Cannon River Trail Late August 2009

Today we entered the Cannon River Trail from Cannon Falls, Minnesota and rode the trail to the Welch, Minnesota station. The day was quite cool and partially overcast making it feel more like an afternoon in early October than late August. We started our ride around 12:30 p.m. with the temperature registering about 63 F. Overall the conditions were chilly even for Minnesota standards. That aside, the trail was busy with riders from every age group. This is one of the finest trails in our area without a doubt. The trail is well maintained and there is a kinship amongst riders that appears to be understood. Looking forward to giving this trail a ride when the fall foliage begins to turn in a few weeks.

Cannon River Trail Part 2

In our return visit to the Cannon Valley Trail we chose to start in Welch and ride to Red Wing and return to our starting point in Welch (click here). We had what we would consider a perfect Minnesota afternoon with temperatures ranging from 70 degrees F in the shade to 79 degrees F in the sun. Winds were out of the North at approximately 10 miles an hour. The trail is asphalt with the foliage providing an excellent canopy for approximately 90% of the ride.

Cycling The Cannon Valley Trail

If you have not had an opportunity, take some time to visit and take in the Cannon Valley Trail in Southeastern Minnesota. My most recent cycling experience was under ideal conditions. The weather was extraordinarily beautiful with a sunny afternoon, the temperature at 85F and the wind at 10 to 15 mph out of the west. I only had a couple of hours so I entered at Welch station and rode west to Cannon Falls. As described on the website the Cannon Valley Trail is a 19.7 mile long trail that runs through diverse and spectacular scenery on a former Chicago Great Western Railroad line connecting the cities of Cannon Falls, Welch and Red Wing in beautiful southeastern Minnesota.