Ride Across Wisconsin (Elroy-Sparta, 400, Glacial Drumlin, and Hank Aaron Trails)

Somewhere along the trail this year I thought about what types of rides I wanted to do going forward. Some people ride coast to coast. Some ride country to country. Some ride continent to continent. What I decided I wanted for my goal was to ride across individual states, finding the best route or set of trails in each state. Since I have done Iowa and Illinois, as well as Maryland (Pittsburgh to Washington, DC), the next state rides in my area would be Wisconsin and Missouri. I decided to do Wisconsin this year and save Missouri for next spring.

There is a Ride Across Wisconsin, a two-day, 235-mile ride in mid August. I'm sure back-to-back century rides on gravel in mid August sounds like a great time for some people, but I'll pass on that opportunity. However, the route itself looks good, and I decided to try it as a four-day trip at the peak of the fall color change. Because of the mid-October evening temperatures, I decided to make this trip a credit-card tour and stay in hotels and Airbnbs instead of camping.

Palatine to Chicago and then La Crosse

Day 0: 38 miles, 600 feet of elevation gain. I rode from home to downtown Chicago by way of the Des Plaines River Trail, the North Branch Trail, and the Lakefront Trail. It's a pretty nice ride. The forest preserves are very nice. The streets in between are okay once you get used to the crossings and turns.

What made this ride particularly interesting was that it was Marathon Day in Chicago, and the marathon route went between the two Chicago train stations. I couldn't take the local train in because I would be outside the loop and wouldn't have any good way to get inside to Union Station for the Amtrak Empire Builder ride to La Crosse. So I rode in north of the marathon route and over to the lakefront, then down to Grant Park and finally back up the inside.

I arrived just as the marathon route was clearing. In fact, I ended up riding my bike on the marathon route. I didn't realize it until I got to a section of street that had carpeting on it and people ringing cowbells. It was interesting seeing the different runners who had finished their marathons, as well as those still running who were being cheered on by the crowd.

Anyway, I arrived at Union Station without issues and then went inside and down a long stairway to the ground floor. It turns out that street level in this part of the city is actually on the second floor. In the future, I'll look for an entrance at ground level vs street level.

The train to La Crosse goes up to Milwaukee and then across Wisconsin. I arrived in La Crosse just after 8 p.m. The ride to the Candlewood Suites hotel is just over a mile. The first half is very small-town white picket fences and porches. The second half is part of the Elroy-Sparta bike trail. Although it was dark, the ride was safe and uneventful. As I arrived, I stopped next door at Rocky Rococo's for a slice of pizza and took it back to the room.

La Crosse to Wilton

Day 1: 54 miles, 1,000 feet of elevation gain. It was cold this morning. I needed extra layers for the first hour or so. I decided to start out heading west. I went over the bridge to Minnesota and put my feet down by the Welcome sign so I could truly ride border to border. I also wanted to make the connection to my Minnesota ride from August, which came down the Mississippi River through La Crescent just to the west.

After crossing the border, I turned around and headed east on the Elroy-Sparta Trail. It warmed up into a beautiful day. The bike trail passes corn fields and wooded areas. The trail also includes three tunnels. I rode through two of them today and have the longer one to go tomorrow.

I stopped for lunch at the Sparta Family Restaurant. It was about a mile off trail and uphill, but it was the closest / best option available. It's one of those places with the pies at the front counter and you pay up front instead of paying the wait staff. Lunch was good and so was the pie. And it was nice to be able to start off downhill to get back to the trail.

Airbnb options are quite limited along the trail. But I found a nice one in Wilton just above a retail shop. And just down the street is the Hitchin' Post bar and grill. And it just so happened that the Green Bay Packers were on Monday Night Football. So I got to meet some really nice people from small-town Wisconsin and enjoy MNF with their team playing.

Wilton to Baraboo

Day 2: 58 miles, 1,300 feet of elevation gain. Another good day on the trail. The third tunnel was interesting. It was raining / dripping inside almost the whole way through the tunnel. With the water is a good bit of erosion / potholes. There were some other bikers taking their bikes for a walk through the tunnel. I found I could do more of a scooter-like approach, mostly riding with an occasional foot down to manage the more difficult parts.

In Elroy I picked up the 400 State Trail. That ends in Reedsburg where I stopped for lunch at the Deli Bean. From there it's mostly back roads over to Baraboo. There are other ways to go between Reedsburg and Madison, but I wanted to see Baraboo and the Devils Lake area. I found an Airbnb-listed campground / cabin just south of Baraboo at Skillet Creek Campground. It was a tiny cabin, but it had heat and running water, so it was good. There was also a nice restaurant / brewery called Tumbled Rock about a mile down the road for dinner.

Baraboo to Jefferson

Day 3: 79 miles, 2,600 feet of elevation gain. The morning was cold again. But I didn't need extra layers for very long. About a mile past the campground is a serious climb up into the Devil's Lake area. But once I made the climb, the fall colors were incredible. The paved road turns to gravel, then the gravel becomes a two-track, then it picks up a bike path. You know you're out the middle of nowhere when you pass a sign that says "Rescue Area 3".  Shortly after that I came around the turn and found the view pictured on the right. Just gorgeous.

South of Baraboo is the Sauk Prairie Recreation Area. Part of the trail includes signage documenting the edge of the glacial deposits to the north (the moraine), the outwash plain in front, and the Driftless Area with no glaciation to the west. Fascinating and beautiful to be able to see this geology from a single vantage point.

From there, there is a bike trail into Middleton and then over to Madison. The trail goes right by Lake Mendota and the UW-Madison campus. Further east it becomes the Glacial Drumlin trail. The prettiest colors of the day came just as I was crossing the river into Jefferson.

I decided to make this a long day and get as far across as I could. Jefferson is a good spot because it only leaves 50+ miles to Milwaukee, it is the joining point for a bike trail that heads down to Rockford, and because there was a convenient hotel here. 

Jefferson to Milwaukee

Day 4: 54 miles, 1,000 feet of elevation gain. After reviewing the weather forecast the night before, I decided to take a break here. We're only two hours from home and my wife was willing to pick me up. The weather today was miserable, with strong headwinds and rain predicted all day. So I took 10 days off and came back to finish the ride when the weather was better.

It ended up being an amazing choice. The colors were stunning. This is also a very interesting ride that transitions from rural to suburban to very urban, all on bike trails. The ride effectively ends at the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee and then you take side streets over to the lakefront.

I rode over to the lake and then found a local eatery for pizza. I then caught a Lyft back to my car in Jefferson for the ride home.

Epilogue

Four days and 245 miles to ride Wisconsin border to border. This was my favorite ride of the year. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it was the reduced daily average mileage. Certainly it was also the time of the year and the brilliant fall colors. And part of it was being able to get sleep every night vs. the challenges of camping. In any case, I would definitely do this ride again and highly recommend it to others.

GAP and C&O Canal

The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) and C&O Canal trails run 333 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. The GAP is owned by a variety of public and non-profit entities. The C&O Canal is managed by the National Park Service. This difference is important, because although on paper they seem like one long connected trail, in reality they are two very different experiences.

The GAP starts with 20 miles of paved urban / suburban trail leaving Pittsburgh, and then is mostly crushed limestone all the way to Cumberland, Maryland. The GAP is very well maintained, and long sections have recently received a surface refresh as of fall 2023. There are occasional free campgrounds along the trail, and enough potable water stops to keep you hydrated if you fill up when you have the chance.

The C&O Canal surface varies between two-track, occasionally single-track, and sometimes rough gravel roads. The first 30 miles coming out of Cumberland are mostly dirt and frequent pot holes. The last 30 miles heading into Washington, DC are rough gravel. The parts in the middle are in better shape as of Fall 2023, but mostly because they were nearly destroyed by flooding last spring and had to be replaced or refurbished. There are free campsites every five miles or so, with all including a water pump and porta-potty. But, the water is NOT potable. You must bring a water filter or other treatment system with you. Also, at least one of the pumps was not functional on my trip.

I had a chance to visit the Baltimore area in early September and brought my bike along. So this trip starts with two park camping experiences not included on the GAP / C&O Canal trails.

Cowan’s Gap State Park - Fort Loudon, Pennsylvania

Cowan’s Gap State Park is a 1,000 acre park in Fulton County, PA. It’s a nice little park down in the valley  between and north of McConnellsburg and Fort Loudon, with Mercersburg a bit further south on the Fort Loudon side. What makes the park significant to me is that it is where my parents met. My mother’s family rented a cottage at Cowan’s Gap for the entire summer throughout her teens. She essentially “grew up” at the park and was one of the park’s lifeguards in the late 1940s. My father’s family lived in Mercersburg and he visited the park often enough one summer to strike up a relationship with that lifeguard.

We visited the park occasionally when we were younger and hiked across the mountain once toward Knobsville. I stop in sometimes when I’m in the area to reminisce. The park is on the Tuscarora Trail, and so would be a very nice hiking destination. I’m not sure it’s very good for biking, but I was able to drive in and car-camp this part of the adventure.

I arrived just before dark and set up my tent mostly by flashlight. The campsite itself wasn’t particularly good. The campsites in my area were dirt and rocks (muddy after a very recent rain) and there was nothing resembling level. Other parts of the park would have been better choices for tent camping.

The park itself has very limited to no cell service. For Internet and phone calls I drove about five miles back up to the top of the mountain to near the cell tower by Route 30. But while there I also visited the location of the old fire tower, which provides a wonderful overlook of the valley to the east and beyond. The views of thunderstorm lightning to the east were spectacular.

I did ride my bike around the lake the next morning and the fog on the lake was beautiful.

Patapsco Valley State Park - Ellicott City, Maryland

Patapsco Valley State Park extends for 32 miles along the Patapsco River near Ellicott City, MD. I stayed in the Hollofield campground. Campsites were nice, well separated, and completely level. But they were also surfaced with crushed limestone. Pounding tent stakes in was challenging, to say the least.

There is a rough, rocky single-track trail that leads down into Ellicott City, and from there to anywhere you would want to go. While at the campground, I met another biker who was on his way south and west, with California as his final destination.

There is a nice single-track trail along the other side of the river, but because of the train track in between, there is no convenient way to get there. Since I was visiting family, we drove and parked on the other side and then walked that part of the trail. We passed several hikers and bikers along the way.

Ellicott City to Washington, DC, and then Pittsburgh

Day 0: 40 miles, 1,600 feet of elevation gain. For me to ride the GAP requires an Amtrak trip on the Capital Limited. I decided to bike from Ellicott City to Washington, DC to board the Amtrak train there for the trip to Pittsburgh. This part of the journey was surprisingly pleasant, for the most part. The first 20 miles were wonderful, and I would ride those trails regularly if I lived in the area. The next 10 miles were less fun, road riding with minimal shoulders. It wasn’t really unsafe, but there were a couple of drivers who were less bike-friendly than I prefer.

The last 10 miles were again surprisingly pleasant. Washington, DC has wonderful bike trails and paths, to the point where I was only a couple of miles from Union Station before it was clear that I was in a major metropolitan area. More cities should be this bike-friendly.

Riding the train with a bike was a new experience for me. For those who haven’t done it before, you reserve a spot for your bike when you purchase your ticket. There are eight bike slots in the baggage car. I got the last slot for my train, so plan ahead to ensure you can bring your bike with you. When they open boarding, those with bikes get to load first with those needing extra assistance. You take your bike directly to the baggage car and lift it up to the handler. You have to remove panniers, but you can leave water bottles and frame bags on, if you like.

At the end of the train ride, you go directly to the baggage car to retrieve your bike. One important note, be sure to visit the Amtrak office to get a baggage tag for your bike, and panniers if you want them to take them. I didn’t know about this. I had no trouble putting the bike and panniers on the train, but getting them back off without tags required a bit of negotiation and blaming people in DC for doing things they weren’t supposed to do.

The train ride from DC to Pittsburgh was uneventful. But be aware that significant parts of the journey have no cell service. Also, be aware that you arrive in Pittsburgh around midnight. The ride from the train station to my hotel was also uneventful. But in the “be aware” category, note that the street the train station is on is paved brick rather than asphalt, and many of the bricks are loose. They rock back and forth as you ride over them. It’s a bit disconcerting as you discover that in the middle of the night and can’t really see what’s going on.

Another “be aware” that surprised me was a tent city along the river essentially right in front of my hotel. I didn’t have any issues, but I wasn’t expecting to see this part of the city experience.

Pittsburgh to Ohiopyle

Day 1: 81 miles, 1,500 feet of elevation gain. As I left the hotel and found the GAP trail, I met another biker at a stop light and asked whether it was worth going to the official beginning of the trail. He said, absolutely, yes. So I headed west for a mile to visit Point State Park and start at Mile 0. I’m glad I did. It’s a pretty park, right across the river from Three Rivers Stadium.

As noted above, the first 20 miles of the GAP are typical urban / suburban bike trail, concrete or paved. There are a couple of river crossings. If you are a fan of steel architecture bridges, this part of the GAP would interest you. Otherwise, I’m getting a bit jaded in terms of urban riding along a river. The best ride along a river I had this year in terms of views was headed north out of Rockford, Illinois along the Rock River. That was beautiful. The Mississippi River around Davenport, Iowa is expansive, and to me also nicer than Pittsburgh.

After leaving the Pittsburgh area, the GAP is mostly crushed limestone all the way to Cumberland, Maryland. There are occasional water stops, and relatively rare free campsites. There is other camping available in private campgrounds, but I didn’t try any of those.

The GAP is always mentioned as a top-ten bike adventure. From my perspective, this must be because you can ride for so long on a trail with minimal grade change. There are just a few places with a really gorgeous view. Most of it is a “green tunnel” with an appreciation that a river is over there somewhere, mostly just out of sight. Particularly this first day, there just wasn’t a lot to see.

As with other bike adventures, I’ve found you have to plan out your food stops if you want to eat something other than what you are carrying. I stopped in Connellsville and I’m really glad I did. The first two places I tried were closed, but the third was open. Marlene's Corner Bar and Grill is a typical small town bar downtown with a long history. The bartender said “back in the day” they used to open at 7 a.m. to meet the needs of the third shift workers when their shift ended at the local manufacturing plant. I presume the plant is now closed and things are slower in Connellsville. But the beer and burger were good and it was a nice stop.

I should have stopped there and made camp for the evening. But it was late afternoon and I felt refreshed and ready to go another 20 miles. So I headed off just as it started to rain. It poured. For the next three hours, it poured. The trail was fine, and with appropriate clothing, riding in the rain wasn’t particularly uncomfortable. I kept a good pace, and arrived in Ohiopyle with about 45 minutes to go before dark. Here’s where my day, and really my whole trip, turned sour.

What I didn’t realize was that Ohiopyle State Park is at the top of a 0.4 mile 10%+ grade gravel path. Pushing my bike up the hill in the rain sucked. But then it got worse. I make it to the park, only to find that you have to go up to the park entrance to check in, and that’s another quarter mile plus of asphalt climb. By the time I got to the entrance and reserved a space, it was after sundown. By the time I found my campsite, it was almost dark. None of the sites in the area were at all level, and the site I had picked wasn’t even bike accessible. It had a long set of rock stairs to get to it. So I picked another site that had a semi-flat area and set up there in the dark by flashlight.

Then I went to take a shower. No dice. The facilities in this area of the campground were sinks only. So I sponged off and headed back to my tent to listen to the rain and/or trees drip for the rest of the night.

Ohiopyle to Cumberland

Day 2: 74 miles, maybe 1,000 feet of elevation gain. There are a gorge and a tunnel on this part of the trail that really confuse map software. Ride with GPS says I did 4,700 feet of elevation gain. There was nothing of the sort. It’s a 1% climb for around 80 miles, followed by a 20 mile 3% to 4% descent into Cumberland.

There is a very pretty gorge in Ohiopyle, and beautiful views coming down into Cumberland. You also get to cross the Eastern Continental Divide and the Mason-Dixon Line. That’s about it. Otherwise, it’s a lot more green tunnel, with occasional nice views overlooking the river. Day 2 of the GAP is certainly nicer than Day 1. If I were to do this ride again, I would consider starting in Connellsville rather than Pittsburgh.

When I got to Cumberland, I stopped for dinner at Baltimore Street Grill, a very nice place. This was still on the GAP part of the trail. After dinner I headed toward the C&O Canal. Cumberland makes a really big deal out of being the canal endpoint, with a big marker and about a half-block dedicated to touristy canal things. And as I looked up from there, there was a hotel in front of me, almost right in the middle of the trail. That’s a sign.

I got a room for the night and took everything out of my packs. I washed the tent and ground cover, washed most of my biking clothes, and hung everything to dry in the bathroom. I ran the fan all night, but by morning most of the mud and camp smell was gone, and I did my best not to leave any dirt or mud for the cleaning staff. This evening of recovery was desperately needed to improve the rest of my trip.

Cumberland to North Mountain

Day 3: 75 miles, 600 feet of elevation gain. Outside of Cumberland, the C&O Canal is two-track dirt with some mud and potholes and occasional rocks and roots for 20 or 30 miles. After that, it’s still two-track, but with limestone or gravel mixed in, so it seemed to be in pretty good shape for most of my trip. There are occasional gorgeous views of the Potomac River, but, again, it’s mostly a green tunnel. You can usually tell there is water over there, with a sparkle or two here and there. But only rarely do you get to see the river itself.

In terms of food planning, be aware that many trailside or trail town restaurants are only open in the summer, or only on weekends, etc. My plan for a nice breakfast fell through when the restaurant was closed. The next option was another 30 miles down the trail. So I was able to stop for lunch. But it was a late lunch and that meant my plan for dinner in Hancock was now unnecessary. So, I kept riding.

This time, I was rewarded. I picked out a really nice campsite along the Potomac River. I got to clean up sitting on a rock in the river, and made a small campfire to enjoy as the sun set. In terms of camping, it was my best night on the trip, and I slept without the rain fly and enjoyed the view of the stars whenever I woke up.

North Mountain to Chisel Branch

Day 4: 80 miles, 700 feet of elevation gain. In terms of river views, this part of the journey is the best. I think this is what they refer to as the lower Potomac. The river is much rockier, with a series of dams and small hydroelectric power generating stations.

When I got up in the morning, I noticed some moths clumped together on the back side of a tree. My phone was still in the tent so I didn't take a picture of them. When I looked them up online later, I realized they were Spotted Lanternfly and I should have crushed them. I did try to report them after that, but the website wouldn't accept a report without a picture. So those got away. But they're pretty creepy looking, and definitely memorable. I'm sure I'll recognize them the next time I see them.

After the moths, I packed up and hit the trail. For some reason, I assumed Harper's Ferry was much closer than it actually was. I thought I would stop there for an early lunch. As it turned out, it was more like a very late lunch. And getting to Harper's Ferry from the C&O Canal trail isn't bike friendly. There's a two-story stairway you need to climb with bike racks at the bottom. So you leave your bike and all your gear (or carry your gear, which I didn't) and climb up and across the bridge. Once on the other side, it's about two blocks to Harper's Ferry shops and restaurants.

I stopped for lunch in several places. The first one didn't have any service. The second one didn't have anything low sodium. But I went up the hill and found The Rabbit Hole GastroPub with a nice view, good staff, and good food. After enjoying a burger and fries, I crossed back over the bridge. My gear was untouched and I started off again.

80 miles on dirt and gravel makes for a long day. I got into camp just before sunset. I didn't really experience mosquitos on the trip except for this location. Here they were really bad. I hurried and set up my tent as fast as I could, crawled in, and called it a night.

Chisel Branch to Ellicott City

Day 5: 76 miles, 2,300 feet of elevation gain. The last 30 miles of the C&O Canal were the most poorly maintained of the whole journey. Dirt turns to gravel and then gravel turns to large gravel. Not a very fun ride. But a few miles out from DC you look up and notice the Washington Monument on the horizon.

At the end of the canal trail is a marker indicating Mile 0. It's hidden behind a boat rental storage facility. I wouldn't have been able to find it without GPS. While I was in front of the marker taking a picture, a group of three young people came up and asked what I was doing. I explained the significance of the marker to my journey and they interviewed me for their blog.

After that, I went a block or so back up the canal and enjoyed an all-you-can-eat brunch in Georgetown. Very fancy. After brunch I headed further down the Potomac. About a mile down river, I looked left and saw the back of the Lincoln Memorial. It's just right there next to the river. I rode over and around the Memorial. The area in front of Lincoln's statue was closed for maintenance, but I stood in front of the Reflecting Pool where Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.

There's something about being able to stand in a place where significant history was made that really encourages one to reflect on the experience.

Afterwards, I rode along the Reflecting Pool and over to the Washington Monument. Then I went past the Monument and about half way down to the Capital building before turning and heading to Union Station and up along the bike trail back to Ellicott City.

The return trip was mostly uneventful, however the worst traffic experience I had the entire journey occurred just a couple of miles from my brother's house. Riding down a slow four-lane city road, a city bus passed me without moving over at all. There was no traffic in the left lane. The driver just didn't care.

So I really learned my lesson about "own your lane". It is safer to ride in the middle of the lane and force traffic to go around than it is to give them space and have them take all of it. I now take the lane and only move right after I see them move left. Either that, or bail out completely and head for the sidewalk. You can share the road but you can't share a lane.

Epilogue

Six days and 429 miles. I really wish I had taken an extra day for this ride. An 80-mile day on RAGBRAI where you're on paved roads riding with and behind dozens of other riders is very different from riding gravel by yourself. Seven days with 60 miles a day would have been much more enjoyable.

I was also surprised by the lack of food service on this trip, particularly the GAP and early C&O Canal portions. I think doing these trails between Memorial Day and Labor Day would be easier to manage. I can understand why this trip is rated as a top-10 adventure, but certainly not at the pace I did it, or not when I did it, or both. Of all the trips I did this year, this one was my least favorite.

I might come back and try it again sometime, particularly the portions east/south of Connellsville and west/north of Chisel Branch. On the other hand, there are a lot of other states and places I want to try first.

Bicycling Around Minnesota 2023

Bicycling Around Minnesota (BAM) is a four-day tour of Minnesota first started in 2006. This year's ride is in the Driftless region, southeast of Rochester. We start in Lanesboro and ride two days toward the Mississippi, and then two days back along a different route. Compared to other rides I've been on recently, this is a smaller ride with approximately 300 participants. The rider age range is from 26 to 82, and they say it's an even mix of men and women riding.

I chose this ride, in part, because this week is "back to school" week. This is the first time in more than 20 years that I've had this week off and I wanted to have something fun to do just in case I was missing getting ready for the school year. As it turns out, I'm not missing school at all. But I am glad I have something fun to do and I'm looking forward to seeing new vistas along the way.

Lanesboro Arrival

Day 0: 31 miles, 700 feet of elevation gain. I drove from Palatine to Lanesboro, about five hours. I arrived early so I could get a ride in along the Root River Trail before check-in. As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait to set up my tent, so I did that first and then went for a ride. We’re expecting a line of thunderstorms to move through this evening around 11, so I used extra care in staking down the tent. It should be fine.

I then went for a ride from Lanesboro to Peterson and back. The trail goes for 42 miles from Fountain to Houston. It's a rail trail and all of the parts I rode were paved and very well maintained. Several people mentioned being careful on the bridges when wet, but I didn't have any problems with the trail surface on my ride.

I was hoping to get a slice of pie in Peterson, but the shop was closed when I arrived. The same for the pie shop in Whalen on the way back. So I got an ice cream sandwich at the trail store instead. More importantly, on this ride I saw my first wild bobcat. It was on the trail just 15 yards or so in front of me. It didn’t hear me coming. When I saw it, I first thought it was a coyote, then I realized it was a cat and I looked really hard at the tail. No tail, not a mountain lion. A bobcat was okay, and it quickly ran into the brush toward the river and disappeared.

Right after that, I came upon the animal you see on the right. Just stretched out in the middle of the trail, fortunately with its head toward the side of the path. If you look closely, you can see eight rattles sticking up at the end of the tail. I was able to ride past without disturbing it, and then stopped to take a picture. It never moved and never rattled. It was just enjoying the afternoon sun, as was I.

I had both lunch and dinner at Pedal Pushers Cafe in Lanesboro. It was very good. Camp tonight is in Sylvan Park, near water. I get to hear frogs tonight before starting a ride rather than trains, no thanks to Columbus, NE, and Davenport, IA. Hopefully, that’s a good sign. Also, everyone seems to be turning in early, so here’s hoping for a good night’s sleep.

Lanesboro to Rushford

Day 1: 66 miles, 2,600 feet of elevation gain. I didn't really notice the storm last night. It rained, but I slept through most of it.

Today was absolutely beautiful. We started west along the Root River Trail to Fountain, then headed south along roads for a 60 mile loop back up to Peterson, and then east to Rushford on the trail again. This trail is one of the best maintained rail trails I’ve been on. Highly recommended.

The Minnesota countryside is amazing. The hills here are steeper than the hills in Nebraska and Iowa (at least the ones I've ridden), so you get better views of the landscape as you ride. Every few miles you're on a ridge where you can see five miles in all directions. It reminded me of the scene in Forest Gump where he's running through the prairie and amber waves of grain. The grain in Minnesota is mostly corn, but seeing miles and miles of rolling fields on both sides is quite breathtaking.

One of the other things that is striking about this region is the churches. Most of the buildings in the area are typical wood frame you could find anywhere. But the churches and the grain mills are impressive brick structures. Most of the grain mills appeared to be four-story buildings, and the churches often had steeples reaching 40 to 50 feet in the air. The church on the right was the most impressive I saw in terms of building relative to landscape, but the church steeple in downtown Lanesboro was equally impressive in terms of design structure above the tree line.

The BAM tour is an eclectic mix of stops. The tour planner describes it as a bus tour on two wheels. Our first stop today was a museum in Fountain. They had the standard small town collection, but also a barn area with 40 to 50 tractors, another area with a wood-burning pickup truck, a section with dolls, wedding clothing, etc. Very impressive. Another stop was a state fish hatchery where we got to see lake trout. The final stop was a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm.

Meals are included, and food today was excellent. Breakfast had a wide variety of fair. Lunch was a taco salad bowl. Dinner was chicken, beans, rice, and sweet potato. BAM is relatively expensive, but it’s also the best tour I’ve been on so far.

Rushford to La Crescent

Day 2: 65 miles, 2,500 feet of elevation gain. Today started very foggy. For the first hour we almost needed windshield wipers. Water was actually dripping off my helmet mirror. But the roads had wide shoulders and visibility was good enough for cars to see our blinking tail lights in time.

Once the fog evaporated, it was a beautiful day. I thought the views yesterday were better, but the ride today had less wind. The first 50 miles or so were good. Then we got to the Mississippi River. I was hoping for nice river views, but the route was along a high speed four-lane highway with only occasional river views and the railroad beside the river.

Then we turned and headed up to the bluffs 400 to 500 feet above. The climb was brutal. Several miles of 7% grade climb. I need a lower gear than what I have to be able to make climbs like this. Everyone passing me was spinning at about twice the RPMs I was able to generate. I slalomed back and forth for awhile, and it worked, but eventually I got off and walked for about a half-mile before the hill eased up to 6% and I was able to ride again.

Lunch was at a winery overlooking the river. The view at the winery itself was okay, but there were wonderful views before and after where you could see well into Wisconsin. Then we came back down to the river to stay in La Crescent. Camp is in a local park. The Lion’s Club had food and beer available, and dinner came later and was also good.

The down side of being by the river is we’re close to the highway and close enough to the train tracks that there’s going to be a bit of noise overnight. But so far, it seems like it’s only two whistles to get through town rather than the six in Columbus, NE or the eight in Davenport, IA.

La Crescent to Houston

Day 3: 55 miles, 2,100 feet of elevation gain. I slept well last night and I don't remember hearing any train whistles. Today included two climbs, one which peaked at 15% grade. There was an option to bypass that climb, and I took the bypass option. I just wasn’t in the mood for walking up a long hill just to ride back down again. Besides, I arrived late in La Crescent and most of the good campsites were already taken. I wanted to get to Houston sooner and have more camping options.

I'm glad I took the bypass route. It gave me more mileage along the Mississippi River and the flood plain / bottomland beside it. It was very pretty. After about 20 miles we turned west and headed up to the bluffs again. And I got to walk about a half mile of climb again. It's just not worth killing my legs in order to say I did it. But I am going to invest in more gears for next year's rides.

Once we were up on top, we again had beautiful five-mile views of the countryside. The picture on the left is typical with rolling hills and a variety of agricultural uses. Shortly after this picture was taken, I came upon a field of goats resting in the shade just beside the road.

In keeping with the eclectic nature of BAM rest stops, our next stop was at the county fair in Caledonia. It was a big 4-H event with kids showing off their prized animals. There was a rabbits and chickens building with a variety of exotic breeds and a couple of jackrabbits at least two feet long. At another building they were lining up to show their cows when I walked by. And one of my favorite memories was a corn pit they had set up for the youngest community members. It was about 20 feet across and had sides about 30 inches high. They put a foot of shelled corn in the pit and the kids were playing in it like they would with a sandbox, toys and everything. Very cute.

This turned out to be another good animal day. Not so much on the route this time as with the route. Houston is home to the International Owl Center. We got to see a presentation by an owl expert who (whoo whoo!) was able to imitate at least a dozen different owl calls. I asked her what she thought might have made the noise I heard back on the Hennepin Canal in July and her best guess was a young Great Horned Owl telling mom it was hungry.

Camp this evening is interesting. It's the first campground / park I've been in on a ride where there were different distinct sections with tree-line separations. Human nature to me is fascinating. I'd say there were at least 50 tents set up in the first quite-small section, some of which were pitched on an angle I'm sure I wouldn't get any sleep on. The second section had tents more spread out along the shade lines. There was a third section even further back, and that section only had four or five tents very well distanced. I prefer having space and quiet and I'm willing to walk or even ride further to get it.

Houston to Lanesboro

Day 4: 56 miles, 2,400 feet of elevation gain. It was very warm and foggy overnight. I didn't use the rain fly and it was interesting waking up in a fog bank. But it wasn't as foggy as it was Thursday morning and it had started to clear by the time we hit the road. I particularly liked this view of the fog in the valley as we were heading up out of Houston.

Because we were heading back over familiar territory, the views today were pretty much the same as Thursday's ride. But it was all still very pretty. And I found a good spot where I was able to take a picture from the same place left, ahead, and right to give a good sense of the views we were enjoying.

Today felt stronger. I was able to ride the whole way up the bluff climb today, almost a mile of 7% grade. Today was also a much quieter day on the road. At least a third of the ride participants opted to take the Root River Trail back to Lanesboro rather than the road route, so there were long stretches today where I didn't see any other riders. And, being a Sunday morning, there were fewer cars on the road as well which made it even better.

We had an interesting stop today in Spring Grove, home of the Spring Grove Soda Pop company. This allowed us to have root beer floats for our rest stop. While I was at the stop I noticed a woman wearing a Free Hugs t-shirt with a rainbow flag on it. If you aren't familiar with this, please read The Free Mom Hugs Story. I got a free hug. And, surprisingly at least to me, the woman said I was the only person she had seen all day who asked for one.

After returning to Lanesboro, I ended my ride by walking down to the Root River and sitting in the river for awhile. There were showers available back at the park, but being able to sit in the river seemed more appropriate on a hot day, particularly since I had been back and forth along the river for five days now. 

After I cooled off, I headed for Sparta, WI. There is a nice bike trail there and I was considering spending the night. However, for some reason the two streets leading to the area where I wanted to camp were both blocked off. So I drove home instead.

Epilogue

Five days and 273 miles, with just over 9,000 feet of elevation gain. Maximum grades for me were +11.6% and -14.5%. Those who didn't skip the first climb on Saturday "enjoyed" a +14.9% maximum climb.

The elevation gain every day was similar to Nebraska and Iowa, but the hills are definitely steeper and the bluff climbs and descents are longer. The ride down into Lanesboro was almost three miles of descent. We were frequently hitting 30 MPH and some people were approaching 40 MPH on the steeper descents. I think 35 MPH was about as fast as I was willing to go.

I didn't mention it before, but I met a variety of great people on this ride. There was a woman who was between seven and eight months pregnant, and only looked to be about five months pregnant, riding with her mom. There was a couple on their honeymoon. There was a group of three retired engineers from Cargill. There was a young professional couple on their first tour and really enjoying the experience. At the other end of the spectrum there was a couple who had been married for nine years. She was the best friend of the husband's first wife. He had been married for 40 years before the first wife passed away from cancer, and it was the first wife's wish for her friend to marry her husband if she didn't survive. And there was a couple who camped near me twice that had the largest tent I've ever seen on a bike trip. It looked like it had three rooms inside. But they were very nice and we had a long visit Saturday evening talking about different tours and bikes.

Bicycling Around Minnesota is certainly the best organized tour I've been on so far. And we were well-fed. It's the first tour I've done where I didn't lose weight during the trip. I really enjoyed the eclectic nature of the different stops along the tour. It was a fascinating visit to southeast Minnesota and I look forward to seeing where BAM goes next year.

East Moline to Palatine

 

Heading Home

This trip is the third in this group. I rode out to Davenport two weeks ago and rode RAGBRAI 2023 last week. For my trip home, I wanted to try something different. I have done the Grand Illinois Trail, both north and south, across Illinois. I had not yet tried the western edge, which includes the Great River Trail up toward Savanna. Also, my previous trips were planned using Ride with GPS. This time, I let Google Maps pick the route. Google's plan was 60 miles shorter than Ride with GPS, and I was tired of riding and just wanted to get home quickly and safely.

East Moline to Dixon

Day 1: 67 miles, 2,000 feet of elevation gain. I started from Fisherman's Corner National Recreation Area in Hampton, Illinois, just north of East Moline. They had good campsites which could be reserved in advance.

The ride north on the Great River Trail is a mixture of bike path and side roads. Some of it is right along the Mississippi. Other parts are more inland. The river parts are very pretty. The inland parts are more just another Illinois country road.

There's very little in the way of services in this section. I stopped at a convenience store near Rapids City and that was the last stop I saw. I think there were other services not too far away, but I've found when you let either Ride with GPS or Google plan your route, by default they take you away from traffic, which also means away from services. You need to actively plan your own stops and go off-route to get food, water, or a rest stop.

There are a lot of rollers in the western part of the state. This section isn't nearly so bad as up toward Galena, but there are still a lot of ups and downs. In terms of traffic, there was effectively none. The route is quite remote and this was on a Sunday, so I really didn't see many cars at all. I stopped for lunch at the Double G Saloon in Morrison. That was very good and had a friendly crowd. They apparently don't get too many bikers there and everyone wanted to talk about riding across Illinois.

The ride was uneventful, but I was hot and a bit tired. I stopped along the way and asked a homeowner who was out mowing the grass if I could borrow the hose for water. As I approached Dixon, I decided I was done for the day and even willing to get a hotel room for the night. I stopped and picked up Subway for dinner, checked in, turned up the air conditioner, and sat in the tub for awhile. A good night of rest and recovery was needed.

Dixon to Palatine

Day 2: 100 miles, 2,500 feet of elevation gain. Today I had more incentive. It was 90+ miles to home, but I knew if I got to trails I was familiar with, it would be easier. I also knew that, with sleep, 90 miles was doable.

This part of Illinois is more long, flat, and cornfields. But keeping with the infrastructure theme from the ride across the I&M Canal, the Hennepin Canal, and the many bridges across the Mississippi near Davenport, I thought this view of the cornfields with nuclear reactor cooling towers in the background was a good representation of central Illinois. It's rural, but there are constant reminders of the impact other parts of the state have on this area.

My wife was kind enough to meet me in Dekalb and take my panniers and camping bag. 30 pounds lighter felt like flying for the remaining 50+ miles and I made good time. Just east of Sycamore, Google had me go north and then east to South Elgin rather than taking the Great Western Trail to St. Charles. It saved four or five miles of distance, but coming into South Elgin from the west is more road traffic than I would normally prefer. Fortunately, it was almost all downhill and I was able to avoid the cars with only a few pullovers to get them to pass safely.

Once I got to South Elgin, I followed the Fox River Trail up and then east through the forest preserves, one of my regular routes. It was nice to be home and know every curve. As I approached home, I realized I was only three miles short of a century ride, so I took a slight detour and added a three mile loop around Harper College at the end.

Epilogue

Two days and 167 miles. That's all it took to cross Illinois by the most direct route. If you're going on to Chicago or the lakefront, add another 35 miles or so to that. This was much faster than the four days I needed for either the north or south parts of the Grand Illinois Trail. In terms of sightseeing, I think the Grand Illinois Trail routes are better, certainly the southern route with the canals. But if you just want to get there, straight across the state is good.

This was a significant trip for several reasons. First, it ended my two week, 950 mile adventure riding out to Iowa, taking a bus to Sioux City, putting my feet down in South Dakota, and then riding home. I actually rode home from South Dakota. Pretty cool.

Second, I did two century rides in less than a week, with a third ride in between that everyone on it said was harder than almost any century ride they had done before. It took effort, but I did it.

And third, today is/was my last official day of "work". I am retired as of midnight tonight. It seemed only fitting that I would end my career by "riding off into the sunset", and so I did.