Minnesota Valley Recreation Area Mountain Biking - A failed outing.

Today "the 3" and I attempted to do some mountain biking in the Minnesota Valley Recreation Area.  We were seeking interesting novice trails that would suit my #3. It didn't go well.

After studying the trail maps I picked the Louisville Swamp USFWS (US Fish & Wildlife Service) parking area near the Renaissance Festival. This was a pain to get to because of Festival related traffic redirection, and when we got there the trail names and signs didn't match what I expected. It seemed that none of the trails allowed mountain biking, despite what I'd read on the trail map.

Frustrated and peeved with the DNR I ended up biking with the kids on an apparently abandoned Mazomani hiking trail. I weighted that crime against their stranding me with 3 unhappy kids in the middle of a maze.

I wouldn't recommend Mazonmani as a hiking trail. It's a mixture of broad mowed lanes and think overgrown paths through high vegetation. It looked largely abandoned, except for illicit mountain bikers. The trail almost disappears, just before a weirdly broad and robust bridge over Sand(?) Creek. I have a hunch the trail gets nicer at that point, but we were trying to get to a legal mountain biking area. So we gave up.

Now that I study the maps again I think I've deciphered the code. The trails that say "horse permit required" are in fact the multi-use trails. They don't say anyone else can use them, but on the DNR map they're labeled "Hosreback/Hike/Mt. Bike/Snowmobile".

But perhaps not everyone agrees with that translation. A US Fish & Wildlife Service map I found only at the site (not online) said bikes could go on "State/Middle Road (ONLY)".  I wonder how old that map is, and if the USFWS and DNR are on the same page.

Ugh. Whatever you do, don't use the USFWS lot. Instead follow the advice of  MN Bike Trail Navigator: Exploring the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area by Mountain Bike - park at the Gifford Lake and State Trail Access (HWY 169 to HWY 41, turn North toward Chaska. Gifford Lake access is on the West side of HWY 41).

Note if you head west on this trail along the Minnesota River you can cross on the 41 bridge and go to Tommy's Malt Shop on the West side of 41 in Chaska. Recommended! From Chaska Google shows a variety of paved and dirt bike trails, including a grassy trail that takes off where the West end of W 1st Street meets the entrance to Athletic field. It didn't look terribly interesting though.

However, don't be confused (as I was) by the Chaska side of the river, Some of the trails Google shows do overlap with the MN Valley trails, but the MN Valley trails are all south of the Minnesota river and don't appear on Google bicycle maps.

Instead follow the MN Bike Navigator Directions. (But don't try to cross 41! Do take the paved trail and follow it under 41 then back up. Apparently this trail does stay close the river - even though it's not shown on the #$# USFWS map (which I'm thinking is 20 years old?).

If you're doing this with kids I'd start here, travel about 45 minutes west, turn around and visit Tommy's Malt shop. Alternatively, one could park in Chaska near Tommy's, bicycle across 41 bicycle trail (east side), pick up the trail that goes under 41, do the loop, then return to the vehicle and stop at Tommy's.

Urban inline - new options from Bohemian Flats to the U of MN

I still miss the Minneapolis Friday Night Skate.

One day, maybe, inline skates will return. I've got maybe 10-20 years of legs left.

In the meantime Minneapolis trails keep getting better. The old skate was close up to Friday night traffic, but soon we might be able to do a trail free version.

Yesterday Ben and I explored the trails from Bohemian flats to Stone Arch bridge, upstream of the trail segment still blocked by the 2014 mudslide repairs (maybe finish this summer?).

That part of the trail is improved but not entirely new. What's new is there's now a sweet connection to the 10th Avenue University of Minnesota foot bridge (Google doesn't show it yet). Nice surface, nice views, no traffic.

if you squint at this panorama on the East Bank U you can see the footbridge to the right. You can also see trails that head up to Dinky Town (mid) and out somewhere far away (left)

For example...

Sure looks like we could string something together with the Cedar Lake trail out to Loring Park.

Mississipi River trails - and especially the urban section

A few weeks after a somewhat confusing river bottom mountain biking trip #2 son and I explored a portion of the urban bike/walk trail upstream of Meeker island on the east bank…

We entered from here, an unofficial but currently unmarked entrance on East River Parkway, north of St Anthony Ave by Shriners Hospital

The park below is best known locally as a male hookup spot — going back to 1930s if not earlier. Over the past 7 years it's become more popular with families, runners and cyclists.

It’s the downriver (south) end of East River Flats Park,  and, confusingly, it’s in Minneapolis (obnoxious city, it spills way into the St Paul side of the Miss).

If you continue downstream you cross into Saint Paul’s Desnoyer Parks neighborhood. We found old river trails that include lost CCC park trails and walked on into the new Meeker Island Park dog park. 

There’s a bit on history of the first lock and dam there, confusingly there’s no island now. I assume construction ate it.

The best guide to this somewhat mysterious area is the Mississippi River Field Guide, follow it downstream looking at “left descending bank". 

Thanks to great responses from the Facebook Page of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area I’ve found additional resources that help with general Mississippi river exploration …

• Mississippi River Trail - Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) - links all fixed up and page refreshed. 
• Mississippi River Companion - Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) - this one is my favorite. Download 4.2MB of PDF maps that cover the area, including the “urban river”: 
• Page 28: Brooklyn Center and Fridley, Manomin County Park, Dunham Island, Islands of Peace Regional Park, I-694
• Page 29: Fridley, Columbia Heights and Minneapolis, Anoka County Riverfront Regional Park, North Mississippi Regional Park
• Page 30: Minneapolis, Camden Bridge, Marshall Terrace Park
• Page 31: Minneapolis and St. Paul, St. Anthony Falls, Nicollet Island, historic Milling District, numerous riverside parks
• Mississippi River Trail Bikeway Home - MnDOT: more for road bikes, but nice complement

Minnesota Fat bike trails: should be good for skijoring too

Minnesota is becoming the Fat Bike capitol of the world. I see them all around the Twin Cities, we have several industry leading builders in town, and we’re adding trails:

• New Fatbike Trails Opening Up Around Minnesota
• MN DNR Issues News Release on New Fatbike Riding Opportunities

Why now and why Minnesota? Because we’re ground zero for global warming. Being in the center of the continent and on the border between climate zones we’re hit hard by arctic warming. Our winter sports, hockey, skating, nordic skiing and even downhill skiing are dying. (Heck, even snowmobiling is dying.) We desperately need an outdoor activity that works no matter the weather. Enter the Fat Bike, an emergent solution if there ever was one.

Next year, I’m buying one. I’d get one now, but I’m still recovering from my Cannondale Scalpel purchase. Besides, my kid will want one and he’s gotta work towards it.

In the meantime, should we actually get some snow, these multi-use Fatbike trails should also work well for skijoring. Definitely an improvement on using snowmobile trails! Just be sure to keep poop of the trails — it’s a crowded world.

Elm Creek Mountain Biking

Today our family explored Elm Creek mountain and trail biking. The street address 1827 W Hayden Lake Rd, Champlin, MN will take you close to the mountain / trail biking parking lot located at 45.18106, -93.415892 (Technically it’s on East Hayden Lake Road, which turns into Goose Lake Road. Roads are confusing in this area; Goose Lake is a limited access road [1].)

You enter the County Park from West Hayden Lake Road (easy to miss small county park sign), travel down “East Hayden Lake Road” and find parking for both the Mountain Biking trails and for the paved trails nearby. There used to be very limited parking here but the paved lot has been greatly expanded by packed dirty and grass parking. Even so on nice days it’s full.

I recommend studying both the Elm Creek Mountain Biking (single track) trail map and the summer map before setting out. You can get a pretty good idea of the area from the Google Earth map:

There’s a nice paved trail (I’ve inline skated it) around 2/3 of the Lemans Lake area, the narrow roadway on the Left side is Goose Lake Road — basically closed to all but very limited local traffic.

The trailhead is directly across Goose Lake road. From there you can go two ways. To access The “Easy Trail” go left. After a short distance there’s a right branch to “Loop A” — which was closed when we visited (rain damage?). Continue straight, crossing over the paved path, to do Loop B. The official map describes the Easy Trail as … “… suitable for adaptive 3 or 4-wheeled mountain bikes … averages 4 feet in width … trail grades are gentle…”.

Riiiggghhht. There’s no way anybody is going to power a “4 wheel” bike over that loop. The non-grass part of the trail was about 1 foot, though it’s true bordering trees were at least 3 feet apart. We found the Easy Loop was just right for our 12 yo (cautious) daughter — and unlike Lebanon Hills there were no crazed racers on the beginner trail (they go a different way, though if Loop A had been open I think we’d have seen more serious rider traffic).

In late May the trail was just a bit buggy — but this is wetlands and this trail is low. I think Loop B will be very buggy in June/July — you would NOT want to stop. Loop A may have a bit more elevation.

Our family did Loop B then took the paved trail around the Lehman Lake area traveling clockwise, returning via the semi-closed Goose Lake road. The trails and paved loop made a nice early season outing for my daughter, wife and #2 son. They returned via Goose Lake Road.

 #1 son and I continued on to the regular single track trails (he split off first). If you study the official mountain biking map you’ll see 3 entrances (square bike icon). #1 son entered off the southern side of the paved loop. I think the map is out of date, because the entrance I used is only 200-300 feet down Goose Lake Road. From the parking lot trailhead you turn right, go about 200 feet along Goose Lake Road, and take a narrow but well marked and gated entrance onto the trail system.

From the official map this looks like a mess of choices —- but it didn’t feel that way. There are only a few branches, just a bit beyond the trail markers numbered 23, 37, 49 and 52. Otherwise you just pedal. On the map there are “easy”, intermediate and “advanced” loops. Maybe I missed the “advanced” — but otherwise everything I did felt intermediate to advanced. There were frequent small splits, in general one split would have a jump and the other didn’t (suspension or skill needed for the jumps - I had neither). It was a perfect trail for me and the #1 son, but definitely not for the rest of the family.

We didn’t have our dog with us on this outing. I can see taking her on Loop B on leash, but even that would be tricky (and might not be legal). Dogs can run or trailer on the paved loops. In future outings I can see part of the family doing a longer paved trail loop while #1 and I do more single track. 

- fn -

[1] Goose Lake seems to exist to provide access to some residential areas within the County Park. Park of it is closed by gates that I think residents can open. Other parts are open, but only residents would use them. So Goose Lake Road is a very safe and quiet road.  

Seen also:

• Elm Creek Mountain Biking (single track) trail map
• Trail Condition - check here before visiting MORC
• Elm Creek Three Rivers website and summer map

MN Bike Trail Navigator: Resources To Help You Plan Your Minnesota Summer Biking Trips

MN Bike Trail Navigator: Resources To Help You Plan Your Minnesota Summer Biking Trips. Nice work.

Wisconsin skijoring options from Silent Sports

The Silent Sports site doesn’t provide a full text version of McFadzen’s skijoring review, but for next year’s reference here are some potential sites. I’ve excluded those that I know don’t work and I’ve excluded snowmobile trails because I don’t like ‘em for skijoring. Be sure to confirm skijoring is permitted before making a commitment…

• ABR - Ironwood Michigan: We’ve done this. Only one trail.
• Jerry Jolly/Pike’s Creek - 3 miles south of Bayfield WI. 40K. This sounds excellent; the Jolly family owns much of the land and presumably likes dogs. Note dogs can’t access via the Mt. Ashwabay/Skill Hill Road entrance.
• Mecca Trails Mercer Wisconsin. Dogs on untracked areas.
• Palmquist Farm, Brantwood WI - dogs on groomed ski trails (!). “well behaved dogs are welcome on the trails” (Jumped to top of our ski trip list for 2015!)
• Minocqua Winter Park 5K loop.
• Greenbush Hiking and Ski Trails (near Greenbush, WI)
• Southern Kettle Moraine Unit - west side of Highway C at Lapham Peak.

See also other skijoring posts.