Ride 14 - Waunakee

Scene south of Waunakee. 6/21/25 dwm

The main goal of the 14th ride was to get ahead of the heat, which meant getting an early start. 

 

A cloudy sky hid some of the predawn light as I pumped the tires to the proper pounds per square inch. It was a few minutes after 5 when I headed out.

 

The bike computer said it was 71. That's warm but better than it was supposed to be later in the day, when 93 was forecast with a 'feels-like' reading of 100. I feel the sweat just writing the sentence.

Three miles down the road I saw a bald eagle looking at me, it was on the ground, so I presumed it was eating, although I couldn't tell from the bike.

 

A hazy sunrise. 6/21/2025 dwm

 For this ride, I took the Ice Age Trail into Madison then rode through Elver Park before taking a tunnel under the Beltline which took me to Middleton.

 

 I enjoyed the quiet of few cars and the sights and sounds of nature - quite a few song birds and half a dozen turkeys.

 

 The hazy sunrise provided a little light over the fields south of Waunakee. After stopping for a photo, there was a second stop at Kwik Trip for a muffin and chocolate milk.

 

In addition to the unusual morning heat, there was a steady wind out of the south. On the way home a portion of the trail went through Governor Nelson State Park where I saw an osprey tending its nest built atop a man-made platform. 

 

Trip 14 was slower than the last few rides with an average speed of 14.8 over 41 miles, which pushes the year's total to 660. Keep riding!