Wisconsin Bicycle Trip, Day 20, Friday, August 2, 2013
Cooper’s Dam Lake Autobody and Cycle on County D to Lac Vieux Desert National Campground
53.26 km in 3 hr 7 min.
There was a heavy rain during the night. It was still drizzling at 5 so I stayed in bed until 7 . I turned on the computer and checked the weather and it is supposed to clear up. I had to go to the bathroom in a BAD way so I went out. I met the partner, Eric before I left. It was 8:16 and there were several ladies walking and some young girls jogging. I took a picture of an adopt a highway sign and the sponsor was Cooper’s Auto and Cycle. Hwy H where I had to turn came up fast. It was hilly but nice. Then I reached 70 and shortly after 17 joined it and led to Eagle River. I took photos of the Eagle River and a STOP sign building and the town sign. I bought some HEET, my cooking fuel at a gas station and had a egg and French toast breakfast at a family restaurant that was more busy than any I have ever seen. At the grocery store Anne told me she had prayed for me when she saw me on the road and wondered if I ever ride on the sidewalk. When it is busy and it is legal , I do it. The road now is a combination of 45, 17 and 32. !7 veered away6 to the east after a bit. My road remained preety busy as it was Friday and folks are going to camps and cottages. There was a good edge and I watched in my mirror as the cars moved over for me when they could. The wind was from the west and north which wasn’t very good for me. My next stop was in Conover -a place where Dave and I had passed on our 2008 trip out west. I went in a bar to use the bathroom but it was busy forever so I went down the road to a little park. I like the county maps because they make it look like you are covering a lot of distance fast. I came to County E and rode down to a road going left and LO and BEHOLD , there was a sign leading to a path to the source of the Wisconsin River. . I talked to a couple dipping at the culvert for minnows and the lady said the path was good enough for Silver to take also. It was little chipped stones and maybe 400 meters in length. There was a plaque, a big lake--Lac Vieux Desert- a little dam and water going into a stream which was the start of the Wisconsin River. Noone was there to take photos so I had to take self-portraits of Silver and I. It was a great feeling to come to the source of the river. The elevation here is about1750 m. I continued down the road and finally found the Lac Vieux Desert National Forest Campground which was quite empty and looks like it is not used enough-probably because there is no electricity for big trailers. It was 12 dollars for me but 6 dollars for US seniors, 62 and older with a Golden Age card. I talked to Leonard, the campground host and Wallie, a friend and they filled me in on a lot of history. There are 3 big rivers that source from this area and go in different directions-the Ontonagon, the Wisconsin and another. There was a council building made here by the Indians that the white man had to go to to receive permission to go through the land. This lake is the second biggest in Wisconsin with Lake Winnebago as the biggest. I set up , had lunch of bread and cheese (for the first time) and a plum and then walked down to the beach. I met Larry and Lisa Janssen . Larry is a Janssen with 2 s’s and has a Gramma Jansen with 1 s. They come from Little Chute , Wisconsin and owns some property here that they visit about 10 times a year. His family comes from Holland and he has a photo of their farm in the Netherlands. He and Lisa are runners and marathoners and are on the windmill volunteer committee in their city where they have an authentic full size grain windmill built in Holland and brought over here piece by piece. Larry is an amateur photographer and has won many awards. He took some photos of me in the lake. They were with their grandson and had built quite the sandcastle and moat. I had to leave to have supper and get to bed.
Cooper’s Dam Lake Autobody and Cycle on County D to Lac Vieux Desert National Campground
53.26 km in 3 hr 7 min.
There was a heavy rain during the night. It was still drizzling at 5 so I stayed in bed until 7 . I turned on the computer and checked the weather and it is supposed to clear up. I had to go to the bathroom in a BAD way so I went out. I met the partner, Eric before I left. It was 8:16 and there were several ladies walking and some young girls jogging. I took a picture of an adopt a highway sign and the sponsor was Cooper’s Auto and Cycle. Hwy H where I had to turn came up fast. It was hilly but nice. Then I reached 70 and shortly after 17 joined it and led to Eagle River. I took photos of the Eagle River and a STOP sign building and the town sign. I bought some HEET, my cooking fuel at a gas station and had a egg and French toast breakfast at a family restaurant that was more busy than any I have ever seen. At the grocery store Anne told me she had prayed for me when she saw me on the road and wondered if I ever ride on the sidewalk. When it is busy and it is legal , I do it. The road now is a combination of 45, 17 and 32. !7 veered away6 to the east after a bit. My road remained preety busy as it was Friday and folks are going to camps and cottages. There was a good edge and I watched in my mirror as the cars moved over for me when they could. The wind was from the west and north which wasn’t very good for me. My next stop was in Conover -a place where Dave and I had passed on our 2008 trip out west. I went in a bar to use the bathroom but it was busy forever so I went down the road to a little park. I like the county maps because they make it look like you are covering a lot of distance fast. I came to County E and rode down to a road going left and LO and BEHOLD , there was a sign leading to a path to the source of the Wisconsin River. . I talked to a couple dipping at the culvert for minnows and the lady said the path was good enough for Silver to take also. It was little chipped stones and maybe 400 meters in length. There was a plaque, a big lake--Lac Vieux Desert- a little dam and water going into a stream which was the start of the Wisconsin River. Noone was there to take photos so I had to take self-portraits of Silver and I. It was a great feeling to come to the source of the river. The elevation here is about1750 m. I continued down the road and finally found the Lac Vieux Desert National Forest Campground which was quite empty and looks like it is not used enough-probably because there is no electricity for big trailers. It was 12 dollars for me but 6 dollars for US seniors, 62 and older with a Golden Age card. I talked to Leonard, the campground host and Wallie, a friend and they filled me in on a lot of history. There are 3 big rivers that source from this area and go in different directions-the Ontonagon, the Wisconsin and another. There was a council building made here by the Indians that the white man had to go to to receive permission to go through the land. This lake is the second biggest in Wisconsin with Lake Winnebago as the biggest. I set up , had lunch of bread and cheese (for the first time) and a plum and then walked down to the beach. I met Larry and Lisa Janssen . Larry is a Janssen with 2 s’s and has a Gramma Jansen with 1 s. They come from Little Chute , Wisconsin and owns some property here that they visit about 10 times a year. His family comes from Holland and he has a photo of their farm in the Netherlands. He and Lisa are runners and marathoners and are on the windmill volunteer committee in their city where they have an authentic full size grain windmill built in Holland and brought over here piece by piece. Larry is an amateur photographer and has won many awards. He took some photos of me in the lake. They were with their grandson and had built quite the sandcastle and moat. I had to leave to have supper and get to bed.
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