Day 6: Baraboo to Muscoda<\/strong>
2019\/06\/14<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today can be considered a Type II Day. A very strong wind blew against us all day long. It was unrelenting. At least, it was not accompanied by rain or uncomfortable temperatures. I got lost twice.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The route today was from Baraboo to Muscoda with a 3 mile option to loop around Devil’s Lake. Ahead of me I could see a couple and a rode with my new friends for most of the day. I was following an older gentleman that I met the day before named Bob, at the Baraboo lodging. In my opinion, an extraordinary fellow. He has been doing long bicycle touring since his retirement some 20 plus years before. Today, he was quite some way ahead of me but I could still see him on the straight stretches of roads. I was gradually gaining on him because he would stop briefly at intersections to confirm the cue sheet. (He rides completely without a GPS or smart phone. He only uses a rudimentary bicycle computer.) We went down a long slope until I caught up to him at a roundabout. We were both were wondering which way to go because there were route markets on the pavement. Finally, I looked at the map and realized we had not only missed our turn but had backtracked almost all the way to where we started in Baraboo. So we turned around and headed back up the hill. We finally got back on track. The place to turn wasn’t as well marked as it could have been. If we had been following the cue sheet more closely or the map on my phone we wouldn’t have missed the turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loop around Devil’s Lake. I don’t know history of the name but I saw nothing of the devil in the place. It is a beautiful lake surrounded by rocky bluffs. We had a few steep climbs and winding descents along the way but views were well worth the detour. I rode with Bob for the rest of the day. I liked his attitude about touring. It didn’t matter how slow we went. So long as we got to the end of the day’s ride before the tavern closed he was happy to go any pace and take breaks along the way. Riding the heavier bike I found his pace (and attitude) perfectly suited me. At the first rest stop we met up with Dennis and Nanette, a lovely I couple from Rhinelander. We rode with them the for the rest of the day. They, too, were on mountain bikes so tended to set a slightly slower pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the first rest stop our struggle against the wind began in earnest. It was blowing from the southwest which was the direction we were going in. The first rest area was a quaint, old-fashioned church in the village of Blackhawk. Rested up and refueled with bananas and Fig Newtons, we set out. Not more than a few minutes after leaving the rest stop we spotted a route marker from the previous year pointing to the right. Dennis was leading out our little peloton and turned right. I was riding next to his wife Nanette and she suggested that that we go straight because there was no new route marker but until now last year’s route and this route had not differed at all so we continued on. We went on for several miles blissfully ignorant of our error until we met another couple coming from the opposite direction who informed us that we were going the wrong way. I loaded up a new map and sure enough we were off course again. We turned around and backtracked almost all the way to the rest stop. That was the fastest average speed we achieved all day. The fierce wind that was like an invisible hand dragging us back was suddenly pushing us forward. I felt like I had a sail strapped to my back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back on course we turned back into the wind. The wind was either blowing into our face or pushing at our left side. When it was coming at us from front and left we had to compensate for the resistance by leaning slightly to the left. How much a strong side wind impacted us became very clear when a semi-truck passed us from behind. The sudden blocking of the wind combined with sucking of the truck’s slipstream had the effect of jerking us momentarily into the road. It happened in an instant and was over just as quick when the truck was gone and the wind pushing us toward the shoulder. The combined affect was that we were buffeted first left then right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we got closer to Muscoda the roads got straighter and the terrain less hilly. If not for the wind we would have made excellent time. It would have been easy pedaling. I have to say, I like winding and slightly hilly roads better. Long, straight roads get a bit monotonous. Even when we were not talking just the presence or others nearby made the experience more tolerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All in all, this was the hardest day of the whole tour. Fortunately, I had recovered physically from my bouncing Century on the first day. While I have no desire to repeat this day and maintain that the best way to ride in the wind or rain is to not ride at all, I am glad I did it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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