wildwayMN: Bike trip .The Elroy Sparta Trail.

instead of an epilogue First of all I am SORRY for my bad English and mistakes, hope you can read and understand what I wrote in this blog. I just want to share my experience with my friends

This year I was not able to racing a lot. I changed my priority. First of all family. But is is hard ..
I love to ride with my girls. After our 2 days bike trip from Minneapolis to Duluth I started to dream about another. Now I know that Nadia is strong girl and could ride all day long.
I talked with my friend Alex Oenes about interesting rote, because this guy know everything . I love his wild style of riding. And he told me about this rote.He said that will be tunnel .. Oh I saw picture one day from some of my friend and so wanted to see it.But when I saw rote I was not sure about can we do all? Alex prepare to me all info, map ... I am lucky to have so nice friend.

Nadia had days off at school in October and I decided to use this days for our another wild trip.
I "forgot"that winter camping gear is much more heavy than in summer time.When I started to pack my stuff i had a panic : HOW i can pack all of this? How I will ride with trailer and all this stuff?????
Because Nadia's bike seat is so low I can not put anything at her bike. I put some her stuff in bike frame bag, all rest of the stuff was in my bags and trailer.

Dan never say nothing bad about any of my crazy ideas. No matter what it is bike wedding, AH 135 after 1?5 month of delivery baby .... He always says that he want that I will be happy ).

He dropped us in camping Wednesday night with all our staff and back home (he had work).
Early morning we wole up, had breakfast , pack our stuff and slowly started. I was little worries - it was SUPER heavy bike.. Also at the start St Croix Bluffs Regional Park our way by St. Croix city was on HWY . Big shoulder on the road let me worries little less.

After 5 miles I had first mechanical problem with my bike. I fixed it and we kept going.

The rote was at very hilly area. I forgot what I learned at Geography at school... "it you near big river - it is mean never will be flat"And I realized that most of our rote will be near Mississippi river ...

After 25 miles we stopped at some farm for lunch and rest, I was so tired after all this hills... Speed on my bike computer had speed from 4 miles (on the hills) by 32 (downhills) miles per hour .

After that we keep going . I realized that I can not my plan 70 miles per day.The day light is shorter than in summer. And my goal was 50- 55 mile per day.

Nadia was strong girl. She rode all uphills and never says that she is tired.

We also stopped in one small town for ice-cream . And OMG it was the best ice-cream which I ever tried.

Every 10 miles we have some city on our way.And it makes our way interesting, All city was old style with own history.
That is way I love traveling. I love to see how other people live.. I love small towns. Life in small town much different than in big. And people also.

Every 15 miles we made short rest. Yeva need to walk . Nadia need to rest and me too )
The nature around us was unreal beautiful. After flat Twin cities area all those hills was so nice to us.

Lake Peppin.

Creativity of people in small towns makes me smile. For example this photo .

I do not had plans WHERE we will stay at night. About 5 pm I started to looking for some place tor our tent. But next 5 miles was only swamp. I little worried.. I do not want to ride in dark.

I turn after swamp to the woods , It was private property (as most in USA ((! ). I do not see house , but font sign with phone number of owners. I called him, asked to put tent for night at his wood. He said - NO!
Ok! We need hurry
We rode another 2 miles . I saw house by hwy and stopped to asked owner to put tent ( I do not have time to looking for something better- day is almost over).
The guy say that no problem . YEAH!
I never before sleep as close to the road, especially to HWY )))

I made dinner. Nadia never eat as good at home as the does in our trip ))).

55 miles dome.

This night was really cold. WE woke up. Made breakfast and keep going. I fount that tire on the trailer had very low pressure . I pumped at gas station. Nadia frozen and we stopped at city to drink hot tea

Very often , the drivers waved to us and Nadia did not know WHY! I told her that they are sent respect to us )))

After half day of riding we came to the BIKE TRAIL!

This is mean we can ride side by side and talk. Nadia love it )

Trail was SO beautiful.

On our way we stopped at the Lamas farm.

I want to keep time and we eat at gas station. The bike trail was so nice always in nice nature area.. good marked .
My main problem that my phone do not normally charged. And always was close to dead battery and worse that my rote was on the phone. For emergency I have paper map of WI .

Another night coming. Another problem - where we will sleep at this night ?
We was on the boarder of Onalaska and La cross when day was is over. When I saw few very strange guys on the trail I do not want anymore put tent on the trail. I found house close to trail and ask women to let us put tent at her private property .
She was so nice. She bring home made banana bread , I gave her Russian cookies .
Her husband asked us "вщ you need anything &do we want to took shower?"
I love America, I love so pleasant people here ).
I said - no, thanks.

Elroy Sparta Trail

After amother 20 miles of riding at the 3rd day we came to Sparta - bike capital of USA (I do not know WHY they called it like this)

about trail :
"The Elroy Sparta Trail. The trail remains one of the most popular trails in the country. With three rock tunnels and five small towns along it's 32.5 mile route, the trail is a favorite Wisconsin bicycling destination. Traveling between Sparta and Elroy, the trail stretches through the communities of Norwalk, Wilton and Kendall. The Elroy Sparta Trail is the property of the State of Wisconsin and is part of it's State Trails System run by the Department of Natural Resources and supported by the Friends of the Elroy Sparta Trail. It is located in Hidden Valleys Country and passes through a portion of the unglaciated areas of Wisconsin exemplifying the natural beauty of our State. Part of the "Bike4Trails" it connects to 101 miles of trails.
The trail is 32 miles in length on the abandoned Chicago & North Western Railroad bed and passes through three rock tunnels. The three century-old railroad tunnels hightlight the trail. The Kendall and Wilton tunnels are 1/4 mile long and the Norwalk tunnel is just over 3/4 mile long. The tunnels are dark and cool, even on the brightest days, and water from springs above the tunnels can trickle onto the trail. Bikers should walk bikes through the tunnels. The Trail is covered with limestone screenings and provides a smooth riding surface. The bridges are covered with planks and are guarded with railings. "

our lunch was in the park under this wonderful monument

after lunch we had 3!!!! tunnels. Road before each tunnel goes slowly and up up up... and speed down down down (((

In tunnels area was big traffic. For the last 2 days we do not meet almost nobody... but here a LOT of people who walked m rode bikes ....

All 3 days we have so nice weather . Thank you nature and weather

Another 20+ miles and our trip was done. Dan came to pick up us...

When we sitting at gas station and waiting Dan Nadia said to me " so sadly that our trip is over"

It was best what I can dream to hear.
For 3 days 180 miles. With THAT elevation, with all my stuff I am proud of us, I am PROUD of Nadia. At 11 years old I never rode more that 15 miles per day.
I hope she will keep this in рук mind/
Yeva was a wonderful kid - do not crying and best child ever )