Cycle Life Challenge Ride #7 Bean Creek Road to Collison Illinois

Loading up for the drive to Potomac, Illinois

 
Picking up Dwight who planned the itinerary

 
Unloaded near Potomac ready to go

We all had our masks on in the truck, and maintained social distancing as we rode




 
Bean Creek Road

 
Lots of trees, a welcome relief from constant corn and bean fields

 
Drop off to the right to Middle Fork of the Vermilion River
Stream valleys are much deeper here closer to the local base level of the Vermilion River

 
A Picker's Dream or Nightmare?

 
Patriotic Hoarder



 
We were missing seeing corn and beans  :)


 
Barriers around new trees to prevent deer from eating the bark


 
On the eastern edge of the Middle Fork Fish and Wildlife Area


 
Sharing the road



 
At the end of a track at the Middle Fork River
Much like a mountain bike trail and very steep 
 




 
Dwight and Dave

 
Vine climbing up the tree trunk



Some Cross-Training was required to get back up and out to the township road
 
Small Picnic area at Kinney's ford

\
Well, 200 dollars would be too severe?


 
Middle Fork River


 
Collapsed house -- may have had some assistance
 



 
Halloween Decorations

 
Grain facility Collison, Illinois


 
Collison is small and extremely well kept


 
Reversing route back to Potomac


 
Difficult to see steep drop off

 
Ranger's vehicle

 
Middle Fork 

 Man fishing at extreme left
 


 
In contrast to the patriotic hoarder



 
Managing trees along the power lines


 
 
Back to the Start

 


 
Back at Dwight's
 A most excellent ride, and many thanks for planning the route!

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Catastophic Failure

Image
 2024 River to Rail ride 3 of us joined up for the ride, 2 on diamond frame bicycles, and one on a recumbent We had ridden with our friend on the recumbent numerous times previously and began to notice something that didnt seem right. Look closely, very closely, at the rear wheel See how it is tilted slightly to the  right? Compare its vertical angle to that of the front wheels We thought is was simply a matter of alignment in the frame and didnt mention anything about it to our friend. 20 miles into the ride, I stopped at an intersection to double check our routing Recumbent friend pulled up along side me to the right on a slightly sloping road surface Suddenly he tipped over to his right for no apparent reason I felt terrible for stopping and causing him to topple over Then we discovered . . . . He didnt tip over due to the road surface . . . . The frame had snapped in half just ahead of the seating area Was that misaligned wheel indicating an issue with the frame? We believ...
Read more

A. Lincoln Anecdotal Story

Abraham Lincoln, so the story goes, once won a court case by saying in his summation to the jury nothing more than, “The prosecution has the facts of the case 100 % correct, but they have come to the wrong conclusion.”  The jury went out chuckling and came back a short time later with a verdict of not guilty.  According to Lincoln-lore, during the lunch recess Lincoln had privately told the jury this anecdote:  A farmer’s young son came rushing up to him sputtering, “Pa, Pa, I just seen the hired man and sis up in the hayloft.  He was unzipping his pants and she was a lifting her skirt.  Pa, Pa, come quick, they’re about to pee on the new hay!”  “Son,” the farmer replied, “You have the facts 100 % correct, but you’ve come to the wrong conclusion. Source:   http://blog.trinityaustin.com/2018/02/26/politics-and-peeing-on-new-hay/  Another of Abe's favorite stories: . A Revolutionary Relic (NSFW) [There once was a man] who had great venerat...
Read more

Homer Lake Forest Preserve

Image
Homer is a small agricultural town in Champaign County Illinois. Not to be confused with Homer, Alaska, home of Tom Bodette the "We'll leave the light on for ya"  Motel  6 guy This Homer may be best known, if at all, for the Homer Soda Company Claiming 250 flavors -- there are some strange ones for sure! (Kitty Piddle being one) We didn't get to Homer itself, but the Forest Preserve north of town. The Salt Fork of the Vermilion River runs nearby -- so named for salt springs that pioneers used to preserve food -- and leading to the city of Danville, Illinois Perfect day for cycling, temp in the 70' and light winds A 5 star ride -- no question!  Arrival at Kolb Park, St. Joesph, Illinois Headed south out of St. Joseph Turn on to Homer Lake Road First view of Homer Lake    A constructed feature created by damming Conkey Branch of the Salt Fork River. Previously, there was quite a resort along the Salt Fork River -- long gone now' Read about it HERE Entering the...
Read more