Ride of Discovery

It was another fantastic day to be on the bike yesterday.

My route was made up as I rode along depending on which way the wheels were pointing and the time on the bike computer clock.

Just to start, I rode south and picked up the Ice Age Trail that makes its way into nearby Verona.

I had not been on it before and discovered what a gem it is.  The paved path is not very long, but is a great connector trail to longer routes.

Looking to the east at sunrise, the restored prairie provides a quiet view that can be restorative on a long trip.  The grass in the picture (upper right) is nearly head high.

You can ride, walk, or run on the trail.  If you are dedicated to following the outline of the glacier in Wisconsin, there is approximately 1,000 miles of the trail to conquer.

The pavement took me into Verona where I intersected with the state Military Ridge Trail and rode that back into Fitchburg.

The Ridge trail runs parallel to U.S. Highways 18 and 151, but far enough away from the road to have it's own wetlands and natural space.

As I rode by one of the larger ponds, I stopped in an attempt to catch the rising fog over the water as the sun began its daily chore of burning it off.  When I came to a stop, several dozen ducks took off from the water as one body, looking for a place they wouldn't be disturbed.

Since duck season isn't too far away - they might need the practice.

My next discovery was finding a bicycle round-about where three trails come together.  The Badger State Trail and state Capital City Trail intersect with the newest Madison trail - the Cannonball Path.

While I can image early bike commuters and joggers converging on the space at the same time, I found it a little amusing and interesting to see the major intersection in the midst of a wild section of the city.

As a sign of the capital city's dedication to bicyclists and alternative travel options - I loved seeing the construction sign sitting on the path.

This was discovery #2.  The Cannonball path isn't finished yet.  A bridge to the south that will connect to the Military Ridge Trail isn't open and some of the trail is still not ready for road bike traffic.

But, one a trail!  It winds through a series of wetlands and areas that were never developed.  

The trees (right) border a larger wetland and prairie where I stopped to take this picture.  In another section of this relatively short trail - there was a large lake.

I rode past large installations of Cattails and found dozens of ducks hanging out near the shore.

The Cannonball winds through an area of the city where lots of people live, many of them in multifamily housing apartments or homes.

The trail provides access to nature and wildlife and a safer alternative to city streets for a trip to shopping or further into the city.

Eventually, the Cannonball will barrel across the U.S. 12/14 Beltline that runs across the waist of Madison and meet another trail to complete the trip to downtown.

The largest bridge was installed last year and opened earlier this summer.

This was my first time across, which I took after a stop at the Egg & I conveniently located near the trail for breakfast.

The Cannonball ends there for now - so to find my way back home I set my compass east to the city's most famous feature - the isthmus.

On yet another bike path, I stopped as the Capitol was perfectly lined up across Lake Monona for a picture.

The trail along John Nolen Drive is a busy one.  Lots and lots of joggers, bikers, and walkers use it all day long nearly every day of the year.

Soon after taking this shot, I pretty much stayed on the bike for the rest of the ride.

The wheels took me up Sherman and Northport before I reached the northeast point of Lake Mendota and started my travel back west.

County M took me around the north side of the lake to Middleton and from there it was a straight shot south and home.

It won't be long before my sunrise rides will be done for 2014 - so I was grateful to get this one in on a warm day (for September) with perfect conditions.  40 miles - averaging 15 miles per hour.

I'm not sure yet where the next ride will go - weather permitting - it will come next week.