Ride 8 - Heading West

West of Verona on Military Ridge. 5/25/26 dwm

The plan Monday morning was to ride west from Verona on the Military Ridge State Trail with a goal of reaching Ridgeway, if not Dodgeville which is where the trail ends.

 I was off to a good start, 10 miles into the ride when I came upon a couple of goose families that were lounging on either side of the trail and on both sides of the actual path.

One option was passing between the birds at 15 miles per hour but that didn't seem right. Neither did riding slowly in between and around the hens, drakes, and their goslings.

Those little ones grow up fast, so trying the trail again in a week or two seemed like a good idea because the chances of running into the same situation is low.

Goose and Gosling zone. 5/25/2026 dwm

 It wasn't an hour into the ride when I turned around, and with a quick calculation decided riding to McFarland then home would get the miles I wanted.

 Other than the geese, I saw a yearling deer standing on the trail before disappearing into the brush. On the other hand, there were all kinds of people taking advantage of great holiday weather.

 I encountered three groups of cyclists with a dozen or more riders. Two of them were coming toward me, which is easier when it comes to sharing the trail. When passing cyclists, walkers, and runners I will either ring a bell or call out, "You're good. On your left," before passing. 

Boats on Lake Waubesa. 5/25/26 dwm

I rang the bell a couple times while approaching the bikes and slowed to their speed as the riders at the back of their peloton moved to the right as they called up to the front of the group to move. As I worked my way past the front of the group, I wished them a good ride.

As I rode past Lake Waubesa on the Lower Yahara boardwalk into McFarland, I noticed more boats fishing than I've seen this year.

Once in McFarland, I turned around at the Kwik Trip after picking up a granola bar for a little energy. 

Back in Verona, I followed the Military Ridge trail into town where it crosses Main Street with hopes of finding a couple of things I needed for work on Tuesday. While the two stores I checked had the items, they were not the specific items I needed, so after the ride I drove into Madison to make the purchase.

According to the Bike Computer:

Distance: 55 miles

Average Speed: 15.5 mph

Time in the Saddle: 3 hours, 32 minutes