Louisville Swamp

I was out here last year with "G Man" and was unable to ride out to the little island made of sandstone due to thin ice, this time I made it.

 Friday I got out of work a little early (11:30 am) and headed down to the Louisville Swamp. This is an area I have visited often with friends, family, and singularly. A good time can be had exploring this large track of land along the Minnesota River.  I have also had some of my toughest rides coming back through here on very long snowmobile trail rides. On an out and back from Shakopee to Belle Plaine by the time I hit "the swamp" I'm completely fried, and the last 8-9 miles is a death march.

The island

 For me it's hard not to associate the swamp with these really tough rides, but a day of just cruising and fooling around sure helps erase the negative thoughts. It's these fun rides and the beauty of the wide open spaces that keep me coming back. The really tough rides also keep me coming back since they are a necessary component of endurance racing, especially in the winter . It's all about balance.   

Sand Creek. A.F. and I paddled this much further upstream last spring 

 The snowmobile trail doesn't actually go through the Louisville Swamp but travels alongside the Minnesota River. This trail in conjunction with some of the trails in the park can be pieced together to make a nice loop any time of the year, except when it's flooded, or towards the end of summer when the stinging nettle and very tall grasses are at their peak on the snowmobile trail. On Friday everything was nicely frozen so I made my own route combining the swamp, sand creek, the trails within the park and the snowmobile trail to make a nice two hour ride.