This post is a continuation of my Grand Illinois Trail experience, which I started in Part 1, here.
Day 4 (9/12/17) Gebhard Woods to Matteson, Illinois (~50 miles)
We woke up at Gebhard Woods, packed up our gear, and resumed riding the I&M trail. Prior to the trip, I hadn’t been sure about what to expect in terms of how well-maintained it would be. I was pleasantly surprised, however, that it turned out to be a very nice trail. The weather was hot and could have become uncomfortable, but the trail had tree cover for most of the way.
The surface was a mix of crushed limestone and pavement, making for smooth riding. As with many canal towpaths I’ve been on (which yes, is only like 3), the actual canal was green and boggy from being out of use. One wonders what creatures lurk beneath the surface. That reminds me, thus far on the trip, I had accidentally eaten approximately five bugs and had seen one snake.
We also passed several locks and old lockhouses. It would be cool if someone would turn the old lockhouses into lodging for bikers and campers. Or, maybe a little diner?
Eventually, we got off the I&M trail at Joliet, where we then rode about 6 miles through the city. Along the way, we noticed some signs indicating Joliet takes pride in the I&M trail:
In Joliet, we made our way to the Old Plank Road Trail, which is neither old, nor a road, nor made out of planks. It’s actually probably the nicest section of the Grand Illinois Trail that I experienced, as it’s a converted rail-trail that is completely paved and tree-lined!
We rode the Old Plank Trail into Matteson, Illinois, suddenly feeling quite close to Chicago. After all, we had traversed past Interstate Highways 55 and 57 today, often hearing the buzzing of cars and semis in our trek north and east toward the city.
For sleeping, instead of camping, we opted for a hotel. Sometimes it’s nice to have a warm shower and beds! Also, one of the bolts on my bike rack had broken on the ride today. With some bike tools and zip ties, we were able to repair it enough on the trail and at the hotel to make the journey home!
Day 5 (9/13/17) – Matteson to Chicago (~60 miles)
We woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. Today, Ellen’s friend Tom would be joining us for the final leg of the trip! We began our ride on the Old Plank Trail in some light rain. Today, we quickly learned, would be a mix of cityscape and nature as we entered the Chicago area.
We were only on the Old Plank Trail for a couple of miles before we turned onto the Thorn Creek Trail, which is also a very nice, paved 17-mile trail in the Forest Preserve system (also a converted rail-trail). From there, we traveled to the Burnham Greenway, which was not my favorite part of the trip because I got two flat tires on it. The trail crosses some busy streets and I ran over some glass. Don’t litter!
And then, just like that, we were on the south side of Chicago. We stopped for a quick break at the South Shore Cultural Center and then hopped on the famous Lakeshore Trail, which would take us north.
I thought the Lakeshore Trail might be crowded, as it often is, but it wasn’t too bad. It was about 3:30 pm on a weekday, and it was chilly, so maybe those factors had something to do with it. Regardless, riding north on the Lakeshore Path is a great way to enter Chicago!
After more than 200 miles of riding through Illinois terrain, here was my first view of Lake Michigan, on the south side of the city:
And then, here’s a shot once I arrived on the north side of the trail, looking south toward downtown:
At the Lawrence exit, I got off the trail and headed west toward the North Shore Channel Trail. I live north of the city, and while this trail is not technically part of the Grand Illinois Trail, it was my way home! It’s a nice trail, as well, although short at only about 6 miles long. Here is a shot from that trail, overlooking the Chicago River.
And then, I arrived home at last and promptly ordered take-out!
Final mileage: 241.
Final Thoughts: Overall, I felt well-prepared for this trip. I work out almost every day already, and have been biking at least once per week for the past several years. In the two months leading up to this trip, I upped my biking, primarily on an indoor trainer, to twice per week. My training rides consist of one shorter ride during the week of about 40 minutes and then one longer ride on a weekend day of at least an hour.
From a gear standpoint, given that I had three flat tires on this trip, I will definitely bring multiple C02 cartridges on the next trip. I didn’t bring any, mostly because I had grown complacent about flat tires after having not experienced one on a bike trip before.
Finally, I’m grateful that I got to experience this trip and that Ellen invited me along to join her adventures. The past year I’ve experience some major life changes for me, both positive and difficult, including the birth of a child and the death of a parent, and it was just really nice to be out in the country only having to worry about biking to our next destination day after day.
Here’s to many more miles to ride, I hope!
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