Another Year of Chaos?

 At the close of 2020 I thought that I would never experience another year of such confusion and calamity. Over the next twelve months of 2021, not all that much changed. The Covid vaccinations became available and tentative steps were taken to resume a life somewhat similar to the one I knew in 2019. Then the omicron variant appeared in Africa and within days was in the United States. I was back in the throes of the pandemic once again and it continued into the new year. I had high hopes that 2022 would be the year that the country, and the world, would recover from the confusion and calamity of the last two years.

2022 began well as far as the pandemic was concerned. Case numbers and infections dropped steadily in January and February. There was no new and scary variant popping up anywhere in the world. Schools were open and by early March I was feeling safe enough to visit restaurants and bars without a mask. The winter had been a gentle one and I was looking forward to an early spring.

But events in Asia changed all of my hard-earned optimism. Vladimir Putin, the former KGB operative and current Russian president, invaded a sovereign country. His m invasion and destruction of the Ukraine threw the entire world into a tailspin replete with nightmare images of a possible Third World War. All of the efforts over the past thirty years to build peaceful relationships among North American, European and Asian nations were destroyed in a matter of days. As a nation, we are now left to decide how to react to Russian aggression reminiscent of its actions in the years following the Second World War.

How this will end is difficult to determine. The Russian people are being told lies about the war. They do not have the ability to vote Putin out of office or control his actions in any way. Many of the writers and media people have left the country, fearing even greater crackdowns on their freedom of expression. The oligarchs have money, but no power. In Russia, money does not equal power as it does in the United States. We are left to impose sanctions on Russia and help the Ukrainians with everything we can short of providing American fighters. Our country and NATO have presented a united front which has isolated Russia from much of the world. Prayers and money do not seem to be enough, but for many of us it is all we can offer to the brave Ukrainian people. 

The warm spring weather I had anticipated has not arrived, although there were a couple of warm days last week. The temperatures show no sign of improving in the next week.  I have gotten out for a couple of rides on my BMW R1250 GSA and my bicycle has seen some action. It is not the start to 2022 I had hoped for, but it is still early. One bright spot is that my church choir will be performing at the Easter Vigil Mass. This welcome turn of events is a good reason to get out my Takamine acoustic electric guitar and practice on these cold and wet March days. 

The calendar will turn to April soon, and the celebration of Easter is not far off. Perhaps this is the month that we as a nation can cast off the gloom of the past two years and walk into a bright future of peace and good health. 

EICMA 2021: An Alternative to Turkey and Football

As we in the United States stuff ourselves with turkey and overdose on football, the 78th edition of the biggest and most important motorcycle trade fair in the world is happening in Milan, Italy. The first EICMA event was held in 1914 and this year runs from Thursday, 25 November through Sunday, 28 November. Showrunners claim that it is the most visited event in the world based on exhibitors and attendees.

After having to cancel the event in 2020, organizers went ahead with it for 2021. Strict Covid protocols are in place to ensure the safety of everyone. Vaccinations and masking are required for all participants and visitors. 

It is unfortunate that some of the big manufacturers, BMW, KTM and Ducati, for example, decided not to send any of their motorcycles or representatives. Ducati will be particularly missed due to its being an iconic Italian motorcycle manufacturer. All three of these bike builders have decided to market their new wares through online presentations. Ducati, for one, has released a series of videos, several weeks apart, introducing their latest models. I have seen them all and they are very informative and even entertaining. 

As for the manufacturers who are there, many of the newest items are e bikes. Based on what I see on my local bicycle trails, e bikes have a future with all age groups. At first they were seen as bikes to keep people from aging out of the sport. But now I am seeing younger riders who may want to ride more challenging routes or using them to allow less hearty riders to keep up with stronger bikers. 

Harley Davidson, the biggest American motorcycle maker, showed up with its electric motorcycle, the Livewire. At one time it was seen as the future of the marque, but new leadership returned the focus to Harley's bread and butter, the big touring bikes. Harley has put its Revolution Max motor in a model called the Sportster S, while still making the traditional air cooled Sportster lineup. 

Adventure bikes continue to draw interest and even MV Agusta has come out with their version of an off road motorcycle. The Big Four Japanese manufacturers are there and the Suzuki Hayabusa's return is a highlight from the Land of the Rising Sun. All of the other major Italian bike builders appeared and are showing off their latest editions. Moto Guzzi will celebrate its 100th anniversary with introduction of its V100 Mandello, a new entry into the sport touring market. 

Much more information can be found at the EICMA website, www.eicma.it. The motorcycle press is covering the show in great detail of course, so your favorite cycle website can help to keep you up to date.

Day Two in Northwest Wisconsin 2021

We were fortunate to avoid any rain in Wisconsin yesterday and our luck held today. Parts of the state were foggy and wet, but the area around Hudson and east to Eau Claire were warm and dry. After a Covid- style breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express in Hudson we rode north on US 35, the Great River Road, in search of our first Rustic Road of the day. There was a lot of poorly marked road construction in Hudson and I missed the turnoff. We ended up north of the road and turned back south. Once we found Rustic Road 13 we rode it both south and north to get back on track. It is a paved county road through farm an residential areas. 

Rustic Road 13 north of Hudson

The next target was Rustic Road 116 in Boardman and again I had mapping issues. After sorting them out we got that one in the hopper and rode east on County G to Glenwood City. This little town is fortunate enough to have both Rustic Roads 3 and 4 nearby. Rustic Road 4 included some gravel, but no stream crossings such as we experienced yesterday. After we finished riding them we stopped for refreshment at a local establishment in Downing. 

Rustic Road 116 in Boardman

My brother has a college friend living in Knapp, so we stopped in to visit while on our way to the next Rustic Road. We had a great visit and they fortified us with Girl Scout cookies and delicious coffee. After bidding our goodbyes, we rode east into Menomonie. Rustic Road 89 is south and west of Menomonie. It is an enjoyable ride along the Chippewa River and through the quaint little town of Irvington. We had plans to go east to Rustic Road 45 after 89, but there is not a good route so we ended up riding 89 both ways. US 29 led us to US Highway 12 and a route east to our last goal for the day. US 12 has been replaced by Interstate 94 for through traffic, but it is still a busy highway. We stopped at a Kwik Trip for a road lunch on our way through the Eau Claire area. 

Bon Appetit!

As rain clouds gathered overhead we rode south and east toward our last goal of the day. Highway 12 east leads out of Eau Claire into some pleasant farmland and good habitat for birds. We saw a ratty looking bald eagle in the ditch along the road and numerous mating sandhill cranes. Rustic Road 45 is just southeast of Augusta and is a gravel track near a state park. The skies continued to threaten to open up, but we went ahead and enjoyed the ride. Rustic Road 45 ends on County Road H and we rode that back to County Road M and US Highway 12. Our ride back to our accommodations was uneventful and we were happy to have had two days which resulted in riding nine of Wisconsin's beautiful Rustic Roads.

Rustic Road 45 near Augusta

On the last day of our trip we had a bit of a post Covid family reunion. Our sisters came from the west and north to spend a night in Eau Claire catching up on the past year. We met them for lunch at the Acoustic Cafe in beautiful downtown Eau Claire before riding home. 

Acoustic Cafe in Eau Claire

Rustic Roads in Northwest Wisconsin

It has been well over a year since I have taken a proper motorcycle trip, so this weekend I combined a visit to the Red Mouse for the Slimey Crud Run with a quest to ride some of Wisconsin's Rustic Roads. I left Green Bay with my brother on Saturday afternoon and spent the night on Madison's west side. We found a local establishment for a bite to eat and map out our plans for the next day. As anyone who has traveled recently knows, the hotel breakfast routine is to put it in a bag and bring it back to your room. I made a few selections, bagged them up, and enjoyed a solitary breakfast. At 0830 we mounted up and rode west to Pine Bluff. We arrived thirty minutes later and it was not too busy, but within the next hour it was way to crowded and maskless for us. But the opportunity to see the variety of bikes that show up and the willingness of their owners to talk about them is a motorcyclist's dream. Everyone seems to know that the whole purpose is to show and talk about bikes. The crowd kept me away from getting too close for pictures, but it was an enjoyable experience. 

The scene at the Red Mouse in Pine Bluff

We left Pine Bluff on County P, and had a great ride through south central Wisconsin. The area around the Wisconsin River and the Baraboo Bluffs is enchanting. Riding past the old Badger Army Ammunition Plant brought back memories of Viet Nam War protests and the furtive bombing attempt by the Armstrong brothers, Karleton and Dwight, during the height of the antiwar movement. After a few more roads and couple of more hours we were in Mondovi for a Subway lunch. We were nearing the Wisconsin Rustic Roads in the Northwest quadrant and I had plans to ride a few in the next couple of days.

Lunch in Mondovi

The first was Rustic Road 122,north of US Highway 10 and the newest Rustie, was an uneventful ride through typical Wisconsin scenery. Each of the roads is unique in its own way, but after riding over 90 of them they tend to run together in my mind. After all, they are all in Wisconsin. But the second one, Rustic Road 51, was definitely different. I knew from the state issued brochure that it was gravel and we decided that if it was too rough we would not ride all of it. Riding from the east it was a nice, well groomed gravel track. It is a four mile road and after about a mile it offered an opportunity to go straight or left. I chose the left option, labeled as a "winding trail". Another thing noted in the brochure was that the road sometimes crosses a trout stream. The omitted information was that those crossings do not include bridges. We came to the first water crossing and I assumed we would turn around. My brother, four years younger at 64, figured we could make it across. We have the same motorcycles and I invited him to go first. He made it with no problems. I was still skeptical about my ability to do it, but made it across safely. We took a few pictures and congratulated each other.

Unexpected Adventure Riding

But about a quarter mile later, here was another one. We went across that one and one more before I hesitated at number four. That morning I had no plans to be riding my motorcycle through a trout stream and I was not sure I wanted to do it again. This one was wider and appeared deeper. I was already wet from the earlier crossings, and although that was not a big concern, the apparent depth spooked me. I shut off the bike and walked up to the edge of the crossing. The left side looked better than the right. Also, there were some buildings on the other side, which indicated that this had to be the last water crossing. I got back on the big beast, started it up, and went forward. I was elated to come up on the other side, however ungraceful my riding style may have been. The end of Rustic Road 51 was not far off and we stopped to contemplate our accomplishment and clean our windshields and helmet shields. If that marks the end of my riding through streams I will not be disappointed.

Made it through!

After that we rode northwest to ride Rustic Road 92. It was a beautiful ride through cattle country and farmland. The residents were taking advantage of the lower wind speeds to get some needed burning done. It reminded me of the smells at my favorite fishing camp in Ontario, Canada. We finished our riding with a cruise through the streets of River Falls, which on this Sunday afternoon were full scented with the unmistakable smell of pizza. I don't know if it's because it's a college town or not, but they love their pizza. 

The last few miles to Hudson went quickly and soon we were in the Holiday Inn Express for the night. After stowing our gear we enjoyed an excellent Mexican dinner in Hudson in anticipation of more Rustic Road riding the next day.

I Did What During the Pandemic?

The world passed the one year mark of the Covid 19 pandemic in the middle of March. Each week it feels like we are getting closer to life as it was before the onset of the pandemic, but we have a ways to go. Doing what seemed normal at one time, like eating in a restaurant, feels safe but unusual. Avoiding other people in stores and even on the street is now normal feeling behavior. A friend described receiving a friendly touch on the arm from someone and reflexively pulling back. It will take some time to react to other people and circumstances in way we once did. As we completed one year of this life I began to think about what I had done with a lot of newfound free time.

Wisconsin was fortunate to have a dry and warm spring in 2020, so I was able to get outside when I felt the need. But it was still March and April in Wisconsin, so it was not all seashells and balloons. There were a few things I got around to that I may not have without the pandemic. 

Martin D1

There had been a few songs that I had been playing on my Martin D1 acoustic guitar, but I did not know all of the verses. A couple of them were Bob Dylan songs, so there were lots of verses. The first one I memorized was "Desolation Row". It seemed fitting. I would get out the guitar and set up the lyrics on a music stand in the living room. I learned one verse and memorized one verse every couple of days as I watched the neighbors walk up and down the street in a pandemic daze. There are ten verses, so it took about three weeks to learn them all. Next, I moved on to "Tangled Up in Blue" by Dylan and "This Hard Land" by Bruce Springsteen. That got me through the spring and into the early summer. I did not play as much during the summer, but got started again in the fall.

When the cold weather returned I picked up my Fender Stratocaster American Deluxe electric guitar and start learning lessons out of the "Blues You can Use" book. It has lessons on chord and scales with short musical examples of each concept. There is a CD enclosed that I could play along with. I had worked my way through some of it over the years, but I made a concerted effort to play for an hour each day. I am still playing most days, but life has gotten a little busier since I got the vaccinations in February. My playing skills improved noticeably and it is fun to play along with the CD. 

Fender DeVille 410 and Stratocaster

It was a quiet Christmas, which I did not mind too much. One of the gifts I received was a bird house kit. That allowed me to spend some quiet time in the basement and provide a new home for a local feathered friend. There was some paint left over from touching up the house and the garage in recent years, so the bird's house matches our house. Now I just need a good tenant. 

Available for Rent

Another basement project involved the basement windows. Many years ago a squirrel managed to get into the basement, through the old chimney I think, while we were gone for a few days. The squirrel, of course, wanted to get out and spent the time clawing and gnawing on the wooden window frames. Our basement is just that, a basement, so I never expended the effort to repair the windows. The pandemic presented a now or never type of situation. So on one of my last motorcycle rides in fall 2020 I picked up some wood filler at the local Lowe's. Once again I found some house paint that would suffice to paint the basement frames. Once the windows were painted I cleaned the glass and will take care of cleaning the outside once it warms up. 

Squirrel Repair Done

 Another activity that took up some pandemic time was jigsaw puzzles. We had not done puzzles since, well, ever, but finished up four of them over the winter. It takes some time to get started, but once we began the puzzle would become something of an obsession. They were puzzles that had been around here for years and their origins were unknown. We fully expected each of them to be missing a piece or two, but they were all complete. 

Jigsaw Puzzle Fun

I continued to do the things I would normally do during a Wisconsin winter. The snow fell in amounts that allowed the Reforestation Camp snow bike trails to be open all of January and February. By March the snow let up and the trails became too icy for me. In February I participated in a Snow Crown Series race at the camp. I rode in the beginner, or "fun group", category. It was a beautiful sunny winter day and it was nice to be out with other riders. We took a couple of car rides around the area and looked for eagles and owls. We were successful finding eagles, but not the elusive owls.

Snow Crown Race Finisher

We are experiencing unseasonably cold April weather, but warmer days are ahead. I have gotten in quite a few miles on my Trek road bike already and have had some good rides on my BMW motorcycle. Tomorrow I will be getting my Harley Davidson Lowrider S out of storage. It looks like we will be dealing with Covid 19 in some fashion into the summer, but the end of the pandemic is a year closer than it was last April. 

2020: Is it Over Yet?

When the riding season began in early March the threat of Covid 19 was just beginning to come into focus. My first ride was on 7 March and within ten days the coronavirus axe had fallen. Within a few more weeks all summer plans and reservations were canceled. 

The specter of a summer without concerts, sporting events, and motorcycle trips blacked out the horizon and I felt like I was going to be living out an Edgar Allan Poe poem. The crows in the yard were tap, tap tapping louder than usual, or maybe it was just my darkened imagination.

Fox River Trail

The weather slowly warmed and my wife and I spent a lot more time in the yard and on the deck in back of the house. Our bicycles found their way down to the Fox River Trail more frequently and the miles piled up. Many of the things that never seemed to get done in the house were welcome activities. 

By the time June rolled around we knew which of our favorite restaurants could make a decent takeout meal and which could not. Some may have been able to put out a good meal, but they disdained mask wearing and were off the list. For a couple of weeks we tried dining in, but the virus became a raging bull in Wisconsin and we returned to avoiding the red capes that are restaurants and bars.

Door Headlands County Park

Any type of travel that involved an overnight stay we considered a virus risk, so we took a lot of day trips. Sometimes we took the grill and some meat and sometimes we picked up sandwiches on the way out of town. We visited Point Beach State Park, Governor Thompson State Park, Hartman Creek State Park and numerous State Forests and county parks. 

The county parks within 50 miles were a real surprise.  I discovered most of them on motorcycle rides and then my wife and I would go back a few weeks later for a picnic. If not for the virus we may never have had the pleasure of visiting them.

At the beginning of the riding season it did look like I would ride many miles. Health officials were discouraging people from taking any risks and filling up the hospital beds. But as the hospitals did not really begin to fill up until the fall, I put on more miles this summer than in any one previously. They were all on day trips except for one overnight that I spent at Fort McCoy in August. Somehow an afternoon trip to Holy Hill ended up the Harley Davidson Headquarters in Milwaukee.

My riding season ended last month as the weather got colder and the deer got bolder. My Harley Davidson is in storage at the local dealer and my BMW is in my garage. I had fresh services done on both near the end of the season so they will be ready when the weather is in spring. We are preparing for a quiet Christmas season and waiting patiently, or sort of patiently, for our turn to get the vaccine. The weather has been pleasant for December in Wisconsin and we can get out and walk every day. 

Juneau Avenue Site

My brother and I have made hotel reservations for the BMW National Rally in Great Fall, Montana, in June. It felt good to make them but at this point I do not have much confidence that the rally will happen. If it doesn't and 2021 looks a lot like 2020, the tap, tap, tapping of the crows will not sound quite as ominous after the great time I had visiting local sites this year. 

Rustic Road 62 and Timm's Hill

The pandemic has altered my assault on Wisconsin's Rustic Roads. In past years I have gone off on one or two strategically planned rides to various locations. These rides enable me to ride a dozen or so Rusties in a couple of days. But this year I have not felt comfortable booking a night in a hotel and have only gone on day rides. So this meant that riding Rustic Road 62 in Price County would be the centerpiece in a long day of riding.

I have been studying the map this spring and summer looking for Rustic Roads that are accessible on a one day ride from my home. Number 62 is west of Tomahawk and about 160 miles away. The quickest route would follow the four lanes on US Highways 29 and 51, but I did not want to ride all the way on the slabs. 

Several years ago I picked up a copy of "Motorcycling Across Wisconsin" (2009), authored by William Murphy. The book has maps of rides, many of them loop style, in the state and each has a particular theme. One of the rides was titled To the Top of Wisconsin and was perfect for my trip. The route was on excellent county roads on the east and west sides of US 51 between Wausau and Tomahawk. As there were a number of different roads involved, I made few notes about the route to back up the information I entered into my BMW NAV VI GPS.

The day before the ride I invited my brother to come along, telling him it would be a 320 mile day. He was up for it and we decided to bring our lunches along rather than try to find a safe place to eat. We met at the Kwik Trip, filled up on fuel, completed our lunch packing, and headed northwest on US 29.

It was a perfect day to ride and soon we were just east of Wausau, turning north. We immediately noticed that the county roads in the area have a red tint from the granite used in their construction. We followed various county roads north and eventually a westerly direction into Tomahawk. Stopping for a break the Amoco on the edge of town, I told my brother that Harley Davidson owns a factory in Tomahawk. 

Willie G. Davidson, grandson of one of the founders, used to vacation in the area. He took an interest in the Tomahawk Boat Factory and in 1961 Harley Davidson bought it. By 1963 the factory was turning out fiberglass fairings, saddlebags and sidecars for the company's motorcycles. We were not far from the factory and saw a couple of Harley semi trucks on their way in and out. After mounting up and riding west through town we spotted another Harley building. Being a Harley owner I could not pass up this photo op. After carefully parking our BMW motorcycles in the lot we asked someone entering the building what its purpose is. She said that the products made east of town were shipped there for finishing. 

It was getting near lunch time and the Rustic Road was 25 miles west, so we got on our way. The NAV VI took us the rest of the way to County RR, Rustic Road 62. It is a paved road that goes south into Timm's Hill County Park. Timm's Hill, at 1951 feet, is the highest point in Wisconsin. The park, which also contains 160 acre Bass Lake, encloses the hill. We stopped at a spot on the lake that had a picnic table and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the surrounding woods. Across the small lake, which the Rustic Road guidebook claims is "teeming with northern pike", was a restaurant and bar. Soon after we arrived the quiet was interrupted by the arrival of an squad of ATV riders at the restaurant. If that many riders think it is worth a stop I will be back once I feel safe in a restaurant.

After lunch we rode just a few hundred feet to a parking area near the observation tower. It was a quarter mile hike up and it was quite warm on top of the hill. We plodded up the old wooden tower and took in the view. It was an almost cloudless day and it was possible to see for miles. The old metal fire tower still stands next to the observation tower. After catching our breath and taking a few pictures, we made our way back to the bikes. There were a few other people around, but it does not seem to be a popular spot for visitors. 

Our route home was on county roads paralleling US 51 on the west side. The first few miles on County C were a mix of curves and hills as we made our way south. Eventually the road straightened out as it entered healthy looking corn and soybean fields. We crossed over US 29 and turned east on County N. We planned to ride this into Wausau before hopping onto US 29 for the 90 mile blast home, but we ran into a "road closed" sign. So at Edgar, home multiple high school football championship teams, we got back on the big highway and road east and home.

It was an outstanding day on the bike and one more reminder that life can be grand even under the burdens of the pandemic.

Riding Some Brand New Rustic Roads in NE Wisconsin

My attack on Wisconsin's Rustic Roads is continuing through this abnormal riding season. In other years a ride to a Rustic Road would include a stop at a local restaurant for breakfast or lunch. The search for just the right place was as much a part of the planning as working out the route to my destination. Early in the season I was disappointed by the fact that I would not be able to enjoy the local cuisine on my rides. But over the past few weeks I have discovered the joy of bringing my sustenance and finding a lake, river, or county park to enjoy with my meal.

Wisconsin adds to the list Rustic Roads on an intermittent basis. The only way to know if there are new designations is to check the website. Two of them were recently added in northeast Wisconsin. I rode the first after finding it by accident and the other one involved planned day trip. As of now I have ridden almost 90 of the state's Rustic Roads. I have plans to make it to 100 by the end of the year but since March I have learned to not count on plans. So I am taking pleasure in the rides that I am able to complete and not thinking too far ahead.

In late June my brother and I went for a ride up into Oconto and Marinette Counties. The route took us up Highway 32 to Wabeno. By doing a map recon I discovered that just west of Wabeno is Richardson Lake County Park. There is a campground and a little picnic area near the lake and we stopped there for lunch. After enjoying the quiet of the woods and good meal we went back into Wabeno, then due east on County Road C. We had not gotten far out of Wabeno when, to my surprise, a familiar brown and gold Rustic Road sign appeared. I did not have my logbook with me, but I knew that number 118 was new and that I had not ridden it yet. By the time I stopped and took the picture my riding partner had come back to see what had held me up. It is not easy to ride with a Rustic Road hunter.

RR 118 is a beautifully paved road with some nice sweeping curves and elevation changes. We rode it across Marinette County to Wausaukee, where it meets Highway 180. This road follows the Menominee River, the border between Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, on its way into Green Bay. There are a lot of great little stops along way where travelers can enjoy the river. When we got to Marinette we were going to go up to Menominee to get some pasties at Kolonel K's, but there was an unusual amount of traffic. It was then that we remembered that the president was there that day visiting Marinette Marine. We rode back south on US 41 and on the way into Green Bay saw the president's chopper and its escort of two Boeing Ospreys on their way north.

After finding number 118 in my own backyard I thought I should get back on the Rustic Road website and see if any others had been added in northeast Wisconsin. Sure enough, there was number 117 just south of Wautoma near Saxeville. I had been in the Saxeville area several years ago riding RR 48 and this one is just outside of town,

On the day I rode down there the forecast was for afternoon thundershowers. I kept a close watch on the sky and checked the radar on my phone at stops. It looked like it would be clear long enough for me to ride the Rustic Road and then get home dry. I used the Nav VI GPS on my BMW R 1250 GSA to guide me into Saxeville and onto RR 117. One of the features of this road is a short side road that has a covered bridge and I did not want to miss that. 

When I stopped for the bridge photo I noticed a park like area to my right. There was a home and some outbuildings on the property, so I was surprised to see a sign that indicated the public was welcome. The bridge spans the Pine River and there was a young fellow trying his luck fly fishing. I watched his efforts as I ate my lunch. An old Buick pulled up and a local gentleman and his family got out. As his wife and daughters took pictures of the bridge he came over to chat. He said that an older couple had owned the property I was on and had tended the gardens as long as they could. When they could no longer maintain it the local government purchased the spot and opened it for public use. It was a beautiful and peaceful location and one I would not have enjoyed if I had been seeking a local restaurant. Soon he went back to tend to his ladies and I spent a few more minutes enjoying the river. Then I remembered the threatening weather forecast and began packing up.

Rustic Road 117 is not very long and soon I was on County K heading up toward Wautoma and home. the county was doing some road work and while there were no detours I ended up having to clean a lot of tar-like specks off my motorcycle when I got home. I chose a southerly route home on Highway 10 and that was turned out to be the wet route. But it only lasted about 20 miles and then it was sunshine and dry roads all the way home. 

The list of Rustic Roads is up to 122. I am glad that I found these two close to home and can now add them to my list of roads ridden. This riding season is different from all others, but in some ways has become better than the others.

Four Rustic Roads in Southwest Wisconsin

My quest to ride all of Wisconsin's Rustic Roads continues this year. Even though the summer passed without a Rustic Road trip, it turns out it is not too late. Today I got out and rode four of the remaining six roads that I have not ridden in southwest Wisconsin.

I probably would have taken this ride last month, but with my new bike on the way I wanted to wait and take it on this ride. I picked up the bike on Tuesday, 24 September, and took it on a few short rides to figure out some of the new technology on this 2020 BMW R1250 GSA. This is my first bike with the BMW navigation device, the Nav VI, and so far it is worth the expense.

The weather was not what I would have wanted, but at least I was able to ride. It has been a record breaking year for rain in Wisconsin, so just being able to ride in dry weather is a plus. When I left Green Bay at about 1000 it was not raining, but there was mist off and on all the way to Necedah. A bigger issue was the temperature and the wind. The skies did not completely clear all day and the thermometer never rose above the fifties. A west wind made a compass unnecessary as it was always apparent in which direction I was riding.

My route took me south and west onto Highway 21. After a gas and snack stop at the Kwik Trip in Necedah, I rode south toward LaValle on Highway 58. I was not too confident in the Nav VI yet and was happy that I had the route memorized. Rustic Road 112 is an easy ride through pastures and farmland a bit south and west of LaValle. The end of the road led me back into LaValle and set me up for the ride to my next Rustic Road of the day.

My first Rustic Road with my new bike

It was getting near lunchtime already, due to the fact that the rain kept me in Green Bay until mid-morning. I did not find any interesting places to eat in Reedsburg, so a Kwik Trip chicken salad sandwich and a muffin served as lunch. I was glad that I brought along my military issue thermos filled with coffee to wash it all down.

Highways 23 and 154 led me to Rustic Road 21 south of North Freedom. There are a few branches off of it, so it is not point to point like most roads. This road provided me the opportunity to experience riding on gravel with my new bike. It is much more capable than I am and we both came out unscathed.

The next road, near Stitzer, was about 60 miles away via Highway 60 and 18 and I was not completely confident in my new navigation device. So I compared it with the map app on my phone before I headed south and west. I was happy with the route chosen by the Nav VI and my confidence in it grew.

Rustic Road 70 began south of Stitzer. It turned out to be the most challenging as far as road conditions. There was some new gravel in places and it was quite narrow and hilly. Combine that with the setting sun and people returning from work or school and it was a memorable ride.

Fortunately, my last target was not far off. My new NAV VI took me right into Rewey and on to Rustic Road 75. This one was all pavement as it wound through some pleasant countryside. There are a lot of small herds of beef cattle and dairy cows in this part of the state.

The north end did not have number sign

Once I completed the ride I punched in my hotel address and the NAV VI soon had me in a nice warm room. It was a long day today, but I am near finishing up the southwest region. Two more to go tomorrow and next year it is on to the multitude of Rustic Roads in the great northwest.

Sometimes Things Change

My last post was over two months ago and described my plans to abandon the idea of doing more long distance touring on a motorcycle. I was planning to sell my touring bike and buy a sports car, a Ford Mustang in particular.

In the weeks after that post, I did attempt to sell the big BMW R1200 GSA and spent a lot of time surfing the Internet in search of the car I wanted. The bike was not generating any interest at my asking price and I lowered it steadily. The car was still appealing, but was becoming less so. I was beginning to think that maybe getting out on the road again would be a good idea after all.

By late July I began like I was not ready to give up the admitted excitement of riding across the country and that a Ford Mustang could wait. I'm only 67, and that seemed a little young be buying a sports car. In early August I stopped at my local BMW dealer and worked out a trade for my 2011 R1200 GSA. There were not any 2019 models left, so I have a 2020 on order. It should be here some time this month. It will be identical to the 2019 model my dealer acquired as a demo. He invited me to take it out for a ride last week and it is a wonderful machine.

The BMW R1200 GSA Exclusive in Kalameta Metallic Matte

In the meantime I am searching for a new riding jacket and gloves. The BMW National Rally is in Great Falls, Montana next June and I already have my reservations at the local Hampton Inn.

I am happy with my change of mind and am looking forward to the arrival of my new German beast. It should be on its way from Berlin soon.

The 2019 BMW National Rally

Sometimes the motorcycle gods are not certain whether or not to bless you. Yesterday it rained all day in Green Bay. I rode my 2011 R 1200 GSA from its home to my house and it sat in the rain all night. The day dawned dry, cold and cloudy. My alarm, or its operator, misfired so the day got off to a quick start. The day, in particular, was the the day I was on my way to the 2019 BMW National Rally in Lebanon, Tennessee.

I had planned to carefully load the bike in the morning due to the rain the day before. Due to the alarm issue it became a quick, but efficient load out. I was able to suck down only one cup of strong coffee, but when my brother arrived on his 2016 BMW R 1200 GSA I was ready to go.

Our route took us south on I 43 through Milwaukee. It was only in the low 50's, so I was grateful for my clothing choices. I wore a Nike thermal shirt along with two others and Under Armour 4.0 thermal layer pants under my jeans. My trusty Olympia AST, with liner, was up to the task.

We stopped at a Kwik Trip north of Milwaukee and then at the Lake Forest Oasis in Illinois.
I had anticipated a bit of rain, and Mother Nature did not disappoint. After a hearty breakfast of Dunkin' Donuts and coffee we merged back onto I 94 East. The rain continued intermittently from northern Illinois right through central Indiana. But by the time we neared Louisville, Kentucky there was abundant sunshine and temperatures in the low 70's.

We arrived at Fort Knox at about 1900 Eastern Daylight Time. The receptionists at the Newgarden Inn made registration a breeze and soon we were ensconced in our excellent accommodations. As an Army veteran it is always a pleasure to be back on a military installation.

At the Fort Knox Visitor Center.