The last week of June, my dad and I did a loop/out-and-back in northern Wisconsin. We were joined for the return leg by my brother, who lives in Minneapolis. The route roughly follows a route created by dual sport riders and modified for a bikepacking race that ran for a couple years (maybe 2011 and 2012?), a route created by the Wisconsin Bike Federation (
http://www.bikepacking.com/routes/tour-de-chequamegon-wisconsin/), and a couple additions of singletrack and several accidental detours due to navigation issues. A link to the route (with a few “jumps” due to patching together several routes) is at
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28065437. Overall, the route is roughly 10% paved, 15% singletrack, and 75% forest service roads that ranged from gravel to lose sand that required pushing (the latter mainly near the northern end of the route).
Monday, June 25 2018Mount Ashwaby Ski Hill Trailhead (Bayfield) to Twin Lakes/Birch Grove NFS Campground (Washburn)
Overall mileage: 19.9
Daily mileage: 16.9 FS/paved + 3.0 Singletrack
Leave camp/trailhead: 2:30p
Arrive at camp/trailhead: 5:30p
Wildlife Observed: Whip-poor-wills loud overnight at camp; one set up about 50’ away and woke both dad and me. Fewer common nighthawks as well. Lots of bear tracks on the road. Heard and saw loons at the campsite. Multiple flickers, and what was likely a 3-toed woodpecker.
Resupply Anxiety Level (1-10): 1-we just started, so plenty of food
Weather Anxiety Level (1-10): 1-it was not threatening, and while cool, the rain forecasted earlier was not materializing
Bike Condition: no concerns noted
Rider Condition: good
Trail Difficulty/Condition: Trail was good, not too hard even with loaded bikes. Roads had sand that required significant pushing.
Other Riders Spotted: None. Only saw 1 pickup truck on the road, and 1 bulldozer logging
Notable Events: It took a long time to load up the bikes, but we had a good place to do so at Roam, near Seely. I forgot my downtube water bottle cage, so I had to purchase one in Bayfield. I also had flipped the compression spacer on my crank, so there was play; we flipped around to Bayfield for that as well (Bayfield Bike Route aka Howl Adventure Center).
Starting on singletrack
Singletrack quickly gave way to sandy roads
The view from the campsite was quintessential northwoods lake.
Tuesday, June 26 2018Twin Lakes/Birch Grove NFS Campground (Washburn) to Lakes Owen and Bass/Two Lakes NFS Campground (Drummond)
Overall mileage: 67.4
Daily mileage: 47.5
Leave camp/trailhead: 9:00a
Arrive at camp/trailhead: 5:30p
Wildlife Observed: Eagle was sitting in a tree near the path at the water’s edge, wolf and bear prints in the sand. Mosquitos were bad morning, evening, and through the day.
Resupply Anxiety Level (1-10): 1-plenty of food
Weather Anxiety Level (1-10): 3-it sprinkled a bit in the evening, so I was concerned about keeping everything dry. Nothing major materialized
Bike Condition: Andrew’s front derailleur clamp came loose. Luckily, the shims did not drop out before he noticed. Shifting deteriorated through this and the previous day, due to all the dusty sand.
Rider Condition: Overall good. I started to get right inner knee tendonitis and dad Achilles tendonitis.
Trail Difficulty/Condition: Roads had sand but it was much more intermittent than the previous day; we spent significant time riding single file and punching through the sand. Major storms (5-15 inches over ~10 hours) had come through a week prior, and so we hit 3 roads that were marked closed. One had a 4’ deep washout running ~100’ on the one side of the road, and another had a 30’ wide wash across the road that was 5’ deep. The Wilderness Lake Trail between Delta and Drummond was not actually a singletrack trail, and at one point, had a giant puddle in it that we had to roll/carry our bikes through/around.
Other Riders Spotted: None. Saw a handful of cars, including one town road maintenance worker who stopped to complain about Harley Davidson moving manufacturing offshore.
Notable Events: The roads and trail were the most notable items. Also, we ate lunch at the Delta Diner, which was delicious. I had a PBLT (perch BLT with chipotle mayo) with fries, and dad had a black bean and wild rice burger, hashbrowns, eggs, also with chipotle mayo. Both were very good.
Started with a lovely sunrise over a misty lake
The roads necessitated pushing at times
Wednesday, June 27 2018Lakes Owen and Bass/Two Lakes NFS Campground (Drummond) to Roam Basecamp (Seeley)
Overall mileage: 104.7
Daily mileage: 37.3 total, 5.9 which was on singletrack
Leave camp/trailhead: 8:30a
Arrive at camp/trailhead: 2:45p
Wildlife Observed: Lots of woodpeckers (flicker, 3-toed, heard a pileated) in camp
Resupply Anxiety Level (1-10): 1-plenty of food for meals, though I did need to get 1 bar from dad
Weather Anxiety Level (1-10): 3-we kept hearing the sound of thunder while at our campsite in the evening, but it must have actually been trucks passing a certain point in the road, since radar and the sky suggested everything was clear.
Bike Condition: Andrew’s front derailleur shifting was off, but we mainly dealt with that by adjusting the limiters
Rider Condition: Overall good. Dad’s tendonitis went away by lowering his seat near the end of the day (Peter must have borrowed Dad’s bike and adjusted his seat height) and my tendonitis held steady or improved by raising my seat; I forgot to raise it after the singletrack on Monday (down ½”)
Trail Difficulty/Condition: Highly variable. The CAMBA trails near Rock Lake were generally good for loaded riding. Patsy Lake trail was actually doubletrack for portions, while Namakogon Trail was more to our liking (flowy, but all singletrack). The short segment of technical trail (unnamed on the maps) required frequent pushing around rocks. Rock Lake road was beat up by ATVs with lots of loose gravel, and somehow, we got off by a road for a bit, and so we did not T into Telemark Rd. like we should have. That added another extra 2 miles or so, since we made a wrong turn as a result.
Other Riders Spotted: None.
Notable Events: It was good to get into camp early and rest, since this was our third day; we were both somewhat beat. Mosquitos were bad, so we ended up eating lunch while standing. Also, lunch (likely the apples that went with our PB tortillas) caused significant gas production. Peter joined us (in his car) about an hour after we arrived, and brought with resupply items (food, repair items, and cash, since Mom forgot to send cash with Dad and I forgot to pull more cash from the bank).
Throughout the trip, the bugs were pretty bad
Thursday, June 28 2018Roam Basecamp (Seeley) to Perch Lake NFS Campground (Drummond)
Overall mileage: 137.7
Daily mileage: 33
Leave camp/trailhead: 9:00
Arrive at camp/trailhead: 4:45
Wildlife Observed: flushed a deer. Lots of bullfrogs in Perch Lake
Resupply Anxiety Level (1-10): 1 (plus we picked up chocolate milk; a quart is too little for 3 people)
Weather Anxiety Level (1-10): 3-there were some possible storms moving in that never materialized beyond a few drops
Bike Condition: Dad got 2 linear cuts in his front tube, either from the lose rim strip or the raised edge that contains the beads. While replacing the second tube, I bent the valve core; thankfully I had packed an extra one (or we could have extracted one from the flatted tube, but best that we had an extra). We ended up stopping at Start Line Bike Service Center, where the owner got the front wheel set up tubeless and we picked up a pair of sunglasses (dad forgot to put his back on after pausing at the North End Trailhead, and dropped them on the descent) and an extra tube.
Rider Condition: I had mild knee pain after getting back on the road, but was fine while on singletrack
Trail Difficulty/Condition: Lots of great flowy trail for the first 2/3 of the day. Chip & seal or paved the rest of the day.
Other Riders Spotted: Numerous riders out for the day on the Cable CAMBA trails. The shop owner’s wife was surprised that we were riding singletrack on loaded bikes.
Notable Events: Chocolate milk, bonus 1 mile of not-torn-up ATV trail heading out of Cable. Did I mention the great singletrack? No swimming at Perch Lake. Lots of downtime through the day due to Dad’s flats
Friday, June 29 2018Perch Lake NFS Campground (Drummond) to Twin Lakes/Birch Grove NFS Campground (Washburn)
Overall mileage: 168.6
Daily mileage: 30.9
Leave camp/trailhead: 7:30
Arrive at camp/trailhead: 1:00
Wildlife Observed: Whip-poor-wills at Twin Lakes, some deer and bear prints.
Resupply Anxiety Level (1-10): 1
Weather Anxiety Level (1-10): 5-we got nailed with strong winds and a thunderstorm Friday night. I lost ~45 minutes sleep. I ended up placing a 6x6 tarp at the head end of our big tarp to keep out the blowing rain, and all of us pulled our sleeping bag/quilt away from the foot; I stuffed mine in my handlebar roll bag. At worst, we would have fled to the (new) pit toilets, and would have slept poorly.
Bike Condition: Dad noticed he had lost a cleat bolt; thankfully I had packed a few in the repair kit, so it was not big deal. The direct mount ring on Peter’s bike (my fatbike) started to loosen, so it creaked until we got back to the car and I was able to tighten it up. Dad’s front tire held great.
Rider Condition: I had mild knee pain throughout, but was planning to not take ibuprofen until I got bit by the dog.
Trail Difficulty/Condition: Sand was somewhat improved over the way south (we rode the same route north of Delta).
Other Riders Spotted: One road cyclist came through the lot at Delta Diner, and we ran into one of the folks with the Fat Tire Festival (traveling by pickup truck).
Notable Events: Started day with 6 mile pavement to the Delta Diner, where we overstuffed ourselves. The day started humid and cool, but started really heating up around noon. Thankfully, we arrived in camp early (planned) and were able to swim multiple times through the afternoon. We realized that something had caused the cap on the alcohol to crack, so we were unable to carry any for the following day, and some had leaked out that day. We made cold brew coffee as a result. In the evening, I got bit by one of a pair of dogs (not sure which one) while walking over to use the restroom. The owners did not respond right away when I started getting bit. They left when they learned we had called 911, though the one person did come over and offered to pay for Dad’s medical supplies.
The bug bivys I sewed worked out well
Saturday, June 30 2018Twin Lakes/Birch Grove NFS Campground (Washburn) to Mt. Ashwaby Ski Hill Trailhead (Bayfield)
Overall mileage: 188.4
Daily mileage: 19.8
Leave camp/trailhead: 9:30
Arrive at camp/trailhead: 2:00 (then 3:45 after unloaded riding)
Wildlife Observed: Not much
Resupply Anxiety Level (1-10): 1
Weather Anxiety Level (1-10): 1
Bike Condition: The direct mount ring on Peter’s bike (my fatbike) was somewhat loose. I realized that my bottom frame bag mount bolt had rattled loose; it was in my bag (that is the only place for it to go).
Rider Condition: I had mild knee pain throughout. Dad was totally exhausted after climbing to the fire tower.
Trail Difficulty/Condition: Day started with lots of climbing (for Wisconsin) on the way to the fire tower. Sand was somewhat improved over the way south (we rode the same route north of Delta) due to overnight rain and because the deep sand was mainly on the downhills on the way north. Singletrack was fun for Peter and Andrew, but a drag for Dad since he was so exhausted; similar buff singletrack as before (a portion was the same as on the way south).
Other Riders Spotted: Talked with a few mountain bikers on the Mt. Ashwaby trails, especially while we rested and ate so that Dad would feel good enough to ride out.
Notable Events: Dad’s water bottle fell out on a decent, but he did not notice until later. We climbed up an ATV path up to the Washburn fire tower. This was on loose sand, and involved pushing nearing the entire way. This totally exhausted Dad, and Peter ended up returning to help Dad for the last 2-300 feet. The view was amazing, and it was somewhat misty in the morning, which added to the view. The fire tower has its ladder removed for the bottom 15’ and is marked no trespassing, but there was a really good view just to the west of the actual fire tower. After arriving at the car, Dad packed up his bike, and Peter and I unloaded, then went back and rode some of the trails; Hooten Hollow was a really difficult ride up, and a thrilling decent. Peter probably overcooked it, but managed not to crash. When we returned to the car, dad had a gallon of chocolate milk to share. It was very welcome as we were exhausted and very hot (~85F and humid). We ended up camping at the Washburn campground, eating at Patsys Bar and ice cream at North Coast Coffee. The following morning, we packed up quickly (40 minutes from when I got up, we were on the road), just avoiding a thunderstorm that was moving in from the south-southwest.
Feeling on top of the world after pushing up steep loose sand for a quarter mile
Yep, the roads near the fire tower were pretty sandy
Finished the trip with a few miles of singletrack
Wrap-upHighlights
• Singletrack near Cable
• Interest in our ride, especially at Roam, but all along the way
• The chocolate I packed along lifted spirits
• Delta Diner
• Traveling through storm-impacted areas was awe-inspiring
• Washburn Fire Tower (once we were at the top)
Lessons/Changes to make
• Ensure bolts are tight/Loctite as appropriate
• Tubeless throughout
• Better tarp skills (and pitch in a more protected area if it is going to storm)
• Dad-lighter fork load (accomplished on the last day)
• Maybe stake out bug bivy at head
• Don’t overload handlebar bag; Dad had sagging that caused buzzing
• Don’t overload seat bag; Dad and I both had sagging that caused buzzing
• Make handlebar-mounted map solution
• Use fender washers or the like on frame bag bolt mounts; perhaps velcro a neoprene pad over those to prevent wear on gear in the bag
• Make sure all tubes are relatively new; this probably contributed to Dad’s tube failures.
• Add a few extra chain links to repair kit
• I forgot tape, and would have used it several times given the chance.
• Dad would drink powdered milk if we brought it.
• Perhaps substitute hot chocolate for mint tea in the evening
• Navigation with paper maps that are stowed away is slow, and GPS (my phone) to locate us on the map is helpful. That said, navigation forced rest breaks more frequently, which was good for the muscles, but bad for the bug bites.
Successes
• Getting into camp early to swim on the hot day
• Selle Anatomica Saddle (though it stretched a lot for only 225 miles, it was comfortable, though I started to feel it the last day)
• XR2 tires throughout were a good selection for this route, and the high volume was good for taking the edge off of things and handled sand; 2.6”-3” 29er is probably the best for rigid, though fat was supreme north of US 2, or maybe that was just because Peter was in the best shape of all of us.
• Lumbar Pack instead of a backpack was a great compromise. When I tried lashing it to the bike, I felt that the handling was compromised, though it would have been workable, just more back work (my upper back started to complain, but improved after I moved it back onto my waist from the handlebars)
• Separating sugar from electrolytes & hydration (Nuun vs gatorade) was great, as was some separation of sugar (Mike & Ikes) from fat & protein calories
• Did I mention Chocolate?
