August 1, 2013

August 1, 2013 Osceola, WI --> Cumberland, WI - 58.6 miles

We left the River Valley Inn at approximately 9:00 am. The weather was perfect. High 50's, sunny blue skies, and a tail wind. We cruised along county roads that were for the most part fairly flat, with occasional rolling hills in between. I averaged between 15-20 mph most of the day.









At one point I was biking along this lush green field and noticed a long necked bird of some sort sticking his head up. I am not sure if it was a wild turkey or some other bird. As I watched, approximately 4-5 other heads poked up like periscopes and looked around. Meanwhile, I was trying to stop and pull out the camera to get a shot. The birds seemed to notice and ducked back down to hide. I waited, but they stubbornly remained hidden.

We also met a park ranger named Tom who came out to greet us when we stopped to take a rest break in the shade next to his yard. Tom was especially happy when Randy told him he was from Tucson. Tom had visited there several times and really liked the place. Apparently, he had never visited in the summer. At any rate, Tom gave some helpful route tips and was generally fun to talk with. He confirmed that a lot of bikers travel the Northern Tier route.



We arrived at our destination town of Cumberland at approximately 2:30 pm and stopped at Subway for lunch (thanks LaDonna). I had a delicious chopped spinach chicken salad. While lunching, we located the locally owned Island Inn Motel and arranged to get rooms. This motel also caters to bikers on the Northern Tier route. It was nice to get in early enough to rest and regroup a little. My body and legs feel strong and I am pleased with my conditioning level. Having said that, I have to also point out that riding conditions have been near perfect.

One thought that has occurred to me is that if the high temperatures are in the 70's now, I wonder how cool it will be in another month around the Great Lakes and Canada. I think this may be one of the most significant differences from last year's ride.

Another recurring thought has been what a delightful surprise the ride has been so far. I really had little expectations as to what the riding conditions would be like, but have to say this has been some of the best biking I have experienced so far.

If anyone is interested, Randy's blog is ridethewhiteline.blogspot.com.