The weather forecast for Monday is for storms all day. I will make a weather call by email to the roster, either Sunday evening or Monday morning. If we can't make our Fort Snelling State Park ride on Sept. 14th, I will reschedule it for Sept. 21st. That is our last long ride of the season, and a shorter ride is planned on Sept. 28th followed by a year-end party!

Our next ride is on Sept. 14th, and we are planning a 35 mile ride to Fort Snelling State Park. This is a beautiful park down in the river valley, so of course there will be a steep hill going down. The ride back up is a beautiful wooded trail following the river along a rail-grade incline. We will also stop for a photo op at the upper Fort, and another photo at Minnehaha Falls. For those who prefer a shorter 27 mile route, you have an option to start at Lilac Park just off Hwy 100 and Hwy 7. Park in the cul-de-sac at the end of the Hwy 7 service road. We will go into the park to meet you, arriving around 9:20. 
Maetzold Field 35 mile route: ridewithgps.com/routes/53261072?via=lUaPp4KTVGpNwqa13tl2dA
Lilac Park 27 mile route: ridewithgps.com/routes/56973968?via=ooFKiTjY_OJQFga-P7AtlA
Lilac Park parking Google Maps link: maps.app.goo.gl/mDdwUyTLFJ4cpjN68 

We enjoyed this week's new route up to Bassett Creek Trail. However, it was quite urban, and didn't follow the creek very much. The weather was unexpectedly warm and humid, so the water fountains at Northwood Park and our other stops were very welcome! Our route is below. There is no ride next Monday due to it being Labor Day already!
ridewithgps.com/trips/409509563?privacy_code=RPI4JBACEsz0DqSiAfalPHR11lRgOqSL

Three Rivers Park District has been putting in a lot of work extending the Bassett Creek Regional Trail, so we will give it a try next week. Our route is mainly following our urban regional trails: North Cedar Trail, Luce Line Trail, Medicine Lake Trail, Bassett Creek Trail and South Cedar Trail. It is significantly less hilly than the past two weeks, but there IS a notable hill along the shoreline of Medicine Lake. Here is our route: ridewithgps.com/routes/56688298
My fingers are crossed that the new Bassett Creek Trail pavement will be open by Monday. If not, we will work our way around the construction. Our long break will be at Northwood Park in New Hope, plus a convenient restroom stop before and after that (at East Beach of Medicine Lake, and the beach at Cedar Lake).

We had a good day for today's ride with the big downhill and a big return uphill, as well as lots of smaller rollers. Of course there was a light headwind on the climb, but we've seen it much worse! It was a fun ride. Enjoy the pictures! Here was our route: 
​ridewithgps.com/trips/407779047?privacy_code=bTHUrLaEyX49hGZ8Nwmj7MgdpHqNJ2yN

We enjoyed an excellent summer morning to bike out to Lake Minnewashta. The beach was surprisingly empty, and the park was lovely with the shady woods all around. I always enjoy the trail winding down through the park to the beach. We also stopped at Duck Lake for a quick photo before the last hill back to Hopkins. Here was our route:
​ ridewithgps.com/trips/406029010?privacy_code=VojCIcmnQeOqJy8q3mRDGIjDWdveTYRI

Neither rain, nor heat, nor road construction was a problem for today's bike ride. We stopped at Victory Memorial first, then took a half-way break at Crystal Lake. On the way home we biked through Sochacki Park. It was a new route for some, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. About 5 miles from the end my front derailleur broke and the back shifting was confused, but I made it back to Hopkins and then to Tonka Cycle. A new derailleur has been ordered and I will be back in the saddle soon.
Here was our route: ridewithgps.com/trips/404273735?privacy_code=mfMRBM7wsAoa9u1H5xad6SOA5Kqxe3lE

We had a beautiful summer day for our ride across 9 Mississippi bridges. A couple of the photos were taken on the campus of the University of Minnesota, and the others were views from the Stone Arch Bridge and the Nicollet Island footbridge. It was fun to try out lots of new and newly reopened trails and bridges on this ride. Here was our route:
​ ridewithgps.com/trips/402532369?privacy_code=2iJedLfHc9uzg8xsBBTfQKYY6YcknieU

Because of the hot, humid morning, I changed our ride to an 18 mile loop with a break at Discovery Point. This was a new location for many. It is the park-like headquarters of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District. We also stopped at the Veteran's Memorial at Purgatory Creek Park. Since the watershed districts are responsible for lake, wetland and stream water quality, it was fitting that we greatly enjoyed the sight of dozens of Great Egrets plus many other waterfowl in the Purgatory Creek wetland, and a pair of loons on Shady Oak Lake. A very small portion of your property tax supports the work to improve the waters and provide the habitat that these beautiful birds require.
Here was our ride: ridewithgps.com/trips/400782640?privacy_code=qkQfIS4V5shXbfTh1Iwy4e69OYrrA8T0

 Somehow we lucked out with the timing of today's ride, after the rain and smoky air cleared out, and before the Heat Advisory took effect. It was pretty hot and humid anyway, so 20 miles was just right. Here was our route: ridewithgps.com/routes/56133033
​We had a good time checking out the ancient stone arches, dating back to the Neanderthals, and the multi-million dollar cabins on the lake. We met a Good Boy named Moose, in our picture at our break on Deephaven Beach. Thanks, everyone, for biking today!