Greetings from Valparaiso, IN

Hi, All,
Week 5 of the Big Ride was the most challenging yet. Until we reached New Ulm, Minnesota, we'd been having a relatively easy time of it weather-wise, with cool temperatures, minimal rain, and difficult but not spirit-breaking South Dakota winds. Beginning in Minnesota, though, our luck began to change. As most of you are undoubtedly aware, a severe heat wave swept across the Midwest and is now on the East Coast. We managed to miss the worst of it, as for us the temperatures never reached triple-digits, but beginning in New Ulm because of exceedingly high humidity the heat index made the weather oppressive. Slower riders especially suffered as the heat index climbed all afternoon; and sleeping outside became nearly impossible, as nights were airless and temperatures barely dipped below 80. After four days we reached Madison, Wisconsin, where we had an enjoyable day off, and the weather finally broke, becoming noticeably cooler and less humid. In the three days since then, though, we've been plagued by rain and have been riding through downpours, getting soaked to the skin. The good news is that group morale has remained high. The four weeks of riding leading up to this week strenghtened us all physically and mentally. People came up with creative solutions for dealing with the heat, finding ways to sleep in air conditioning. And now with all the rain, we've found the wet conditions preferable to the heat we'd experienced, so we're soggy but content. [The photo above, by the way, is of a roadside attraction we passed today - before the rain - on old Route 66: the Gemini Giant standing beside the Launching Pad Restaurant in Wilmington, IL.]


Exhausting as the trip has been, though, I have less time for blogging, so the best I can do is to offer a quick rundown of the past week. Here's the day-by-day account:

Sunday, July 17 (day 28) - New Ulm to Owatonna, MN. A short day - 74 miles - but with adverse winds and high heat and humidity. The temperature was 78 as we began riding at 6:30 a.m. and quickly rose through the 80s into the mid-90s. It was misty at first - a humid haze - and the riding was mostly flat and not very scenic, with much of the day spent on U.S. Highway 14. We'd been on U.S. 14 since Midland, South Dakota (i.e., for most of the past six days), but as we proceeded east, the road kept getting bigger and more trafficked; and at times on this day the road widened to a four-lane divided highway with lane-wide shoulders, thus about as dull as riding on an interstate. We passed through one big urban area - North Mankato and Mankato, MN, lying on either side of the Minnesota River, with a combined population of more than 50,000. In Owatonna we were camping at the county fairgrounds, directly across from an indoor skating center, availing us of an air conditioned lobby. The building was closing at 10:00 p.m., but the supervisor felt so bad for us that he offered his house, less than a mile away, as a place for us to sleep. About a half-dozen riders took him up on it; and our two seventeen-year-old riders, Geena and Caitlin, came up with their own solution by sleeping in the dining area of the 24-hour grocery store (a Hy-Vee) a block away. I chose to sleep in my tent without my rainfly and was rewarded with a stiff breeze that kicked up around midnight, cooling things down a lot. It was also nice and quiet.


Farmland along U.S. Hwy. 14 in Minnesota

Monday, July 18 (day 29) - 89 miles from Owatonna to Winona, MN. More of the same: high heat and humidity, too much time spent on U.S. 14, and we passed through Rochester, MN, population 106,000, home of the Mayo Clinic and St. Mary's Hospital. The riding was fast, however; the wind was southerly as we rode east, wasn't strong enough to slow us, and at times became a tailwind by angling out of the southwest. The ride also ended well with a big descent into the Mississippi River Valley and then a swin in Lake Goodview, a few miles short of Winona. The overnight stay was in a dorm on the campus of Winona State University; the rooms weren't air conditioned, though, so virtually all of us opted for the couches and floor space in the big downstairs recreation room.

Tuesday, July 19 (day 30) - Winona, MN, to Viroqua, WS - a shorter day, mileage-wise - only 77 miles - but longer than average because of the hilly terrain. We started by riding south on U.S. Highway 61 (made famous by Minnesota-native Bob Dylan's Hightway 61 Revisited album) along the Mississippi in dense morning fog, then climbed out of the valley onto the western ridge for a rest stop in Dakota, MN, and a visit with the Meyers family, who are big, long-time Big Ride supporters. We then crossed the Mississippi at LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and after riding south for about an hour, we cut southwest through some beautiful, very hilly farmland - mostly dairy farms, and many owned by the Amish, especialy in the township of Harmony, Wisconsin. The high heat increased the difficulty of the climbing, and riders staggered into the county fairgrounds looking especially worn out. Most opted to sleep at a nearby church, while again I opted to sleep outside and camp. There was a colorful sunset, and it didn't rain overnight despite some lightning in the distance; instead once again a cooling breeze arrived at midnight and lasted until morning, and I slept very well.


Morning fog south of Winona, MN


Farmland on ridge above Mississippi River valley (near Dakota, MN)


Mississippi River @ LaCrosse, WS


Amish farm (note buggy)


Arty shot, eh?


Amish farmland

Wednesday, July 20 (day 31) - Viroqua to Madison, WS - 104 miles. Another hard, hot, humid day mostly on U.S. 14 after a nuice morning spent on more scenic backroads southeast from Viroqua to Richland Center, including more Amish farms, .especially in and around the township of Liberty, WS. There was also a good photo op of barnyard animals - goats, chickens, turkeys and pot-bellied pigs - at Peck's Farm Market, a roadside attraction near Spring Green, WS. The ride into Madison was difficult - hot, hilly, heavily trafficked, and further complicated by a road closure, forcing all of us to improvise our way around it. The result was, arguably, the toughest day of the trip, but we were rewarded with a day off in Madison, with a noticeably cooler and less humid afternoon.


Photo op courtesy of Peck's Farm Martket (U.S. Hwy 14)


Wisconsin River


Farmland just west of Madison, WS

Thursday, July 21 (day 32) - I spent much of the off-day running an important errand, replacing prescription sunglasses that I'd lost in Viroqua. That evening, though, I had an amazing experience attending a Gillian Welch concert at the Capitol Theater. I don't have the time to detail how exquisite it was, but she and Dave Rawlins, her musical partner, were so good that, between his virtuoso guitar playing and her powerful, haunting voice, it seemed otherworldly, nearly beyond belief - just the two of them on stage - no accompaniment, no roadies, no warmup act, no announcer - playing alternative folk based on the rhythms and sentiments of old-time mountain music as if they were in a living room or a front porch. It was one of the finest musical performances 've ever seen. Meanwhile, Gabe got his ears pierced, so his day was equally momentous.

Friday, July 22 (day 33) - Madison, WS, to Garden Prairie, IL, 95 miles. We woke up to pouring rain, and it didn't quit for many hours, easing briefly as we rode through the town of Evansville, WS, and then resumiung until we neared the Illinois border. Once free of the heavy traffic around Madison, we rode through more Wisconsin farmland on some very rural roads, including some covered with loose gravel, slowing our progress. We crossed into Illinois via the depressed twin cities of Beloit, WS, and South Beloit, IL, but then the day brightened and we even saw some blue sky while the temperature soared twenty degrees in roughly an hour, from the low-70s to the low-90s. The high humidity again made sleeping difficult, and there was no available indoor option this night. Then overnight a major storm rolled in featuring wind gusts, flashing lightning and sky-cracking thunder. One gust broke the tension pole of my tent and I was forced to sleep the rest of the night beneath a semi-collapsed ceiling. Meanwhile it started pouring, and the rain continued all night.


Riding south of Evansville, WS, during a break in the rain ...


Ah, sunflowers!


Big Riders (from front to back) Kim, Kate M., Daria, and Stan


The Illinois border at Beloit, WS


Nearing Garden Prairie, IL (nore rare blue sky)


Big Riders Kim and Brian

Saturday, July 23 (day 34) - Garden Prairie to Coal City, IL. We woke to heavy rain, and it kept up much of the day, forcing us first to scramble while packing our tents, then to eat a cold breakfast under an overhang, and then to ride through it, soaking us within minutes. The rain kept up for the first 75 niles of what was meant to be a 106-mile ride. A bridge outtage forced us into a long detour, however, and the total mileage became 112. The riding was fast despite the rain because the terrain was flat and the wind light; when the rain finally stopped, though, and the sky brightened, a southerly wind slowed us, making the final miles extra difficult as we rode through the city of Morris and crossed the Illinois River to reach a private campground outside the town of Coal City. I arrived a little before 4:00 p.m., swam in the lake, and then took two showers - one before dinner and one before bed - as once again the temperature had jumped up into the 90s after the rain. The sun had set and I was sweating without moving a muscle.


Illinois River @ Morris, IL

Sunday, July 24 - Coal City to Valparaiso, IN - 85 miles. This day was the polar opposite of the past two. For the third night in a row, there'd been an overnight storm prefaced by wind gusts, booming thunder and lightning. This time, though, the storm had been brief, and by morning my tent was practically dry. We ate breakfast and rode the first 20 miles before the sky darkened in front of us as we headed east and lightning flashed both north and south our roadway. Once the rain started, it fell in buckets, and the wind gusts and lightning made riding untenable. Luckily as it began I was within a mile of a McDonalds situated at the intersection of Interstate 57. I pulled in there, soaking wet, to ride out the worst of the storm over a cup of coffee. Before long nearly all of the Big Riders filed in behind me, and then Charlton, our ride director, ordered us to stay as a major storm cell was passing right over us. In all the storm caused about a 45-minute delay; then we were back on the road riding through rain for the third straight day, saying good riddance to Illinois as we crossed into Indiana. The rain stopped when I was about 20 miles from Valparaiso, and our dorm stay tonight at Valparaiso University has allowed us to get our clothes washed and dried.


Waiting out the storm in McDonald's (from left to right): Kim, Jessica, Kate B., Stan, Daria ...


Bernie, Noel, James ...


Kenny, E.A., Kat, Sarah, and Gabe.


A quick word about Gabe is that he's thriving - growing stronger and stronger, physically and mentally. He, like the group as a whole, is proving his mettle.

That's all I have time for. I need sleep!

-Charlie