A 62 Hour Circumnavigation of the Great Lakes
A check of the weather channel before leaving home showed all the rain had passed over night. A big Canadian high would control the whole Great Lakes area all three days. Fantastic, no rain, but lows in the 40's. So I left the rain gear home (you just know this was a mistake) and packed thermals. A visit to the local state trooper barracks to get the start witness was easily handled, but I thought it prudent only to tell him I was riding around the Great Lakes and not in what time period. A gas stop and I was on my way. I started out Saturday morning at 4:56 am ET. I hadn�t seen any time limit on the IBA page and I knew the GOLD at under 50 hours was more than I cared to handle yet. My goal was to be finished in under 60 hours, 2 � days, which worked out well as I only had the three day weekend anyway. So off west from Williamsport. PA, on I-80 to Chicago. I've been on this section several times. It wasn�t too interesting but I still like riding it. People think I�m missing a couple marbles when I say there is beauty in miles and miles of cornfields, a peaceful beauty. When you grow up in Nebraska it is something you understand. However, I was glad it was at the start as straight superslabs would have really dragged the finish.
A couple tacks around Chicago and into Eau Claire, WI, at 8:25 pm CT. I wanted to go to Duluth, MN, but neither I nor AAA could find a room anywhere there and along my route Eau Claire was the closest. An uneventful 949 miles the first day. I had seen some potential rain clouds but nothing developed. As the sun was setting the red clouded sky reminded me of, "Red sky at night, sailors delight, red sky in morning, sailors take warning." And as I was circumnavigating the Great Lakes I was therefore a sailor.
Up at 3:30 and on the road by 4:15 am CT to a warm 62 degrees. Can�t say I was disappointed the weathermen were wrong. I usually don't eat breakfast but after an hour my stomach was grumbling and I stopped at Perkins for 30 minutes. I also had planned to do the IBA National Park Master Traveler Tour (visiting 50 national parks in 25 states) next year. I was passing right by Grand Portage National Monument and figured I may not be back in Minnesota next year so this was as good a time as any to start. It also keeps with the circumnavigation theme. Yes, I was circumnavigating the Great Lakes, but entirely by portage. Hence the gas stops in Portage, IN, Portage, WI, and Grand Portage, MN.
