Tuesday Moderate Ride – September 17 – 9:00 AM -- Panera
This week we are scheduled to ride to one of my favorite places – the Middlefork Savanna in Lake Forest, and Fall is a favorite time to visit. Expect lots of tall yellow flowers and possibly flocks of migrating birds. We will ride at a moderate pace (13 to15 mph) to this rare remnant from Illinois' pre-settlement past. We'll ride a bit more than three miles on the limestone trail in the preserve at a slow pace with some possible stops for nature gawking. The trail is suitable for road bikes (as long as you are not in a hurry). At this point most Tuesday riders have heard my speech about the preserve at least one time, and in many cases many times more. I am not planning to do a show and tell this trip. If you’d like to learn more about the preserve, you can find information on the Lake County Forest Preserve District web site: Middlefork Savanna | Lake County Forest Preserves (lcfpd.org). Or you can sit with me at lunch.
Lunch will be at the Panera in Lake Bluff. After lunch we will resume our moderate pace on the roads and paved paths back to Wilmette. Our total distance will be 45 miles. Here is a link to the route I will be using: Middlefork-V2 · Ride with GPS. I will ride at a moderate (13 – 15 mph) pace. With enough interest there will be a second slightly faster group led by Will H.
Weather looks good for Tuesday. It should be sunny with a high temperature of 81 degrees, and we are not likely to reach that until after the ride has ended. The wind will be out of the east at 5 to 10 mph.