7/24 La Crosse to Wisconsin Dells, Wi.

 

When I posted the data near the end of this blog I realized: damn, we’re 2/3 across the country.

         

This hasn’t been a good day:

1. We rode 30+ miles on the Sparta Bike Route. Many of you say “Great, no traffic.”. I saw yuck, no scenery – only trees overhanging the trail. Nothing to photograph. By the way, the trail is not paved (more on that later); it’s crushed granite or something like that.
2. The trail has 3 tunnels, 1/4 to 3/4 mile in length, which you must walk and carry a flashlight.
3. It rained most of the time we were on the trail. The unpaved surface, when wet, is not nice. By the time we got off it (mile 60) everyone was trying to wash off the muck with their water bottles. Later at the hotel (mile 92) we were washing the bikes with a hose and rags provided by the hotel.
4. I almost fell on the bike (probably fooling with my GPS) and again in a rest room (wet shoes). Fortunately, I caught my balance both times.
5. While riding in a shorter tunnel a lady is coming straight toward me until my hollering catches her attention.
6. I had a flat – in the rain – on the mucky trail. My hands were so gritty than I couldn’t tell if there was something in the tire or not.
7. I had to retype all of the above when I hit the wrong key on the laptop and lost it all.

         

         

Day 33, 93 miles, 11,575 feet climbed, 2,522 miles so far

17 days remaining, 1,204 miles remaining