Spring ride - day 3

Sunday had me retracing my steps back up the Mississippi River Valley as I made my way home. It was a cool start to the morning, 50s and overcast, but would turn into rainy and 40s. The morning however was just cool and windy, much like Friday.

Todd, my Dad, and I crossed into Iowa almost immediately, just north of Dubuque, and followed the Iowa river roads north again. It's hard to pick a bad road between Dubuque and McGregor, just steer clear of highway 52. There's nothing wrong with taking the highway but you'll miss out on some good experiences.

Guttenberg, Iowa

Just outside of Guttenberg, Iowa, we stopped to take in the view from highway 52 and discuss the trip. 

Our last stop as a group came at LaCrescent, here we parted ways. Todd and my Dad would be staying in LaCrosse for the night and were Googling breweries and hotels. I needed to be at work Monday morning so I spent the time trying to get some heat back into my hands. We all agreed that it was a successful journey. New roads were covered, new trails hiked, new characters met. Classic spring ride shenanigans. 

North of I-90 the temperature dropped off quickly and the rain started to fall. What was a pleasant ride in the 50's turned into a challenging ride in the 40's. By the time I got home the bike said 38 degrees.

I did manage to keep warm and dry for the most part. I only have one heated grip, on my throttle side, and my waterproof gloves were MIA. Thankfully, the clutch-side valve cover made a handy fry pan for my clutch hand. A little heat in my hands and some coffee in Red Wing got me home safely and mostly comfortable. Take your time and make good choices.

When the riding is less than ideal nobody cares if you're late, just that you're safe. (and it helps to call home with status updates) You never know what or who you'll run into when it's spring time in the north land, which is why we keep riding out this time every year.

- Ride North

May 20th | 270 miles | 8 hours riding