This Free Tuesday’s weather looks a little better than it was last month. There's a light NE wind predicted. We’d prefer a light SE wind, but we’ll take what we can get and ride to Selma’s.
As usual, ride starts at Lake Elmo Park Reserve. No parking pass or trail pass required on the first Tuesday of every month. If you feel like buying a park pass, I’m sure they’d appreciate it, but not required on the first Tuesday each month.
Meet in the Nordic Center Parking lot on your right as you come in the main park road – watch for signage. Bathrooms/water available at the start and in Afton.
We head east using 10th Street to Lake Elmo Avenue over to Manning and some very scenic and rolling roads to Stagecoach Trail into Afton. You can stop at Selma’s as soon as you get there or you can continue and ride out/back on the very scenic River Road for about a 3-mile option before stopping at Selma’s.
If you’re a hill climber, River Road takes you to the bottom of the famous Pirate Ship climb, one of many monster hills in an Afton hill climb route. Please feel free to do the Pirate Ship climb if you’d like. Most of us won’t be doing that! There’s also an optional short loop of about 3 miles on roads/trails through Lake Elmo Park if you still have energy at the end and want to do that. Some of the trails in the park are new and some are older and a little bumpy. Not sure if I’ll do that, but you can text me your mileage if you feel like a few extra miles at the end.
JUST A COUPLE CAUTIONARY THINGS – There are several left-hand turns from the right shoulder across a couple busy roads – Neal, Manning and Stagecoach – SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND STOP BEFORE TURNING IF UNSURE OF THE TRAFFIC SITUATION.
The route back from Afton is not very hilly – mostly rolling with a couple little short ups and downs. If you’ve ridden this route with us before, you know it’s a pretty nice route back. The route is here so please download to your phone or favorite navigational device. Faster riders are welcome to ride ahead.
If rain, thunderstorms or wet roads, we won’t be riding. So please check the Forum, Ride Calendar, call or text me at 612-381-6711 or if you pre-register, I’ll send you an email if any changes.
Lyle will be doing a little more leisurely C version so check the calendar for his ride.