Day 21 - LaCrosse WI to Portage WI, 133 miles, 4300' cumulative climbing

 I have biked thousands of miles in Wisconsin over the last 15 years, and am convinced it's one of the finest areas in the country for cycling.  At least of the parts of the country I've seen.  And today underscored and reinforced that opinion. Wisconsin has it all: Rolling farmland, steep wooded hill climbs, great secondary roads with light car and truck traffic, rivers, lakes, wildlife, etc.  Get it?  And I had been anticipating this day to be a good one because Lon Haldeman knows Wisconsin cycling like nobody else and picked a great variety of roads for us today.

We rode out of LaCrosse with 5 big climbs on the route, the very first starting on the edge of town and being the toughest one of the day.  It was about 2 miles long and varied in steepness from 6-10%.  But the morning was cool and calm and the surroundings were lovely. So while the climbing was difficult, it was a spectacular day of challenge and beauty.  The route also laid out in the way I particularly like; the tough climbing was all in the first half, and the second half was easier, flatter farmland roads that offered a chance to cruise along with just moderate energy output.

Along the way we passed Amish farmers and families, lots and lots of classic dairy barns and cows, horses, goats, steep uphill and downhill runs, vistas from hilltops that go for miles, and woods of pine and hardwood trees that cooled the air.  This was epic Wisconsin biking.  This is what keeps me coming back for more.

Stats for Week 3:                                               Trip so far (21 days)

899.7 miles ridden                                             2398.1 miles ridden
22,370' total climbing                                         82,990' total climbing
Replaced broken cue sheet holder

 Riding through farmland with David Groat from Littleton, CO.  His wife Alice joined us in LaCrosse as a crew member for the eastern leg of the trip.

Hand-baled Amish hay