Lmst

#BikeStreak Day 36:
The beautiful May weather continues, so I rode my road #bicycle on the #RochMN city trails and the Douglas State Trail to Pine Island & back for 48 miles. On the way home I took County Road 3 for 6 of the miles. The crab apple trees and red buds are now blossoming and are spectacular. Unfortunately for me, the apple trees in the orchard next to the trail were not. I hope I don't miss them when I'm gone next week. The ephemeral wildflowers are passing their peak.
#BikeTooter

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle leaning on a metal railing off the Bear Creek/Zumbro North Trail with the confluence of Bear Creek and the Zumbro River behind. On the other side of the river is the tan brick Mayo Civic Center, aluminum clad Rochester Art Center and other downtown buildings, along with the bike/ped bridge over the river. In front of the civic center are several flowering crab apple trees, with white blossoms and pink blossoms. The sky is blue and reflected in the water. To the right of the bike are a pair of Large Canada Geese with a half dozen newly hatched goslings.

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle parked in an asphalt driveway on the right of Olmsted County 3 which heads downhill and curves to the left. On either side are green lawns and trees with new green leaves. At the bottom of the hill is a red barn,

Marsh Marigolds, a robust plant with green lobed leaves and many small yellow flowers sitting in a swampy area with a downed tree branch behind and smaller MM plants in front.

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle parked in the middle of the Douglas State Trail which heads straight back to its vanishing point. On either side is green foliage and trees with new leaves. About 15 yards behind the bike are stands of False Rue Anemone on either side, small white ephemeral wildflowers.

#BikeStreak Day 32:
We have house guests coming in the afternoon, so I had to ride in the morning. It was yukky, cold (for May), cloudy and windy. So I rode my road #bicycle on the #RochMN city trails for 34 miles. The Zumbro South Trail now has the copious Virginia Bluebells blooming, and it will probably peak in a couple days. I'm using the Seek app by iNaturalist to record the flowers I see, but now also the fungi because I am such a fun guy! Better weather is coming! Yeah!
#BikeTooter

Two Yellow Fieldcap mushrooms, a larger one on the right, light yellow stem and light yellow umbrella like cap, coming out of black dirt with green grass blades surrounding.

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle parked on the asphalt Zumbro River South Trail in a wooded area with copious Virginia Bluebells wildflowers carpeting the forest floor giving the area a light blue sheen on top of the green foliage.

I hope you all have your cute outfits all picked out for tomorrow's May Day shenanigans.

#RochMN people, see you at Soldier's Field at 1630.

Pea-sized hail coming down over Pill Hill in #RochMN
#MNWx

Tornado watch issued for #RochMN

#30DaysOfBiking Day 21: It was cloudy, cool and windy again, so I decided to just ride the #RochMN city trails for 27 miles. I did choose to head down the Zumbro River South Trail in case any of the wildflowers were blooming, and a handful of Virginia Bluebells and False Run Anemone had just started to bloom. I also spotted a Great Blue Heron under the S. Broadway bridge. All the creeks and the river are high after yesterday's ample rain. (1.5" 4cm at my house.)
#BikeTooter

False Rue Anemone blooming, a little white flower with yellow center with clover shaped leaves on a woodland floor.

Virginia Bluebells, blue and purple bell shaped flowers hanging down from a stem with larger lobed shaped green leaves on a woodland floor with dead brown leaves and dirt.

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle parked on the Cascade Creek Trail with a cascade of the creek behind, the water is high and flowing over all of the falls, greening grass on this side and mostly bare trees and dead leaves on the ground on the opposite side of the creek.

#30DaysOfBiking Day 14:
After such a nice day Sunday, in contrast today is cloudy, cold and very windy, not conducive for a "fun" ride. So instead, i hooked the trailer onto my #ebike and did a grocery store run for 6 miles.
The long anticipated electric utility construction is starting today which will very soon close the trail that is my direct link to most of #RochMN . It will remain to be seen how well marked the bike and pedestrian detour will be and how rideable it will be.
#BikeTooter

Sage green Vado SL ebike with yellow tarped Burley Nomad trailer with orange pennant flag parked on the Bear Creek Trail with the creek behind, surrounded by mostly bare trees.

#30DaysOfBiking Day 6:
Back home after spending time with the grandkids, it turned out to be a nice afternoon, sunny, 55F (13C) although a bit windy, so I took my road #bicycle out and rode the #RochMN city trails for 27 miles. There were a lot of folks, cyclists, walkers, joggers, dog walkers out on the trails too, so I had to slow and be courteous along the way. I did hear my first frog call of the season, and the Coots and Shovelers are still out on Cascade Lake.
#BikeTooter

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle leaning on a park bench off the Zumbro South Trail looking Southeast with the River behind and in the distance the Mayowood Stone Barn complex with hills behind under mostly blue skies.

Bleu and black Roubaix bicycle leaning on the green "Fox Valley Park" sign with a retention pond behind and the park with a ball field in the distance along with neighborhood homes under blue skies.

Happy first morning of Spring!

Where in #RochMN we have more snow on the ground than we've had all winter!

The good news is that we needed the moisture and it should be all melted in a couple of days.

#VernalEquinox

A view from a window overlooking a snow covered backyard with the recently risen sun back lighting and filtering through the trees. There is a deck railing, with a snow covered wind chime and a black covered grill on the far right, a bird feeding station in the middle, several large fir and maple trees, a red garden shed, a couple brown sided ranch style houses with snow covered roofs.

#BikeStreak Day 65:
Today is even warmer, 55F, (13C), but still windy. And again I had a limited window between church and #mnwild puck drop. So I took my #bicycle on the #RochMN city trails for 23 miles. On the way I ran into one of my Strava followers who said he uses my posts as his weather and road forecast. I'm glad my online presence is helpful. It is supposed to be even warmer tomorrow, so I'll be planning a better place to ride.
#BikeTooter

Dark brown Diverge bicycle with Bar Mitts leaning against a short stone wall in front of Mayowood Lake looking Southwest. The near part of the lake/river is open, the far part is still frozen. There are hills with bare trees further behind under mostly blue skies.

#BikeStreak Day 63:
A return to spring-like weather, sunshine and 40F (4C), and my gravel #bicycle is now back from the shop (was waiting on a part delivery), so that's what I rode today. The trails plowed on Wednesday are now mostly clean and dry; the Douglas State Trail is not plowed and is snow covered, so I rode mostly on the #RochMN city trails for 31 miles. The less well drained trails were wet with snowmelt. Without fenders, I went slowly over the puddles to avoid splashes.
#BikeTooter

Dark brown Diverge bicycle with Bar Mitts parked on the asphalt Douglas State Trail looking North just past the trailhead. The trail is wet and partially snow covered, and is surrounded by bare trees. The sky is blue.

Dark brown Diverge bicycle with Bar Mitts parked on the McNamara (bike/ped) bridge looking South toward the frozen Cascade Lake. The bridge deck is concrete and the railings/supports are thick steel beams painted green. The bridge has green painted chain link fencing that curves overhead to prevent anyone attempting to climb over the railing where the bridge crosses the Canadian Pacific Railway and a set of petroleum storage tanks. Ahead the bridge crosses US14 West and a couple cars can be seen on the left heading West (to the right) on the 4 lane divided highway below. The sky is hazy blue.

#BikeStreak Day 60:
We are under a Blizzard Warning, with 6-10 inches of snow predicted and 50 mph wind gusts. But this morning is the calm before the storm, cloudy, 45F (7C) and light winds, so I set out early on my road #bicycle and rode on the #RochMN city trails, some county roads and the Chester Woods State Trail for 34 miles. My timing was perfect as the rain started just after I arrived home. Tomorrow's ride might be interesting, I may have to wait for snow plows first.
#BikeTooter

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle parked off the Eastwood Trail with the 3rd hole of the Eastwood Golf Course behind. The fairway is brown, there are bare trees and evergreen trees lining the fairway, and the brown "green" is in the distance under cloudy skies.

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle parked on the damp asphalt Chester Woods State Trail which goes straight behind before curving to the left. There are wooden posts holding wire fencing on both sides of the trail, deep, bare woods on the right and curving ahead in the distance to the left, and a brown stover covered farm field on the left under cloudy skies.

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle parked on the damp asphalt Chester Woods State Trail in Chester Woods County Park with brown short grass then tall grass behind with the Bear Creek frozen reservoir further behind surrounded by bare woods under cloudy skies.

#BikeStreak Day 58:
I needed to squeeze a ride in between church and the #MNWild game, so I set out on my road #bicycle for a loop on #RochMN city trails and county roads out to Salem Corners for 31 miles. I'm now comfortably home before puck drop. It was 10 degrees F warmer than yesterday and the wind is from the South so even warmer weather must be coming. The highlight of the ride was watching a Bald Eagle soar over Cascade Lake.
#BikeTooter

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle parked off the Zumbro River South Trail with the partially frozen river behind with brown lawn and bare trees surrounding. The sky is blue.

#BikeStreak Day 57:
Despite it being the first day of meteorological spring, we were back into winter weather as it was 19F (-7C) when I set off on my road #bicycle. I rode the #RochMN city trails and the Douglas State Trail to Douglas and back for 30 miles. But the stronger March sun kept me warm enough that I did not need heated gloves or socks; I would have on a cloudy day. Yesterday's strong winds took down a couple large limbs on the trails that will need to be remedied.
#BikeTooter

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle with Bar Mitts leaning against the concrete obelisk Chicago Great Western Railway milepost "M137" just off the asphalt Douglas State Trail looking Southeast. The trail is lined by bare trees on a sunny day.

A large broken tree limb hangs precariously over the asphalt Douglas State Trail looking Northwest on a sunny winter day. The trail and ground are snow free.

#BikeStreak Day 56:
The city in which I live, #RochMN , is amongst the windiest cities in North America. And today we have a wind advisory, with 25 mph sustained winds and even higher gusts. It only made sense to ride my #ebike , so I rode out to Cascade Lake and back for 20 miles. When riding the East side of Cascade Lake, I was leaning about 30 degrees just to keep upright with the strong side wind. It was sunny when I started, but mostly cloudy when I got home.
#BikeTooter

Sage green Vado SL ebike with Bar Mitts parked off the Cascade Lake Trail looking Southwest toward Interlachen Lake. There is brown lawn in the foreground, the lake is frozen over and there are townhomes on the far shore. The sky is mostly blue.

Sage green Vado SL ebike with Bar Mitts parked off the Cascade Lake Trail looking East back toward Manorwoods Lake. The asphalt trail heads back to a bridge over Cascade Creek which links the manmade lakes and there are townhomes behind on the right, utility poles center and bare trees left. The sky is blue with puffy white clouds.

Sage green Vado SL ebike with Bar Mitts parked off the Cascade Lake Trail looking North at the confluence of Cascade Creek and the Zumbro River. There are bare trees on the left and senior living apartments on the far right. The sky is blue.

#BikeStreak Day 54:
Yesterday I saw on Strava that a friend had ridden most of the Douglas State Trail, meaning it is free of snow and ice. It was! I rode the #RochMN city trails and the Douglas State Trail to Pine Island and back for 47 miles. It was cloudy but upper 40'sF and light wind, so outstanding for a February ride. I've been hearing more songbirds, so I've been logging them via the Merlin app. On the way home I spotted a flock of Trumpeter Swans. Merlin confirmed!
#BikeTooter

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle leaning on the wooden, brown painted, milepost "4" on the Douglas State Trail just South of Douglas looking North. The wet asphalt trail is on the left going straight, there are tall, dead weeds on the right and a lighter brown far field in the distance on the right. There are houses and trees center distance. The sky is mostly cloudy.

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle leaning on the concrete obelisk Chicago Great Western Railway milepost "M130" (or 130 miles on that line to Mankato). The partially wet asphalt trail is on the left going straight, looking Southeast. The trail is surrounded by bare trees. The sky is cloudy.

Bonus post:
It was such a gorgeous afternoon that after my appointment, I had to get on my bikes some more. So I dug out the Brompton for the first time in a while and toodled around the neighborhood until it was time to leave for my second appointment. Then I rode my #ebike to the fairgrounds where the MNDoT public meeting on an intersection rebuild was being held. Before the meeting, I decided to stop at the nearby #RochMN Corn Cob Water Tower for a photo op.
#MNastodon
#BikeTooter

Close up of the Rochester Minnesota famous Corn Cob Water Tower, which was part of the old Libby's sweet corn can packing plant, now gone. The cylindrical water tower is painted to look like a sweet corn cob, bright yellow kernels with green husks on the bottom on a silver painted steek support with 8 lighting extensions. It is a contrast to the bright blue sky on a gorgeous sunny afternoon.

Black and silver Brompton C-line bicycle leaning on a chain gate line at the end of a beat up asphalt road heading off to vacant land with brown grass and scrubby trees. The sky is blue.

Sage green Vado SL ebike parked on the road in front of the Rochester Minnesota famous Corn Cob Water Tower, which was part of the old Libby's sweet corn can packing plant, now gone. The cylindrical water tower is painted to look like a sweet corn cob, bright yellow kernels with green husks on the bottom on a silver painted steek support with 8 lighting extensions. A brick support building with barred windows is underneath the tower. It is a contrast to the bright blue sky on a gorgeous sunny afternoon.

#BikeStreak Day 50:
After watching #mnwild win in OT, and with the temperature just under the freezing mark, I set out for a #bicycle ride. But the front derailleur cable snapped almost immediately and I had to turn around and swap bikes. I ended up using my road bike to ride #RochMN city trails and some county roads for 30 miles. It was nice not having to use battery heated socks or gloves, and using my regular bike helmet instead of ski helmet and goggles.
#BikeTooter

Blue and black Roubaix bicycle with Bar Mitts parked on the side of Olmsted County 25 looking North with a mostly snow covered corn field with grain bins in the distance on the right and the bare tree covered Weatherhill behind.

Given the long range forecast and a look at the calendar, it seems that our below zero (0F, -18C) temperatures for the season may be done. It was -6F (-21C) earlier this morning here in #rochmn , but it is now 3F (-16C). They say 40F (4C) by Sunday and even warmer Monday. I'd hedge on that until the snow cover is gone.

But this is Minnesota, and you can expect one more major snowstorm until they finish playing the State Boys High School Basketball Tournament (March 22).

#mnwx

#BikeStreak Day 48:
For the first time in days the wind chill was above 0F (-14C) and the air temperature in the teens F (-8C). Add bright late February sunshine and light winds, and it made for a much more pleasant ride, #RochMN city trails to Mayowood and back for 20 miles. I used one less layer and lower settings on my electric gloves and socks. I saw more dog walkers today, but fewer cyclists for some odd reason. It is supposed to be above freezing Sunday and even warmer Monday.
#BikeTooter

#RochMN

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