Little trip on the Big River

 It was a cold but fruitful spring ride this year. 

I have it in my head to visit all the bluffs on the Wisconsin - Minnesota - Iowa boarder. I have some of the more popular parks crossed off my list including: Memorial and Barn Bluffs in Red Wing, Frontenac State Park, Buena Vista (Alma), Perrot State Park, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Pikes Peak, and Wyalusing State Park. On this trip, I was able to cross off Maiden Rock Bluff. Unfortunately, Old Settler's Overlook, south of Stoddard, was closed.

The road in was a slick mix of clay and gravel.

Enter at your own risk. 

Spring views from Maiden Rock Bluff

Lots of hiking opportunities. 

Warming up with a hot chocolate.

I got a chance to ride Todd's new Honda, a very nice all rounder!

Views from the Grandview Motel

Apps before our Friday Fish Fry at Swede's. 

The Wooden Nickel was short staffed and would have to wait until Saturday night.

Cheers!

Saturday morning we visited the Hermitage for breakfast before setting out on classic Wisconsin backroads. We made our way up S, down P, and over Wildcat Mountain before heading back to the river. Sunday, I took to opportunity to cross the Blackhawk bridge on my way back to Saint Paul. The new bridge is coming along while the old one remains caught up between the engineers and residents. Some days it's open, some days it's not.

- Ride North

May 2nd- 4th | 46f - 76f | 540 miles

Memory lanes - Spring Ride 2024

May 2024. A meet up in Viroqua, a little camping, and a croissant.  

Day 1.

Meandering down to Viroqua to meet up with my dad around 4:00. I like to start these weekends with an all day, solo ramble with just a loose idea of where I'm going. Today's goal was to drift around on some Zen roads, and to make it to the meetup spot roughly on time.

River road, following the Tremealeau west out of Arcadia.

Stringing Zen roads together, bringing me closer to La Crosse.

E out of Alma bypassing Cream on Bank Hill Road.

95 to River Road south to P.

Bambenek Rd/ Dodge Hill Rd, out of Dodge of all places.

G to 93 to Norway Valley Rd.

T to 53 to Galesville for a snack.

A stop at Buena Vista Park first.

A Zen road. A perfect Guzzi road.

I just want hours of this.

Checking in on The Cut.

All geared up for camping, brought a warmer sleeping bag this year.

West Fork of the Kickapoo.

Best camp sites around, lots of room in May.

Day 2.

Lunch at the Saint Francis Hermitage. It was a cold wet morning. We were a little out of place in our rain gear and boots but, the nuns welcomed us into the main dining room anyway. The whole experience was up lifting and set the tone for the rest of the day. 

Rain.

Some riding. Lunch! Some more riding.

Followed by sunset around the campfire.

With a little scotch. 

What a treat!

Day 3.

Heading home after spending some quality time in the outdoors with my dad.

I forget exactly where this picture was taken. 

I think I went down to De Soto before heading back north.

The road north.

Mississippi River backwaters.

Lake Pepin, the Chippewa, and the Mississippi river valley.

I stopped at the Eagle Center in Wabasha. 

I learned that they are all juvenile bald eagles. 

There is a population of golden eagles that visit Wisconsin but, 

it's very small and they only stop by in February. 

What do you know, an eagle!

Another great spring ride in the books. Looking forward to next year! (Lord willing and the creek don't rise.)

- Ride North

May 31st - June 2nd | 70s and rain | 575 mi. | 13.5h moving time

A Wabasha overnight

It's Friday afternoon. My work is done and the bike is loaded up for a short overnight camping trip. As 4:30 quickly becomes 5:30, the rain goes from bad to worse. It would pass eventually but waiting would mean getting into camp after dark. It was time to suit up and go. I do love the challenge of riding in the rain and the reward of chasing the remnants of those big July thunderheads. There was never a question about going and I'm glad I did.

Lake Pepin

My destination was a state forest campground just west of Wabasha. Getting there Friday night would give me all day Saturday to putt around the western Wisconsin countryside, and I had a new tent that needed a test drive. I've been working on my camping kit since having so much fun out west this past spring and in northern Wisconsin last year. 

The campground has pit toilets and a shallow well with a hand pump, not much else. The sites are reasonably spread out and were about 10% occupied. First come, first served. A handful of trails along the wooded bluff would provide some entertainment on a cool fall day but the steamy summer night brought out the bugs. I opted to hang out at the canoe landing for a bit and then retreat to my tent for a book and a scotch. 

Storms move out as the sun sets behind me. 

a campsite on the bluff

After breaking camp in the morning, I crossed back over the river bottoms and found some fun roads to explore just east of the Chippewa River valley. I loved being out there in the morning with all the roads to myself. Linstrom Valley road was particularly beautiful, hugging the western valley wall with the sun up high in the eastern sky.

Arkansaw, WI

It was a productive 24 hours spent out and about in the world with just myself to talk to. These small county roads are heaven on the  little Guzzi. Both Zen and art were nearby at times. 

- Ride North

Friday July 28th - 29th | afternoon storms followed by sunshine 

Nostalgia and ice cream

I bought my first street bike in River Falls, Wisconsin. Some clever soul had parked a spray painted black, 1982 KZ550 in the lot on Main Street and Division. The three digit number on the for sale sign caught my eye immediately. A thorough inspection found that the seat cover and chrome were in good condition so a deal was made and I was on the road.

The bike would only start if it was parked in the sun. I have great memories of driving to work in North Hudson on sunny afternoons, then returning the next day to pick it up. It ran well enough for long enough to entertain the opposite sex on occasion, which was important. The woman who would later become Mrs. North was known to putt around town on it.

I took out a loan at the local Credit Union, these were very understanding people.

Today, memories drew their own purple lines on the GPS. My trip from St. Paul to Selma's ice cream parlor in Afton passed through River Falls and Prescott with a stop at Kinnickinnic State Park. I haven’t been on M and MM for years, I forgot how good they are. The fields and barns are all still there, only the farm dogs have changed.

Bob Ross was painting today.

The USGS crest gage on the Kinnickinnik River at County Road F. 

River Falls saw 5 inches of rain this weekend. 

Native prairie restoration.

Lake St. Croix, where the St. Croix river joins the Mississippi.

After all that, I did remember to stop at Selma's for a cone. Zanzibar in a sugar cone. I even found a new road out of town. Sometimes I'll take a road because I like its name. Any road named Indian Trail is worth a 180. I knew where it ended up but I didn't know it wound around some hills, wetlands and a small lake.

- Ride North