Another Good Day in the Saddle. Fog, Views, Climbs, and the Amish
While longing for another day in Lacrosse, we reluctantly entered the fray once again. It really was a bit of a battle as we fought along some road construction along with the commuters. Luckily this ended with a turn to the east and along the blessedly quiet roads of Wisconsin. We quickly hit the first big climb of the day but were rewarded with a high point view of the fog settled into the fields. While longing for another day in Lacrosse, we reluctantly entered the fray once again. It really was a bit of a battle as we fought along some road construction along with the commuters.
We then descended into the cool valleys with more wisps of fog and lots of silence. There was very little vehicular traffic and some of that was horse drawn carriages. You will not see any pictures here of people in them as the Plain Folk (Amish and Mennonite) do not enjoy being photographs for religious regions. I guess if I can treat a Jehovah’s Witness patient in the OR, I can certainly respect this request. It was a surreal ride though. Fog. Hill. Curvy Descent. Amish children along the road walking to school. Waving at the English on their bicycles. We in our spandex and they without shoes.
All good things must come to and end however and we eventually hit the mostly flats and headed mostly east to our finish. After the first rest stop after lunch we did hit a very steep section but at least it was short. By this time I was cruising alone and visiting with our groups of riders as I paced home with some stops for photos. I mean who can pass up a chance to have ones photo taken with an Abrams tank? For a bit I even managed to catch up with Michael who was in a no nonsense mood today. He is an experienced Iron Man athlete and rides his bike hard and nonstop. I snuck up on him and after a startled look we road together for the next 10 miles. He found some sort of second wind in the last 2 and shot off like a rocket. Obviously he is doping.
Our domicile was a “resort” motel well away from any town. I actually like the motel concept by this point. Easy in and out. Guide Blake had the chairs and coolers out along with a very nice chips and salsa spread so I sat and enjoyed all of the above while we reconvened after a very nice day of riding. An easier day tomorrow and then rest day!
| Distance (miles) | Elevation Climbed (feet) | Calories Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 2199 | 84,542 | 79,286 |
| Fitness | Fatigue | Form | TSS Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| 158 | 263 | -97 | 340 |
PZ says:
September 16 , 2022 at 3:47 am
Love Lacrosse. We used to take the kiddos there in our Wisconsin days to see the eagles nest along the Mississippi. I hear a rough crowd is waiting to greet you in Madison…. I think you may be able to out-pedal them!
Wanderings 