Bicycle Tour Da Falls… or Not

 I decided to bike to some water falls.  When I googled waterfalls near me, there were quite a few.  It appeared the closest one in the cluster was Kakabika Falls near Watersmeet and White City.

I packed up last night and then put my bike bags in the van so I could get an early start.  Google said the falls was 44 miles away and then I have to bike to a campsite which is another 12 miles.

This morning I was up and loading the bike by 6:00 a.m. a bit nervous.  I am used to using googlemaps for getting around.  But what happens if I need to re-configure my route and I don't have cell service?  I don't have a paper map, and if I did, even the detail maps don't tell me what roads are passable or bike friendly.

Last night I made a turn-by-turn list for me to follow.

 

First I moved the van to make it harder to steal Lilac if some bad person was so inclined.  I almost knocked over the bike!  

Starting from the campground I couldn’t get around doing some miles on Hwy 51.  A two foot shoulder and fast traffic.  I was much more relaxed once I got on the lower traffic County Highway M.

I met up with a Villas County trail along M. The are not rail trails and are hilly and curvy.  The hills are steep and require anticipating the gearing.  If you don't get it right, you will be walking up the hill.

Sorry about the order of the pictures.  I am doing this on my phone while sipping a lemonade.  My iPhone is putting all the pictures at the top.  I have to cut and paste them to the right location.  Not going to happen right now.  I am taking a break from the ride after I hit a snag.  

I was only about 17 miles from my first destination, Kakabika Falls..  I was anticipating riding by the Notre Dam Environmental Education Center and their church.  But went I arrived at Nortre Dam road there was a sign telling me it was a private road and there is a gate to keep me out.  

At this location my phone didn’t have service.  I saw two young boys pull into a yard with their small ATV's.  I followed them into their yard and found their parents outside too.  I asked them how to get to Hwy 2.  The man showed me his cell phone had the map and he told me. I would have to retrace my route, go East and then North.  I was tired already and this detour might add 10 miles.  

On the detour I stopped at a sign pointing down a road to a resort and restaurant.  I debated, but decided to pull in.  I am taking a break .  It is 11:00 a.m.  I am going with the the flow.  This is a nice place to sit and write to you!  If they had camp sites, I might even stay!  I have cell phone service!

Bents camp resort.