ABCFL Bike Tour – Oct 8 to 11, 2011 – SuperiorBikeTours.com
Ashland to Cable to Bayfield to Madeline Island to Ashland, Wisconsin
I don’t know how many lucky horseshoes I have left in my ABC cycle tours, but I got another one for this years ride. Even though we had heavy head winds (especially on the first day where we had 50 to 80km/h head winds (30 to 50 mph)), but we had sunny, dry and a high temps of 30C (85F). Holy Toledo!!!
The day before the ride had even stronger winds which de-foliated probably 75% of the leaves, but as we biked towards Bayfield, the beauty of the changing leaves was still there to greet us. And, the same held true on Madeline Island.
There was a strange weather pattern in this area of USA because it was in the midst of a small heat wave. The night before the ride the temperature was 27C (80F) in October!?!?!?
But the temperatures even got higher when we got to The Pavilion in Hayward where Molly and the Danger Band were playing. I met them earlier this winter and was given the opportunity to play my harmonica with them. Then again in September, I was given the opportunity to play with them. After that Molly gave me a standing invitation to play with them anytime they are on stage which is almost every Friday and Saturday night throughout the year.
Kathryn, Randy and I got there, and were joined by Andrew from Madison. James and Deb were already there taking in the music and sharing a drink. I was able to play about 5 songs with them and inbetween they were joined by a woman named Danielle who sang an awesome Janis Joplin with so much passion. She brought down the house!!!
Just after their last set, in came Doug, Margie and Lori. They missed the tunes by only a few minutes.
We all stayed at the newly purchased (and massive) Telemark Resort. It is still in the midst of renovations but definitely liveable. I’m glad that they were able to open up again, with the same affordable prices.
Saturday, Oct 8, 2011, Day 1
The next morning on day #1 of the tour, Margie, Doug, Lori and I headed out early to mark the rest of the route. I had already had about 1/3 of the marking done with Marcie from a trip in September, so the job was not as daunting. Lori was my spraying assistant. It was a lot faster when I had someone else help me mark the route. She learnt the technique quickly and was a star pupil and assistant.
By 10:00am it was already 23C (73F). Remember, this was in October!!!
We saw steady stream of vehicles heading north on Hwy 13 towards Bayfield which was holding it’s annual Applefest which explodes the population of the quaint (formerly logging and fishing) community from 600 to over 50,000!! How to they fit them all? I guess that the nearby Madeline Island, Washburn, Red Cliff and camping all help accommodate the thousands. But also, a lot of them are probably one day visitors.
I purposely scheduled the bike tour so that it we would not be in that area until after the fest. It’s quite a zoo and most (if not all) accommodations have a minimum stay of 2 nights. At the end of day #2 of the ride as the cyclists were riding in from the south, there was a steady stream of cars leaving Bayfield on hwy 13. Fortunately, the heavy traffic was on the other side of the 2 lane highway.
By 11:15, most of the riders were at the visitor’s center. I did my introductions and safety/courtesy spiel, then by noon we were on our way with 10 riders and a SAG driver (SAG means Support and Gear). We were expecting two more riders to join us the next day. In my talk I encouraged the riders to smell the roses and to touch the water of Lake Superior. Well, only 4 km into the ride, we already witnessed Kathryn standing in the lake at the beach at the artesian well.
The head wind was sometimes quite challenging, but the scenery of the rolling pastureland then cottage country made up for it. And, as we neared the smaller lakes at the southern section of CR-D (county road), the angle of the low sun shining through the (mostly bare) trees, combined with the fluttering/falling leaves, and the primarily orange forest floor made for a spectacular sight during this early part of autumn.
Half way through this 85km day, the temperatures were quite high. Some of us had to lie in the shade to cool off a bit while I encouraged everyone to stay hydrated. It is funny because I packed about 4 extra pair of thin hats and gloves to give to riders who might not have been prepared in case the weather got cold. A few days after the ride, the high temperatures were barely reaching 10c (50f).
We had three tailgate stops along the route. Near the end of the ride, on Frel’s Road, as Randy, Doug and I were reaching the end, we found ourselves all of a sudden in the midst of a lynx (or bobcat) attempting an attack on some deers. We were just chatting idley when all of a sudden a white tailed deer leaped across the road and the other went the other way with the lynx in close pursuit. This was all just 20 feet in front of us. I think we might have botched the lynx’s hunting.
At the Telemark Resort we were surprised to see two fellow bike riders from Thunder Bay, Lori and Graham. Ha!!, what a coincidence!!! After a break and a refreshment we were on our way to the River’s Eatery in Cable, who stayed opened longer for us. I’ve always offered this great stone oven pizza joint to the riders. On one hand they keep the operations simple, but on the other hand the décor and funkiness of the place makes it a “must visit”. Mic and Beth and Carly and Lillie do an awesome job and always treat my groups with extra zeal.
Sara Balbin and her husband Gary were at the Eatery to meet us. I’m always bragging about them and want my riders to meet them both. I want them to meet Sara because of her great metal art. She is often involved in a ribbon cutting somewhere in the country where she’s been commissioned to design, build and erect a piece of her work. But, on all four of my tours, she’s always been in Cable and eager to show my tour riders her workshop. Not only are she and Gary open to showing us the epicentre of her work, but they also have freshly made muffins ready for us. Sara’s work can be seen at http://www.sarabalbin.com/.
Gary, in addition to being a strong proponent in helping Sara with her work (and administration), is also the founder and director of the very well known mountain bike tour called the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival (http://www.cheqfattire.com/). This annual event is a staple in Wisconsin which draws thousands of mountain bikers from all over the mid-west and the rest of the USA (and a hand full of Canadians).
Sunday, Oct 9, 2011, Day 2
The next morning we headed out by 8:30 am. The temperature was perfect, and there was not a wisp of wind in the air, but it
did build up later in the day, and (dang it) it was a head wind, but not too hard. Most of us rode to the Brickhouse in Cable for a great breakfast, then were off to Sara’s “Dragonfly” studio to see some of her work and have some of their muffins. They are in the midst of building a bigger workshop to enable a bit more elbow room. Sara has lately added “car hood” art to her medium options. She will take a car hood and do her magic on it. I love the creativity and resourcef
ulness that she utilizes. Car hoods and old drapes are two of her resourceful media.
Fearing that Kathryn and Andrew might miss the driveway to the studio, I asked Margie to park on the road so they’d see the SAG vehicle. Margie ended up having to drive down Blue Moo
n Road to catch them. They were glad that they didn’t miss the scene.
Onward north we headed. Cable’s cell phone coverage is not very good, but I’m glad that I left my cell phone powered on because as I headed up the beautiful and sparsely driven Delta-Drummond Road, I was notified by a text msg. My brother Sam and Jeremy were in the neighbourhood and trying to track us down. A few minutes later, when I turned to see if the elusive Delta Diner (which always had a very long wait), I was greeted excitedly by Doug and Margie saying that we had seats. Yes, the Delta Diner on an early Sunday afternoon actually had room. The God’s were on our side!!! Between my text and Margie’s broken voice msg, Sam and Jeremy found us in the middle of our gastric abundance in the Diner. What an awesome surprise. Many of us immediately offered some of our shrapnel (left overs) to them because we just had so much to ea
t. Their special was a PBLT – Perch, bacon, lettuce and tomato. But the gaspacho soup was also to die for. And many went overboard with the malted shakes.
The temperatures never got too high, but the sun came out for the majority of the day. I was the last to leave the diner and enjoyed the pastural scenery as I rode by Frosty’s bar. We always stopped there because the Delta Diner was always too full for us to go in. But this time we were all too full for any need to stop at Frosty’s, so north and east we continued.
I love the Moqua bar and when I saw two bicycles leaning on the plywood walls amongst the motorcycles, I had to go in. Kathryn and Andrew were sharing a cool one and making up limericks. And, I joined in like a dirty shirt. The owner says that even he feels the pinch of the recession in his little joint.
County Road G which
heads east is where I met Sam and Jeremy. Earlier, they drove to the visitor’s center and started riding west to meet some of us. As I looked up a hill towards a couple of cyclists, I realized that it was them waiting for me. So, onward hoe!! Not long after we started, Jeremy got a flat. He had an old bike that had nut/bolt hub, so I needed a couple of wrenches to get his wheel off his bike. I had them!! The five of us hung out as I patched the flat. Onward hoe. The route took us only 500 metres from first day’s starting point, then we hung a left and again headed north to be greeted by Margie and Deb at an old closed down school. Fruit, cookies, chocolate, apple cider and other goodies were available for our consumption. We still have not seen James, Elaine and Dave since this morning in Cable. Elaine ended up riding the entire 115km. Good for her.
I jumped in the SAG with Margie to do a bit of shopping and arrange the sleeping accommodations. Margie was going to cook for the group in one of the condos. The condos that we are renting are those of Larry Carpenter whom I met several years ago at the Red Rock Folk Fest. We kept loosely in touch and now here I am renting out his places in Bayfield.
Bayfield was emptying as we entered it, but it was still very busy in the town. Roads were still blocked and rerouted. And there was a Milwaukee Brewers game and a Packers game on TV, so many were hanging out to watch the games. Normally the area fully clears out after the Applefest, however, occasionally the festival weekend falls on the same day as Columbus day. This year they landed on the same weekend, so Bayfield did not empty out as much as usual. There were still vendors stalls in the middle of the streets, and we had to drive really slowly and carefully to get to our condo’s parking lot.
It was a long but rewarding day. Lori and Elaine did all 115km. For Lori it was her first ever over 100km, and the day before it was her first ever over 85km. In fact before this trip, her longest day’s ride was 50km. WOW. I think her running really helped Elaine and Dave got a head start on the group and passed by Sara Balbin’s Dragonfly in their successful attempt to stay ahead of the group. But, they stayed ahead so much that we never saw them. But that’s OK because they have the freedom to ride at their own pace.
Also, James, Doug, Randy, and Andrew did the entire trip. Actually James got in so early that he had time to hang out at the used bookstore and bought three books on downhill skiing.
Getting into Bayfield had it’s pros and cons because it was the last day of the Applefest when the population of Bayfield explodes from a quaint 600 to a massive 50.000! As Margie and I approached this little gem of a town we were diverted inland up a steep hill by the police. In a vehicle is wasn’t too much of an imposition, but for the cyclists, it was quite a tough end to the ride. Well, not for all the riders. James, Randy, Doug, and Lori took the main route and did not heed the signs, but Dave, being a conformist, when up the hill followed by his wife Elaine who felt she had no choice. LoL. But after only climbing one block they came to their senses and turned back onto the main (and flatter) route.
We stayed at the Washington St. Condos (and one small room at Greunke’s at the other corner of the block).
Margie recruited a lot of helpers to prepare a wonderful dinner. Pasta with veggies, garlic bread, abundant salad, serbet/cookie dessert mixed with wine and beer. What added to the great food was the spirited discussions, especially about who had seen the most wild animals. I had two contests going. One was “who could count the most number of wild animals”. Birds counted only if they were landed. A group of animals would only count as one. Lori claimed that she saw 12, then Elaine returned by saying that she saw 47 squirrels. She said that we don’t ride as slow as she does, so, at her slower pace, she’s able to see a lot more. Lori did not believe her, (and it did sound like a of an exaggeration). I could not discern whether Elaine was just playing, and I was influenced by Lori’s boisterousness, enough to give the prize to Lori. Maybe I just gave her the prize because she was the loudest. One thing that I do know was that I definitely did not have control of the discussion, LOL. It was a lot of fun!!
After dinner, Margie brought out four of her home made wines. They were ?, ?, ? and ?. I think that ? was my favourite.
Most were in bed in the two condos (and one room at Greunke’s) by midnight. I fell asleep on the couch while Andrew and I were flipping channels and watching Family Guy amongst other surfed shows.
It was a good day.
Monday, Oct 10, 2011 – Day 3
In the early morning, as I looked to the north to the other side of Washington St, I was presented with the brilliantly illuminated foliage of the oak trees (and other trees) across the street as the sun was only one degree above the horizon. Deep rust, combined with sharp oranges and brilliant yellows offset with the evergreens lit by the rising sun gave me a splendid sight.
Here the trees still had most of their leaves unlike the scene just 90km south in the Cable and Drummond area. I think that the windstorm and the colder night air farther from the lake probably contributed to the lack of leaves in the south section of the ride.
Most of us started the morning with our traditional breakfast at our favourite “Eggtoss” restaurant. It was nice chatting and getting to know some of the riders more. Jeremy who is a professional actor told us stories of his dad (who was even more of a professional actor) told of stories of his dad’s being famous by acting on one episode of Faulty Towers. Everyone had something to bring to the table, but for some reason the waitress thought that I was doing most of the talking. I told her that I wasn’t, and said that when I stopped talking then I’d call her and tell her that I was not talking, but I would have had to talk to tell her that I was being quiet. Boy, can I ever talk myself in circles sometimes, kinda like a dog chasing his own tail. LOL.
The ferry ride was pleasant, but we were a bit concerned when about 4 of the other riders were left behind because the ferry departed about 8 minutes early. When I asked the captain if he could wait for the rest of our group he assured me that the main ferry was leaving 10 minutes later. We were on the extra one. Whew!! It cost $6.00 one way for a person and $3.00 for a bike. It cost $25.00 (both ways) for a vehicle (and extra for each passenger).
Doug, who was driving the newly appointed SAG vehicle (Sam’s), and I (on my bike) went on ahead to the main office of the Inn on Madeline Island to check in. It was before noon so I wasn’t surprised that our condos were not yet ready. Amity, our very gracious host warned us not to drink the tap water in the bigger condo because a bit of contamination was detected in the water, so they had water bottles and stuff to compensate for the temporary setback. It was nice to finally meet Amity because I’ve talked to her several times over the last few years when booking accommodations on the island.
I booked 2 condos with the Inn on Madeline Island. One was Lakeside and the smaller one was 300 down the road. I guided Dave there so he could have an idea on how to get there later.
Some of the riders stayed back at Bayfield to explore and shop while the rest of us were on the roads of Madeline Island by noon. In less than 4 minutes Jeremy got his second flat. I knew that Margie and Lori were leaving for home in only a couple of hours. And, since they were in our current riding “pelaton” I did not want Jeremy to miss the opportunity to ride with them. So, I told him to take my bike and I’ll stay back and fix the flat. He was very gracious and I sent him on his way. Just as he was 200 meters and out of sight and earshot I realized that I only had my pump while the rest of my gear was on my bike trunk which was on my bike, which Jeremy had. Dang, I was in a quandary.
I decided to try to pump up the tire and hope it would hold the air. No such luck. So, plan B was for me to walk the kilometer back to the condo and hope that it was opened, otherwise I was going to walk all the way to Tom’s burnt Down Café in hopes that he’d open early for me. As I was thinking of my options, and older couple (Doug and Cindy) who live on the island 6 months of the year and in a small town near Milwaukee the rest of the year, offered me help. I accepted. Their van easily fitted my bike and off we when to catch my group of friends that were 5 minutes up the road. I found Jeremy then thanked and said good-bye to my drivers, got my patch kit, wrenches, a tube and, again sent him on his way.
After everyone left I settled down to the task of fixing the flat. Just as I was getting started I stepped in this super slippery muck on the side of the road. It was that kinda reddish stuff that’s kinda heavy, slippery and tenacious but it looks dry before you step in it. Dang, got the guu on my shoes. Anyway, I got down to fixing the flat, but it did not dampen my spirits because I was in such a beautiful milieu of rusty auburn, oranges, yellows and greens. I found a spot in the shade on a road where a car might pass by every 10 minutes. But in a very short time, I was passed by a vehicle who offered me help. My goodness!! In 15 minutes I was offered help twice. This island does a good to people’s eagerness to lend a hand to an ailing brother. I graciously declined and continued on.
This was Jeremy’s second flat in as many days. Both times I was with him. I wonder if I jinxed him? Yesterday I fixed the flat on Jeremy’s front tire, and today, he also had a flat on the front tire. I thought the flat might be on the same patch that I fixed yesterday, but it was not. I did not want to take off his tire so I listened for the air leak, then pulled out the tube in that general area. I only had 9 inches of the tube exposed. Maybe it was an old tube, old tire or both LOL I got the patch on and hoped that it would stick and be effective. And, fortunately it was, because it lasted the rest of the day, and the next.
The cool story about Jeremy’s bike is that it was borrowed/rented from the Bicycles for Humanity (B4H) organization in Thunder Bay. B4H takes donations of old bicycles, then fixes them and sends them to Africa. Jeremy gave a nominal amount to B4H to let him use the bike for the extended weekend.
Back on the saddle I went, but goodness, I did not like the saddle. I’m usually not very picky, but this one definitely did not agree with my anatomy.
It was nice to ride down the quiet South Shore Road, then onto Hagen Road in the full fall splendour. When I turned into Big Bay State Park, I asked the park gate attendants if they saw any cyclists. They said, “No”. So I thought that I was going to be by myself for a while and just took my time and enjoyed the solitude. At the end of one road I decided to try to ride the bike in one of the paths, but after negotiating a few roots I decided to turn back.
Next I went towards the beach and picnic area and met Sam, Jeremy, Kathryn, Doug and Randy. It was a Party!!! Kathryn and Randy went in for swim. Good for them. I eagerly traded my bike back with Jeremy. He said that it was nice to ride a higher end bike. Actually in the cycling club kinda scene my bike would be considered lower to mid end bike, but definitely not high end.
We then headed off to the other side of Big Bay to the Town Park part of the bay which was on the northwest end of the bay. There we all walked on the sandy beach and got at least up to our knees in the water that had a temperature that reminded you that yo
u were alive (I mean cold!!!). But, the legs got used to it. But everyone touched the water. That’s something I encourage everyone to do – TOUCH THE WATER!!! Yahoo!!!
As we headed up the wooden stairs back to the bikes, we ran into Molly Otis (the owner and singer at The Pavilion in Hayward). What a nice surprise!! I eagerly told her that I had my harmonicas and that I’d totally be open to jamming with her at Tom’s Burnt Down Café. She already had plans but did not fully write it off. Unfortunately it never happened. But the rest of the day was still great.
As some of the group wanted to ride to the end of County Road H, I decided to head to Tom’s Burnt Down Café (TBDC) because he was opening up just for us. I tried to text him but had no service whenever I tried. When I got there (on Middle Road), there were quite a few people in addition to some of our group. He planned to stay opened for us for three hours, and ended up staying opened even longer into the dark (7:00pm). James, Deb, Dave and Elaine were already then, then over the course of the next hour, everyone of our group was there, except for Lori and Margie who had to head home early. They jumped on the 1:30 fe
rry back to Bayfield and on their way home to get to work on time for the next day.
I asked our bartender, Kelly, if we could bring up our tailgate food. I told her that if we could then we’d most likely stick around longer and give them more business (by ordering more drinks). She had no problem with it. I also invited her to share in our bounty. I went to Tom’s office to say hello. He let me in and told me that he was glad that their 15 year old cat died today. He was glad because he and his 4 year old son were allergic to it. He said though that he’d still have to get cat out of his carpet. He’s such a character, who always seems to be busy and on the edge of some crisis of his own or someone else’s. He’s also creative and loves to talk and share his ideas. Randy and Doug had the pleasure of meeting him in his office just after I did.
Tom came out to the open-air bar (remember that it burnt down twice). He shared some magnetic car ribbons that said something like “we have a friend in cheeses” (this is Wisconsin afterall), and “Lord save us from your followers”. Goodness, LOL.
I put my bike on the bike rack of the SAG vehicle because it was dark and drove with Sam the ½ km to the Lakeside Condo of Inn on Madeline Island. It was quite nice and roomy. It has a beautiful southwest view of the lake towards the mainland. After watching a bit of a “Dancing with the Stars”, some of us headed to the bar next door for a drink and great pizza. The pizza was $13 and the wine was on Monday night half price sale. Cool!!
In addition to the comraderie, we were entertained by ? the lady from Bulgaria. She was quite animated and excited to talk to us. She and her husband spend some of their summers in Silver Islet which is very close to Thunder Bay. WOW!!
Jeremy, who takes dancing lessons with his wife, and had to see the finish of the show, joined us after the show, but could not stay long because the bar was closing down. Back in the condo, I applied some of Andrew’s lotion for my back which was kinda irritated and itchy from what I thought might have been bug or spider bites.
Sleep came kinda early as Sam and I fell asleep on two of the couches and the rest of the group chatted in the living room.
It was another great day!!
Tuesday,
Looking southwest from the balcony of the Inn on Madeline Island’s Lakeside condo at 6:45am (dawn) was a vision of serenity. The sky was clear with the greyish top of the very gently lapping lake under the darker tones of the mainland, under the blueish grey sky which gradually morphed to a violet, then pink, then very light blue sky. It’s quite amazing how this majestic lake can take on moods that swing from innocent looking docility to a raging uncontrolled fury.
Today we had a quiet lake.
To the left was the lighthouse bar/restaurant only 50 yards away where we had the great artesian pizzas the night before.
Mission Hill café was the place that everyone went before our ferry embarkation. Some of us made it a point to say hi to the proprietor, Maria, who joined us for dinner last year.
Outside the café was a beautiful two and a half year old black lab named Irving. A fella told us that it some how got onto a ferry when it was about 8 weeks old, was found astray and has called Madeline Island his home ever since. And, Irving (aka, “Crazy Irv”), did not even have to pay a one way fair LOL. At one point Crazy Irv was to be taken to create some pups, but to add to the infamy of Tom’s Burnt Down Café, Crazy Irv could not wait and did his duty with another dog in the middle of Middle Road outside the café – so the story goes.
Lois, who worked at the visitors center, next door to Mission Hill was nice enough to take a group shot of us before we headed to the ferry. She said that we might make the front page of the newsletter. Cool!!!
On the ferry, we met Doug and Cindy (the one’s who helped me out yesterday). We got them in a group shot with us. I got to know Doug a bit more, and when I found out that he used to be a mechanical engineer for 40 years, I had to introduce him to Randy, who has the same profession. Doug who finished highschool on a Friday and started working at GM the following Monday worked on many interested projects, one of which was involved with the Apollo missions. WOW!!! He and Cindy were celebrating their 59 anniversary. They live on Capser Road on this island for half the year, and in a small town near Milwaukee for the rest of the year, and travel a lot inbetween.
Back on our bikes, highway 13 seemed loud even though, for a highway it had relatively little traffic, but after riding the back roads like Ondossagon, Big Bay Rd, and Delta Drummond Road, even a car every 5 minutes seemed like too much. Dave and I caught up to Doug who got a flat tire by riding over a broken beer bottle. The leaves were still very stunningly brilliant as we continued to Washburn where we stopped at the growing Coco restaurant. It’s a funky place that has doubled in size since last year. It’s at a good spot because it’s at roughly half way to the finish of today’s ride, but it’s also at a bad spot because it’s before an optional big climb. When we turn right onto County C the route climbs substantially (but with some declines mixed in). But if someone was inclined (no pun intended) to try and even tougher climb, they’d go up another few kilometers on County C then turn left onto Church Corner road. I remember as Sam looked up the hill “Is that all?”. And he wasn’t joking. It’s funny how we could be visually deceived sometimes. It’s a climb of about 1.4 km, but the steep part (about 500 metres), is maybe 12%. I’ll have to actually find out the true grade sometime.
Then, we had an exhilarating downhill where I hit a max speed into the 70’s. After turning onto the next road, I assured Sam that probably 85% of the remaining route was either downhill or flat. He joked in how I have such exacting estimates. Well I kinda proved myself right when we reached the top of Ondossagon Rd where I treated everyone to a beer at the Top-Side Bar. Goodness, a big pitcher of Michilob draft cost 6 bucks!!
We finished in the 2:30-3:00pm range to be greeted by Hannah with awesome oatmeal/chocolate chip and coffee cookies. Hannah and her friend Alissa, just barely 20 years old rode their bikes around Lake Superior this past May. They found out about my warmshowers.org offer to put up cyclist for free and stayed at my home during their journey. We kept in touch and hoped to meet again… and it happened.
I thanked Penny at the visitors center for letting us park over the last four days. It’s a nice spot to start/end journeys such as this one. After hugging all the riders, Sam, Jeremy and I together headed back to Thunder Bay.
Thanks Margie for being such a great SAG driver and cook, and Debbie for often pitching in. And Elaine, Dave, Andrew, Kathryn, James, Randy, Doug, Lori, Sam, and Jeremy, thanks for adding your personalities into this extended weekend’s adventure.
It’s been yet another successful ride, good memories, good people, good food, good times, good riding…
-Until next time
-Frank Pollari
-SuperiorBikeTours.com
Ashland to Cable to Bayfield to Madeline Island to Ashland, Wisconsin
I don’t know how many lucky horseshoes I have left in my ABC cycle tours, but I got another one for this years ride. Even though we had heavy head winds (especially on the first day where we had 50 to 80km/h head winds (30 to 50 mph)), but we had sunny, dry and a high temps of 30C (85F). Holy Toledo!!!
The day before the ride had even stronger winds which de-foliated probably 75% of the leaves, but as we biked towards Bayfield, the beauty of the changing leaves was still there to greet us. And, the same held true on Madeline Island.
There was a strange weather pattern in this area of USA because it was in the midst of a small heat wave. The night before the ride the temperature was 27C (80F) in October!?!?!?
But the temperatures even got higher when we got to The Pavilion in Hayward where Molly and the Danger Band were playing. I met them earlier this winter and was given the opportunity to play my harmonica with them. Then again in September, I was given the opportunity to play with them. After that Molly gave me a standing invitation to play with them anytime they are on stage which is almost every Friday and Saturday night throughout the year.
Kathryn, Randy and I got there, and were joined by Andrew from Madison. James and Deb were already there taking in the music and sharing a drink. I was able to play about 5 songs with them and inbetween they were joined by a woman named Danielle who sang an awesome Janis Joplin with so much passion. She brought down the house!!!
Just after their last set, in came Doug, Margie and Lori. They missed the tunes by only a few minutes.
We all stayed at the newly purchased (and massive) Telemark Resort. It is still in the midst of renovations but definitely liveable. I’m glad that they were able to open up again, with the same affordable prices.
Saturday, Oct 8, 2011, Day 1
The next morning on day #1 of the tour, Margie, Doug, Lori and I headed out early to mark the rest of the route. I had already had about 1/3 of the marking done with Marcie from a trip in September, so the job was not as daunting. Lori was my spraying assistant. It was a lot faster when I had someone else help me mark the route. She learnt the technique quickly and was a star pupil and assistant.
By 10:00am it was already 23C (73F). Remember, this was in October!!!
We saw steady stream of vehicles heading north on Hwy 13 towards Bayfield which was holding it’s annual Applefest which explodes the population of the quaint (formerly logging and fishing) community from 600 to over 50,000!! How to they fit them all? I guess that the nearby Madeline Island, Washburn, Red Cliff and camping all help accommodate the thousands. But also, a lot of them are probably one day visitors.
I purposely scheduled the bike tour so that it we would not be in that area until after the fest. It’s quite a zoo and most (if not all) accommodations have a minimum stay of 2 nights. At the end of day #2 of the ride as the cyclists were riding in from the south, there was a steady stream of cars leaving Bayfield on hwy 13. Fortunately, the heavy traffic was on the other side of the 2 lane highway.
By 11:15, most of the riders were at the visitor’s center. I did my introductions and safety/courtesy spiel, then by noon we were on our way with 10 riders and a SAG driver (SAG means Support and Gear). We were expecting two more riders to join us the next day. In my talk I encouraged the riders to smell the roses and to touch the water of Lake Superior. Well, only 4 km into the ride, we already witnessed Kathryn standing in the lake at the beach at the artesian well.
The head wind was sometimes quite challenging, but the scenery of the rolling pastureland then cottage country made up for it. And, as we neared the smaller lakes at the southern section of CR-D (county road), the angle of the low sun shining through the (mostly bare) trees, combined with the fluttering/falling leaves, and the primarily orange forest floor made for a spectacular sight during this early part of autumn.
Half way through this 85km day, the temperatures were quite high. Some of us had to lie in the shade to cool off a bit while I encouraged everyone to stay hydrated. It is funny because I packed about 4 extra pair of thin hats and gloves to give to riders who might not have been prepared in case the weather got cold. A few days after the ride, the high temperatures were barely reaching 10c (50f).
We had three tailgate stops along the route. Near the end of the ride, on Frel’s Road, as Randy, Doug and I were reaching the end, we found ourselves all of a sudden in the midst of a lynx (or bobcat) attempting an attack on some deers. We were just chatting idley when all of a sudden a white tailed deer leaped across the road and the other went the other way with the lynx in close pursuit. This was all just 20 feet in front of us. I think we might have botched the lynx’s hunting.
At the Telemark Resort we were surprised to see two fellow bike riders from Thunder Bay, Lori and Graham. Ha!!, what a coincidence!!! After a break and a refreshment we were on our way to the River’s Eatery in Cable, who stayed opened longer for us. I’ve always offered this great stone oven pizza joint to the riders. On one hand they keep the operations simple, but on the other hand the décor and funkiness of the place makes it a “must visit”. Mic and Beth and Carly and Lillie do an awesome job and always treat my groups with extra zeal.
Sara Balbin and her husband Gary were at the Eatery to meet us. I’m always bragging about them and want my riders to meet them both. I want them to meet Sara because of her great metal art. She is often involved in a ribbon cutting somewhere in the country where she’s been commissioned to design, build and erect a piece of her work. But, on all four of my tours, she’s always been in Cable and eager to show my tour riders her workshop. Not only are she and Gary open to showing us the epicentre of her work, but they also have freshly made muffins ready for us. Sara’s work can be seen at http://www.sarabalbin.com/.
Gary, in addition to being a strong proponent in helping Sara with her work (and administration), is also the founder and director of the very well known mountain bike tour called the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival (http://www.cheqfattire.com/). This annual event is a staple in Wisconsin which draws thousands of mountain bikers from all over the mid-west and the rest of the USA (and a hand full of Canadians).
Sunday, Oct 9, 2011, Day 2
The next morning we headed out by 8:30 am. The temperature was perfect, and there was not a wisp of wind in the air, but it
did build up later in the day, and (dang it) it was a head wind, but not too hard. Most of us rode to the Brickhouse in Cable for a great breakfast, then were off to Sara’s “Dragonfly” studio to see some of her work and have some of their muffins. They are in the midst of building a bigger workshop to enable a bit more elbow room. Sara has lately added “car hood” art to her medium options. She will take a car hood and do her magic on it. I love the creativity and resourcef
ulness that she utilizes. Car hoods and old drapes are two of her resourceful media.Fearing that Kathryn and Andrew might miss the driveway to the studio, I asked Margie to park on the road so they’d see the SAG vehicle. Margie ended up having to drive down Blue Moo
n Road to catch them. They were glad that they didn’t miss the scene.Onward north we headed. Cable’s cell phone coverage is not very good, but I’m glad that I left my cell phone powered on because as I headed up the beautiful and sparsely driven Delta-Drummond Road, I was notified by a text msg. My brother Sam and Jeremy were in the neighbourhood and trying to track us down. A few minutes later, when I turned to see if the elusive Delta Diner (which always had a very long wait), I was greeted excitedly by Doug and Margie saying that we had seats. Yes, the Delta Diner on an early Sunday afternoon actually had room. The God’s were on our side!!! Between my text and Margie’s broken voice msg, Sam and Jeremy found us in the middle of our gastric abundance in the Diner. What an awesome surprise. Many of us immediately offered some of our shrapnel (left overs) to them because we just had so much to ea
t. Their special was a PBLT – Perch, bacon, lettuce and tomato. But the gaspacho soup was also to die for. And many went overboard with the malted shakes.The temperatures never got too high, but the sun came out for the majority of the day. I was the last to leave the diner and enjoyed the pastural scenery as I rode by Frosty’s bar. We always stopped there because the Delta Diner was always too full for us to go in. But this time we were all too full for any need to stop at Frosty’s, so north and east we continued.
I love the Moqua bar and when I saw two bicycles leaning on the plywood walls amongst the motorcycles, I had to go in. Kathryn and Andrew were sharing a cool one and making up limericks. And, I joined in like a dirty shirt. The owner says that even he feels the pinch of the recession in his little joint.
County Road G which
heads east is where I met Sam and Jeremy. Earlier, they drove to the visitor’s center and started riding west to meet some of us. As I looked up a hill towards a couple of cyclists, I realized that it was them waiting for me. So, onward hoe!! Not long after we started, Jeremy got a flat. He had an old bike that had nut/bolt hub, so I needed a couple of wrenches to get his wheel off his bike. I had them!! The five of us hung out as I patched the flat. Onward hoe. The route took us only 500 metres from first day’s starting point, then we hung a left and again headed north to be greeted by Margie and Deb at an old closed down school. Fruit, cookies, chocolate, apple cider and other goodies were available for our consumption. We still have not seen James, Elaine and Dave since this morning in Cable. Elaine ended up riding the entire 115km. Good for her.I jumped in the SAG with Margie to do a bit of shopping and arrange the sleeping accommodations. Margie was going to cook for the group in one of the condos. The condos that we are renting are those of Larry Carpenter whom I met several years ago at the Red Rock Folk Fest. We kept loosely in touch and now here I am renting out his places in Bayfield.
Bayfield was emptying as we entered it, but it was still very busy in the town. Roads were still blocked and rerouted. And there was a Milwaukee Brewers game and a Packers game on TV, so many were hanging out to watch the games. Normally the area fully clears out after the Applefest, however, occasionally the festival weekend falls on the same day as Columbus day. This year they landed on the same weekend, so Bayfield did not empty out as much as usual. There were still vendors stalls in the middle of the streets, and we had to drive really slowly and carefully to get to our condo’s parking lot.
It was a long but rewarding day. Lori and Elaine did all 115km. For Lori it was her first ever over 100km, and the day before it was her first ever over 85km. In fact before this trip, her longest day’s ride was 50km. WOW. I think her running really helped Elaine and Dave got a head start on the group and passed by Sara Balbin’s Dragonfly in their successful attempt to stay ahead of the group. But, they stayed ahead so much that we never saw them. But that’s OK because they have the freedom to ride at their own pace.
Also, James, Doug, Randy, and Andrew did the entire trip. Actually James got in so early that he had time to hang out at the used bookstore and bought three books on downhill skiing.
Getting into Bayfield had it’s pros and cons because it was the last day of the Applefest when the population of Bayfield explodes from a quaint 600 to a massive 50.000! As Margie and I approached this little gem of a town we were diverted inland up a steep hill by the police. In a vehicle is wasn’t too much of an imposition, but for the cyclists, it was quite a tough end to the ride. Well, not for all the riders. James, Randy, Doug, and Lori took the main route and did not heed the signs, but Dave, being a conformist, when up the hill followed by his wife Elaine who felt she had no choice. LoL. But after only climbing one block they came to their senses and turned back onto the main (and flatter) route.
We stayed at the Washington St. Condos (and one small room at Greunke’s at the other corner of the block).
Margie recruited a lot of helpers to prepare a wonderful dinner. Pasta with veggies, garlic bread, abundant salad, serbet/cookie dessert mixed with wine and beer. What added to the great food was the spirited discussions, especially about who had seen the most wild animals. I had two contests going. One was “who could count the most number of wild animals”. Birds counted only if they were landed. A group of animals would only count as one. Lori claimed that she saw 12, then Elaine returned by saying that she saw 47 squirrels. She said that we don’t ride as slow as she does, so, at her slower pace, she’s able to see a lot more. Lori did not believe her, (and it did sound like a of an exaggeration). I could not discern whether Elaine was just playing, and I was influenced by Lori’s boisterousness, enough to give the prize to Lori. Maybe I just gave her the prize because she was the loudest. One thing that I do know was that I definitely did not have control of the discussion, LOL. It was a lot of fun!!
After dinner, Margie brought out four of her home made wines. They were ?, ?, ? and ?. I think that ? was my favourite.
Most were in bed in the two condos (and one room at Greunke’s) by midnight. I fell asleep on the couch while Andrew and I were flipping channels and watching Family Guy amongst other surfed shows.
It was a good day.
Monday, Oct 10, 2011 – Day 3
In the early morning, as I looked to the north to the other side of Washington St, I was presented with the brilliantly illuminated foliage of the oak trees (and other trees) across the street as the sun was only one degree above the horizon. Deep rust, combined with sharp oranges and brilliant yellows offset with the evergreens lit by the rising sun gave me a splendid sight.
Here the trees still had most of their leaves unlike the scene just 90km south in the Cable and Drummond area. I think that the windstorm and the colder night air farther from the lake probably contributed to the lack of leaves in the south section of the ride.
Most of us started the morning with our traditional breakfast at our favourite “Eggtoss” restaurant. It was nice chatting and getting to know some of the riders more. Jeremy who is a professional actor told us stories of his dad (who was even more of a professional actor) told of stories of his dad’s being famous by acting on one episode of Faulty Towers. Everyone had something to bring to the table, but for some reason the waitress thought that I was doing most of the talking. I told her that I wasn’t, and said that when I stopped talking then I’d call her and tell her that I was not talking, but I would have had to talk to tell her that I was being quiet. Boy, can I ever talk myself in circles sometimes, kinda like a dog chasing his own tail. LOL.
The ferry ride was pleasant, but we were a bit concerned when about 4 of the other riders were left behind because the ferry departed about 8 minutes early. When I asked the captain if he could wait for the rest of our group he assured me that the main ferry was leaving 10 minutes later. We were on the extra one. Whew!! It cost $6.00 one way for a person and $3.00 for a bike. It cost $25.00 (both ways) for a vehicle (and extra for each passenger).
Doug, who was driving the newly appointed SAG vehicle (Sam’s), and I (on my bike) went on ahead to the main office of the Inn on Madeline Island to check in. It was before noon so I wasn’t surprised that our condos were not yet ready. Amity, our very gracious host warned us not to drink the tap water in the bigger condo because a bit of contamination was detected in the water, so they had water bottles and stuff to compensate for the temporary setback. It was nice to finally meet Amity because I’ve talked to her several times over the last few years when booking accommodations on the island.
I booked 2 condos with the Inn on Madeline Island. One was Lakeside and the smaller one was 300 down the road. I guided Dave there so he could have an idea on how to get there later.
Some of the riders stayed back at Bayfield to explore and shop while the rest of us were on the roads of Madeline Island by noon. In less than 4 minutes Jeremy got his second flat. I knew that Margie and Lori were leaving for home in only a couple of hours. And, since they were in our current riding “pelaton” I did not want Jeremy to miss the opportunity to ride with them. So, I told him to take my bike and I’ll stay back and fix the flat. He was very gracious and I sent him on his way. Just as he was 200 meters and out of sight and earshot I realized that I only had my pump while the rest of my gear was on my bike trunk which was on my bike, which Jeremy had. Dang, I was in a quandary.
I decided to try to pump up the tire and hope it would hold the air. No such luck. So, plan B was for me to walk the kilometer back to the condo and hope that it was opened, otherwise I was going to walk all the way to Tom’s burnt Down Café in hopes that he’d open early for me. As I was thinking of my options, and older couple (Doug and Cindy) who live on the island 6 months of the year and in a small town near Milwaukee the rest of the year, offered me help. I accepted. Their van easily fitted my bike and off we when to catch my group of friends that were 5 minutes up the road. I found Jeremy then thanked and said good-bye to my drivers, got my patch kit, wrenches, a tube and, again sent him on his way.
After everyone left I settled down to the task of fixing the flat. Just as I was getting started I stepped in this super slippery muck on the side of the road. It was that kinda reddish stuff that’s kinda heavy, slippery and tenacious but it looks dry before you step in it. Dang, got the guu on my shoes. Anyway, I got down to fixing the flat, but it did not dampen my spirits because I was in such a beautiful milieu of rusty auburn, oranges, yellows and greens. I found a spot in the shade on a road where a car might pass by every 10 minutes. But in a very short time, I was passed by a vehicle who offered me help. My goodness!! In 15 minutes I was offered help twice. This island does a good to people’s eagerness to lend a hand to an ailing brother. I graciously declined and continued on.
This was Jeremy’s second flat in as many days. Both times I was with him. I wonder if I jinxed him? Yesterday I fixed the flat on Jeremy’s front tire, and today, he also had a flat on the front tire. I thought the flat might be on the same patch that I fixed yesterday, but it was not. I did not want to take off his tire so I listened for the air leak, then pulled out the tube in that general area. I only had 9 inches of the tube exposed. Maybe it was an old tube, old tire or both LOL I got the patch on and hoped that it would stick and be effective. And, fortunately it was, because it lasted the rest of the day, and the next.
The cool story about Jeremy’s bike is that it was borrowed/rented from the Bicycles for Humanity (B4H) organization in Thunder Bay. B4H takes donations of old bicycles, then fixes them and sends them to Africa. Jeremy gave a nominal amount to B4H to let him use the bike for the extended weekend.
Back on the saddle I went, but goodness, I did not like the saddle. I’m usually not very picky, but this one definitely did not agree with my anatomy.
It was nice to ride down the quiet South Shore Road, then onto Hagen Road in the full fall splendour. When I turned into Big Bay State Park, I asked the park gate attendants if they saw any cyclists. They said, “No”. So I thought that I was going to be by myself for a while and just took my time and enjoyed the solitude. At the end of one road I decided to try to ride the bike in one of the paths, but after negotiating a few roots I decided to turn back.
Next I went towards the beach and picnic area and met Sam, Jeremy, Kathryn, Doug and Randy. It was a Party!!! Kathryn and Randy went in for swim. Good for them. I eagerly traded my bike back with Jeremy. He said that it was nice to ride a higher end bike. Actually in the cycling club kinda scene my bike would be considered lower to mid end bike, but definitely not high end.
We then headed off to the other side of Big Bay to the Town Park part of the bay which was on the northwest end of the bay. There we all walked on the sandy beach and got at least up to our knees in the water that had a temperature that reminded you that yo
u were alive (I mean cold!!!). But, the legs got used to it. But everyone touched the water. That’s something I encourage everyone to do – TOUCH THE WATER!!! Yahoo!!!As we headed up the wooden stairs back to the bikes, we ran into Molly Otis (the owner and singer at The Pavilion in Hayward). What a nice surprise!! I eagerly told her that I had my harmonicas and that I’d totally be open to jamming with her at Tom’s Burnt Down Café. She already had plans but did not fully write it off. Unfortunately it never happened. But the rest of the day was still great.
As some of the group wanted to ride to the end of County Road H, I decided to head to Tom’s Burnt Down Café (TBDC) because he was opening up just for us. I tried to text him but had no service whenever I tried. When I got there (on Middle Road), there were quite a few people in addition to some of our group. He planned to stay opened for us for three hours, and ended up staying opened even longer into the dark (7:00pm). James, Deb, Dave and Elaine were already then, then over the course of the next hour, everyone of our group was there, except for Lori and Margie who had to head home early. They jumped on the 1:30 fe
rry back to Bayfield and on their way home to get to work on time for the next day.I asked our bartender, Kelly, if we could bring up our tailgate food. I told her that if we could then we’d most likely stick around longer and give them more business (by ordering more drinks). She had no problem with it. I also invited her to share in our bounty. I went to Tom’s office to say hello. He let me in and told me that he was glad that their 15 year old cat died today. He was glad because he and his 4 year old son were allergic to it. He said though that he’d still have to get cat out of his carpet. He’s such a character, who always seems to be busy and on the edge of some crisis of his own or someone else’s. He’s also creative and loves to talk and share his ideas. Randy and Doug had the pleasure of meeting him in his office just after I did.
Tom came out to the open-air bar (remember that it burnt down twice). He shared some magnetic car ribbons that said something like “we have a friend in cheeses” (this is Wisconsin afterall), and “Lord save us from your followers”. Goodness, LOL.
I put my bike on the bike rack of the SAG vehicle because it was dark and drove with Sam the ½ km to the Lakeside Condo of Inn on Madeline Island. It was quite nice and roomy. It has a beautiful southwest view of the lake towards the mainland. After watching a bit of a “Dancing with the Stars”, some of us headed to the bar next door for a drink and great pizza. The pizza was $13 and the wine was on Monday night half price sale. Cool!!
In addition to the comraderie, we were entertained by ? the lady from Bulgaria. She was quite animated and excited to talk to us. She and her husband spend some of their summers in Silver Islet which is very close to Thunder Bay. WOW!!
Jeremy, who takes dancing lessons with his wife, and had to see the finish of the show, joined us after the show, but could not stay long because the bar was closing down. Back in the condo, I applied some of Andrew’s lotion for my back which was kinda irritated and itchy from what I thought might have been bug or spider bites.
Sleep came kinda early as Sam and I fell asleep on two of the couches and the rest of the group chatted in the living room.
It was another great day!!
Tuesday,
Looking southwest from the balcony of the Inn on Madeline Island’s Lakeside condo at 6:45am (dawn) was a vision of serenity. The sky was clear with the greyish top of the very gently lapping lake under the darker tones of the mainland, under the blueish grey sky which gradually morphed to a violet, then pink, then very light blue sky. It’s quite amazing how this majestic lake can take on moods that swing from innocent looking docility to a raging uncontrolled fury.
Today we had a quiet lake.
To the left was the lighthouse bar/restaurant only 50 yards away where we had the great artesian pizzas the night before.
Mission Hill café was the place that everyone went before our ferry embarkation. Some of us made it a point to say hi to the proprietor, Maria, who joined us for dinner last year.
Outside the café was a beautiful two and a half year old black lab named Irving. A fella told us that it some how got onto a ferry when it was about 8 weeks old, was found astray and has called Madeline Island his home ever since. And, Irving (aka, “Crazy Irv”), did not even have to pay a one way fair LOL. At one point Crazy Irv was to be taken to create some pups, but to add to the infamy of Tom’s Burnt Down Café, Crazy Irv could not wait and did his duty with another dog in the middle of Middle Road outside the café – so the story goes.
Lois, who worked at the visitors center, next door to Mission Hill was nice enough to take a group shot of us before we headed to the ferry. She said that we might make the front page of the newsletter. Cool!!!
On the ferry, we met Doug and Cindy (the one’s who helped me out yesterday). We got them in a group shot with us. I got to know Doug a bit more, and when I found out that he used to be a mechanical engineer for 40 years, I had to introduce him to Randy, who has the same profession. Doug who finished highschool on a Friday and started working at GM the following Monday worked on many interested projects, one of which was involved with the Apollo missions. WOW!!! He and Cindy were celebrating their 59 anniversary. They live on Capser Road on this island for half the year, and in a small town near Milwaukee for the rest of the year, and travel a lot inbetween.
Back on our bikes, highway 13 seemed loud even though, for a highway it had relatively little traffic, but after riding the back roads like Ondossagon, Big Bay Rd, and Delta Drummond Road, even a car every 5 minutes seemed like too much. Dave and I caught up to Doug who got a flat tire by riding over a broken beer bottle. The leaves were still very stunningly brilliant as we continued to Washburn where we stopped at the growing Coco restaurant. It’s a funky place that has doubled in size since last year. It’s at a good spot because it’s at roughly half way to the finish of today’s ride, but it’s also at a bad spot because it’s before an optional big climb. When we turn right onto County C the route climbs substantially (but with some declines mixed in). But if someone was inclined (no pun intended) to try and even tougher climb, they’d go up another few kilometers on County C then turn left onto Church Corner road. I remember as Sam looked up the hill “Is that all?”. And he wasn’t joking. It’s funny how we could be visually deceived sometimes. It’s a climb of about 1.4 km, but the steep part (about 500 metres), is maybe 12%. I’ll have to actually find out the true grade sometime.
Then, we had an exhilarating downhill where I hit a max speed into the 70’s. After turning onto the next road, I assured Sam that probably 85% of the remaining route was either downhill or flat. He joked in how I have such exacting estimates. Well I kinda proved myself right when we reached the top of Ondossagon Rd where I treated everyone to a beer at the Top-Side Bar. Goodness, a big pitcher of Michilob draft cost 6 bucks!!
We finished in the 2:30-3:00pm range to be greeted by Hannah with awesome oatmeal/chocolate chip and coffee cookies. Hannah and her friend Alissa, just barely 20 years old rode their bikes around Lake Superior this past May. They found out about my warmshowers.org offer to put up cyclist for free and stayed at my home during their journey. We kept in touch and hoped to meet again… and it happened.
I thanked Penny at the visitors center for letting us park over the last four days. It’s a nice spot to start/end journeys such as this one. After hugging all the riders, Sam, Jeremy and I together headed back to Thunder Bay.
Thanks Margie for being such a great SAG driver and cook, and Debbie for often pitching in. And Elaine, Dave, Andrew, Kathryn, James, Randy, Doug, Lori, Sam, and Jeremy, thanks for adding your personalities into this extended weekend’s adventure.
It’s been yet another successful ride, good memories, good people, good food, good times, good riding…
-Until next time
-Frank Pollari
-SuperiorBikeTours.com
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