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| A high trestle bridge. 9/1/24 dwm |
Sunday I rode the Badger State Trail past Purcell road.
The last time I tried the stretch that is a mix of crushed limestone and dirt was in June when frequent heavy rains made the rock and mud surface difficult to navigate.
After a dry August, I expected the trail to be in better shape. There was 12-miles to cover before I reached it.
When I connected with the Badger from the Cannonball Path, I crossed a trestle bridge that spans the valley where the trains ran on rails before it was abandoned before becoming a rail-to-trail bike path.
The bridge is impressive from the path below and offers a nice view from above as you ride across the wood planks that replaced rails and ties.
The first day of September was beautiful, sunny with highs in the 70s. There was a 10 to 15 miles per hour breeze out of the north. At my back, it was a nice boost.
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| Trees provided a wind break. (dwm) |
When I turned around for the ride back, it cut my speed by a couple miles per hour.
As I rode onto the crushed rock on the path the Badger felt good under the wheels. The slippery and muddy places I remembered from June were not an issue beyond some bumps where tires left their mark in mud that dried hard.
It was nice seeing people walk and ride on the unpaved path. It's been years since I rode to Belleville and continued south.
When we returned to Wisconsin in 2012, I rode the Badger a couple times and the featured attraction was the Stewart Tunnel. It was built in 1886.
After its railroading days were over in 1993, it wasn't used until the railbed became a bike path, opening in 2006. Heavy rains and flooding in 2018 led to its closing.
After years of advocating to fix the Stewart it finally passed into law in 2023 with two years for the work to begin. The tunnel curves through the hill so can't see light from the other end.
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| The Belleville bridge built in 1887. dwm |
The bridge is beautiful. After crossing the bridge you can take another path over to Lake Belle and the community's downtown.
If you continue south, you pass the city's square and a depot that is waiting for its next life. It looks like it's been cleaned recently, so maybe a new purpose is coming. (picture below)
I stayed on the trail until I reached the trail's detour around the old tunnel. Signage on the north end directs bikes to choose one of two options to the south end of the trail. From the north, the old trail is overgrown by grass, bushes, and small trees.
After taking a couple of shots, I headed home, thankful for the wind break provided by trees. The first ride of September added 45 miles to the total, with a 15.5 average speed.
In writing this post, I looked for construction updates and didn't find anything beyond the line indicating work should happen during 2024 or 2025.
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| Looking at the Badger State Trail leading to the Stewart Tunnel. 9/1/2024 dwm |
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| The Belleville, Wisconsin station. 9/1/2024 dwm photo |
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