67 miles

I woke up at Zack and Bree’s, feeling groggy. Zack gave Danielle a ride to her train, and I hit the road alone for the first time. 

There were severe thunderstorms in the forecast, so I felt pressed to get as far as possible before they dropped. My goal for the day was to reach St Croix Falls, just over the border into Wisconsin, at a place called Interstate State Park. I stopped for coffee at Corner Cafe on my way out of town. The barista kindly gave me a plastic bag for my seat. I ate a banana, then I started my solo journey. 

I got turned around dizzyingly by Google maps whilst trying to cross a bridge near the University of Minnesota. There were some big hills and I was going in circles for a while, growing frustrated. I eventually gave up on gps and made my way to the ACA route bridge, which was on Franklin street. After that, the riding was pleasant. A mix of trails and roads with high humidity but no rain for about 50 miles. When it first hit, the rain was light and refreshing, but it gradually became a total downpour, and it hit me with real intensity as I was crossing a narrow bridge into Wisconsin, at Osceola. 

There was a terrifying truck incident. The shoulder was narrow to begin with, and the pavement was also split lengthwise, so it felt a bit like riding a tightrope. I was braking on my way downhill and pretty sure I was invisible on the road – I was hardly able to see through the rain myself. I decided to surrender, and pulled off at a boat launch/picnic shelter that appeared at exactly the right moment. It was a perfect spot to regroup. I set up my tent, put some dry clothes on, took a 20 minute nap, read my new book for a while, talked on the phone, ate some snacks, and relaxed. I considered just camping there for the night, but the rain cleared up by early evening and I was only 8 miles from the campground, so I packed up. 

There were some STEEP climbs, but I felt pretty good after such a long midday break. I reached the campground sweaty and tired, but I had stopped at a grocery store after the boat launch, so I was able to feast properly with soup, salad, and pie. Also, the campsite was gorgeous. It’s secluded and quiet, next to a waterfall and a river. There are showers here, but I didn’t use them. Who needs it? 

Good first day alone.