Day 39: Started Out on the Wisconsin Trails

So I wake up at the Hostel in Madison at the same time as my British roommates; our alarm clocks practically in sync. So as self-appointed ambassador of this great nation of ours, I went back to sleep so they could shower.


When I finally got out of there, it was 8:30am but traffic was surprisingly light. I snake my way out of the city and over to the trail that runs parallel to the Freeway. It's a beautiful morning; last night a cold front came and pushed all the humidity and the cloud cover east. Cricket-like bugs lined the paved trail and would jump out of the way when I got within a foot of them. For miles I was narrowly missing crushing thousands upon thousands of insects. I turn off the trail and make my way to Merrimac where I would catch a ferry across the Wisconsin river. Allison asked me the other day what my favorite album of this trip has been, and I didn't really have an answer but after listening to it again today I'd have to say Rumors by Fleetwood Mac. It was the perfect soundtrack for the country scenery.


I crossed the river on the free ferry which was pretty neat and headed out to Baraboo via Devils Lake It was a mile or two of climbing, but nothing all that difficult I got to the lake and had lunch . Simply beautiful I didn't go swimming because it was cold today, and I didn't shower at the free shower station, because I had done so earlier that day . Why does that always seem to happen?


I sit by the lake for a few and then head out to Baraboo Where they have free wifi at the library A woman was teaching two mentally challenged Indian girls to sew at the desk next to mine. I have a hole in my sleeping bag and was trying to pick up a few pointers but I don't think I picked up enough to even try to patch it up. As I was leaving I walked by the computer stations and caught a glimpse of a 60-something year old guy looking at porn; the indignities of not having a internet connection at home.


I leave Baraboo around 3pm and get out of the Baraboo Metro Region around 3:07 . Today is a beautiful ride absolutely gorgeous even the hills don't seem so bad. I feel particularly accomplished after each one. I swing by Reedsburg and grab some Burger King (so much for not eating out) and then catch the 400 Trail This begins a series of trails that lasts for about 120 miles Woo!


I am riding from Reedsburg to Wonewoc where I will camp for the night, when I notice that about 30 feet ahead of me on the trail is a GIANT cow Is it a bull I wonder? If not, will it still attack me? It looks a bit mannish So maybe a Bull? Oh dear My entire setup is bright red. Is that a myth that Bulls hate red? The cow sees me and starts running the other way . Oh good . Then he turns around and starts huffing at me I move forward and scare it some more up the trail . Every 20 feet he turns around to huff at me We continue this dance for about 3 minutes. Until Finally I just decide to try and ride really fast by it . Well I scared the shit out of the cow/bull and it tried to jump over the barbed wire fence back into the pasture and got stuck . I felt bad so I stopped even though I'm qualified to do NOTHING in this situation but gawk I try thinking back to ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL . But nothing helpful comes to mind. It's at this point that another cow, about 20 feet from me starts trying to jump the fence from the other side to get onto the trail. He looks angry . So I hightail it For the next 10 minutes I am constantly looking over my shoulder.

I stop at the campsite at Wonewoc and then leave to go get groceries in town. The grocery store proprietor tells me that some blonde kid came in last Friday and he was also traveling cross country I tell her that I know him, and she is blown away . Her name was June and she was old. I get a small pizza and watch the sun set.

When I get back to my pavilion, some guy is constructing some giant wooden thing where I was planning on sleeping for the evening. 'let me guess you came back for your garment?' he says 'Um What?' I reply When what I really want to say is . Who are you and what the hell are you talking about?

Your Garmin . Is what he actually said Apparently I had left my GPS device sitting under the Pavilion and he had found it. Holy cow . Thank goodness he found it. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all

His name is Bryan and I end up hanging out with him for hours. We talk about construction and geography, college, raising kids and a host of other subjects He gives me tips on buying condos Like that is gonna come up in the next year or two He is building a counter for the Pavilion I am sleeping in. He's a super nice guy around 9:30 he packs up and goes home. He tells me the cops on duty are Kenny and Julie, and they're both pretty nice I ask him why I would need to know this and he explains that I am not supposed to be camping under the Pavilion but rather down by the trail where water has collected and the mosquitoes have run of the land.


This make me paranoid and I have a hard time getting to sleep. I don't set up my tent but just lay out a sleeping bag and the mattress pad on the ground. I prefer this to setting up a tent. This is nice. Today turned out a LOT longer than I thought it would but it was a really good day.