The Village Bar for June 9, 2009

This my first blog post with multiple topics for which I decided were a little too short to warrant individual postings.  I’m naming this “grab-bag” post after a once favorite post-workout haunt where in addition to beverages and food, much discussion and musings were bandied about regarding various sporting topics.  

DTV Day is coming June 12, and if you aren’t ready just remember that you don’t have to pay the cable company as you still can get over-the-air with a converter box (or television with a digital tuner) and a good antenna.  I posted in March and in February on the topic.    Here’s a link to a new video on building a good antenna.    Universal Sports is often available over the air on a digital subchannel of select NBC affiliates, and as a bonus on DTV Day (June 12), they are televising same-day coverage of the Grand Prix swimming event, featuring at least 20 Olympians from Beijing, including  Michael Phelps.  Universal Sports is a definite plus for the DTV change, otherwise, the transition to DTV means that sometimes I get a crystal clear signal but other times a few of the channels drop out completely (where they had just been fuzzy or snowy) and whenever a private plane or helicopter goes overhead the signal almost always drops out temporarily.      

A reminder that this weekend is the monthly “Hike the Hennepin Challenge” for June.  

Grand Illinois trail (southern leg) condition update--speaking of the Hennepin, here’s a recent canal trail closure update.   Due to recent flooding events on the Hennepin canal trail, certain sections of the hard surfaced trail have been compromised requiring that those areas be closed to usage.  On the west end, from the bridge at Colona for I-80 to Lock 26, about  4.3 miles, is impassable and closed while on the east end, from Bridge 4 to Lock 3, about 5.6 miles, is closed.  Unfortunately a rider will need to use the roads in this area, with possible detours on the west end to exit east of Colona and use Cleveland / Dayton Corner / 2300N and E 900 to return to the canal.  In the east end, since the closure is more or less the end of the trail to Rte 29, its best to just exit the trail and make your way to the Grand Illinois Trail—I’d suggest the Openlands cue sheets.  For the I&M Canal, a recent update is that the washout east of Utica is still there (see the photo at the bottom of the “Bicycling the Canals” tab.  There is a new washout this year just east of the 5 mile bridge west of Morris.  For the Utica washout, you could take Dee Bennett Rd. from Utica to the Buffalo Rock Access to get around it, just be careful of the traffic on that road.  For the washout near Morris, to avoid: when you come to the large wooden arch bridge, (from the west) exit the trail onto Old Stage Rd and proceed east until you get to the Waupeacan Spillway and then you can get back on the trail. The spillway will be on your right about 2 miles down the road, there is a small parking lot there.   Careful on Old Stage as it is a narrow 2 lane.

If you are planning a ride on either the Hennepin or the I&M Canal trails, be sure to get an update on trail conditions and plan alternate routes if necessary.