Taking the Dairyland Dare

Each hill is its own story.

In Iowa County, part of the Driftless area of Wisconsin, there are plenty of stories.  (The driftless area is the part of the state untouched by the glaciers that shaped the rest of Wisconsin.)

The first story written in yesterday's Dairyland Dare ride out of Dodgeville - was in nearby Governor Dodge State Park. 

After a fast downhill after entering the park we turned left and began a slow journey uphill.

Ready to ride -Jonathan, me, and Danielle

The narrow, two lane asphalt road twisted right and left leaving bikers in its wake as they dismounted for the walk uphill.  It was a fitting introduction to the region, the county, and the ride.

It would not be the last.

What goes up must go down - and we raced downhill again before starting another slow climb to a spectacular view of forests and dairy farms across the hilly landscape.

The Dairyland Dare raises money for a variety of Iowa County organizations and its timing made it perfect choice for a day on Wisconsin back roads with my sister and her husband.

It's been a long time since my sister and I rode together - it might even be the first time (although I didn't fact-check that item with her) we took a ride.  In any case, it was the first time we set out to do a "metric century."

In case you want more variety and try your bike at this adventure next year - the Dairyland offers six distances 50, 100, 150 200, 250, and 300 kilometers.


Some hills seemingly appear out of nowhere.  A slight rise becomes more pronounced and when you look up there is no end in sight of the incline.

Others go up gradually, taking their sweet time in making you sweat and struggle while climbing to the summit.

Then there are the ones you feel in your heart.  You know they stand there tall and daunting - a steep incline that reduces a 20 mile an hour pace to 3 in mere moments.  It's toll?  More sweat, aching muscles, and a twitch of doubt that you can make it to the top on your bike.

I liked the ride.  There were challenging hills and long climbs - but there were exciting downhills (as one rider said at a rest stop, "the downhills make the uphills worth it!")

The day couldn't have been any nicer - virtually no wind, a cool start to a moderately warm day (for August), good company, well-placed rest stops, and good snacks to fuel the riders.

Around mile 50 (of the 62 that make up the 100 kilometers) I reached the Prairie Ridge Store.  It's a small Bar and Grill now, with cool air, a dark wood interior, friendly help, and cold drinks.  But at mile 50 what I needed was cold water, having exhausted the supply of water and Gatorade from the last rest stop.

That last bit of refreshment and rejuvenation led us to one more long and very quick downhill and the inevitable climb that must follow.

It was the last challenge.

We started the climb together joining a string of riders making the ascent.  The momentum of the downhill was spent, and it was now on us - our backs and our legs to move the bike ahead a few inches at a time.

There was enough of a curve to the road that I couldn't see the top, so I picked out a point up the hill as my immediate goal.  Once there, I looked for the next spot.  And the next.  And the one after that.

Finally, the top came into view.  It takes a while when most of the climb is at 3 or 4 miles an hour.  I passed some riders and was passed by others.  From there, we weren't done with hills - but compared to the dozen or so character building climbs - they were not going to deter us from reaching the finish.

Riders were well taken care of - with a good meal and cold drinks.  I enjoyed a burger hot off the grill and grilled chicken sandwich with some baked beans and a cold A&W Root Beer.

Culver's was on hand with chocolate and vanilla custard to help us reduce our core temperature.

Really - that's why we ate it - it's not like we just wanted the sweet, creamy treat because it tastes so good.   (OK, never mind - that is why we enjoyed it.)

Madison's Capital Brewery offered glasses of Beer to quench our thirst in ways water and soda failed to do.

We received one of their real glasses, too.  A pint glass with the Dairyland Ride logo commemorating it's 9th edition was part of the "goody bag" each rider received.

One of the interesting things about a ride like this - with so many ups and downs - is that the fast downhills (usually in the upper 20s or 30s in miles per hour and one time just past 40) don't last as long as climbing at 4 miles an hour takes much longer to cover the same distance.  All the same, I was happy with an average a little over 12 for the day and 62 more miles on the odometer.

Thanks to the organizers and volunteers of the Dairyland Dare ride for a great ride and fun experience.  I may have to think about riding it again next year.