Rose Pedals . . .: The Ups and Downs of Riding in Wisconsin

Sunday, July 28, 2013
Portage, Wisconsin to Manitowoc, Wisconsin
127 miles
4,257 feet of climbing

As far as I can see, the state of Wisconsin has an ample supply of cows, farms, cheese factories and big rolling hills. All in all, it was an awesome ride today, although we still are experiencing unseasonably cool temperatures. This morning when we started our ride, the temperature was in the low 50s and the sky was overcast. Even without the sunshine, however, the scenery was gorgeous - lush green farms and fields. We passed a couple of Amish horse and buggies on the road in the early part of the ride. It was up and down the rollers for most of the day, which was fun, except when I dropped my chain going up a steep part of one roller. There was one steep but short climb today at mile 48 on Breakneck Road. It was one of those climbs where you don't realize how steep it is going to be until you turn the corner and all of the sudden you can't turn your pedals anymore. I'm amazed I didn't drop my chain on that climb, too, when I frantically and abruptly switched to my little chain ring. When we got to to the town of Mount Calvary at mile 78, where our lunch spot would be, the town happened to be holding a parade just as Art & I arrived at the street we were supposed to ride down to get to lunch. I've never seen such a well-attended parade - it looked like everyone in town was there! We found our lunch spot after taking a short detour. The parade continued as we ate lunch - we could hear the music and see the people and vehicles making their way down the main street. We left lunch right at the tail end of the parade, and Art & I became the last exhibits of the parade. The people were great - they clapped for us as we went by, except for a few that threw candy at us. After that flurry of excitement, the remainder of our ride was notably serene. We passed the Henning Cheese Factory and Museum at mile 104 and, although I really, really wanted some Wisconsin Cheddar, I didn't stop because it had started to rain and I still had about 23 miles to go. Around mile 118 we started getting some views of Lake Michigan. I tried to get some pictures, but I'm not sure they turned out well. I'm now using my Go-Pro camera, which does not always provide great mid-distance pictures, particularly when my finger is covering part of the lens. Yes, my camera problems continue . . . but I'm working on it. I was happy to have finished today's ride before 3:00 p.m. and was able to get out of the cold and rain. Despite the inclement weather, I thoroughly enjoyed today's ride. It was a day full of challenges and surprises. And it's always a good day when you get to be in a parade. : )

The elevation profile of today's ride