Day 3 - Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve to Finland
- 70.1 miles
- 3,212ft of gain
- 6h 13m of riding
As I sipped my morning coffee today, I watched a ship leave the harbor. As the massive lake freighter departed from the bay outside Duluth, smaller boats filled its wake. I knew I had been sitting up there too long watching the lake; I had a schedule to maintain and should have been packing up. Nevertheless, I sat and watched a while longer, as the freighter became hazy in the distance.
I got to Cedar Coffee and SpokeNGear bike shop in Two Harbors and there was already quite the line for coffee. As I waited to order, I watched out the window as a guy walked out of the bike shop portion of the store to talk to a customer. He halted in his tracks to examine my bike leaning up against a picnic table and immediately walked into the Coffee shop to begin scanning the line. “I’m trying to gauge who would ride a Krampus…” he said as his eyes landed on me and walked up to shake my hand. Dan owns Cedar Coffee, SpoeNGear, and the bike bag company, Cedaro. I told him all about my trip and what I had planned. “Oh yeah, the Northwoods Loop,” he said, already knowing my route as I described it. After putting in my order, I made my way into the bike shop to continue our conversation. I was flooded with questions about my homemade bike bags and Dan told me all about his career. He and an old business partner used to make packs for special forces but when his business partner wanted to go further into that industry, Dan decided that wasn’t what he wanted. He started making bike bags and selling coffee–the dream. I was given a personal tour of the sewing room where all of the Cedaro bags are made. Dan was very excited to hear about my undergrad degree in physics and future master’s in atmospheric science, his son followed almost the exact same academic journey and was doing work with LiDAR to study cloud cover. Dan even ran to find his wife so I could tell her what I was doing. He was truly a joy to meet and his business remains a dream of mine; coffee shop, bike shop, and bike bag manufacturer all in one, tucked into the pines along the North Shore. I hope to visit him in his store again someday.
The hills hurt a little extra today. My legs were sore from the previous two days but I think they’re starting to get acclimated to their new daily routine. I rode 70 miles and made it to Finland Campground. One of the staff at SpokeNGear told me about a bikepacker-specific campsite he built but it would’ve been another 10 miles and I didn’t feel like going that far today. At camp, I made a packet of creamy chicken ramen to which I added a packet of tuna and a small spoonful of peanut butter. It was phenomenal. I find it fascinating how, when I am mostly focused on eating for the simple goal of fueling my pedaling, I can find the most devilish of concoctions to be fulfilling. I followed this up with a cheese quesadilla and a peanut butter quesadilla, roasted over the fire. I write from in front of my first campfire of the trip, the river flows by my site, and the final traces of sunset stream through the pines. A few occupied campsites around me have individuals congregating around their own fires, silently enjoying the still summer evening. This is nice.
Day 4 - Finland to Grand Marais
- 73.6 miles
- 2,881ft of gain
- 6h 43m of riding
- Song of the day: End of the Line by Travelling Wilburys
It’s nice having my only commitment each day be riding my bike. Today’s ride was tough. With plenty of distance already on the legs, I did 73 miles in Superior National Forest, away from the comfort of Lake Superior constantly in sight on my right side. The day was filled with open gravel roads that meandered through the pine-covered hills, crossing streams and past old logging camps. Eventually, I found myself on The Grade, a road I had been eager to find. My roommate Georgia told me about it from her own solo bikepacking trip in the area, a road extending for miles and miles at a near-zero elevation gain. It was a welcome change.
I altered the route as I went in hopes of cutting a little mileage and avoiding a trail that I didn’t know the condition of. Instead, I ended up on another trail that I didn’t know the condition of when the road I was on abruptly turned into a double-track trail. It had some flooding and a few trees down but was very traversable. I’m not sure if I actually cut any mileage but the alternative route was beautiful so does it really matter?
My route led me to an asphalt shoulder as I shot directly east toward Grand Marais. The straight road cut a channel through the forests on either side and gave me a line of sight to Lake Superior in the distance. It felt like no matter how long I rode, the lake never got any closer, it appeared like a mirage–unobtainable on the horizon. I caught the attention of a couple cyclists riding in the opposite direction and they cut across the empty road to me. They had bikepacked a little in their years and were very interested in my bike, having 2 kids who also chose to ride the same, a Surly Krampus. I was assured that Grand Marais wasn’t much farther before departing in opposite directions again. Eventually, I would make the 750ft descent that ended in Grand Marais, and again be next to the lake that seemed out of reach for so long.
I write today from inside Voyager Brewing in Grand Marais. I’m sipping on a wild rice ale as I wait for my phone and power bank to gain some charge. I don’t like feeling tethered to electricity whenever I find it but I needed my head unit for navigation and my phone for emergencies. After some less-than-ideal experiences on previous ventures, I knew friends might worry if they didn’t hear from me regularly. I was able to take a warm shower at the campground and wow, never underestimate how great a shower can feel and its revitalizing effects. I felt like I was beginning my journey for the first time again, having washed off the layer of dirt and dust that adhered itself to my skin, forming an exoskeleton. It’s only after times like this that feeling clean is appreciated enough. I’m tired but refreshed.