Geocaching in Red Wing and Hiking Frontenac State Park
September 16-18, 2005

 

Barn Bluff is Red Wing's most distinctive geographic feature, primarily because it is an enormous lump practically in the middle of downtown. Hiking some fairly steep trails is the only means of reaching the top, unless you're an experienced cliff climber. I'd be hesitant to recommend this park to families with small children as there are many steep drop-offs and very few guard rails.

 We parked at the trailhead and began our ascent on the south side of the bluff. It wasn't super steep, but it was steep enough that we'd need to pause to catch our breaths every so often. The trail at this point was mainly packed dirt and some man-made concrete stairs. When we made it to the top we headed to the eastern lookout. This top part of the trail was grassy with small shrubs. The views of Red Wing and the river were excellent! When we'd had our fill of the east, we walked across the top of the bluff. On the way, we passed a benchmark (our first benchmark!). After pausing to enjoy the view the west side had to offer of the river and the Eisenhower Bridge, we descended a steep stairway. Halfway down, we paused to find a geocache hidden there. The final part of the trail was along the north side, which was must more damp and potentially slippery than the south side. As we were nearing the end, we passed the cliffs where quite a few people were doing some recreational climbing. We spent about 2 hours on the trail, covering 2.1 miles.

The next day we got up and drove a short ways southwest to Frontenac State Park. From the parking area we headed first to the bluff trail, a steep switchback descent made strenuous due to constantly having to control one's momentum. The trail, mainly hardpacked dirt and wooden stairs, led directly to the river's edge. The Mississippi here, fittingly called Lake Pepin, looks and acts much less like a river than a lake. Near the shore especially, little water movement can be detected. The next leg of the trail, following the river, was pretty nice without a lot of climbing. Then it was time for another switchback, this time ascending back to the top of the bluff. It was pretty exhausting, but we made it up to Yan Teopa Rock. Like the second leg, the final was fairly easy-going without a lot of elevation change. When we arrived back at the parking area we rehydrated and prepared for the next hike. After some rest and taking some preventive measures for blisters, we found the trailhead for the Hiking Club Trail and headed off. This trail had some challenging terrain as well, but in a quite different environment. We passed through prairie meadows and sunlit hardwood forest. About halfway through we stopped at an overlook of Lake Pepin and the river valley. In Frontenac we spent 3:30 on the trails, hiking 5.4 miles.
 
Relevant links: Red Wing, Minnesota
 Oar d'Oeuvre Restaurant
 Minnesota DNR		 Frontenac State Park
 Lake City, Minnesota

 
09-16-05: We drove down to Red Wing Friday night after work, and checked into our hotel, the Best Western Quiet House.

09-17-05: Jonas loves his WiFi!

09-17-05: Jonas putting his hiking boots on in the Barn Bluff parking area.

09-17-05: The view from the east side of the bluff from the trailhead.

09-17-05: Julia at an interpretive sign, with GPS in hand!

09-17-05: No, Jonas! Stay out of the stinging nettle!

09-17-05: Julia on the south side of the bluff, overlooking Red Wing.

09-17-05: Red Wing in miniature.

09-17-05: The trail along the top of the bluff.

09-17-05: Jonas on the trail.

09-17-05: Another shot of Jonas on the trail.

09-17-05: Tiny cars along Hwy. 61.

09-17-05: Julia looking out over the Mississippi River.

09-17-05: Julia pointing at the cross. A memorial?

09-17-05: A USGS benchmark we found along the trail.

09-17-05: Here's a close-up shot of the benchmark.

09-17-05: A view of the Mississippi facing upstream.

09-17-05: The Eisenhower Bridge leading into Wisconsin.

09-17-05: Julia looking upstream.

09-17-05: Jonas hopping over the stairs in search of a geocache.

09-17-05: Jonas searching for the geocache. (GCE681)

09-17-05: Jonas opening up the cache. Wonder what's inside!

09-17-05: Woo, a Jeep travel bug inside!

09-17-05: Stairs containing the names of Kiwanis members from the 1920s.

09-17-05: The southeast side of the bluff is popular with climbers.

09-17-05: Here's a picture of our hotel.

09-17-05: A cute cricket.

09-17-05: For lunch we stopped at Oar d'Oeuvre. Here's a picture of our delicious meal.

09-17-05: Jonas hiking another hill to find a geocache. (GCP9YM)

09-17-05: Jonas on top of yet another hill in Red Wing.

09-17-05: Cool cemetery picture from Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Hay Creek.

09-17-05: Spooky cemetery picture.

09-17-05: Eek! It's a ghost!

09-18-05: Jonas on the bluff trail in Frontenac State Park.

09-18-05: Some ferns and other foliage growing in the shade.

09-18-05: Julia at the Mississippi shore.

09-18-05: A butterfly hanging out among the beach pebbles.

09-18-05: Jonas watching the river go by.

09-18-05: A close-up of Wisconsin on the far side of the river.

09-18-05: The mighty Mississippi.

09-18-05: Julia enjoying the river.

09-18-05: A sneaky millipede creeping around in the forest.

09-18-05: Yan Teopa Rock, one of the park's geologic highlights.

09-18-05: Yan Teopa Rock from above.

09-18-05: Here we are taking a breather and enjoying the view.

09-18-05: Jonas on the Hiking Club trail.

09-18-05: Pretty red sumac and yellow goldenrod.

09-18-05: An overlook of the Mississippi River.

09-18-05: A sailboat on the Mississippi River.

09-18-05: Jonas searching for a geocache on the river shore.

09-18-05: The marina in Lake City.

09-18-05: A flock of seagulls near the marina.

09-18-05: Julia taking notes for a virtual cache at the marina.