I missed something in the translation. I know we are in a time zone. These guys don't adjust to change well. Instead of going by the new time, they are going by solar time. So when I started stirring at 5:30, Steve was getting ready to head out for breakfast. Fred had already eaten and taken down his tent. Gay wasn't far behind. Crap. I was now rushing around trying to catch up! We were departing by 6:20. Rushing around first thing is not my favorite way to spend the morning. You see, I can't hear anyone (very well) stirring around to wake me. At least they are patient with me.
Today promised to be pretty hilly. Right off the bat we rolled down across a bridge. That can only mean one thing. We would be ascending on the other side. Yep. True that. And some. It was cold but since I knew about the climb, warm clothes to start would only leave me soaking in sweat. The steep part of the climb wasn't that long, perhaps 3 or 4 city blocks, but I knew this wasn't going to be the only climb of the day.
Boy. My day was really getting of to a great start. I wonder how long that Cliff bar is going to hold me? Better yet, I wonder how long it'll be before our first coffee stop. (that means, where will I be able to get some food.) You see, I don't have a map of this area so I am frequently in the dark on the details. I feel like a pest if I ask too many questions. (A full set of maps for the northern tier costs around $140.)
At the 21 mile mark we found a convenience store. I loaded up with the requisite calories and coffee. As I was shopping around, I half heard a local woman, young with shoulder length stringy, wet dark hair in an old t shirt and baggy, ratty jeans, talking loudly and excitedly about someone having stolen $100 of hers. The rest of her diatribe I missed. When I made it to the counter, the clerk was sort of reacting to what she said. "If someone stole my car, I'd call the cops." So it seems she is a frequent "victim". The clerk said yesterday she said someone had stolen her 52" TV. This seemed impossible since the woman had a German Shepard that wouldn't have let someone walk out unnoticed. Hmmm.
While we were sitting outside on the curb, devouring calories and sipping coffee, guess who drove up? Right O! If someone stole it, they made a good decision and returned it straight away. It was rusted and beat up, but it did run.
We left the entertainment zone knowing that the Wisconsin state line was at hand. 10 hilly miles later, there it was. We had crossed ME, NH, VT, NY, Ontario, & MI. We stopped for pictures commemorating the moment. Next stop was food. That would be 15 or 20 miles away. The terrain had suddenly flattened out. The trees were tall and evergreen. The road was lined with wild flowers of all types. Queen Anne Lace was most prevalent. We stumbled onto "Y-Not Here? Restaurant." Nothing else around so we decided, y not stop and have lunch.
There were 3 young men not long out of high school sitting drinking sodas and 2 were smoking. Gee. Some places still allowed it in eating places. It wasn't too bad and we were hungry and there were no other options. While we waited for our food, Steve rides up. We hadn't seen him since he went to breakfast. I envied him for that. I wasn't going to split from my group though. We all have a good lunch then head down the road together.
The road turned decidedly hilly. These ups and downs were of the less painful variety. Up and down none the less. This went on for another 15 or 20 miles before we stumbled on an oasis of sorts. An ice cream shop by a lake! Joy. Proof God loves us and wanted us to be happy. We all had excellent milkshakes. Yum. Should of had 2 of them.
The rest of the mileage was a mix of little hills and flatlands. But let me say that the last 10 to 15 miles just seemed like forever. We arrived at Star Lake. Staying at a primitive campground with the lake serving as a bath. Pit toilets are serviceable. The local store was a gem. The owner took to Fred and Steve. Before I knew it, we were invited back for hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill after the store closed. Welcome to Wisconsin. They are nice folks with good hearts. They have hosted a number of cyclists per the stories they shared. We enjoyed dinner and their company.
It's late and time to turn in.
Mileage today = 71 (another long day due to lack of available/any accommodations)
Total mileage to date = 1,806
That's over 60 miles a day over the past 30 days. We took 2 of those days off if you'll remember.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers!
KPW
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