Wisconsin Trails
By Kathy. Filed in Uncategorized |
Along the La Crosse River State Trail.
August 25, 2010
We started our day at Marge’s Diner in La Crosse. I carbo-loaded with a large stack of pancakes. I would ride on two trails today. The first, the La Crosse River State Trail is a 21-mile trail that runs from the industrial river community of La Crosse to the small cycling town of Sparta, Wisconsin. The crushed limestone trail follows the old Chicago and North Western Railroad line through beautiful green rolling hills and classic Wisconsin farmland.
I jumped on the trail at 7:30 a.m. and pedaled east by a dew covered golf course. I tried to be quiet as people were putting. It took me back to my avid golfing days in Connecticut when I would be out at the crack of dawn teeing up on a cool, crisp morning. I rode by a wetland area bordered by purple wildflowers. A man on a recumbent bicycle sailed by and yelled, “Morning.”
Train tracks paralleled the trail on my left while soybean fields folded in with fields of corn shadowed me on the right. Metal barn silos stood out like shiny beacons in the distance. I rode under a canopy of trees and when I stopped to rest, ruthless mosquitoes attacked me. I passed through the small town of Bangor and then crossed a long wooden bridge over a rushing stream.
As I approached the town of Sparta, I heard the whistle of an approaching train. It reminded me of the Johnny Cash song, “I hear the train a comin’, it’s comin’ round the bend … .” When I entered Sparta, I went to the trail information center, an old railroad depot. I rendezvoused with Rodge and got ready to cycle on the 32-mile Elroy-Sparta State Trail.
The trail followed the old Chicago and North Western Railroad line east. In its prime, cattle traveled from Minnesota, Iowa and the Dakotas to the Chicago stockyards. The trail had 34 bridges and three historical tunnels to traverse. I started riding on the crushed limestone trail by cattle grazing on wildflowers. Soon I was up on a ridge where both sides dropped off into cornfields below.
Nine miles from Sparta, I came to the first and longest tunnel. Opened in 1873, Tunnel 3 was dug by hand through solid rock. It is 3,810 feet long and completely dark. Like the other two tunnels it has 20-foot tall gigantic wooden doors at its entrances. These doors were opened and closed between traveling trains in the winter, to prevent snow from accumulating inside the tunnels.
I walked my bike into the dark, eerie tunnel with my flashlight illuminating the way. Damp, cool air and streams of rushing water along the sides surrounded me. Water dripped from the ceiling like rain and for a minute, I thought I was in a cave. I could see the oncoming lights of people coming toward me. It took me five minutes to cautiously walk through. As I got closer to the other end, the circle of light got larger and brighter.
Seven miles later, I walked through Tunnel 2. It was 1,694 feet long and very dry. I still needed my flashlight but could walk faster without the fear of slipping. Four miles later, I arrived in the town of Wilton for a break. When I continued I pedaled by rolling hills, pastures filled with cows, and farmland. After traversing Tunnel 1, the same length as Tunnel 2, I arrived at the end of the trail in Elroy. I truly enjoyed my trail day filled with cows, corn, trains and tunnels.
God Bless,
Kathy
Colossians 3:23
A cow sighting along the trail.
A Wisconsin farm.
Destiny waiting to ride the Elroy-Sparta State Trail.
Wildflowers along the Elroy-Sparta State Trail.
