A day of firsts

Tuesday, 15 July: For the first time today, I went over eighty miles. Just barely. I wouldn't have gone quite that far if the last ten miles of the really cool bike trail I was on had been on my Garmin. Most of the trail was on there, but the end part where it suddenly veered away from my destination didn't show, so I didn't realize I was taking the long way until too late. Oh well, at least I got to have a new personal best!

I survived the storms last night at the lovely Trails RV Park just north of Walker, MN, but they kept me awake for a bit, so I didn't get as much sleep as I had hoped for.

The beginning of my day was pretty rough, as the trail detoured away from the road through the Chippewa National Forest. It was beautiful and serene, but brutally hilly. As I moved south along the Paul Bunyan Trail, it leveled out and became a little more developed. Every town had a little park built up around it, and usually there was a tourist information center there also, with restrooms. There were signs to direct you to food, lodging, and bike shops.

I rode a few miles with another cyclist, and when I told her where I was headed, she told me about a bike trail that may cover about half of my ride tomorrow. I'm not sure, though, because it's hard to find any info about it on the internets, so I think I will stop by the local bike shop tomorrow to inquire. My curiousity is piqued.

I pushed myself hard to get to Brainerd, because my Montana contingent had put me in contact with their friend, who generously put me up in her spare room and fed me a ton of pizza and fruit. Yum! She is really into archery, and has actually killed a black bear and a deer with high velocity pointy sticks! That is awesome. Meeting Susan was the gift that keeps on giving...

I got my first tick today, but it was a big one, which is apparently not the worrisome kind. I guess it's the little deer ticks that carry Lyme disease. But still: gross gross gross!