Starting and ending in Itasca State Park, the Tour De Pines bike ride is just in it's fourth year. Sister ride to the Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride, it seems to draw a lot of riders from the Twin Cities and not too many local riders from the area. Although we did meet some riders who made the trip over from North Dakota. Saturday brought perfect weather for the ride and that made it more enjoyable. However, of the three bike tours I've riden this year, this one was the most challenging. The hilly terrain started right away in the park and continued over the next 78 miles. While we still enjoyed ourselves I made a mental note to be in better biking condition before riding it next year!

From the upper Right, the headwaters of the Mississippi River; biking down Wilderness drive one of the most scenic parts of the ride; out on county roads for much of the ride; my "vintage" Schwinn on the right side of the law!