Eau Claire to Minneapolis

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MMIKE!!!!!!!!!!!



The ride yesterday was long. I finally hit the road and was moving out of Eau Claire at a steady pace just before 8AM. Again, as always, it was all too bearably windy with the added joy of hills. This is a good way to burn more calories and carboydrates then i thought i could possibly have available. The math of it is scary, so i won't even get into it.

Luckily i learned a lesson from the trip to Eau Claire and did not make the same mistake again. I stopped to stretch a total of three times and drank more water in one day than i ever have before. I was hydrated, and i was eating as much as i possibly could.





I was meeting my marks later than i was hoping to, and i arrived in Minneapolis an hour or so later than planned. 105 miles. 13 hours.

Besides for the usual weather conditions, the ride remained fairly uneventful, with a few exceptions. First is the scenery. I took most of the pictures in the late AM and early PM. These pictures do not even scratch the surface of beauty. Passing through old neglected county roads, with a vertical incline of stone, dirt, and trees on the right and then a declining slope into pasture land on the left is quite a sight. There was so much to look at, i won't even begin to describe it here. Go for yourself. If anybody ever really wants to see what Wisconsin is made of, skip the interstate and take all of the county highways.

Other interesting interactions with my new favorite species of animals: canines! Many of these creatures, even when chained, persist on chasing anything that moves. Small dogs are much easier to outrun, and are not much to worry about as previously mentioned. On the other hand, young yellow labs have the stamina and ambition to chase, catch up to, pass, and then to cut you off. Fortunately, this one particular yellow lab was trained to some extent. When i pointed and sternly shouted (while pedaling maliciously, might i add) "NO! BACK!" as it began to cut me off, it immediately backed off.

Thus far, it has been an interesting trip.

Arriving at my destination to see Jenna again, i stretched, unpacked, and washed up. As an excellent hostess always does, Jenna made food; the best tacos ever. To add to the awesomeness, there was vegan-rootbeer (and rum) floats! Delicious...

Sleep was nourishing, but only to a point. I still feel ragged. I suppose i will probably be fine in about three hours....