miles wide is pretty awesome.  And colorful.  Tiny trucks were roaming around in the mine.  About 1 miles north of this mine, is Hill of Three Rivers.  The Hill is a continental divide:  flow south (Mississippi) flow north (Hudson Bay) or flow east (Lake Superior and to the Atlantic).  Take your pick.

The numbers from the mine were staggering.  In 2002, the mine (in operation since 1892) reached the milestone of 1 billion tons of All Material Movement.   That's alot of stuff.

Hibbing is also the hometown of the Greyhound Bus company.  A whole museum of classic buses.  Yeah.

Oh, Auntie EM, There Is No Place Like .....

Grand Rapids!   Yes, birth place of Judy Garland and home to all things the Wizard of Oz.  No sign of Paul Bunyan and that Blue Ox in this town!

There is NO place like home -- so bring on those red ruby slippers!  Oh, Toto too!

There are several criteria for determining if one is a die hard fisherman, especially from Minnesota.  And after I inspected the trailer below I realized I had found yet another hobby/interest/toy that I could totally never be interested in.   You have heard of ICE FISHING???  Well, wonder no more.  I suppose it beats swatting at flies & mosquitos on the lake.

Tow this castle out on a frozen lake; lower the wheels; fire up the heater inside.
Now -- cut 4-5 holes in the ice from the cozy comfort of your trailer.  And go fishing!!

UM.....really?

View from our campsite of the Mississippi River -- now looking like a real river.

Calling All Crafters!!

The Chippewa National Forest has been selected to provide the 2014 Capital Christmas Tree.  Actually it means they supply at least 20 trees of various sizes & type.  Mostly big and bigger ones.  It takes a committee to select the specific trees to be cut -- lots of criteria like access points, surrounding environment, etc.

BUT -- you can join in the fun too!  Because in addition to sending the trees -- The Chippewa gets to send along all the necessary Christmas Tree Ornaments.  Like as in 10,000 ornaments that highlight northern Minnesota and National Forest themes including lakes and wetlands, wildlife, heritage and ecosystems.

There are a few criteria:
a.  Ornaments should be 9-12" in height and less than one half pound in weight.
b.  Durable and weatherproof for outdoor use.
c.  Make sure there is a hole in the ornament to be able to hang it on the tree.
d.  Use recycled or sustainable materials.  Natural materials should reflect the state.....
e.  (MY FAVORITE)  Ensure that your natural materials are not invasive species.

The list goes on a bit more --

Anybody want to make an ornament???  Let's collaborate and contribute a masterpiece.

Headwaters of the Mississippi River!

Seemingly for months we have followed along side the Great Mississippi River or one of its tributaries, especially the Missouri.  Finally came the opportunity to see the beginnings when a 12 foot stream tumbles over a rock barrier -- leaving Lake Itasca, MN on its 2,552 miles journey to the Gulf of Mexico.

Lake Itasca (named by the combination of Latin for true (veritas) and head (caput) minus the first and last syllables) was named by Henry Schoolcraft in 1832.  I can't say he actually FOUND the headwaters; white men had stumbled around for years looking for the source and finally he ASKED the Ojibwe Indians to help him.  And so he gets some credit (maybe just for asking for help???)

The headwaters flow year round:  about two thirds is groundwater and the remaining from the lake.  Spruce forests ring the Lake.  The Mississippi flows north; then east; then southwest in a long arc around the Itasca moraine before finding the St Paul area.

And of course, Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Blue Ox are everywhere up here.  Doing all sorts of fun things!

Walking across the river!  Lake Itasca is in the background -- the Mississippi heads to the right.

Signs are about every 200 feet....suspense is building

Lovely rolling hills (the moraine) interspersed with wetlands and lakes.  

Babe rides the tandem

Babe the curler

Central Lakes

Everywhere you peek -- lakes.  Big lakes, small lakes, marshy lakes, meandering maybe it is a river lake.  Lakes.

But we are here to ride:  the Heart Land Trail and the Paul Bunyan Trail.  Ride by day and sit by the lake by night.  Except that we don't have a boat, fishing poles, jet skies, or snowmobiles we could be from Minnesota.

Raspberries along the trail.
The Chippewa National Forest will provide the 2014 Capital Christmas Tree.

Look for the tiny beaver nose!  Swimming lazily through his pond.

All sorts of trails & connections make it easy to ride through and around towns.

Paul Bunyan....here, there, and everywhere!

Doing a bit of trail clean up --
strong winds the previous night downed multiple trees.

Share the trail!

Minnesota. Nice.

The folks are welcoming and friendly; the bike trails are paved; the weather is warmer -- everything is turning up Minnesota Nice.

Bessie needed a spa day -- so off to an authorized Winnebago dealer in St. Cloud we went.  While she got tuned up for another year (!), we met up again with the Mississippi River and rode through town.  Then up to the Central Lakes area of Minnesota -- home to several of the premier bike paths in a state that offers amazing cycling options.

First up:  the Paul Bunyan State Trail.  100+ paved miles from Brainerd north to Bemidgi.  Lakes, small towns, creeks, fields.

Trail Bridge at the start of Paul Bunyan Trail.
Everything here is somehow linked to Paul & his Blue Ox.

Lakes are everywhere.  A lake is large enough to have a boat on it.  

Rode for mini-donuts today.  Just enough to get us back to the car!

My favorite Blue Ox -- outside a dive shop in Brainerd.  Love the fins!

Finished up at the micro micro Jack Pine Brewery.  Tasting was fun.
The brewmaster/owner  came by to say hello.  

Duluth, Minnesota

Another state!  Heading west....

Duluth, the world's largest, farthest-inland seaport, entertained us for a day or two.  Despite the rain and the polar vortex.  We are still using flannel sheets and the heater is a welcome sound in the mornings.  I do wonder if we will ever find summer this year?

Minnesota, best know as the "Land of the 10,000 Lakes", also leads the country in paved bike trails.   Duluth anchors one of the longer rails to trails in the state:  the Willard Munger State Trail, at least 60 paved miles and several feeder routes as well.  We picked up the trail head by the campground and rode an out and back route--up the grade slowly through rock cuts, over rail tracks, through forests interspersed with lakes, streams, and the rushing St. Louis River.  We were thrilled to be on pavement and are eager to try out more Minnesota trails.

Duluth is a water front, working town.  The "north shore" of Lake Superior is rocky and rugged and here in Duluth it mets the "south shore" -- low, flat, sandy shores.  We will explore the North Shore (Route 61 anyone?) after a bit of inland touring.

Huge freighters come and go from Duluth -- loading and unloading cargoes at amazing speeds.  Wheat here, coal there, wind turbine parts -- you name it!  The Corps of Engineers maintains the Duluth "Lift" Bridge and hosts a fabulous museum on the waterfront.  We saw pictures of the ice on the Lake and the efforts made to open the harbor.  Oh my, winter with a bite!

Bike path rolling south from Duluth

Riding over the St Louis River 

Watching the train from the bike path

A lovely loon playing on Lake Superior.  Too bad the haunting call doesn't blog well!

Guarding the entrance to Duluth, MN
Lift bridge is further to the right.

Highway 61 runs North from Duluth.
Bob Dylan is Duluth's favorite son though he only lived here as a child.

Give your spirits a LIFT watching the bridge!
Famous landmark marks the entrance to the port of Duluth.