June 8, 2019
Land O Lakes
Crandon to Star Campground
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Jackie’s avg speed: 9.1 mph
Scott’s avg speed: 11 mph
Weather: 60-80 degrees, northwest wind 10-12 mph
Breakfast was in the room - granola and yoghurt with dried fruits. The forecast called for temps in the 80s again, so we wanted to get an early-ish start. Eight-oh-eight wasn’t bad, considering the quick stop at the gas station ATM. (Yes, we paid the $3 fee).
Starting the day with a leisurely roll through the neighborhoods on the edge of town can be habit forming. County Park Road took us along the shore of Metonga Lake and past homes and docks on the shore. Trees shaded the road and a pleasant breeze was blowing. A couple of other cyclists our age or older were out enjoying the morning. Traffic was light on Saturday morning, another blessing.
Adventure Cycling chooses roads less traveled, which is generally a positive thing. But the trade-off is being routed away from towns and services. As the hours passed, and we turned onto secondary and tertiary roads, we had no options for a hot lunch or cup of coffee. Three young guys on motorcycles turned on to the road coming toward me and pumped their fists. That gesture of solidarity helped get my head in the right place and out of whiner-ville. I was watching the miles-per-hour gains I had made in the morning erode when tackling the hills. I wasn’t in a race and needed to stay focused on enjoying the weather and nature.
At some point after 11:00, we came to a wide place in the road called Lily which had some houses and a beautiful little bridge over a river, but no cafes or gas stations. We could see huge fish swimming below us. We found shade on the portico of some bar which had closed down years ago and ate our left over pizza and shared a Snickers. Then it was back on the bikes.
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5 years ago
The rolling hills were a little higher when we got to the Kettlebowl ski area. It wasn’t like ski slopes in the West or Seven Mile Hill east of St. Mary way back when we started on April 30. But we found ourselves going up and up and breathing deep down. We soldiered on (it felt like boot camp, somewhat of an ordeal and not always fun) and by 14:00 I needed my mid-day pause.
A Lutheran church with a nice paved parking lot in the shade appeared on the side of the road, and we steered toward it. There we consumed the last of the pepper jack cheese and Triscuits, plus some M&Ms and mixed nuts. Our water was running low, and the church had no water spigot. If we didn’t find water soon, we would have to stop at a farmhouse. As luck would have it, another Lutheran church a mile farther had a spigot. We apologized for disturbing the people there assembling for a funeral. They told us to ride safe and away we went, fourteen miles to go.
The terrain was sometimes steep, and we were mostly pedaling against a northeasterly wind, which kept us cool on the bright sunny day. Today’s ride was good training for the hard finish coming up in the mountains of New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont. But, training ultimately takes a toll and we need more breaks as we near the destination. With about seven miles to go, we came to Phlox, thinking about ice cream. We didn’t want to get our hopes up, since we had seen so few services during the ride. Plus, we kind of wanted to just stay on the road and get the day over. We passed by the turn off, and in a hundred yards came to a second approach. The desire for ice cream overcame my desire to keep going. I hadn’t had any since getting sick in Bemidji Memorial Day weekend. “Okay, let’s take a chance.” Phlox was a decent small town, with a gas station convenience store that offered up soft serve, vanilla and chocolate. “What size?” the clerk asked. “Large.” Would there really be any other?
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This break gave us calories and the happy sugar boost we needed to finish with a burst of energy. As we turned in to the Star Campground, we heard kids shrieking and splashing in the lake. We found a tent site and set up camp, paid $15 at the bar, then went for a swim. In that order. The fresh lake water was fine for swimming, just a little cool a few feet below the surface. A swim at the end of a strenuous day is the perfect way to sooth tight, overworked muscles.
The campground was worth the $15 fee, but maybe not more. The shower was pretty grungy. Everyone traveled - yes, traveled – from the rowdy bar to the camp sites on ATVs, even kids were driving. Most of the RVs were repeat customers. Some had built little porches next to their trailers. Fellow campers told us they had seen other cyclists come through, some from Germany, others from Australia.
The last bar meal in Marinesco had been disappointing, reheated fish filets and hamburger patties. We opted for our own re-hydrated beef stew with taco seasoning, Busch Lite, cocoa for dessert. As dusk approached, mosquitoes came out in force. Even with repellent on, they danced and bobbed around me while I performed the last task, oiling my bike. We took refuge in the tent, and Scott removed his hearing aids, a sign he was done for the day. He couldn’t hear the murmured conversations from the campers around us, ATVs on the gravel paths, and kids playing. At 22:00 the quiet hours came into force, ignored by the birds and frogs. They played on, reminding us that we were outside in the great outdoors.
Today's ride: 55 miles (89 km)
Total: 1,484 miles (2,388 km)
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