in the

of

tracing the route of in ’s Northwoods

story and photos by Cindy Ross

26 ADVENTURE CYCLIST june 2021 strange-sounding animal forced my eyelids open one August evening in the Minnesota Northwoods. A dark, hulking form sat on a branch, making a clattering soundA in the tree above our tent. We were camped in the shadow of ancient white pines along the Pine River on the Paul Bunyan State Trail. We had cruised a half-mile of fun singletrack on our loaded Surly mountain bikes to this remote biker/paddler campsite — the first night in a weeklong ride. The owl called another owl in, and soon there were two clattering above us. One dove down to our tent, its silent wings almost touching us. They were young barred owls, anxious about many things at this stage of their lives and perhaps curious about our tent. Come morning, a feather was left by our site — a welcome as we began our approximately 250-mile ride through Minnesota’s Paul Bunyan land, a larger- than-life folklore character that has captured the enduring hearts of this part of America. Our route traced three rail trails, beginning with the south-north 121-mile paved Paul Bunyan Trail (PBT), which travels from on up to Bemidji. It’s one of the longest rail trails in the U.S. and was inducted in the Trail Conservancy’s Hall of Fame as a “Signature Minnesota Destination.” Next, we rode the nearly 50-mile paved Heartland Trail, which intersects the PBT at Walker, followed by the gravel and dirt 96-mile Blue Ox-Voyageur Trail, an ATV-snowmobile converted rail trail that runs from Bemidji to International Falls at the Canadian border. In the city of Bemidji, a car rental business made shuttling logistics with our own vehicle a breeze. After nearly half a year of living in isolation, fear, and the sadness created by COVID-19, my husband Todd and I, along with our friend DJ Duncan, needed to get away, forget the world, and feel like carefree kids again. On this trip, we wanted ease — smooth going, daily ice cream, evening swims, and stunning sunsets, so we headed to northern Minnesota, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” where the trails are flat and nearly every rail trail is paved. Here is a land of swamps and beavers, silent owls, moose, bear, whitetail deer, old-growth trees, and villages full of history and culture, with rail trails snaking through it all. We were also intrigued with the gargantuan logger, Paul Bunyan. Just who was he?

ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 27 The author (middle) and her companions at the start of their trip at Crow Wing State Park.

The timber in America’s Northwoods Most of America’s rail trails run and Canada was being ferociously cut alongside rivers, and this is true for PAUL BUNYAN TRAIL at this time, especially the magnificent the Paul Bunyan Trail for the first six The original legend of Paul Bunyan white pine. The peak era of lumbering in miles through the state park as it curves dates back to 1837 and the Papineau Minnesota lasted from 1890 to 1910. Some along the river like a racetrack. Then Rebellion. During a particularly 20,000 to 30,000 lumberjacks worked in the trail becomes so straight that the bloody fight between the British the forests. A similar number of workers trail builders installed big metal signs colonials in Lower Canada and local toiled in the sawmills, and another 20,000 with a curve symbol to alert cyclists French Canadians, loggers armed worked in wood production factories. whenever the arrow-straight route is with mattocks, axes, and wooden Each year, the state produced some 2.3 deviating, lest you grow complacent in forks stormed into battle to help fight billion board feet of lumber, enough to your concentration. This complacency against the English troops. Among build 600,000 homes. The Paul Bunyan is less from boredom and more from them was a mighty-muscled, bearded, Trail was initially a logging railroad distraction — the trail passes swamps seven-foot-tall (as legend has it) giant during the late 1800s. It later became a full of cattails, large sunny meadows, named Paul Bunyan, who fought branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad, shimmering aspen forests, bald eagles legendarily. This forest warrior earned moving large amounts of forest products. perched on dead trees, duck blinds great fame and went on to become The trees that we camped under at the and duck boxes in the wetlands, and a logging camp chief. Logging was Pine River are the same giants that once lake after lake after lake. The “Land of dangerous and heroic work, and drew the loggers and then the railroads to 10,000 Lakes” is Minnesota’s slogan, Paul Bunyan became the hero of this swampy, lake-studded land. and along these rail trails, you will take campfire lore. As loggers relaxed after Our ride began at Crow Wing State in an eyeful. work entertaining themselves, each Park and for a small fee, we were able to Every eight to 10 miles are camp’s storyteller injected humor park in their secure lot. We camped the little towns. Some, like Nisswa, are and exaggeration into the key stories, night before departure and explored destinations for locals who cycle but with the illusion of truth. For the park’s hiking trails along the mighty down for a great pizza or a bag of generations, he has grown in stature, Mississippi and Crow Wing rivers, with hot, homemade mini donuts that you strength, and popularity as the subject their active beaver slides and chewed- can watch being made, then return of books, songs, and films. down aspens. to camp with a cardboard pizza box

28 ADVENTURE CYCLIST june 2021 of leftovers. Nisswa is a town that harvest the wild hay. The C ANADA holds weekly turtle races (if you’ve shoes helped the horses USA INTERNATIONAL FALLS been wondering where the Turtle stay on top of the spongy MANITOBA ONTARIO

Race Capital of the World sits, look bogs. There are also Paul NORTH il DAKOTA a r T no further) and has a permanent Bunyan’s wooden baby Fargo Duluth “racetrack” painted on the street. shoes to step inside of to DE TAIL

There are fascinating museums get an idea of just how big SOUTH r Minneapolis WISCONSIN u BIG FALLS DAKOTA e g to visit, like the Pioneer Village in this legendary man was. UpperMINNESOTA Red Lake a y o Nisswa, with its village of nine historic Land O’Lakes Butter got V hand-hewn log homes an excellent its start in Pine River back I OWA x NORTHOME display about the Ojibwe people. in 1913 at the Pine River O We rode through towns with Creamery. They also hold e fruit stands hawking giant cherries weekly duck races. Unlike lu and peaches, and nearly every town the Turtle race, they don’t B showcases a statue of Paul Bunyan use real animals — instead, BEMIDJI CASS Lake and Babe the Blue Ox, or Paul’s they dump a trash can full LAKE Winnibigoshish P

l girlfriend, Lucette, who worked of numbered orange decoy a i GUTHRIE u a l r in the logging camp mess hall. We ducks into the river. T LAPORTE Leech Lake GRAND y Tra sometimes paralleled “Paul Bunyan Hackensack might WALKER tr il RAPIDS n u h o d ort C Highway,” where flags of the Woolrich have been our favorite an N ea r tl H B

red and black check pattern fly with town stop with their food u

PARK HACKENSACK n the motto, “Plaid on Purpose,” and truck offering mouth- RAPIDS y a n colorful, fully furnished campers sit watering beef brisket er C iv r PINE RIVER R o i w pp for sale, meant for ice fishing on the and homemade coleslaw, i s s i W s is i n many lakes. It is a unique culture up which you can enjoy by M g

T

R ra

i in these Northwoods, and nearby Red the beautiful dock and North v NISSWA il e

Country r Lake sees over 10,000 fishing huts in sand beach at Birch Lake Trail a busy winter. The ice gets so thick Park. In the park sits a Adventure Cycling’s BRAINERD 0 5 10 Northern Mille CROW WING that you can drive a logging truck on small lending library in Tier Route Lacs STATE PARK miles Lake it. There are towns that hold church a restored 1937 Works Author’s Route and community suppers featuring Progress Administration WALLY AMY MAP: rutabagas, breaded lefse (mashed log cabin. “Take a book potato flatbread), rule posse (a rolled or two,” the volunteer also a hand-dipped ice cream shop that meat), and lutefisk (jellied fish) — all encouraged me. “If folks remember offers free ice water. Norwegian specialties. No boring to return it, great. If not, great too. We rode past lakes with brilliant spaghetti suppers here. People from all over use this library. white swans gliding across the The information center in Pine They check out 30 books for the winter surface among lily pads and blooming River has a tiny but fascinating (winter is long in northern Minnesota) white flowers. We took a break at a museum showcasing the lake culture and return them come spring.” I snowmobile shelter, a three-sided and history of the area. There are grabbed two paperbacks for my bike wooden structure that’s situated right on wooden shoes on display that slipped pannier. The park also has a carving of the National Scenic , over the horses’ feet when pioneer Lucette, Paul Bunyan’s girlfriend, as she a hiking trail that spans over 4,000 miles families traveled into the boggy land to towers over the boat landing. There’s and intersects the PBT. VisitPullman

Endless Discoveries. visit-pullman.com 1-800-365-6948

ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 29 Our second night found us at climbs and descents,” we laughed at Paul Bunyan Woodland Resort on Leech Lake the thought. To someone who cycled (prettier than it sounds), four miles the actual Pyrenees with our young was a outside of Walker and 84 miles north of children on the Camino de Santiago, Crow Wing. They offer a few tent sites how bad could it be? This short stretch mighty man, including showers, pizza and ice cream proved to be the most enjoyable of our in their little restaurant, and a swim in 250 miles, and it should not be missed! a GIANT man their protected Kabekona Bay. After No hill was so steep that we couldn’t a few scoots down the sliding board easily pull it, even with a loaded bike, was he. splashing into the lake, the third largest and the trail sides were crowded with in Minnesota, we rested on the giant wild roses, daisies, buttercups, and He was the floating foam pad and watched the red columbine. Chippewa National spectacular sunset. Forest is home to the largest bald eagle greatest Day Three’s ride was the most fun. population in the lower 48 states. They When we asked a trail ambassador have become common, but seeing one lumberjack for camping suggestions, she asked still took our breath away. who ever us if we rode across “the Pyrenees of At the Laporte Grocery and Meats/ Minnesota.” This is a dead-serious Mack’s Small-Town Smokehouse in chopped local name for a 7.5-mile blacktopped Laporte, you can grab a homemade section of trail through the Chippewa malted milkshake to go with your a tree. National Forest. You can opt for a handmade cheese curds and smoked shorter road ride instead, or cycle meat sticks in flavors like Habanero this footprint of old logging roads. Pepper Jack and Honey Bar-b-que. Although large metal signs reading Soon after, you’ll cycle through the from the 1958 “WARNING!” are posted at each “town” of Guthrie, which is so deserted end, alerting you of the “potentially that only a community center and a few Disney film challenging section ahead which rustic homes line the dirt main road. Paul Bunyan involves tight curves and 8% steep Ironically, our paralleling paved rail

30 ADVENTURE CYCLIST june 2021 trail had a more developed surface than this ghost-like town. We were startled by the historic photos on the trail-side kiosk of townsfolk sporting masks, for the photos were taken during the pandemic of 1918. We felt strangely akin with our COVID masks tucked inside our handlebar bags for easy access. We selected this wild Minnesota rail trail as a destination during COVID for its remoteness, and we usually had the trail all to ourselves. Our third day found us riding right to our hotel, the Country Inn & Suites on ’s south side, located right on the trail and catering to cyclists. After a shower, we hit the town for a good meal and a mandatory stop at the Paul statue outside the tourist information center. For decades, Bemidji was recognized as the home of the famous pair. The 18-foot-tall statues, weighing 2.5 tons, date back to 1937. Bemidji is derived from the Ojibwe (Chippewa) word, Bemejigamaug, meaning “a lake with crossing waters,” as the Mississippi River runs right through it. The town sits on this northernmost lake and is deemed “the first city on the Mississippi.” That evening, we luxuriated in the hotel’s hot tub positioning the jets on our tight thighs and calves to loosen them up from our 120-mile ride.

HEARTLAND TRAIL The Heartland Trail was originally a branch of the Great Northern Railroad. Attempting to navigate a slimy, deep puddle on the Blue Ox Trail. Established in 1974, it was one of the very first rail-to-trail conversions parks and picnic tables, shops, and made a fabulous meal for us, helped in America. Nearly 50 miles long, it galleries. Many families are out on us return the rental car, and escorted connects the towns of Park Rapids weekends, as tykes on tricycles get us to the Blue Ox Trail come morning. and Cass Lake along a pleasantly their first taste of adventure cycling. Warmshowers has hugely enriched our forested route. The pretty trail is The Mississippi River Scenic Bikeway cycling adventures, providing a home lined with aspens and white paper coincides with the Heartland Trail away from home while traveling on our birches shuddering in the wind. We on this stretch — a signed route that bikes, as well as creating new friends peered through them like a veil to travels from the Mississippi headwaters who are truly kindred spirits. the fields beyond, where round hay to the Gulf of Mexico. We added this bales sat perched on the cut fields adventure to our list. like decorations. The towns along Our second night in Bemidji, we this eastern/southern section of the were gifted a delightful stay with BLUE OX-VOYAGEUR TRAIL Heartland Trail have a different feel Warmshowers hosts Karen and It was very difficult to find info too — they seem friendlier as they are Mike Forbes. These artists, wild rice about this last trail. Even the groups set up to attract visitors, with lots of harvesters, organic gardeners, and responsible for its management services like places to eat, breweries, beekeepers, as well as avid cyclists, CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 31 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 ROSS: IN THE PATHS OF GIANTS — snowmobile/ATV clubs and the getting a paper mill tour in Forest Service — provided a mix of International Falls at trail’s information. We were advised as end and learn how this to which sections they considered industry is still going strong passable. Some sections are rated wet, since the days of Paul Bunyan somewhat wet, and very wet. Current swinging his ax at trees and info is challenging as the flooding colonists, or even since the is created by beaver activity, which days loading up trains full of changes from week to week. We lumber and swapping yarns brought the trail up on Google Earth to about his legendary strength try to learn the difference. “Very wet” and big blue ox. For us, meant flooded trail that went on for though, we were happy to take many miles, as deep as a four-wheelers’ a moment to pedal along these lights, or our knees (we were told). now-paved paths, listen to the Other sections should be avoided also, owls that aren’t drowned out they said, as “the grass was too long, by steam engines, and watch for the clubs hadn’t gotten out to mow.” the eagles soar above us. We learned of these percentages of trail Regardless of past or present, composition: 30 percent packed ballast/ the bicycle chains keep gravel, 25 percent grass, 20 percent turning and the timber keeps small loose rocks and soft sand, 10 moving, and legends continue percent packed dirt (the best surface), to endure. and 5 percent water-covered. We would have to make our own decisions as to Cindy Ross is the author of eight books. what was truly “rideable” and worth highly odorous stench of the beaver She used the big outdoor world to teach her kids and wrote about it in The World is Our attempting. Had it not been for this water — with no clean water nearby Classroom — How One Family Used Nature & last trail, a road bike would suffice, but for rinsing off if you slip into it — Travel to Shape an Extraordinary Education. Her a mountain bike was necessary for this convinced us to take the land manager’s favorite way to move through the world is on a bicycle. last real adventure. advice and ride the last stretch on We were at first concerned that the lightly traveled Highway 71 to we’d be competing with ATV-ers, but International Falls. Cycling on its wide CONTINUED FROM PAGE 06 FROM THE DIRECTOR we only saw two in 100 miles, and one shoulder allowed us to look around at was chugging slowly behind a young the Northwoods instead of focusing on see what other staff changes have girl on her horse (driven by her even what’s just ahead of our front tire. occurred during this year of transition, younger brother, accompanied by The road showed us its own culture: and read all about our staff who keep their mom) who was out for a morning tiny bars selling “famous” burgers, where this organization rolling. I hope this ride. The remote stretch between we rubbed shoulders with the ATV/ magazine gives you a taste of adventure Northome and Big Falls, where the snowmobile-riding locals. We passed little no matter where you find yourself, and trail leaves the side of the road and school bus stop huts with window panes I hope you say yes! to the adventure becomes very remote, ended up being and heaters so the kids don’t freeze while you’ve had on your mind all year. very beautiful and our favorite stretch. they wait. And we learned more about Those moments of risk — be it The managers said the grass was too the present-day logging industry as the physical or emotional vulnerability long here, but the two tracks were Northwoods are still being cut, just a little — bring learning, joy, and deep matted down enough to make cycling more sustainably. An occasional logging connection with those around you. possible. Across the lakes, we heard truck zoomed by us on the highway These moments last with you forever, the prehistoric call of the sandhill (although the shoulder was very wide and and I’m incredibly lucky to continue to cranes and the call of a lonely loon. safe). The only time the loggers can get share them with my wife and two kids … We inhaled the spicy fragrance of wild into the bogs to cut is winter when the more often than not, in the saddle of a tansy growing along the trail, scanned soft, spongy, flooded ground is solid and bike heading off on some new path with the lakes for moose, and flushed out snow-covered, so they leave large holding an uncertain outcome. flocks of young wild turkeys. areas of stacked trees scattered along the We traveled through a mere 15-foot- highway. We saw companies of treated Scott Pankratz long puddle where footing was so slick lumber products, unheard of in Paul Executive Director that our bikes lost traction as well as Bunyan’s day. [email protected] steering, and even pushing our bikes In a normal, non-pandemic through the goo was a challenge. The year, you could tie it all together by

48 ADVENTURE CYCLIST june 2021