The rear tire began to slip just a bit as I stood up to climb the snow covered rise in the trail. This was the first time I had ridden the trail so every turn and elevation change was a surprise. A different gear may have helped but it was too late for that now. Once I reached the top the route made a sharp right turn and then a quick, narrow descent between two Jack Pines. As I cruised onto a rare flat, straight portion of the trail I realized that this was why I bought this fat bike. The sun was beginning to set on the Brown County Reforestation Camp as I loaded the bike into the back of my Toyota Tacoma and drained the last water from my now ice-filled bottle.
The camp, located in northeast Wisconsin, was established in 1950 after the forest in the area was destroyed by fire. A prison camp was set up and a quarter of a million saplings, including White Pine, Norway Pine, Cedar, and Jack Pine, were planted by the inmates. The camp eventually became a part of the Brown County Park System. The facility now includes a zoo, fishing ponds, picnic shelters, mountain bike trails, and a zip line.
The county has groomed about six miles of fat bike trails within the confines of the camp. There is some double track near the trail head, but the rest of it is single track. In December the area received enough snow to open the trails and I found it an excellent place to ride. The county charges a $5.00 fee for a daily pass and $30.00 for a season pass. The passes are also good for cross country skiing on trails in a different part of the camp.
There is a parking lot right next to the fat bike trail head. Restroom facilities are available, but nothing else. If you wish to pick up a drink or snacks, they are available across the road in the park headquarters. You may purchase daily or seasonal passes right at the trail head.
There does not appear to be a lot of traffic on the fat bike trails and I have only seen a few people out there so far this winter. The trails are a bit challenging, but I am new to fat biking and have not had any real problems in riding all of them. I have had a few get offs, but not any real falls. Color coded ribbons on the trees mark each of the trails and there are directional markers to keep a rider on track and avoid going off into the wild as a few of the Dakar Rally riders have done in South America this month. Numerical markers are spaced out along the routes so a GPS is not necessary for a rider to determine his or her location.
The setting is beautiful. The camp is surrounded by farmland and residential areas, but it is big enough that there is a feeling of solitude. I did not see many animal tracks and I thought it may be because the area farm fields provide more food sources. The trail rises, falls, and turns gently, so while you have to pay attention to your riding you can still enjoy the feeling of being outside in the winter.
That was the whole point of getting the Trek Farley 5 and so far it has been a ray of winter sunshine for me. The fact that Mother Nature has provided some timely snowfalls cannot be overlooked and I am hopeful that it will continue.
