Day 15 - Ending at Dorchester, WI - Wisconsin on the Kick-back

August 19, 2018

Day 15 - Ending at Dorchester, WI

I wasn't as cold last night, thankfully. Report-writing until 7:12am, when I stopped to pack. A tire pressure check this morning showed the front at 40 psi, and the back at 42 psi. Added air to both to get them to 51 psi.
At 8:37am I ate breakfast from food I have with me, knowing there is no place along this morning's route. The plan is to arrive this evening at the park in Dorchester, where there's camping - 54 miles away, according to my plan. At 9:35am, I was back to working on yesterday's report, and falling asleep at 10:05am. Enough of this, I'm taking off!

After filling the water jug and bottles, and getting the GPS receivers to lock-in, I was moving at 10:22am. The route is CR-K north to CR-O to Stanley, then CR-X to Owen. Northeast from there to Dorchester.

At 10:51, I was at the intersection with WI-27. There were hills this morning - nothing that had me walking, but it was work.

The noon report was near the intersection with CR-EE: 11.9 miles. Took a break here for a bag of peanuts, leaving at 12:12pm.

I arrived in Stanley at 1:35pm, and Martino's Restaurante at 1:50pm. This was a place I had a waypoint for in my plan. Their pizza buffet had just ended at 1:30pm, so I went with a half-order of lasagna and Dr Pepper. With ice for my Klean Kanteen, I was back at it at 2:30pm.

CR-X is flatter (I was finding out), and I was thankful. I started seeing a few Amish buggies and bicyclists as I neared Thorp. I was in town at 3:27pm. There's a park here with a sand box lined with the oldest rocks in Wisconsin, according to the plaque. I've been seeing a lot of markers for the "Yellowstone Trail", which I'm apparently on at the moment.

Continuing, I passed through Withee at 5:06pm, and Owen at 5:18pm. Still seeing Amish buggies and bicyclists. They are all faster than me.

At 5:40pm, I was a mile north of Owen, looking east at the six miles of gravel (Willow Road) I'd have to ride. This was part of my made-at-home plan, seeing no other way. I like rideable gravel, and this certainly was. It just takes longer.

Not long after I was started, a buggy with a young couple inside passed. I waved and they smiled and waved. A little later, a group of three young Amish women on bicycles passed, returning my wave. As I went on, more and more groups of girls on bicycles passed me, all going in the opposite direction. The group size varied, from one (just a few times) to maybe ten or twelve. There were a few groups of young men, separate from the girls. There was one couple together who could have been courting. There seemed to be no end to the groups I was waving to. When I neared Pray Avenue, I could see that most of the groups were getting onto Willow Road from there.

I hadn't been able to get a good look at any of the Amish bicycles (or, of course, take any pictures), but I did notice in my mirror that my bike (or me) was getting second glances. Instead of a Sunday afternoon drive, many young Amish go on a Sunday afternoon bike ride!

At 6:55pm, my interesting six miles of gravel riding came to an end when I met up with CR-E. Three miles north, then five miles east on CR-A would have me in Dorchester. I passed one more Amish couple to wave to on CR-E. They were walking south on this pleasant evening.

Sunset is at 8:01pm tonight for this location, and that's right when I arrived at the park. I checked out the primitive camping area, but it was a little too primitive (weeds) for me. So I picked site #23 with water and electric. For a two night stay (I need a day off to catch up on report-writing) it's $30 total.

I was set up and registered by 9:05pm, and glad to be here. In bed by 10:45pm, with no alarm set!

Jeff

Spent: $8.95 plus $2 (lunch) + $15 (campsite) = $25.95.

Day 15 - Chippewa Falls, WI to Dorchester, WI

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+ plus signs indicate pictures added after returning home from the trip +