Woke up to light rain and got everything packed up and waterproofed. I took a couple country roads to the town of Reedsburg. Reedsburg is the Eastern start to the Bike 4 Trails trail system. The 4 trails include the 400 trail, Elroy-Sparta trail, LaCrosse River trail, and Great River trail. Several years ago my brother Matt and I had biked the 4 trails round trip. I was excited to get to re-visit the trails! I stopped inside the trail Headquarters in Reedsburg to find out it was National Trails Day, what a great day to start the Bike 4 Trails! Met some nice folks from town who were interested in hearing all about my trip. Seeing as the weather was crummy, cold and rainy, I saw no people on the trail. I did see deer, cranes, and turkey. The 400 trail is pretty with lot's of rock outcroppings along side the trail. There are several small towns that have good food, rest areas, and kind folks. I arrived to my motel in the early afternoon and took a hot shower to warm up my chilled bones. It was a nice relaxing night at the motel, nice to have a bed again.
400 Trail - The start of 101 miles of connected bicycle trails
Taking a break on the 400 Trail
June 7th - 39.95 / 262.65 - Union Center - Sparta
First full moon of the trip! Woke up to overcast and rain again. Once again there was very few people on the trail. After biking the last 4 miles on the 400 trail I met up with the start of the Elroy-Sparta trail, America's first "Rail Trail". The trails used to be railroad lines and after the trains stopped using the tracks they are converted to recreational trails making for some relatively flat and scenic paths. Shortly into my ride I came across a snapping turtle on the trail, always awesome to see! The Elroy-Sparta trail has 3 tunnels ranging form a 1/4 mile long to 3/4 mile long. They are very dark and a flashlight is necessary. The tunnels are a lot of fun and if you every have the chance I highly recomend taking a bike ride through them. Due to the weather getting worse, cold and heavier rains I decided to find another cheap motel. Once again, nice to have a hot shower and a bed!
The first connection of trails in Elroy, Wisconsin
Snapping turtle enjoying the rainy day
Almost passed him up without seeing him, or her?
Some of the many rock outcroppings along the trails
Kendalls old railroad depot / museum
Darkness inside the tunnels
Me ( all rain geared up )
Rolling farmland
Taking a break from the rain
Enter if you dare! The tunnels are pretty wet with lot's of dripping water
Having fun on the Elroy-Sparta
Cow country
Sandstone
Sparta, Wisconsin - bicycling capital of America
My motel in Sparta ( bicycle stuff is everywhere in this town )
I need a bike like this!
June 8th - 50.19 / 312.84 - Sparta - Perrot State Park
Rain again, 3 days in a roll! To be honest it's not too bad biking in the rain with the proper gear but sunshine is much better. The rivers along the trails seemed pretty high. Today I rode the LaCrosse River trail and Great River trail, both very scenic and enjoyable. There are many old railroad trestles to cross, large bluffs along the trail, small towns to explore, and lots of wildlife. After completing the LaCrosse River tail I reached the Mississippi River which meant I had crossed the great state of Wisconsin in 8 days. Now it is time to head North along the great river all the way up the headwaters in Itasca, Minnesota. It is incredibly beautiful bicycling along the Mississppi River! There are many trains that pass by between the trail and the river which always excites me for some reason. The Great River trail passes thorough a National Wildlife Refuge which means plenty of wildlife and very few houses, roads, and business. After a long day of biking I arrived at my campsite at Perrot State Park. The ranger recomended a site along Trempealeau Bay which turned out to be a great campsite! ( pictured below ) I set up camp, showered, and headed into the town of Trempealeau to re-visit my favorite restaurant, Ed Sullivan's Suppe Club. Highly recomended!! The restaurant overlooks the Mississippi River and has incredible food. After eating a ton of delicious food I headed back into the park and checked out some of the sites on the way back. Perrot is a great park rich with history and full of beautiful scenery.
Lot's of memorials along the trails for our soldiers.
rain, rain, rain ( LaCrosse River Trail )
From Rails to Trails
The mighty Mississippi River
A large branch down from the night before's storm ( tough to pass )
My very dirty Burley tariler
One of many bridges along the Bike 4 Trails
Almost ran this poor fella over
The Mississippi in Trempealeau
White crane? I'm not sure
Round one at Sullivans, yum!
Round two at Sullivans, delicious!
View from my campsite at Perrot
Trempealeau Mountain
June 9th - 38.39 / 351.23 - Perrot - Alma
Woke up to a woodchuck inbetween my rainfly and my tent! Not sure what he wanted but I scared him off anyhow. So happy to see the sun was shining and it was nice and warm outside! I biked the last 10 miles of the Great River Trail and passed through the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge. I had the pleasure of bicycling directly under a bald eagle which made my day. After finishing up the bike trail I was back to the roads. I started out by taking some back roads and passed through two beautiful but very hilly valleys. I eventually reached the Great River Road which will take me North along the Mississippi River. I stopped in the small town Cochrane for a prime rib sandwich, beans, and chips for only $5 and it was truly home-made. What a deal! I reached the river town of Alma, Wisconsin where I had a reservation at the Felice Patra Inn, a very nice bed and breakfast! Connie, the woman who runs the inn is incredibly nice and very welcoming. I felt at home and had a great time staying at the B&B. The view of the river from my room was just what I hoped for and it was great to sit out on the balcont and watch the trains and barges pass by. After relaxing for a while I headed into town and check out the lock and dam which is very interesting. It'a amazing what mankind has come up with over the years! After reading all about the lock and dams I found a nice bar and restaurant called Traxx. Had some tasty tacos, a couple of beers, and some good conversation with the bartender and a local patron. I have met so many very friendly people during this journey and it has become one of the most enjoyabl parts about it. Went back to my room, uploaded my photos and relaxed on the porch. Great day!
Taking a break
Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge
The last section of trail along the Bike 4 Trails
So many birds in the refuge and along the great river
Another picture from the refuge
A beautiful bald eagle just above me
On the road, no more flat trail
Pipers Valley
Barge right in front of my room at the Felice Patra Inn
Burlington Northern Santa Fe ( a very popular site along the river )
A very important lesson in life - Follow Your Dreams
Tower view from atop the Felice Parta Inn ( awesome )
Staircase over railroad tracks to the lock and dam
My office / home for the night
June 10th - 21.88 / 373.11 - Alma - Pepin
Started off the morning with a great breakfast at the Inn. I started the morning off nice and slow since I had a short ride ahead of me. For the first 10 miles of my ride I biked along the Missisippi River, then I rode through the Tiffany Wildlife Refuge. It was another perfect day, sunny and 70's. Traffic was moderate but not too bad. I arrived to Pepin early afternoon and got caught up on my laundry and set up camp. I was the only tent at the campground full of RV's but everyone was very nice. Took a trip down to Lake Pepin which is incredible! The lake is part of the Mississippi River and spans twenty two miles long and varies in width from one to two and a half miles wide. After checking out the lake I headed into town for dinner. I found a greta place called the Garden Pub and Grill. Had a great burger and a number of differant beers. Met the very kind owner Joanne and was entertained for several hours by my awesome bartender Courtney. She had me laughing and learning all night long! After spending several hours at the Garden Pub and Grill I headed back to my campsite and called it a night.
A great breakfast assortment at the Felice Patra Inn
Along the Great River Road
Bluff after bluff along the Great River Road
Tiffany Wildlife Refuge - Chippewa River
Lake Pepin ( bike next to tree )
Lake Pepin
Garden Pub and Grill ( love the open air concept )
June 11th - 47.29 / 420.40 - Pepin - Prescott
Another beautiful morning, 70's and sunny, love it!
Met some more friendly folks from Pepin atthe campsite in the morning then went to a great coffee shop named Great River Roasters. Once again I met some more very friendly people. Pepin is full of them! I was told a story about someone from nearby who had recently shot a 650 pound black bear in the area. Good reason to hang your food at night! For most of the morning I biked alongside Lake Pepin then climbed some very large hills which were way fun going down! I biked under several more bald eagles, passed numerous large bluffs, and was waved at by many passing motorists. Amazing how many people wave, give thumbs up, and stop to ask how it's going. I stopped at many interesting historical markers which is much easier to do on a bicycle versus a car. Also a great learning experience. Towards the end of the days ride I stopped at a nice little shop for some tasty iced tea and met some more great people. Biked another 10 miles into town and stopped at the Great River Road visitor center in Prescott. This is the location where the Mississippi and St Croix rivers meet. After exploring the visitor center and checking out the views I headed into town and checked into my hotel. Last night in Wisconsin, tommorow I head to Minnesota!
Beautiful Lake Pepin
One of many bluffs
The Great River Road
Loving life!!!
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