Bike Across America – Day 33

Friday, July 21, 2017

Start: La Crosse, Wisconsin
End: Mauston, Wisconsin
Mileage today/cumulative: 78 / 2,435
Elevation Ascended: 2,667′
Weather:  Cloudy, 70° at start; rain, 77° at finish
3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)

Today was one of those “best laid plans” days. After pushing it pretty hard the past couple of days, we planned for an active recovery ride because the middle 32 miles of our 75-mile route was on the Elroy-Sparta trail. This is a hard-packed crushed gravel  bike path that was the first Rails to Trails project in the United States. It includes three tunnels that you must walk your bike through because once you enter them you cannot see the other end. It’s so dark that you cannot see your hand in front of your face without a flashlight or headlamp.

Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate with our plan. Before we even arrived at the trailhead, we were detoured due to road construction. Then we came upon a road crew assessing a bridge that sustained serious damage last night from flash flooding. They allowed us to ride through the debris but the bridge was closed to automobiles. It was impressive to see what a sudden onslaught of water can do to asphalt and cement. When we showed up to begin the Elroy-Sparta trail, we were told by our ABB team leader that we would not be allowed to ride on the trail. She showed us the weather radar, which was basically one enormous blob of green, orange, and red that was coming toward us. It also included a flash flood alert. Because the trail is hard-packed, it could become messy and difficult to navigate, with mechanical or medical support unavailable, if needed. So, we were rerouted onto a paved road that paralleled the trail. It also meant that we had to climb three hills that we would have “tunneled” through. We were disappointed but now we have an excuse to come back and ride the trail.

A trip like this requires going with the flow and staying positive, so we hopped on our bikes and rode like mad to stay ahead of the looming storm we saw on the radar. So much for active recovery – at that point it was just ACTIVE. We didn’t beat the rain – it finally caught us with about 40 miles to go – but nothing that required us to stop or seek shelter. We did slow down long enough to wave at the Amish gentleman riding into “town” in his buggy. All was forgiven and forgotten when we reached our second SAG stop and found that the staff had bought cheese curds. I’m pretty sure we ate our weight in cheese before getting back on our bikes for the last 20 miles or so. Team Pea fueled by Wisconsin cheese. Blurp.