Saturday Offroad Ride

I rode the Minnesota River Bottoms Trail this morning, starting at the crack of dawn. I saw two deer, three hikers, and one wedding party in a photo session.

I also stopped and read this sign.

"Site of Chief Cloudman's village. He had moved here from Lake Calhoun in 1839. A friend of Gideon Pond. He tried farming."

I'm going to research this a bit and get back to you on what I find. I can't imagine farming in this exact spot. It's at the base of a cliff with a marsh and river on the other side. Stopping here in any season except winter is foolish due to the number of mosquitoes. I had a flat tire in this area one time and the mosquitoes forced me to ride on a flat until I found a better spot. But if you're moving, it's a beautiful area.
It's possible that in 1839, the area was much different. The Minnesota River may have been further away then.