Great Lakes - My Favorite Ride

I'm heading out to do my favorite ride. Funny thing is I have not done it yet this year. I must have done it a half dozen times last year. I go around Lake St Croix, from Hudson to Prescott, leaving from my house in River Falls. I'll post the ride tonight. Maybe even a picture or two. It is just shy of 50 miles and the big hill coming out of Afton on the MN side is quite a challenge. I'll be on the road bike, I have been riding the touring bike lately, so my avg should be near 17. Supposed to creep up past 60 and sunny. Should be a good ride.

Would love to see some pics.

Too bad you couldn't get it in earlier when more color was on the trees.

The ride was great. The temp barely made it into the 50's, but not a cloud in the sky. The wind was blowing a little harder than I was expecting, from the south. Here are some pics.
Ready to go.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2221/1751511800_aa9c773ec1.jpg

Road to Hudson.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2051/1751530530_e2b9f89e5a.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2410/1750691095_f53ebec788.jpg

Riverside Park, Hudson.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2259/1751545912_89dabd245a.jpg

Looking at the I94 bridge leaving WI over the St Croix
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2135/1750687511_3e22afeedc.jpg

Looking back towards the overpass I took previous photo from. Nice wide pedestrian lane on I94 bridge
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2013/1751549820_2c43a19f76_b.jpg

Getting boats ready for winter storage at Afton,MN marina.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2362/1751556922_8eaf44c4d4_b.jpg

Roller skier heading up the big hill leaving Afton.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2150/1750718901_04cd102aa2_b.jpg

Still some color out there.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2406/1750729741_d822141659_b.jpg

More photos to come.
Dann


http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=4300890

More photos.

Going down, Clifton Hollow, a nearly 300' descent.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2141/1751584568_e7050c99b2_b.jpg

Now the climb back up. 13% grade? Wheres my granny?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2149/1750735965_954c4321ff_b.jpg

The last big hill before I get back to town.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2229/1750740967_430d959e34_b.jpg

I can see the top!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2141/1750742215_96a525ff9c_b.jpg

The edge of town in sight.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/1751594596_c65ff019aa_b.jpg

Shortcut over the swinging bridge and through the park.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/1750746355_9af65b6fb5_b.jpg

And around the corner and I am back home. 49.1 miles. Never saw a cloud.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2017/1750748767_06bb142f32_b.jpg

That my friends is my favorite ride. I know why I like the touring bike on this ride, it has a triple that tames all the hills. Hope you all enjoyed.

Great Pics but, where are the other pics of Bo's, Football Fields,Falcons, Emma's, Buds Lanes, Kinnie, and the Crushing Hills on the out skirts of town.

Great Pics but, where are the other pics of Bo's, Football Fields,Falcons, Emma's, Buds Lanes, Kinnie, and the Crushing Hills on the out skirts of town.

Sounds to me like someone here knows his way around Hudson.

Nice pix by the way.

Nice pix by the way.

+1 :D

It's a shame pictures never really show hills any justice -- they always look so flat compared to being there. I've been on mountain roads that look pretty lame in pix, but climbing them was anything but!

I haven't done the MN side, but that Clifton Hollow hill is a killer. Dan, can you make it up without stopping? I usually stop once or twice, but I haven't had to get off and walk.

That last hill on Division/M can be avoided with a backroads jaunt halfway between M and the Kinni. Lots of littler hills, though.

Karl
recent RF resident

http://www.stcroixap.rchomepage.com/images/River-Falls.jpg

Nice photo essay. Looks like a great ride!

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/transportation-bicycles/0018.gif

Dan, can you make it up without stopping?I don't stop, but I go real SLOW.

That last hill on Division/M can be avoided with a backroads jaunt halfway between M and the Kinni. Lots of littler hills, though.I do use that route on another ride. I found in the Travel Wisconsin biking guide when I first moved here. A 20 mile ride for that one. And I have trouble finding any ride that is "flat." I can avoid big hills, but I can't avoid hills.

Thanks for posting your ride and the pics. It looks amazing. I'm close enough that I may try to ride that next spring. Right now, I'm still exploring routes from the house so I can just get out and ride.

Thanks for posting your ride and the pics. It looks amazing. I'm close enough that I may try to ride that next spring. Right now, I'm still exploring routes from the house so I can just get out and ride.
Here is what there are on routeslip, maybe some are close to you.

Dan
http://www.routeslip.com/discover/USA/MN/Burnsville

I was just up in your neighborhood a few weeks ago on my way to a bike store in Minneapolis to pick up a Surly LHT. I was staying in Eau Claire visiting two of my nieces. One in school there and the other living there and teaching in Baldwin.

Anyway, nice photos and looks like a great ride. Have you done any of the Great River Road from Prescott south?

Have you done any of the Great River Road from Prescott south?
I ride a portion of it frequently, the Diamond Bluff ride. This past summer I rode it south and crossed over to MN at Wabasha. And a year ago rode it all the way to Trempeleau where I got on the Great River bike trail. A fantastic ride.