Perkiomen Trail

I took advantage of the good weather and the free day to revisit the Perkiomen Trail in South Eastern PA. The trail follows the rail bed of part of the Reading Railway and is nearly 20 miles long.  I've been on this trail a few times in the past always starting from the Southern end so this time I was determined to start on the Northern end.  

I had a difficult time finding the trailhead and parking lots... The trail winds in and around the city of Green Lane but doesn't actually have any parking... I finally found the Crusher Road trailhead... This is about 2.7 miles from the actual start of the trail...

The trail is a mix of paved sections and crushed gravel... There are lots of bridges that cross over the Perkiomen Creek along the entire trail...

The trail is pretty hilly with rises and falls all along the trail... At about 5 miles (7.7 from the start) there is a 12% uphill grade ... Even in my lowest climbing gear I only had the steam for 3/4 of the accent... I was relieved to see others walking up as well...the nice thing is I'll get to fly down that hill on my way back...

The trail is well maintained and in good shape ... The southern end has quite a few street crossings and some of them are quite harry... I turned around at 15 miles ... Which was about 2.5 to the southern end of the trail at Lower Perkiomen Park... I've started from that trailhead several times so I didn't feel compelled to go all the way to the end...

A few of the places along the trail to eat appear to be closed or undergoing renovations which meant I had to wait till Collegeville to stop for lunch ... The Collegeville Diner had good food and friendly service but they were busy and removed my stuff from the table when I went to use the restroom... I guess they thought I was done ... No dessert for me this time...

Along the creek I saw families playing and people fishing... I even saw a rope swing... There was also a good deal of trail traffic... Bikers, runners, and walkers all sharing the trail... While I didn't see any on the trail I know that certain sections of the trail are open to horse traffic as well ...

 All in all a good trail with hills to challenge and a nice surface... More parking and better signage would be helpful... The trail seems to be a bit of a secret to the locals... 4 out of 5 Trail Stats 30.1 miles 3 hours 10 minutes Max speed 27.5 mph (12% grade downhill) Average speed 9.52 mph

Night ride with CAT

We came back from our shore vacation just in time for me to join a moonlit trail ride hosted by the Lehigh Valley Coalition for Apprpriate Transportation...  The ride started out in Bethlehem  at the Ice House on Sand Island... It was still light outside so the trip out was casual and filled with plenty of socialization... We rode as a loose group of 14 all the way to downtown Easton...  

In Easton we had supper at Daddy's Place a great little Mediterranean spot just off the square... After filling my belly with hummus it was time to go back to the cars... By this time it was plenty dark and everybody turned on various bike lights... I was a little afraid that my light wasn't going to be brigh enough but it worked just fine... 

  It was a fun ride that I would definitely do again ... Night trail riding was a little out of my comfort zone but now I might be hooked...   

Day Two: Wilton to Reedsburg

Today we started out with a hearty breakfast at the bed and breakfast. My inner child wanted a Belgian waffle with strawberries... So that's what I got. It was delicious. Breakfast was served at the restaurant where we ate supper and we had the same waitress.

Since our nights lodging was three miles down the trail we only had a quick ride of 3 miles of the day and we are at Tunnel #1. It is also 1694 feet long and is the last major tunnel on the trails.

3 miles down the trail and we arrive in Kendall. Kendall is a small village along the Baraboo River that was named after local farmer and landowner L.G. Kendall.

Elroy WI is the end of one trail and the beginning of the next trail. Elroy was an important city for the railroad era as it served several different railroad lines in it’s heyday. Four term Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson is from Elroy. We stop for lunch in Elroy and spend a little time enjoying what the city has to offer. I had a French dip sand which at BendersFamily Restaurant...

After leaving Elroy I felt a little sluggish. I looked down and noticed my rear tire was low... I stopped to pump it up but another mile down it looked flat again. So we pulled over and swapped the tube with a spare (be prepared) and we were back on the trail.

Union Center is our next stop after only 4 miles down the trail. it’s not much more than a wide spot on the trail and with less than 500 people it is the smallest village on the trail.

We stop to enjoy a break and a bit of a rest at Wonewoc. Another small village on the Baraboo River. They origin of the village's name are a bit fuzzy but it either means :howling hills” or "Wicked, evil”. Railroad industry built this town up and when the railroads went away the growth of the village stopped. I stopped in at Beyond Boundaries in Wonewoc to replace my spare and get the tire up to pressure. That turned out to be a good call because just a few miles past the next city the spare went flat too. So another tube replacement and we're hoping to just make it to the end

On our last two major sections of the ride, each 7 miles long. First up is La Valle, named after the french “the valley”. with only another 7 miles to the end our our bike ride we are starting to slow down and looking forward to completing our journey.

We arrive in Reedsburg around 4 pm. Despite our tire troubles we were a little ahead of schedule. Reedsburg was named after David Reeds who was one the first residents of the area. Other major industries that helped to grow Reefsburg were a brewery, lumber mills, and woolen mills. Agnes Morehead (of Bewitched fame) lived in Reedsburg at the time of her death. Jeff’s wife Terri arrived to take us and our bikes back to Holmen and we stopped to eat at Viyarte in Sparta along the way home.

All in all it was a great ride.

92 miles

11hour and 7 minutes our riding

2 days

2 tires

Day One: Holmen to Wilton

The weather looked clear and sunny as we got ready to set off for our two days of biking.  The storm the night before really did a job on the trees in Holmen. We originally had planned to start in Onalaska but Jeff mentioned that just 2 mlies from his house was the start of the Holmen Bike Trail.  So we headed to the park and rode the trail until it met up with the Great River Trail.  Onalaska is known as the Sunfish Capitol of the World, and it’s name comes from a poem by author Thomas Campbell. Originally the economies of Onalaska were built around sawmills and the lumber industries.  The added section of trails added 9.7 mikes to our ride.  

The Great River Trail begins on it’s western point near Marshland and then winds its way east to Onalaska, we picked up the trail just north of Holmen in Midway.  We used to drive past midway on our way to visit my uncle and his family, so adding this section of trail brought back some memories. We had to ride on the streets in Onalaska, but they had bike lanes marked so it was pretty easy. After we left Onalaska It’s only a few miles to the trail ending point of Medary WI. 

 

At Medary we pick up the La Crosse River Trail continuing eastward.  the trail is in decent shape given the storm a day earlier. However there are LOTS of trees down and we had to carry our bikes over trees.   Because of the trail shape and the added miles we are making poor time.  We take a short break to enjoy lunch in West Salem at mile mark 18.  West Salem was originally named just Salem but was changed when mail was being confused for another Wisconsin town also named Salem.  West Salem is home to octagonal houses built by the Palmer brothers the 1850s.   

  5 miles down the trail is our next break at Bangor.  The Village of Bangor was named after Bangor, Wales a name influenced by the many early settlers from Wales.   

    We roll right through Rockland Wi at mile mark 17. Whitch is basically a parking lot and a sign. Riockland is a very small village named after the rocky condition of the soil.    

  Six miles later we arrive at this trail end and the next trails starting point in Sparta. Sparta was named after the Greek city/state Sparta and is the country seat of Monroe County Wisconsin.   The Elroy Sparta Rail Trail is considered by many to be the original rail trail.  it was first opened for bike traffic in 1967 making this it’s 50th anniversary. I first rode they trail (with Jeff) as a kid when we did a portion of the trail with his drum and bugle corp.  That trip is still in my memory and one of the reasons why this trail was on my bucket list.  

  Sparta calls itself the Bicycle Capital of the World. The former train depot serves as an information center for the trail system.  There is also a gift shop and plenty of amenities for trail users to enjoy.  the Chicago and North Western Railroads ran trains along these paths years ago and at it’s peak as many as 6 passenger and 50 freight trains passed though this area daily.  Today the trail serves over 50 thousand bikers every year.   

Tunnel #3 (it seems we’re traveling the trail backwards) is the longest and most dramatic of three tunnels on this trail.  The tunnel is dark and cool and a welcome relief from the heat of the day.  the length of the tunnel is listed as 3810 feet or almost 3/4 miles. We stop and take a few photos before turing on our lights and making our way to the other side. The cool temps in the tunnel are a welcome relief as is the downhill section following the tunnel. It felt like we were climbing hills a lot today.   Next is Norwalk which is 3 miles from the tunnel at mile mark 34.  Norwalk is another small village that existed because of the railroad industry years ago.  The village was named after Norwalk Ohio where the founder had once lived. Now the afternoon sun is beating down on our backs and our legs are starting to tire.  The go is a little more slow and the breaks are a little more frequent.  We’re only a few miles from the end of day ones travel.  

  Tunnel #2 is only 4 miles away and at 1694 feet is half as long as Tunnel #3.  The doors are 20 feet tall. and according to the Internet they were opened and closed upto 60 times a day in the winter months for trains.  

  Another 2 miles down the trail and we make it to Wilton WI.  We have a bit of trouble finding the Trailside Bed and Breakfast because it's actually 3 miles down the trail ... Uphill... So after we check in we get a great meal at the Dorcett a Valley School a Restaurant and after a quick shower it's time for bed.  It was a long day and we logged 57.5 miles

T minus 1day : Welcome to the Windy City

I awoke to the sights of the backyards and parking lots of small towns in Indiana. I didn't sleep very much so I was awake a little before dawn. One of the benefits to getting up early is that if you're paying attention you can see wildlife out and about. I saw four deer in the field and another two by small streams along the tracks. It was nearly four hours before I started to see the back of Chicago warehouses and businesses as the train made it’s way to downtown area of Chicago IL. The delays were because of a freight train that was ahead of us on the same track but going much slower. I had a 4 hour layover in Chicago, but I was able to check my luggage through so I only had to carry my backpack around the city for a few hours. I love to wander around Chicago and was looking forward to getting out and stretching my legs a bit.

As luck would have it I arrived in Chicago for their annual Windy City Rubber Duck Derby (http://www.duckrace.com/chicago), which should've meant I was able to find stuff to do and food to eat while supporting a good cause. However I couldn't find the event, and I had to make due with regular touristy stuff. I walked down to the fountain and the lake side. I walked past the art museum and almost went up in the Willis Tower. I decided I want to share that experience with Olivia so I took a pass. Big cities always have interesting eats and Chicago is no exception. A string of food trucks tempted my taste buds. In the end I went with Da Pizza Guy... And their Chicago Style pizza. It was fantastic. The weather was hot and I was not interested in getting sunburn so I stayed in the shadows as much as I could and headed back to the depot early.

By 3:00pm I was back on a train (Empire Builder) onto my way to La Crosse. Seeing the scenery of Illinois and Wisconsin is always a welcome sight and being able to see it without the distraction of being the driver is so much better. I spent most of my time in the observation car.

I'm hoping to get a good nights sleep tonight. And then tomorrow's is the start of the Epic Bike Ride : 2016 Edition