Completing the Grand Illinois Trail: Princeton to the Quad Cities to Galena and back through Rockford

My last post was about my attempt to get to the Mississippi River in 2021. I was unable to complete the route because the temperature was colder than I expected. I was just able to finish the journey September 23 to September 25, 2022. What an adventure!

This was the first bikepacking trip that I have done with my new pride and joy, my custom titanium Seven Evergreen S. What a huge difference in ride as compared to my old carbon Trek Domane (which I still dearly miss). Given that I had to abort the last time, I was much more well prepared, both in terms of gear and in terms of my own fitness. I was confident I could complete my route this time. I was prepared to do the journey over 4 days and 3 overnights, but circumstances would suggest that I complete the trip in 3 days...I would give it my best go. 

The route would follow the Grand Illinois Trail (GIT) fairly closely, starting from where I had left off last year, on the Hennepin Canal close to Princeton. It would take me to the banks of the Mississippi, up along the Great River Trail, and into frozen-in-time Galena, then eastward through the Driftless area of northwestern Illinois, through Rockford and then back to Harvard, IL, where I would catch the Metra home. I did not ride the portions of the GIT in the Chicagoland area, as this is my home turf and I have ridden most of these sections at some point in the last few years.

(September 2022 trip segments in Green, Blue, and Orange; March 2021 in Yellow)

DAY 1 - Friday, September 23:

I set off after breakfast by heading to Union Station in Chicago for the 7:40am Train #381 (the Carl Sandburg towards Quincy, IL). The ticket itself was $26, and the bicycle fee was $10. Pretty sweet deal! This was the first time I was boarding at Union Station, so I got there about 30 minutes early. Checked in at the ticket counter, and was given a bicycle tag to put on my handlebar. Headed straight to the boarding track and was directed to the car with the bicycle rack. Wow, the bike felt quite heavy going up the steps, as this was the first time I had it fully loaded. Quite smooth, and the conductors were very helpful. I did take my two detachable bags off the bike to get it onto the bike rack, which was vertically oriented. I then settled in for the 1 hour and 45 minute ride. The first 30 minutes or so was very familiar along my former regular commute BNSF Metra tracks until we got past the Naperville station. The train car was actually quite updated, and the USB charging ports actually worked really well. I contemplated having more food in the dining car, but decided against it.

(Amtrak to Princeton, sorry about audio quality)

The ride was smooth sailing, and I started getting ready my things ready after the Mendota station. I was getting excited to get on the road. The Princeton station was a familiar (and welcome!) site from last year.

(Hello again, dear friend! Princeton Amtrak station)

Spent a bit of time gathering my things and setting up the bike, and then off to the races! Riding through Princeton this year with fresh legs and the Garmin Varia rear radar was much more joyful than last year. I quickly got on the road south to the Hennepin Canal and was there within 5 miles. I saw my prior campsite 11 on the left (East), but turned and headed west along the trail. The crushed gravel was so smooth with a combination of the larger tires (35mm), Ti frame/geometry, and the heavier load.

(Hennepin Canal, south of Princeton near Tiskilwa)

I approached Lock 14, and had to take a few photos as it was so picturesque.

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(Hennepin Canal Lock 14, Between Tiskilwa and Wyanet)

I then rolled through the Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park. The visitor center was still closed, just like last summer when I drove there to get water for my second attempt to get to the Mississippi. Past the visitor's center, I approached the Canal Feeder Basin and the Lock 22 Campsite where I spent an evening last summer. A trail clearing crew was working, which I had to avoid, but it was good to see that the trail was being maintained.

(Approaching Lock 22, not Lock 17)

At this point, it was getting towards noon, and I was getting hungry! The trail paralleled I-80 here and I could see the trucks whizzing by. Onwards past Annawan. I pulled off the trail at Geneseo for lunch. Surprise, surprise...McDonald curbside pickup. At least this one had an outdoor eating area and tables. Gobbled my meal down, but unfortunately started drizzling. So I packed my stuff up quickly, and got my rain jacket on. Road through town back to the trail and kept on going. The food gave me some extra energy!

I approached the Quad Cities fairly quickly now, rolling through the suburb of Colona, where the trail was discontinuous. I had to hop on IL-84, which was a bit more busy, to get across the Rock River. Fortunately, I was able to turn off shortly thereafter, and road through some low-traffic streets in Carbon Cliff, Barstow, and the outskirts of East Moline. Got rained on a bit during this section, but quickly dried out. And then finally...the Mighty Mississippi!

(The Mighty Mississippi. Hello Iowa over there!)

Got on the Great River Trail (GRT) northbound. The trail is all paved, and sometimes follows low-traffic streets. Rolled through Illiniwek Forest Preserve, where I was going to camp if I were doing my 4-day itinerary. But alas, gotta keep on going!

(Great River Trail in Hampton)

Headed along the River with sections of the trail paralleling the more heavily trafficked IL-84, got rained on again right before passing under the I-80 bridge to Iowa. Rolled through the river towns of Rapids City, Port Byron, and Cordova. Port Byron was a cuter river town, probably would have stopped here had I had the time. Gotta get to camp before night. Wanted to avoid my habit of pitching my tent after dark!

Approaching the town of Albany, I was routed away IL-84 onto a little trail through Albany Mounds, which was a historic site for the Albany Hopewell Natives. Probably could have stayed on IL-84 to save some time, but I got a very small taste of some hills in the days to come! The route took me through the small town and then onto some side streets and back onto the trail.

Gotta keep going, getting late! Rolled past Fulton on IL-84 (the sections right next to the road are a bit more unpleasant, but functional and at least I don't have to play in traffic). Finally, hit the section of road through Thomson-Fulton Sand Prairie Nature Preserve and onto the trail through the preserve...sun is setting, but I knew my ride for the day (107 miles in total) was almost done. What a wonderful feeling!

Pulled into the Thomson Causeway Recreation Area Campground a bit after sunset and got my site number (#128), which was walk in only and no electricity for $14. Got to the site. Wow! Right on the river bank. Quickly pitched tent (again in the dark), and boiled up some water on my new MSR pocket rocket deluxe canister stove. Thank goodness I don't have to futz with lighting the stove with matches or a lighter, as I have a tendency to light stuff on fire (see previous post). Chowed down on my Mountainhouse freeze dried meal. Went and got a spartan shower at the showerhouse (but what a luxury on a trip like this!), and settled in for the night on the bank of the Mississippi.

(Nighttime view of the Mississippi, Thomson Causeway)

DAY 2 - Saturday, September 24:

Had a great night's sleep! Wonderful to wake up to the view of the Mississippi in the morning. Made some coffee and enjoyed the view. Then, I tried to hurry to pack up so I could get on the road again. Would get breakfast in Savannah instead of at camp. While packing up, a fellow camper came up to me and asked, "Are you BIKEPACKING?" Apparently, he was a cyclist from San Jose, and we chatted a bit. He was out here RV'ing with his wife, and his son was going to come and visit from Chicago. For the life of me now, I can't remember his name, so if you are reading this, give me a shout out! It was a bit of a pleasant delay getting out of camp, chatting with a fellow cyclists/camper.

(View from tent, Thomson Causeway)

On the way towards Savannah, passed by the infamous United State Penitentiary, Thomson. This used to be a high-security state prison, but was purchased by the Feds to house some Guantanamo Bay prisoners after reconfiguration. However, that project was scrapped, and it just houses a few low-risk folks now.

Past the Pen, road through the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge. So many birds! Saw all sorts of heron, crane and the like. Wasn't fast enough to capture on film, but still breathtaking.

(Great River Trail near Savannah)

Around 10:45am, I rolled into Savannah. There was a grill at the marina I considered getting breakfast at, but it was not yet open. Went into town for, you guessed it, McDonalds curbside. Unfortunately, they had stopped serving breakfast, but I did get a large "brunch" with a chicken sandwich and fries. 

Back through town and back on a trail, I met up with another cyclist and we chatted. He was on a morning ride up on the GRT from Port Byron, and was into Savannah for lunch, which he brought. We rode together for about a mile, and then parted ways.

The GRT ended at the north end of Savannah, and it was some time for road riding on IL-84 north of the US-52 bridge into Iowa. The pavement was nice and smooth, but there was some moderate traffic. Most of the cars were very gracious and gave me a large cushion when they were passing. I tried to acknowledge their efforts by giving each a wave. I passed by the Mississippi Palisades State Park, which was another possibility for a camping. There were some interesting stony outcroppings here, kind of like the Wisconsin Dells or Starved Rock.

Rode through the town of Hanover and got onto Blackjack Road. The first "real" climb of the trip. I see the road turn upwards and swallow hard. Legs start to burn...thank goodness for my climbing gear; running 1x mullet with 40T up front and 50T in the back. I get to the top of the step section still seated, but wishing I had the 52T granny gear. First climb of the trip, done. 

Following the ridgeline through the Witkowsky State Wildlife Area, I passed by an apple orchard. Unfortunately, can't really afford the extra weight, but would have loved to have stopped. Seeing the turnoff for the Chestnut Mountain resort, which was an option for lodging close to Galena, I knew I was to town. Right after the turnoff, a nice long descent and a few bumps into Galena. Time to look for lunch.

Followed Blackjack Road into town, turned left on US-20, and then right on Main/Water. Very quant old downtown full of red brick buildings and a levy right against the Galena River. Unfortunately, I was not that hungry, but knew that I needed calories. Walked the bike along Main Street to look at the food options.  Settle on the Green Street Tavern in the DeSoto House Hotel, which is the oldest operating hotel in Illinois. Lincoln actually stayed here! Looked for a place out front to lock up my bike, but alas, no bike rack. The lightposts were too thick to get my lock around too. Fortunately, just down the street was City Hall and some public restrooms with bike racks right in front. I felt "relatively" safe with bike there, still a bit worried, but bit the bullet and locked up.

Sat down at the restaurant and got some chili, coffee, and a reuben sandwich with chips. I inhaled my meal, worried about the bike down the street. Probably not the best idea...a bit of heartburn set in :( The service was good, and I was able to charge my devices, yay! Should have snapped some pics, but didn't think about it. Paid up and beelined to the bike. Still there!

I freshened up a bit at the very well kept public bathroom, and got situated on the bike. Knowing I still had quite a few hills before camp, I hurriedly rode out of town. Would have lingered a bit more with more time, of course. Made my way up to Stagecoach Trail, on the northeast end of town, and left "civilization" behind again.

After a some time on Stagecoach Trail, which had some mild traffic, I turned off onto Guilford Road and was again on backcountry roads with almost no cars. Some sections were paved, others were gravel. A few more bumps, then the climb of the day!  Guilford Road had turned into Rawlins Road and at the beginning of the last pitch, on a section that wasn't too steep, I happened upon two farmers tending to a large machine in a field. They waved and said, "hey buddy, you a big one coming up..." and then muttered to his friend "I couldn't do that...' Sure enough, close to the top, the gradient angled up to probably over 10% (maybe even over 12%), and I had to hike-a-bike up to the top for the first, and last time of the trip.

After the crest, turned north on Elizabeth Scales Mound Road, then east again on Schapville Road, and descended into Scapville, with gunshots in the distance. At the bottom of the descent was the Scales Mound Gun Club, where I waved to a bunch of guys with long guns standing right next to the road firing (away from the road, of course). They were friendly and waved back.

Passed by the Apple River Canyon State Park, Salem Unit. Could start seeing the walls of the shallow canyon that was carved by the river. On a descent just past, I overshot a turnoff to Townsend Road (the joys of flying down a descent with the wind in your face was distracting), and I had the "privilege" of another climb to get back to the right route before the day was out.

One more steady climb, and then I turned onto Canyon Park Road, and it was a straight shot into the entrance by the campground. Nearly there! Small descent, and there were the signs for Canyon Ridge Campground to the left. Pulled in, and the campground host's dog charged towards my bicycle! Luckily, she restrained it at the last minute. After looking around for a good campsite, I settled in and pitched tent in the light!!! First time in a long time. Went back and registered with the host, who was from Gurnee, I believe. No shower house though..., that's why only $8. 

Turned in for the night, there was some sprinkling. Some noisy neighbors, but thank goodness for earplugs! 72 miles, but 3411' of ascending today. Not bad for a flatlander!

(Elevation graph, in feet, for September 24, 2022. Some real hills in there!)

DAY 3 - September 25, 2022:

Woke up to a pretty humid morning. Being sweaty and without a shower definitely was uncomfortable. Note to self: get wipes for cleaning in case there's no showerhouse at the campsite! Made coffee and rehydrated breakfast and chowed down. Took down tent. Luckily, the fly and the tent itself were fairly dry. The footprint on the other hand...damp. I stuffed the footprint in its own stuffsack and packed everything else.  I would have to hurry today if I wanted to catch the Metra in Harvard back home...would be approximately 100 miles to go.

Headed westward on Canyon Road, legs were opening up. Rejoined Stagecoach Road for a southeast bound. Thank goodness the wind was at my back. Indeed, I happened across a windfarm, and all the turbines were facing me head on! The wind gods were smiling down on me this trip, as I had mostly tailwinds the whole way thus far! Turned off on Pin Hook Road (gravel) and stopped and took in the vast prairie farmland.

(Wind Turbines close to Waddams Grove along Pin Hood Road)

Lots of rollers here, with many gravel road sections mixed with pavement. Continued on past Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park, which was another camping option on the route. Continued straight on Lake Road, which turned into McConnell Road. I was making great time with the tailwind, 15-16 mph fully loaded, hitting well over 25mph on the short descents!

At Buena Vista, made a sharp turn due south on the Jane Addams Trail. It is a pretty little dirt track which stretches from Wisconsin (from Madison, where it is the Badger trail) into Freeport. My aim was to take this into Freeport for lunch. Unfortunately, after getting to Richland Road, there were signs up saying that the trail was closed due to washouts. Darn! I think this was the path with the least amount of elevation change. Oh well...re-routed onto paved road. Thank goodness I had cell service and Google maps access.

Tried again to get onto the trail in Red Oak at Beaver Road...again, signs saying the trail was washed out. Rerouted again SE on Red Oak Road, then S on Cockrell Road, then E on Winneshiek Road, and S on Blumenthal Road. The roads surfaces were reasonable, and there was very little traffic. However, lots of rollers, with the small uphills taking a bit of a toll on the legs.

At US-20, I took the frontage road (Fairview Road) east so I could join up with the trail to get to the underpass for the highway. I was in luck, and access was easy. Passed under the freeway and saw the Wes Block trailhead, with all the washout construction signs pointed northbound. It would have been nice to take the Jane Addams...perhaps another trip. Took the paved bike trail right next to the highway until it joined IL-26 and had to take this busy thoroughfare into town. Luckily, there was a reasonable shoulder to ride.

Another McDonalds curbside meal for me. The sun was coming out and layers were shed. Sunblock was applied. Was able to leave before around 11am. Still making excellent time to catch the train. Rolled eastbound out of town on Stephenson Street & IL-75 (E River Road). Busy road, but again, good shoulder.

Turned southbound on Farwell Bridge Road, hoping to catch the Pecatonica Prairie Path near Attens Landing. Unfortunately, this section looked pretty rough, and would be a slow slog on large stony path that was overgrown. I decided to continue on Farwell Bridge Road and then headed east on Sumner Road into the town of Pecatonica. Picked up the paved section of the Pecatonica Prairie Path through town, which then turned into dirt/gravel path.

(Main Street, Pecatonica)

The path was very pleasant, traveling through Winnebago, and then onto the outskirts of Rockford.

The trail ended at Meridian Road, and with a short jaunt south to eastbound Cunningham Road, I was in civilization again. Road through the west side of Rockford, which was a bit run down, and then routed around downtown. Not a whole lot of traffic...reminded me of Joliet or Elgin. After crossing the Rock River, picked up the Rock River Recreational Bike Path which followed the river NE to Loves Park. Rode through the Gardens and the Sinnissippi Riverfront Park, which was very pleasant. And the houses on the riverbank opposite the gardens were beautiful!

After taking some residential streets north, I took Windsor Road west, continuing through residential neighborhoods. Turned northbound on McFarland Road. Then followed Harlem Road westbound past Rock Cut State Park. This was where I was planning on camping during a 4-day itinerary. However, it was closed for construction! Lucky that I had ditched this plan before getting here.

Followed Argyle Road North, SE on Beloit Road, and then E on Kelly Road, N on Caledonia Road, then NE on Main Street into Caledonia. Here's where I picked up the Long Prairie Trail.

The trail was completely paved, but the surface was very bumpy, probably undermined by tree roots. I probably would have preferred nice gravel at this point. But this got me through Poplar Grove and Capron off the road and in a fairly nice, shady and wooded environment. The trail ended at the Boone McHenry County Line Road, which I took southbound to Eastbound IL-173. This may have been the worst stretch of road with cars whizzing by. Thankfully, it was relatively short. Turned off the busy road into Chemung, and then finally caught the Chemung Trail, which is very short but pleasant, into the outskirts of Harvard.

I had made it with a some time to spare before the next train at around 6:25pm! Time to grab some dinner for the train ride. Can you guess where? NOPE, not McDonalds! I probably won't eat McDonalds again for another year until I do another long bike trip. Subway baby!

Started chowing down on my footlong with extra meat while sitting at the station waiting for the train. It was getting a bit chillier, so I threw on my poofy jacket and was warm. Nothing like the shivering I did on my last attempt. The two hour ride home was uneventful. However, it did start pouring down rain while the train was pulling into downtown Chicago. 

It had let up a bit by the time I started my way home from the Olgilvie Transportation Center. With rain jacket and lights on, I slipped through the quiet, sparkly scene that is a rain-drenched Sunday night in the Big City. Boy, that warm shower was nice!