May Day

I did a fun loop today... Minnehaha Falls > Fort Snelling > Sibley House > MN Valley Trail > Hwy 77 Ped Bridge > Long Meadow Lake Trail > Light Rail > Minnehaha Falls. Ended up with 20 miles of actual riding (part of the loop was on the Hiawatha Light Rail).

The spring floods deposited a LOT of sand and debris on the south side of the river (MN Valley Trail), especially between 494 and 77.  I had recently switched to a Ritchey SpeedMax CX tire in back, and it was far from ideal in the deep, fine sand.  The return ride on the Long Meadow Trail was much better - the only sand I hit was right near Hwy 77 where the trail is close to the river.

It was a great ride, especially the sections that were clear of sand/debris.  It was nice to see all the green; both on the ground and in the canopy.

After riding in the woods for a couple hours it is strange to pop out right by the Mall of America, and all the hotels and parking lots.  The Long Meadow Trail ends 2 blocks from a light rail stop.  Very convenient, but it's strange to go between two very different environments in such a short distance.