Windy and up.

July 21, 2021

We had a long day planned for today, 65 miles to Medford. The forecast for the day was overcast and cool with highs in the lower 70’s. We got a later than usual start of 7:30 after a quick breakfast at good ol Micky D’s. We rode hwy 64 almost all day. At one section Ross navigated us onto county R which was a 3 mile downhill glide to the Chippewa River and then we rode along its banks for 5 miles. As we have crossed the country we have had the opportunity to ride roads that have followed many different rivers. Some of our best riding days have been following rivers and it is something we really enjoy. The River road took us to the town of Cornel and we had our first break, which included a big bottle of chocolate milk. Leaving Cornel the wind started to pick up and we fought a head wind for the rest of the day. The next section took us through an area that had many Amish like farms (I don’t know what religious group they were but they followed Amish like traditions) . At one point I saw a horse and buggy about a mile in front of us. For grins I decided to see if I could catch and pass the buggy. I raced after them for a couple of miles and as soon as I caught up to them they turn onto another road. I stopped and huffed and puffed until Janet came up.

After the dramatic horse buggy chase we arrived in the town of Gilman. We stopped for lunch in a small cafe and then got some Gatorade in the C-store. We had 27 miles left until Medford. The afternoon rides are always slower than the morning rides. We are tired and sometimes the motivation is lacking. Today we spent most of the day climbing, as you can see by the elevation chart we gain almost 500 feet in elevation today. Eventually we arrive in Medford around 3:30.

Tomorrow is another 62 mile day. We are planning to get to Appleton by Saturday and take another rest day to visit family.