Jefferson County, WI. I've ridden parts of this before, most memorable was a ride from Watertown to Whitewater and back on a brutally hot day, or sometimes continuing west from the Glacial Drumlin Trail out of Dousman, but this was a circle tour of the south half of the county.
The plan - a clockwise circle (RouteSlip isn't saving properly at this time, so here's a screen shot):
A strong SW wind dictated the starting point of Sullivan (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=sullivan+wisconsin+glacial+drumlin&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.264911,80.15625&ie=UTF8&ll=43.009919,-88.582163&spn=0.020963,0.067291&z=14&om=0).
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo02.jpg
Parking at the Glacial Drumlin Trail crossing (bathrooms and water), there were quite a few folks
riding the trail. :
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo01.jpg
But were going THIS way, south on CTY E, into the wind
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo03.jpg
All along the loop I kept running across these signs, I guess I picked a good route!:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo04.jpg
A long climb east on Herr Rd:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo05.jpg
Leads us past the National Weather Service for SE Wisconsin:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo06.jpg
With it's big radar dome:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo07.jpg
Hardscrabble road leads to Zion Rd. There were a number of makers painted on
the road in this area, I think it's part of the MS Ride (one of those charity rides
that I never do. :rolleyes:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo08.jpg
( Continued ... )
John Wilke
05-28-07, 03:22 AM
To my suprise, I rode up on these three chicks on Zion Rd:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo09.jpg
Just before entering Palmyra:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo10.jpg
Hey! There's another one of those "Bike Route" signs.
"This must be my lucky day" I thought to myself (The 'GOOD', note this for later):
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo11.jpg
Good scenery while grinding into the wind:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo12.jpg
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo13.jpg
At about 25 miles into the wind, it's time for a break. My foot hurts, so I stopped
at this cool old school house, built in 1832 according to the signs:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo14.jpg
"I must have a rock in my shoe ... WHAT THE .... ??? !" :eek:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo15.jpg
Now that my foot feels better, I sat here for probably 20 minutes, reading
the map ... not one car went by. Very serene.
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo16.jpg
( more ... )
John Wilke
05-28-07, 03:49 AM
According to the sign (if you can read it), Abraham Lincoln camped here once
and had his horse stolen. He had to canoe back home to Illinois. :p
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo18.jpg
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo19.jpg
Finally done with that darn head wind. Welcome to Ft. Atkinson, it should be
all tailwinds from here.
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo20.jpg
I kept an eye on my map, but still got lost in town. Some how I missed my turn for
HWY 106 and rode all the way through town.
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo21.jpg
"Well there's your problem!" The road is closed !
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo22.jpg
So I figure I'll just ride down the sidewalk until this clears up, probably in a block or two.
NOT! Even the sidewalk dissapeared just past that big boulder. I ended up riding in
the road - cyclocross style. (note: the BAD)
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo23.jpg
After a half mile of cyclo cross, the road opened up only to reveal:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo25.jpg
BRIDGE OUT! Oh great, now I have to turn around and ride back where I came???
At this time, a kid carrying his fishing pole rips by me like I'm standing still .... hmmmm, he must know where he's going, so I follow him and luckily they haven't taken the bridge out yet, so I get
through.
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo26.jpg
Well, now I'm on HWY 106 heading home with a big tail wind, and because the bridge
is out, the road is closed! No cars, I've got the road to myself Life is good ....
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo27.jpg
( one more page ... )
John Wilke
05-28-07, 04:04 AM
So I'm ripping along when suddenly the road goes to dirt again:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo28.jpg
... and it's bad. It's loose dirt with pockets of sand. If I was driving an all wheel
drive Subaru WRX, I'd be in heaven, but on 23mm bike tires, it's barely ridable. After
about 2 miles of this, I run across some folks walking. I ask them how much farther
does this gravel go? "Huh?" Well, does it go for a half mile, one mile, TEN miles??
"Yeah, that's about right". (???) "Where are you going?" I'm going to Sullivan.
"Yeah, that's about where it goes to" :( :cry: (The UGLY!)
Ten more miles of this? or turn around and ride the 5 back to town, into the wind!
How far to the next road? "Oh, just up ahead, take that to CTY Y, and that will
get you to Rome". Cool. So I find that road and head north:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo29.jpg
Ahhhh. So now it's big gear in the front, small gears in the back, and pedal squares
for 5 more miles to Rome:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo30.jpg
... and 3 more until I'm back in Sullivan. A sight for sore legs:
http://members.aol.com/j999w/JeffCo/JeffCo31.jpg
Total distance about 50 miles (a few more than the route shown due to getting lost
in town). The roads were smooth with few cars, so despite all the cyclocross riding,
it was a good ride.
jw
John Wilke
05-29-07, 12:29 PM
Here's (http://www.routeslip.com/routes/43454) the RouteSlip entry.
jw
CyLowe97
05-29-07, 12:37 PM
According to the sign (if you can read it), Abraham Lincoln camped here once
and had his horse stolen. He had to canoe back home to Illinois. :p
Stealing from one of the greatest figures in all of recorded history. They probably called him a F.I.B., too, didn't they?
Tsk, tsk, tsk....
Guess I'll have to seriously keep an eye on my stuff when riding in Wisconsin from now on.
:p
Hipcycler
05-29-07, 03:22 PM
Bearded freak.
John Wilke
05-30-07, 01:48 PM
John,
How hilly is this route? I'm thinking about doing the Tour de Fort in August.
[http://www.jcbc.info/Tour%20de%20Fort.html]
I liked riding around Ft Atkinson, I bet those club rides would be fun. THat first part south of town is pretty flat, then as you get south of Whitewater it's rolling. "HIP" could probably address the roads around La Grange better than I, but it can get kinda hilly over there, nothing too severe, just frequent rollers. Sounds like a very scenic and managable 100k.
It looks like a nice ride and that's the first I've heard of that one. Thanks for the heads up!
:D
jw
Hipcycler
05-30-07, 02:49 PM
YES...you were in my backyard there JW!
I have a loop from Palmyra-La Grange-Whitewater Lake....
Lots of rolling hills, but nothing too crazy.
What can really wear you down is a stiff wind that whips up through those open farm fields.
It sure is pretty though.
Hipcycler
05-30-07, 02:51 PM
Here ya go...take your pick....
http://www.backyardbikes.com/Routes.asp
Wiswell
05-30-07, 03:31 PM
I did Kettle Moraine Optimists' Ride in October last year. The 12 miles of rollers in the Kettle on Bluff Rd west into Whitewater just about killed me (the 40 degrees and stiff headwind didn't help).
John Wilke
05-30-07, 04:17 PM
Here ya go...take your pick....
http://www.backyardbikes.com/Routes.asp
WOW!
Routes
Below is a list of links to multi-distance adventures on the backroads of the Kettle Moraine area. All of these maps are printable and give a topography key
12 miles Bluff Duffin.
18 miles Ice Cream Route.
18 miles Whitewater Lake Standard.
22 miles Whitewater Lake (27 mi w/ Jackson/Duffin Extension).
26 miles Little Prairie Loop.
27 miles Whitewater Lake w/ Jackson/Duffin Extension.
30 miles Nature Classic.
31 miles Zion Hooper Z.
32 miles Whitewater Lake via Greening Young.
32 miles Island.
35 miles Lakes Route.
35 miles JCBC.
37 miles Nature Plus.
38 miles Bluff Lower Hebron Island.
40 miles Alpine Valley.
41 miles Island/Hebron Route.
42 miles Peony Route.
43 miles Waterville Road.
45 miles The North Loop.
48 miles Sullivan.
49 miles Waterville Plus Nature.
50 miles Whitewater Lake.
51 miles Tri County Tour.
60 miles Grand Tour.
Any lists like this for Rock, Washington, Dodge, Fon Du Lac counties? Probably the next one's I'm targeting. I suppose more web research is in order before getting behind the wheel. ;)
jw
Hipcycler
05-30-07, 04:20 PM
Yeah...they do a nice job there.
I have printed three of those routes (My lake place is on Blue Spring Lake, which you will see in several of those maps) for possible routes for a BF ride this summer.
Now if I could only get caught up on the work out there, maybe I'd have time to actually try one of them! La Grange and that shop are about six miles down the road from my weekend place.