The weather in STP has been a roller-coaster this week. September usually brings fall and an end to the summer heat, which I look forward to being a Northerner. Well, last year's hot winter lead to this year's hot summer, and tuesday was in the 90's with 40mph wind gusts. Gross. I did get out anyway that day on my Long Haul Trucker for a jaunt around town, and it was simply biking for the sake of biking- not particularly enjoyable however. So when it finally cooled of yesterday and started raining, I at last felt some fall in the air and brought the fatbike down off it's garage hangers to get out into the Minnesota River Bottoms. I had no real plans for mileage or goals of any kind other than enjoying the kind of riding the big tires bring. Floating over miles of sandy trail, beach, flood plain, and muck is a good time if you ask me (and an ever growing number of cyclists in MN).
I started out at the Sibley House historical site in Mendota Heights, which is a popular meeting place for river rambles. The trail started out downright clean for rainy fall weather, and as the day went on and the sections of trail thinned, I got the broad range of conditions the area can throw at you. Anywhere from stuff that could be handled on a cyclocross bike, to muck and sand that only the fat machine likes.
Large bird that stayed put just until I took this picture- so it's the white blur taking off. :)
Getting thinner and weedier...
OK, getting sticky and heavy...(still fine with a fatbike however)
Where is the trail? Wait, who cares.
I'm pretty excited for the upcoming fall and winter seasons, as I think the fatbiking scene is pretty stacked this year. More and more people are starting to ride big tires, and more events are showing up all the time. Plus, maybe it will actually snow and get cold this year. :) We'll see. But I think there will be more people to adventure with either way, and I'm planning some good stuff. Hopefully ideas meet reality.
Route here.
Route here.
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