Bucket List Entry: Biking the Hennepin Canal Day 3

I was debating on whether to finish the canal by going up along the feeder canal, but technically, it is part of the canal and boats could have gone up and down it. There just aren't any locks along the route, but it turns out, there doesn't need to be one. The engineering is this, the canal summits by lock 22. There needs to be a source of water to make sure the canal stays at a usable level. So, they dammed the Rock River and channeled the water down to the canal, 30 miles to the south. During operation, they would get a good water flow and the water would run clearly. Since they are letting the canal go back to nature, they don't channel much water down the feeder at all. Flow is barely perceptible. Still, it is 30 miles of canal. Might as well complete the task.

The day started out again at Lock 22, my favorite spot on the canal. It wasn't all that cold, but it was early. Tracy dropped me off and I started towards the feeder basin as the mist rolled off the water. I was on my way, hopefully along the easiest part of the canal. Tracy went off for coffee and supplies and would meet me later up the path. I started the five miles to the Green River Aqueduct, my first anticipated stop. Many years ago, I biked up that aqueduct with Hayden. There was a closer one to Lock 22 but the Green River promised a nicer view so we went north from the lock. Now I was doing this myself. 

One of the artifacts along the route are these occasional cement poles that were used for signalling or maybe just because there was a right of way. One of the things I found interesting, because I find strange things interesting, were that there was a fence line, more visible on the right photo, made of the same cement poles. I assumed that the same time the poles went up, the fenceline did also. It really was a beautiful morning and my new phone has a much better camera than my older one.

I reached the Green River without any problem. I wasn't even breathing hard, unlike the first time I took that trip. I now had 25 miles of harder trail to traverse, if what I had read was correct. There weren't any wash outs, but the trail wasn't paved for most of it, and it was even more sparsely populated than the rest of the canal. We had traveled here in our VW and it wasn't sounding all that great. I hoped it would last for the trip and the way home.

If you have been paying attention at all to me, you know how some things fascinate me, mostly infrastructure like bridges, power lines and canals. This high power line crossed the canal just a ways from the aqueduct. At another point of the canal there were signs on either side of the canal telling boaters to not anchor there as there was a gas line below the canal. I didn't take a picture of that because I did have a rhythm on my biking and I didn't want to break it. Just north of IL92 Tracy caught up with me and I pumped in some liquid and calories. I had eaten a few protein bars along the way and I was amazed at how my body reacted to them. I was energized for a time but I could tell when the quick calories were finished. My body quickly let me know that my blood sugar was diminished again. Still, it wasn't a hard ride, and I made good time.

I wanted to capture a stretch of the canal that was indicative of the path as a whole, perhaps to be a Facebook Cover Photo of mine. This was what I came up with. It was a very nice stretch right here. Tracy caught up with me north of IL 172 and I was off again for Rock River. She did stop to say "Hi" just south of town. There was a small turn out along a road there (as with every other road that crosses the canal) with two other cars with bike racks. Considering I had only met a guy illegally fishing and an older gent walking along a particularly isolated part, I hadn't met anyone else. Shortly after I said goodbye to her, I met two women biking south. I waited until they went around a dead log blocking the path. I'm always self-conscious about meeting women on these isolated parts, and I had met some. I don't want to be maced just for being a male, if you understand what I mean. I always think women will suspect the worst from me because of my gender.

I finally reached the end. This is the lock and intake for the feeder canal, along with a few of the building for maintenance of the entrance.

Some descriptive info from the end, or beginning, of the trail. I talked to some guy there at the end as I seemed to be always crossing his path while taking these shots. He told me that the city was trying to take ownership of their part of the canal because the state isn't taking care of the place. I am considering giving some $ to the Friends of the Canal.

OOne short bike across the river, and DONE!