I've made it a point to take Eli to as many different mountain bike venues as possible. He's very good technically and loves a challenge. Lately, I've been seeing posts about Litchfield, Illinois having a nice little trail system. Perfect timing. I looked it up on the map and there they are, nestled right next to Lake Lou Yaeger. Well...forgive me, but I've never even heard of the lake. But off we went!
And boy, were we surprised. It's obvious that a LOT of work went into transforming this little plot of land into a fantastic network of single-track trails. Swoopy, tight, with features and...elevation! Lots of elevation. It's always up or down on the Route 66 trails. Never very long, the climbs are punchy and over quickly, only to be followed by a cool downhill. Rinse and repeat! Eli's favorite part of riding trails these days are the features. Jumps, bridges, logs, etc., and Route 66 has quite a few. And someone has recently blown the leaves. It was buffed!
We stopped at the southern edge of the system to pose for a selfie. The view of the lake was spectacular. It's a super-clean looking place, and although there was hardly anyone on the lake, there were quite a few riders on the trails. If one just rode the trail from north to south, there are only 4 miles or so. However, you must trust me when I say that it's a different animal in the opposite direction, and most things you'll want to hit again and again. Especially the Galena Loop.
Once done with riding (Eli was knackered from all the punchy climbs!), I thought it best to check out the lake. Blue skies and powerful sunlight made 52 degrees feel downright balmy.
My last view was from the boat dock. This looks like it would be a fabulous place to be in the summer. I want to bring the Beautiful Mrs. K back soon, as I think she'd love the twists and turns as well.
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