Ride the Hennipen Feeder Canal in the morning - June 29-2012

This morning we decided we need to extend our morning ride to make it 20 miles round trip, so we rode down to Star Road and back. There was a nice breeze and it was still cool when we got back home. Only 3 pictures today, the firsat two were taken at the lock looking north and south and then one of a Blue Heron waiting to start his day.

June 28, 2012

Today we completed the ride from the Rock River to the Feeder Canal Basin, where the feeder pours into the Hennipen Canal. We started out at Bridge 59 and rode south to the basin, where we picked up the path on the actual Hennipen Canal and rode west to bridge 18A and rode across the canal to the east bound path and rode it to the parking area at County Road 400 East, that will be our starting point when we ride east to the Visitor Center and the historic area by Wyanet, IL. We rested here a short while and then we headed back north to our car. Along the way we found a lush black berry patch, ate our fill, saw a deer on the path, and saw 10 million Japanese Beetles and all of them seemed attracted to us as we had to keep brushing them off, by the time we arrived back at our car it was about 97 degrees and our water and food stash didn't last long.  One thing of note, the path from bridge 61 to bridge 60 is not paved but is very nice packed Ag Lime, it was easy riding, but north of bridge 60 the paving starts again. And there are rest rooms at bridge 64. Below are the pictures of the views from the bridges and other interesting items, be sure to scroll down to the panorama of the Basin.


                                                          Looking south from Bridge 60

                                                The Green river Viaduct, hopefully in the next few days
                                 we will get some additional pictures of this engineering marvel

                                                Looking south from Bridge 61

                                                Looking south from Bridge 62

                                                Looking south from Bridge 63

                                                Looking south from Bridge 64

The rest rooms at Bridge 64

Snake weed by bridge 64

                                 Looking east on the Hennipen Canal from Bridge 18A

Looking west on the Hennipen Canal from Bridge 18A

East end of the Basin by bridge 17A 

Panorama of the Basin from the south side, be sure to double click on it to make it bigger.



June 26,2012

This morning as we tried to decide where we wanted to ride, I suggested that we drive down to Tampico for breakfast and then drive over to the canal on Hahnaman Road and head south to Illinois Rt 92. Well one thing lead to anoyther and we ended up riding almost to the Green River Viaduct.  Just north of here we ran into two older Amish Gentlemen riding north on their bikes, the younger of the 2, in his 70's rode a "Schwinn" and the older, in his 80's? rode a "Next" a WalMart brand, they ride the path almost every day. We had a pleasant conversation with them and rode on. The round trip was about 18 or 19 miles, beautiful day for a ride.

Headed south at Jersey Road

Osage Road looking south 

                                              Coming up on Jersey Road Bridge # 53 

A welcome sight, restrooms at Rt 92 

                                                     

                                                          Illinois Route 92 Bridge

                                                   View from Back Bone Road Bridge

 


                                             Looking north from Back Bone Rd Bridge

 

                           About 1/2 way between Bridge 59 and 60 where we turned around

                            Osage and Luther Roads where we got off the canal
                            on our way back and then road north to Hahnaman Rd
                          to go back to the canal  to pick up the car and drive home.

6-25-12 Ride with the kids on the Hennipen Feeder Canal

Judy and I got up early and rode doen to Buel Road and back for our morning ride, later Misty and the kids came over and we rode the canal again down to Buel Road with them.
                            We started out at the lock at Rock River and took a group picture.
In the picture from the left is Misty, Caidyn, Celtin, Judy, Ciersyn and me

 As we were coming back I got ahead and got up on the Rt 30 bridge and shot them
                                                           as they came along

                         By the time I got back on the path they were a ways ahead of me.

                         

But I caught up with them before we got to the dam on the Rock River and we took this group shot before heading home.

Jun 23, 2012 Morning Ride on the Hennipen Feeder Canal

June 23, 2012

Judy and I rode down to Buell Road, on the way down we saw some wild life and I took some pictures.  

First we came on this group of Mallards waiting for the sun to penetrate the trees on the canal.

 Further on down we came upon this Heron starting its day out wading the edge of the canal.

 On our way back just north of the Illinois Route 40 bridge we came upon this mother Mallard and her flock sitting on the edge of the path, they spend a lot of time here as we see them often at this spot.

Also found a Sear Free Spirit someone had dumped in the canal, talked to Bryce at Mead's Bike Shop and he told me the Rock Falls Police Department had him look at about 100 bikes that people had pulled from the canal and turned in to the police, the asked Bryce's opinion if they had any value. He said they didn't, they had been in the water too long. Kids steal bikes and when they are done with them dump them in the canal. What a waste.

June 16, 2012

June 16, 2012.

Judy and I rode down to Riverdale road and back, nice day for a ride.

June 17 thru June 22


Pretty much rode our regular 10 to 14 miles all week, preparing for the kids and Grand Kids to arrive, Judy didn't ride on Thursday as she and Peter drove into Chicago Midway to pick Trisha and Mason up. I couldn't go due to the fact I was to do a photo shoot that day that didn't happened, it was posponed til Friday. But that is a non bike story.

June 16, 2012

We took off on our morning ride after coffee on the patio with a fire in the fire place. didn't really need a fire but it is nice. Cool easy riding, we rode on past Buell Road where the pavement ends and continued on to Riverdale Road, I wanted to see if it did any good to call the DNR to report the burning log, it didn't, no one even stirred the coals or sprayed any water on it, it burned it self out with out catching the brush pile on fire and turning into something worse.

As we headed back north, it started sprinkling, much needed rain, but it needs to more than sprinkle, I rode ahead and caught Judy coming under the old railroad bridge.

June 15, 2012

I ended up riding about 18 miles this morning.

Judy decided to take today off, so I took off alone intending to only ride 8 miles total. I don't know what I was thinking when I got to Buel Road, I got off the canal and rode south to Hickory Hills Road and then to Star Road and then back on the canal. It was tough riding south on the roads, the wind was in my face and I had to down shift way down to keep going, but I made it back to the canal and started north.

 Just north of Star Road.

It was much easier once I started north with the wind at my back and it wasn't long til I was coming to Riverdale Road, the shot below is about a half mile west. of Riverdale Road

 About 100 yards from Riverdale road I came upon this smoldering log, yesterday when we rode thru here 2 guys had this log clear across the path and had it burning, we had to go off the path to get around it, This morning the remains of it had been pulled off the path and left burning, it was laying in the ditch next to a brush pile still smoldering, I didn't have a bucket to douse it so I called the DNR and reported it. They said they would send someone out to extinguish it. Some people are too dumb to be allowed to breath the same air we breath.

When I got back to Buell Road a guy on a 2 wheel recumbent was just getting on the canal, I caught up with him and he said he was on a bike tour and had to get to Sauk Valley Community College as that is where they all were to meet up. He said he rode 125 miles yesterday and had only been riding since last August, I bid him farewell ath the Rock River and finished my daily ride.

Ride on the Hennepin Feeder Canal 6-14-12

June 14, 2012
This morning we started out early, about 6:40 A.M. to ride to Tampico, IL to have breakfast at R&B's Dutch Diner, we headed south on the Hennepin Feeder Canal, south of Knief Road the trail is poorly kept, who ever mows blew the grass onto the path and made it like riding thru a hay field, south of Star Road, the path is maintained a little better. Note, at Star Road there is a Rest Room, well kept cement block building. We arrived in Tampico in about 1 hr and 40 minutes, had a good breakfast and headed north on Tampico Road, or IL Highway 172 to Star Road, we rode east to the canal and kept riding to our friends house, Jerry and Mary Baker, after a pleasant visit with them we rode on to Hickory Hills Road and turned north, and stopped briefly at Janet and Len Smith's house and then pressed on north to Buell Road, where we got back on the canal. Great day for a ride. Enjoy the pictures.


                                       

Starting out at the Lock at the Rock River

At R&B"s Dutch Diner in Tampico, IL. Judy is streaching in preparing for the return trip.

                                                         About 1/2 mile south of Knief Road

Looking South from Star Road

                                               Rest Rooms at Star Road on the Feeder Canal





June 13, 2012

Judy didn't ride today, she had her sewing friends here so I went by my self, got in my minimum of 8 miles, and marked the bad bumps, pot holes, etc with floresent paint and found and dug out the 3 mile marker and marked it for visibility on the Hennipen Feeder Canal Bike Path.




June 12, 2012
Went for a ride on the Hennipen Feeder canal bike path for about a 13 to 14 mile round trip. Beautiful day for a ride.

                                         The lock at the Rock River, our usual starting point

InterState 88 Bridges

                                                                 Knief Road

   

Looking north from Knief Road

                                                           1/2 mile south of Knief Road

about where we turned around to head home.

June 11, 2012