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Time out: 9:28 AM.
The forests around here are extremely varied; not just one or two speicies
as out west, but evergreens, hardwoods and other deciduous trees: Birch,
Maple, Pine, etc. It appears that they don't clear-cut the timber around
here. Typically, when the forests are clear cut, only a single species is
replanted. The variety of species here leads me to think that selective
thinning is the norm, thereby preserving the variety. I prefer this sort
of forest.
After only 7.6 miles I crossed over into Wisconsin once again.
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In addition to photographs of two different welcome to Wisconsin signs, I turned back and got one of the Yes Michigan Welcome sign--similar, albeit smaller--to the welcome sign I forgot to photograph at Ironwood.
Just south of the Wisconsin border is a historical marker identifying the
start of the Wisconsin River.
I am heading south through Wisconsin to Manitowoc and the Lake Michigan Car Ferry across Lake Michigan to Ludington, Michigan. The ferry will shorten my route by about 100 miles (a day and a half). I've ridden through St. Ignace and Macinac City, the main route, several times (and will do so in a couple of weeks on DALMAC) so thought this official Adventure Cycling alternate route makes more sense.
I went through Eagle River, Wisconsin. I was last through here
31 years ago (1965), to see my friend John Tonne, whose family owned a chain
of Paul Bunyan restaurants throughout northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula
of Michigan. They lived in Hancock, Michigan, but John was in Eagle River
that summer, so I drove up to see him here. I didn't see any Paul Bunyan
restaurant today and don't know what happened to John.
The town seemed to be a bustling resort town. Neil (an accomplished elementary
school webmaster), whom I met on a bicycle ride in northern Michigan last
summer, e-mailed me that he'd like to meet up with me today. We talked on
the phone last night and I gave him my route for the day. He drove over
from the Minneapolis area (about 4 hours away) and seeing my bike and flag
in front of a restaurant in Eagle River, caught up with me as I was finishing
lunch.
We talked for about an hour and a half; then I went back to my
journey and he returned to Minnesota. It was nice to see somebody I knew.
I stopped in Three Lakes and used the restroom at the public library. The
library was very nice; far larger than Williamston. I wrote out my URL (web
address) for the librarian. As I was leaving, several folks inquired about
my journey. As you may have noticed, I enjoy talking with people about the
trip.
As I was riding along in downtown Three Lakes, I had a craving
for ice cream. I stopped at Janz Sweet Sensations for a hot fudge sundae.
Hey--I can enjoy such indulgences--I burn up all the calories I eat.
I was not progressing much. As of 4:45, I'd only ridden 37 miles.
In the restroom at Three Lakes, I saw myself in the mirror and started to
worry that I'm looking too much like Forest Gump at the end of his walking
craze. Oh, oh! My beard is growing scruffy once again. My face is thinning.
I looked back to see if there were multitudes of followers ala Forest Gump.
I need to trim my beard.
Though Wisconsin drivers seem predominately well meaning, they flunk my
bicycle courtesy test. Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin all failed to live
up to the standard set by North Dakota. The North Dakota drivers were by
far the most defferential to bicyclists in the roadway. North Dakotans never
rode within 10-20' of me. Wisconsin drivers more often than not ride their
normal path in the right lane despite my presence on the white line at the
shoulder. That's too close.
The shoulders were pretty nice along route 47, south of Three
Lakes, so I wasn't complaining.
When I got to Monico, I still didn't have enough miles for the day (and
there were no motels in sight), so I decided to head east about 12 miles
to Crandon and the Adventure Cycling route. There were some healthy hills
on the way, so it turned to dusk faster than I'd hoped. As I ride along
for weeks on end, I get stronger on the hills (never into my lower range
of gears; never below 11th gear, about 7.8 MPH today).
I saw a police car hiding off the road in the bushes maintaining a radar
speed trap. While I am strongly in favor of enforcement of speed limits,
I don't think stealth tactics are appropriate. I would prefer to see police
more evident on the roadways--not hiding in the bushes.
A few miles west of Crandon, I startled a bald eagle who, thrusting to take
off quickly, broke off a large branch from the tree on which it was perched.
The sight was awsome. It was a huge bird with at least a 1 yard/meter wingspan.
I wasn't fast enough to take a picture.
Just outside Crandon is a monument to a "sport" that is the antipathy
of bicycling: off road vehicles (ORV's). I passed the Off Road Raceway,
with a huge Budweiser logo on the grandstand (it was getting too dark for
a photo). There were 4-wheelers zooming about everywhere I looked, especially
on snowmobile/ORV trails, but also on city streets in Crandon.
There are 2 motels in Crandon. One is on the outskirts to the west and not
near any food source. The other is in town on the south and has a restaurant
nearby. I opted for the later. I like to have food right near where I stay
for the night. This was a dive. I should have known as I checked in. They
told me all they had left was a room adjacent to the office, but that the
office would close now that I was taking their last room and there was no
vacancy. They gave it to me for $25. There were three real problems: (1)
for some reason, the office didn't really close right away, and even after
it did, the phone would ring and the answering machine would respond very
audibly well into the evening; (2) there were floodlights shining on the
curtains and lighting up the room all night;
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and (3) the place was grubby. The sheets seemed used and soiled. I slept on top of the covers.
67 miles.
  Michigan - Wisconsin |
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© Ed Noonan 1996, 1997