Sparta to Elroy on the First Rail Trail

 

We did the Elroy Spart Trail from Sparta to Elroy.

After I wrote to you from Subway,  we continued on to Sparta where the LaCrosse Trail meets up with the Elroy Sparta Trail.

There is a bicycle and space museum in Sparta.  We arrived at closing time.  The clerk let us look around the first floor, but didn't let us upstairs where all the bicycle and space stuff is.

There were some neat displays though, like this wheel that you turn to see the rails turn to trails.

We found a hispanic convenience store and got something cold amd something salty to share at our campsite.

We camped at the DNR walk-in campground.  It had a lot of poison ivy, even in the mowed parts.  We kept our eyes open and had to move our tent once we noticed some right outside our door.

We washed up at the water fountain/bubbler.

It was still warm and humid when we ate supper in the dark.

I didn't sleep well.  

So the next morning, I struggled to keep my thoughts positive.  I got up early and biked into Sparta to fill our coffee mugs.

Then we left camp we started the long slow assent to the first and longest tunnel.  There are three on the trail.

I biked slow and listened to a book on tape. It was another hot humid day...with high in the 90s.

We were very impressed with the 3% grad that was built for the train.  We were riding on a man made ridge looking over the roofs of farms on both sides.  The sides of the ridge were steep.  Steve said the rocks the railway used for ballast were cut in such a way that they don't slide, but tend to lock in place.  Pretty cool engineering.

The women in front of us told us to put on our rain coats.  Lol, it was so warm fog was rolling out of the cool tunnel.  A few cold drops would feel great.

We went through two tunnels and stopped at a bar for breakfast.  Really great veggie omlette and hashbrowns.  We were lucky, they are only open for breakfast on Sundays.

About 2:00 we were passing the Tunnel trail campground.  We had reservations at another rustic site 11 miles further.  At 90 degrees that campground with showers and green grass was looking very inviting. 

As we stood trying to decide about changing our plans, a guy fully loaded and traveling in the opposite direction stopped to chat. Keith was from Chicago and traveling to Minneapolis.

We made the right decision.

It had a pool!!!

We were cooled off enough to eat a hot dinner.

It is too bad the showers were not as clean and well maintained as the pool.  But the pool was awesome.  

They had laundry.  I went to the office for quarters to do laundry.

She said it was a dollar a load.  I got three dollars worth of quarters and popped one quarter into her tip jar.

I walk back to the laundry which is about a city block distance from our tent and from the office.  I am looking forward to some relaxing time waiting for the laundry.

I get to the laundry room.  It is 1.50 each.  Now I only have 2.75 in quarters because I gave her a tip.

I walk back to camp because I was cooking at the same time.  Steve goes to the office to buy a trail shirt.  It is lovely.   He brings back four more quarters.  Thank you!

I walk back to the laundry after the wash is done and find out it didn't spin.  The clothes are soaking wet.  I have to squeeze each item.  I know it will take more than one cycle to dry it.

I start the dryer.  I go back to the office and get more quarters.

After the dryer is done, I put 1.50 in the slots and push the quarters in on the slider.  The slider doesn't come back out.  It is stuck.

I bang, I pull, and bang and pull.   It will not budge.  

I put the wet clothes in the laundry bag, thinking I will hang them on the volleyball net across from our site.  I am getting very tired.  The evening light is waning.

I tell Steve what happened.  He said, let me help.  I will go look at it, but first I have to finish making our tea.  (Sleepy time tea to help me sleep.)

While he is doing that I crawl into the tent and lay down.  I lay down  and try to get my positive groove back.  

Steve used a tool to yank and push on the coin slider.  It finally gave way and the dryer turned on.

I finally got to sit by the pool with my journal and relax.  Steve kindly brought me my tea.  Thank you!

The clothes dried.  We had a cool night and morning with only a high of 84 today and cloud cover!  Yay!

I slept well and feel so much better!

This morning we were stuck from moving forward on the trail.  We stood observing a fisher or otter walking in circles and falling.  Probably rabies, Steve said.

We watched until it moved into the grass.  Then we raced past.  We called a trail person to report it.

I was pleased to see some of the old damaged wooden bridges were replaced by higher smoother bridges.  Very nice.

Now on to Reedsburg.