Took the bikes out last weekend and rode Hwy 61 north from Duluth to Two Harbors were we turned onto Lake Co Hwy 2 and followed that north to Hwy 1 over to Ely, MN. From there we turned onto Co Rd 21 to Embarrass, MN. After a stop to visit friends we headed south, winding our way through Range towns (with one small detour related to a parade) until we hit Co. Rd 44 and followed that back to town.
Lots of good roadway and beautiful vistas throughout the ride. We made a special stop at the White Pine Picnic Area on Co. Hwy 2 to admire the stand of virgin White Pines (big trees by Minnesota standards).
Co. Hwy 2, near the White Pine Picnic Area, has trees so close to the road that they are marked with reflectors. It can also be a good place to see moose. Fortunately it was a warm day and the moose were hanging out in the lakes and bogs and not near the roadway.
Hwy 1 is quite narrow with occasional bits of bedrock poking out very near the road and minimal shoulders. It is also quite twisty as it travels between the many lakes and rivers in this part of the state.
Ely is a bit of a madhouse in the summer with all the folks entering the BWCAW. We made a quick stop at the local Dairy Queen before heading out on the rest of our journey.
Co. Rd 21 has it's share of twists and turns as well, though surrounded by more farmland than forest as it works itself across the divide between the Hudson Bay and Lake Superior Watersheds. We arrived in Embarrass and took some time to visit friends and check out their chickens.
From Embarrass south we were on pretty wide, though not well-traveled, roads until we hit Co. Rd 44. Then it was back to a narrow, twisty road surrounded mostly by forest until we hit the outskirts of Duluth.
There is very little in the way of development along any of these roads and, despite it being a holiday weekend, we saw very little traffic.
Total trip mileage: 232 miles. Longest one day ride I have been on.
The R65 did fine keeping up with my husbands 1976 R75/6. Both bikes seems to be quite happy cruising at about 60 mph ;->
I had the opportunity to practice a bit more gravel road riding, including a steep descent (and ascent) from a friends place in Ely, MN. This followed a poor showing on my part on how to make a tight, slow speed turn on a sloped gravel road, so was a confidence builder.
