Bike Northwoods: Day Six and Final

At 5:30 AM my bike tires were turning. 41 miles. Average speed 11.7 mph. Maximum speed 204.7 mph (maybe another glitch.) Time riding: 4 hours 11 minutes.

The official route had us re-tracing the most of the same roads we did on Wednesday. Being the egoist that I sometimes am, I thought I could create a different route to see more of the Wisconsin countryside.

So with the help of a regional bike map, I found back roads that took me almost back to Iron River and my car. Almost.

The final 12 miles were on a busy state highway with a narrow shoulder. Believe me, it's a thrill to have a logging truck blast past at 60mph about two feet away. I can see why this last 12 miles kept the planners from sending all 370 this direction.

At just a little after 10, the finish line was in sight. And while there had been a slight drizzle of rain on and off all early morning, at about 10:30 the skies opened up and poured.

And it rained continually during the eight hour drive home.

I couldn't help but admire the contours of the land as I zipped down past Spooner, Eau Clair and through Ellsworth (the Cheese Curd Capitol of the World), crossing the Redwing bridge into Minnesota. What we never notice in a car - hills, rough roads, long distances - one appreciates while on a bicycle. We should all slow down more often and notice what is always there but we just go by too fast to see.

Great trip and when my butt and legs recover, I'll probably sign up to go again.

Bike Northwoods: Day Five

A layover day in Bayfield that started with a glorious sunrise. (One of the benefits of being an early riser.)

I did an easy 20 miles on Madeline Island, taking a ferry to get there.

Madeline Island's European settlement was earlier than much of the mainland in the area. It's the largest island of the Apostles, the only one not a part of the National Park.

About 7 miles from the town is Big Bay State Park. A great place to hike - fast if you want to keep away from the mosquitoes.

The town itself is the usual motley assortment of restaurants and tourist shops, but I found Dave's Burnt Down bar, looking like a giant trash heap pretty interesting.

 The place was adorned with pithy statements.

I bought my one souvenir of the trip here. A t-shirt that reads: If you're going to be stupid, you've got to be tough. My new motto when biking is uphill and against the wind and in the rain and realizing I could have been on a cruise ship being served a margarita.

Anyhow, Bayfield is a lovely area, but the next and final day of the ride loomed. I went to bed early for an early start for the final ride.

Bike Northwoods: Day Four

Mileage: 40.8. Average 10.4. Max 27.8. 3 hours 54 minutes riding.

Wind, hills, and a more relaxed riding pace slowed me down on the ride from Port Wing to Bayfield on Wednesday. No mechanical problems except a derailer that was fussy about going into the granny gears -  where I spent the better part of my morning.

The words "map is not to scale" kept running through my mind as I rode these big hills. One inch on a map is not the same as another inch on a map, even if they both indicate a mile. Hills, one's strength and mental state, and the time of day, all distort distance for a biker. Some miles are longer than others.

I suspect technology problems are never "to scale" either. What seems like very minor glitch in a program or piece of equipment to the tech director may loom very large for the individual student or teacher. Something I'll try to remember.

If Superior was not the prettiest place in Wisconsin, Bayfield and the Apostle Islands might compensate for it. I took a cruise late in the afternoon on the Island Queen to the 20-some islands that make up the Apostles.

Great narration by the captain, but not a great photo opportunity since my iPhone camera doesn't do zoom very well. But a couple shots.

Caves on Devil's Island (so called because of the strange sounds made by waves as they pass through the openings.)

All in all, a satifying day of both biking and playing tourist.