Rural Minnesota Evening Drive
Hello!
Evening is getting later in the day and, as a result, I had just enough time to drive around and capture some photos of rural Minnesota in the evening light. Heading out of town up one of the bluffs, there was a scenic overlook. Covered in layers of ice and snow as it was, there was nobody else there.
Minnesota River and Mankato's west side
After a few shots at the overlook, I turned my truck down what, in some states, would be described as a "rustic road." It was curvy, hilly, had no shoulder, and was poorly plowed. At one point, there was enough room to pull over and see what the river looked like. This is the Blue Earth river, which flows into the Minnesota River.
Blue Earth River
The road comes out at another waterfall, complete with observation bridge. It's not a great place to take photos, as you can only view the falls from above. The bridge and anti-cyclist device (a.k.a. orange bollard) made an interesting image in the evening sunlight, though! Perhaps they put those in the middle of trails with cameras recording them, so that they can post the resulting painful crashes on YouTube...
Bike bridge
Then it was back in the warm truck and looking for the primary target of today's drive. Minnesota is full of barns like these. Many are falling apart, and it's becoming more difficult to find one that is well kept. This example seems to be a pretty old one, judging by the foundation. It is in an idyllic location, next to a low flood plain by the river. I wonder how you get in the front door, though!
Typical Minnesota barn
There were several examples of barns in very poor conditions, but they were inaccessible. This one, however, was right next to the road to Rapidan. It appears to be empty, which is probably a good thing given its apparent structural integrity!
Nightfall at the old barn
Thank you for taking a look! If you enjoy my work, please click the upvote button. Comments are also greatly appreciated.
Lots of snow in those images, that city must be extremely cold...
There is a layer of ice just under the snow, too. It has been about -17 °C for the last few days.
That's very cold....way below freezing...wow...
The Blue Earth River looks nice and solid. Did you manage to go walking on it?
Even though it has been very cold this winter, the volume of water keeps the ice thin. If you go through the ice, the current will pull you away from the hole and you'll become trapped under the ice.
I did walk on a small frozen stream, though!
I wait sometimes until the thaw, and study the parts of a river that break up first. That way you know what parts to avoid the next year. It's fun walking on frozen rivers, but I agree with you. You got to be very cautious.
I was hoping you could unflag a comment I made, if you get a chance. I don't know if you still see it. It might be hidden.
I know this river fairly well. It has a large volume of water and flows northeast so, unless it stays in the -30 ºF range for at least a month, I wouldn't venture out on it. The combination of movement and the warmer water coming from Iowa make it dangerous. The lakes, on the other hand, are over two feet thick with ice!
We actually had a slight warm up a week ago, and my little stream had open water at the surface. The waterfall is still a block of ice about thirty feet across, at the base. You can hear the water gurgling as it passes through tunnels within the ice block. It's kind of eerie, but very cool.
Good call on staying away from the river! It's no fun seeing an awesome green apple turn blue! Hope you are staying warm!
Hi @Fotosdenada. I see you had some concerns about my previous comment, so I removed it. My intention was to spark a conversation about backpacking, by promoting a competition. I was seeking out a few individuals that could provide great insight. I should of used a better approach. I should of commented on your post first. I apologize for the misunderstanding.
Thank you for modifying your original post. When I perceive a post's intent as promotion for someone else's content, I generally flag it. Such comments are not constructive to the discourse.
Minessota is a dream land from what I see in the pictures. Thanks for sharing.
A cold dream! lol
nice clear crisp skies. A little gloomy here. Nice pictures of the area
Thanks! We're supposed to get snow for the rest of the week, so it was nice to see the sun.