August 5, 2013 Mercer --> Eagle River -- 55 miles
A steady rain started shortly after I got up.
After looking at the maps again overnight, Randy and I decided at breakfast to go off the AC route and ride to Eagle River rather than Conover. This change was driven by two considerations. First, the forecast was for a 50% chance of rain throughout most of the day. Second, there did not appear to be any suitable lodging in Conover, and camping in the rain was not a choice we would willingly make. Actually, camping at any time is something we almost always avoid. Randy and I both like hot showers and a comfortable bed at the end of a long day of bike riding. The other notable thing about the modified route was that it followed state and county roads rather than the back roads and, therefore, meant we would likely make better time.
So, we donned rain gear and off we went at approximately 9:20 am in a steady rain. Not too hard, but enough to get good and wet. Once again, the road was flat, nicely paved and had a good shoulder. We cruised along, averaging approximately 13 mph. The only real downside was that the traffic was fairly heavy, but it honestly didn't pose a problem. Just something to be aware of.
About 28 miles down the road, just before Woodruff, WI, we turned east toward St. Germain, a town approximately 12 miles away. I am attaching a picture of Randy at the turn. Still a light steady rain at this point. But the road conditions continued to be very good. Once we reached St. Germain, we looked for a place to stop for lunch, but nothing really caught our attention enough to get off the bikes and go through the trouble of shedding the rain gear. Plus, I was not all that hungry yet. So, we kept plugging along towards Eagle River, now 13 miles away. It seems to me that at this point I noticed a lot more "crud" getting kicked up off the road and my bike, shoes, clothes and panniers became caked with dirt. I also became uncomfortably aware of my saddle, and realized that we really hadn't stopped and gotten off the bikes to walk around since leaving Mercer some 4 hours or so ago. Just brief water breaks on the side of the road. No snacks and I was starting to feel a little dippy. By the time we reached Eagle River, I was wet, getting cold, had skipped lunch, and my butt hurt (to put it bluntly). We stopped at a McDonalds to use the wi-fi and find a motel. Ended up at the Super 8 across the street.
I spent the next 2 hours cleaning the crud off everything, washing clothes and re-grouping. Took a hot bath. After meeting Randy for dinner, I took a stroll to the Main Street and looked around. Another really cute town with some interesting looking stores and restaurants. There was a very nice bookstore and a candy store with a wide array of all kinds of candy - including my favorite atomic fire balls. I stocked up for tomorrow's ride.
I looked at the map for tomorrow's ride and it looks like we will have to make a decision again as to the route. We are essentially 2 days from completing the first major leg of the ride at Escanaba, MI, a town with a "huge" population of 12,800. We can stay on the current route, or veer back north and get back on the AC route.
The weather for tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy and cool, but a much less chance of rain. I am praying no rain, or at least little rain, and clean roads. In any event, Randy and I agreed that we will stop at least every 15-20 miles to get off the bikes and walk around, and occasionally snack.
