Stage 26 - Bemidji MN to Kabetogama, MN - June 19, Wednesday

WEDNESDAY ...

Catching up ...

TODAY'S RIDE ...

The start to our day is slow. We gather for breakfast and enjoy the morning. The weather is gorgeous. It is a good day to cycle but no one is in a hurry.

David, Jonah and I start together and will remain that way until the last bit of the ride. We start on the Paul Bunyan Trail heading north. After a short seven miles, the trail turns into a grass path. Our route goes in another direction. I'm OK with the change. The Paul Bunyan path reminds me of the Silver Comet Trail: straight and kinda boring in its sameness.

Suddenly we are faced with four miles on a hard dirt road and loose gravel. The Slim Miss Piggy is in her element (yes, that is my bike's nickname - Peter complained about her weight when loading her on the van. The more I thought about it, the more I settled on just that nickname. And I love it!). I am not worried about the gravel; The Slim Miss Piggy's 'Armadillo tires' are tough and sturdy. I do not expect any problems. David is understandably anxious about flats and does not like gravel.

Jonah aka the Gravel Monster sprints ahead of us.  Suddenly, off in the distance, Jonah disappears over the horizon. Later he will claim he was escaping swarms of bugs but I am not buying it. We rode the same dirt road and were unbothered. I think Jonah is simply a Gravel Monster enjoying the rough and tumble surface. I remark to David that it is nice to see Jonah flying ahead of us. Everyone deserves to be the fastest on occasion.

Finally we reach paved roads. Like too many Minnesota roads, these are bumpy and provide no relief to our sore seats. We moan and groan and complain.

After 50 miles, we divert to Northome, MN for lunch at The Shining Light Cafe.  It is another of David's delightful finds.  The food is outstanding. The setting old Americana. The people friendly. There is a two year old named Ida who is cute as a button. Of course I talk with her.  She keeps saying "Daddy is gone"; finally Teena, her grandma who owns and runs the Cafe, explains her parents are in Jamaica on their honeymoon. Sweet. We agree how wonderful it is to be grandparents.

When we walked in, we noticed the sign for homemade pies and inquired about variety and availability. We were told 'none' which we discovered meant 'still in the oven' and not due out for 45-50 minutes. We told our waitress to reserve both pies; we wanted some of each! Ala mode of course!

A RESTFUL END ...

During and after lunch we discuss the remainder of the day's plans. I suggest we begin our day off that afternoon. David calculates and recalculates different endings. Finally we load our bikes and pile into the van - six of us sharing five seats. It's comfy. We drive an hour or so I am told; I nap the entire trip. I am exhausted from too much excitement and not enough rest: I have averaged only four hours sleep the last five days.

About 27 miles from our cabin, we pull over to begin the rest of our bike ride. I beg off as does Jonah. David is a warrior with boundless energy. Off he goes. I can honestly say for the first time since I have ridden in a van while others bike that I am thrilled to be in the van. I miss the immersive experience of cycling in beautiful scenery but I cannot endure another two hours on the bike.

Our cabin at the The Pines of Kabetogama Resort is wonderful. Clean. New. Spacious. Nicely appointed. Great view of the lake. We unpack and ready for two days in one location. It feels like we're stealing away.

We have our first homemade dinner since the beginning of The Norseman’s Passage.  Special thanks to Judy. The meal was wonderful.

After dinner, we gather round a nearby campfire. The fire is nice. We enjoy each other's company and random conversation. We watch the sunset and wonder at its splendor. Shortly after, we retire for the evening. It has been another great day.

ODDS & ENDS ...

I tell everyone not to wake me if I am asleep tomorrow morning. While everyone is excited for a day on the lake on a pontoon boat, I am looking forward to a day of rest and catching up. I need solitary time and I need rest to recover.

It is common as we ride to see the American flag flying at people's residences.  Occasionally we will see the flag flying over an abandoned tractor or some other structure. I don't know if it means anything; I have nothing to compare with. I know it is nice to see.