Today's Report:  What a day!  To say today was a challenge would be an understatement.  We woke to overcast skies and a threat of thunderstorm throughout the day.  When they say large hail and lightning in the forecast, it gets out attention.  As I examined the radar during breakfast, it seemed to be coming at us, but as the morning broke the storms seemed to be subsiding and we were only going to get rain for a while.  All but a few of the riders had left the motel when  we saw our first lightning nearby, but it was to our south and the line seemed to be passing us to the south.  We got wet for the first 10 miles then the skies seemed to lighten and we were on our way for a great day of cycling albeit a bit moist.  It was so humid, that the rain had a cooling effect but it wasn't making us any wetter.

The weather definitely was a challenge today, but the scenery was absolutely beautiful.  Our terrain today was a bit more rolling than we've had in the past few days and we had 1 real good climb at the 65 mile point...I'm in trouble again as I told everyone that it was probably about a 7% grade for a mile, but it was more like 9% or 10% in places...but it WAS only a mile. 

If you like corn and soybeans, you'd love our ride today.  Everywhere we would look we'd see rotation planting and rolling hills dotted with barns and silos behind every farm house.  It's much different here than where I grew up on a farm.  Here the fields are much bigger and they seem to be able to plant corn or beans on just about any slope that a tractor can negotiate.  The slopes are so steep that they have to plant in strips with areas between left to grass.  I imagine it helps with erosion...if they'd till all the slope, it would wash away with the first rain I figure.

We're also starting to see more and more small towns along our route.  After Wyoming and South Dakota, anything would seem like over population, but it's nice to see civilization more often.  It takes a little stress off the SAG vehicles when the riders can stop ever so often and buy a fat pill or two.  Today had two favorite stops...Rushford and Houston.  In Houston, we have our SAG by a pastry shop and the owner stayed open just for us...we ate him completely out of pastries before the storm blew through.  I think the storm had blown through long before the riders decided to actually leave the cream and fruit filled croissants.  

And speaking of storms...about noon with riders scattered between those two towns, the skies started to darken behind us.  At the pastry shop, I was able to get on a WiFi and look at the radar (left)...Yikes!  There was a line over Rushford and it was coming our way at Houston.  I held the riders who were still there and sent Barb forward to alert the riders who were on the road ahead of us.  The riders did a great job of taking shelter in everything from a DOT pole barn, to a farm house, to stores...what ever they could find.  I hustled out in the SAG van while Jeff manned the SAG and picked up a couple riders who were caught between towns just before the skies opened up and the lightning started in earnest.  While Barb was sitting on top of the big climb in our luggage truck she experienced hail and was able to watch a telephone pole explode when lightning struck the wires.

Aside from the challenges, we rode on a great bike path that stretched between Rushford and Houston.  It winds around fields along the Root River and at one point there's a sign that said we were crossing the "Root Canal."  The riders said the path was a home run and it was a great route to the second SAG that kept them off the highway for 11 miles.  After the second SAG, we had that steep 1 mile climb I spoke of before to get out of the river valley and up on the bluff.  Once we were up there, you could see almost forever.  I think most of the riders felt it was well worth the climb to ride those great roads...even the ones who walked up the slope.  The terrain was gently rolling on top of the ridge and they had a great 2 mile descent to the bridge across the Mississippi...we are finally in the east!

All in all it was a long hard day.  Most of the riders got in pretty late in the day.  The last riders didn't get in until after 4:30 with all the delays for weather.  We had to reschedule RAP, dinner, and maintenance to account for the late arrivals.  Every once in a while we have a challenging day...today was just that,  but we got everyone in safely.  So no matter what went on during the day, it was a success if all the ducklings are safe at the motel.

Well, enough about the happenings of the day, remember the other day when I was talking about the cold war threat being thwarted by the mid west farmers?  Well, I thought I'd explore that topic a little.  Today I found lots of examples of our deterrent forces while I was riding today.  The picture top left just looks like an innocent farm doesn't it...Notice how this "farmer" is cleverly using the surrounding terrain and natural cover from the trees to hide his missile silos.  The high terrain behind his "farm" provides shelter and protection from a low flying tactical attack from the south.  Also, the control tower and early warning system is cleverly disguised as a barn (see the funny antenna on the roof).  These two silos house lethal Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles standing ready to defend this 50 acre farm plot from enemy attack or UFO landing.  And you thought they only put silage in those things!  They do so well disguising these that many people ride by everyday and never notice anything out of the ordinary...nor do they suspect anything but farming activity to be going on.  Some may say I've been out in the sun too long, but I'm telling you some of these farms are not what they seem!  More to come after further substantiation. 

Tomorrow we ride to the Dells...a tourist trap.  We'll ride on the Sparta to Elroy trail too...nice variation.  It should be a nice leisurely ride that they will really enjoy...hope the weather cooperates.  Wisconsin is another beautiful state and I'm sure we'll see more examples of strategic military covert activity somewhere along our route...stay tuned. 

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