June 5, 2010
Day 19 - ending at Mineral Point, Wisconsin
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I was awake at 4:45am and packed, ready to go at 6:10am on this overcast morning. This was my first night 'stealth camping', which I've read so much about in other people's bike journals. It worked out OK. Thank you West-Fork Cemetery!
I continued east on County Road S. It was a quiet, cool morning. Just before I got the Excelsior, I turned around and took this picture of where I'd spent the night (at the left in the photo).
I was beginning to see the advantage to being on the road early in the morning. It's quiet!
Eventually I hooked up with Highway 60, which led me Highway 80, which crossed the Wisconsin River.
At 8:17am I was in Muscoda.
To the left was a park. It was a good place for sending out yesterday's report, looking up places to eat in Muscoda, and filling my water jug.
I left at 8:42am, headed for Vicky's Cozy Cafe.
There were several reasonable breakfasts on the menu, but I was hungry, so ordered the Ultimate Belly Buster, along with orange juice and coffee.
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I ended up quite full. So full, in fact, that I needed a nap, which I took sitting on the bench out front.
I finally started slowly moving at 10:35am. Through town was OK, but outside the city limits was a decent hill that I was almost too full to get up.
I was south of Cobb at 2:04pm when I noticed rain to the southwest. I turned east and was able to miss getting wet.
I wasn't much farther, and going south again, when I noticed another small storm to the southwest.
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I pulled off on a side road and called Tahdra this time to get the storm's direction. She said to the northeast (right toward me). We got to talking, and before I knew it, the rain was just a few minutes away. I hung up, threw the plastic over the rear gear, then quickly pulled on my rain pants - backwards! It started raining pretty good, so I threw on my boots and rain jacket, and stood there holding up the pants. They are the type that use suspenders to hold them up, and I couldn't get them fastened that way. Ended up standing there for an hour - with one hand on the pants the whole time! If only I had the pants on correctly, I could have clipped down the plastic on the rear gear and been riding!
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The rain moved on to the northeast, I packed the rain gear away, and was back on the road at 3:43pm.
Noticed some pretty roadside flowers as I neared Mineral Point, though my camera never captures flowers very well.
There was one final up-hill push to get to the Iowa County Fairgrounds, where I planned to camp. I read the self check-in instructions and then went to check out the place. I rode across the horseracing track to the middle where the camping sites are. They're not really sites, just a grassy field. But I couldn't find any shower house. I couldn't even find a bathroom! I was getting ready to move on, but it started raining, so I waited under a pavilion nearby. The rain turned into a north wind-driven downpour. The rain I could handle (I was under the pavilion), but the wind was really strong - and cold.
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I changed my mind about going somewhere else, and decided that I'd set up the tent under the pavilion when the wind died down. I unpacked somewhat, but everything I laid out wanted to blow south.
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While waiting for the wind to die down, I ate supper - Beanee Weenees, applesauce, Ritz crackers, and Pop Tarts - all while standing.
The rain/wind still wasn't letting up. Finally decided to try setting up the tent, and used my bike to hold down the two upwind corners. That worked.
Around 8:00pm, the rain stopped, but the wind remained. There was one short moment of sunshine.
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I took this picture walking back from the camp registration box after the rain stopped. The pavilion can be seen to the right of center in the picture.
After that I put away all the items that had dried, and moved into the tent to get out of the wind. I had electricity, since there was a hot outlet in the rafters, so that was nice. By the time I had my daily report written, the wind had died down.
Subject: Day 19 report
Sent: Saturday, 6-5-2010, 10:21 PM
Peaceful night at the cemetery. The stars were bright!
Up at 4:45am. Left at 6:10am.
Was in muscoda at vicki's cosy cafe at 8:50am, where I ate the "ultimate belly buster" breakfast. That took a while to settle.
At 2:30pm I called tahdra to have her determine which way the rain I saw was heading. It was coming toward me, so covered the cargo with plastic, put on my rain gear, and waited about 45m for it to pass.
Arrived at the iowa county fairgrounds in mineral point at 5:15pm. Was checking the camping area when it started to rain. Took cover under a pavilion. It got very windy from the north and rained hard almost continuously till 8:00pm.
Ate supper while waiting: baked beans with hot dogs, applesauce, ritz crackers, and pop tarts.
Decided to camp under the pavilion. Setting up the tent in the wind was a challenge. I used the bike to secure the north two corners. The wind has finally died down now.
Breakfast: $10.76+2; camping: $15.
48miles, 8.2mph average moving speed.
Jeff
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Day Nineteen: 48 miles in 11 hours, 5 minutes = 4.3 mph average progress.
Spent: $10.76 plus $2 (breakfast) + $15 (campsite fee) = $27.76.
Today's ride: 48 miles (77 km)
Total: 898 miles (1,445 km)
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