Ride #21 - Double Dip

5:20 am on Bike Bridge over Cty. PD. 8/2/26 dwm

  I am not using any time off during August and Saturday was a wash-out with a couple inches of rain. If I was going to keep my 17-week ride streak alive I needed to ride Sunday.

  I rolled out of bed around 4:40, put on my gear and got the bike ready and was on my way at oh-five-hundred.

  It was dark when I reached the bike bridge over County Highway PD, but sunrise was 18 minutes away and it was mostly cloudy. A bike headlight lit my path and a taillight flashed a warning to anyone behind. 

  There were three sightings of deer. A young fawn looked at me when I approached, when I was within 15-feet it took off down the path as I followed before it finally saw a game trail and bounded into the darkness of the trees.

Just after sunrise it was overcast. 5:49 am 8/2/2026 dwm

The second fawn was noticeably larger. It waited a couple seconds before it turned and leapt into the woods.

The mature doe looked up from eating grass, seemed to recognize I wasn't a threat then, with three steps into the bush, was gone.

When I left home, I hoped to turn around at the 25-mile mark, but before I got there, there was a 'road closed' sign when I reached the east side of McFarland.

It looked like crews are replacing the sewer line under one of the city's main streets. I saw a lot of gravel and decided to turn around.

The goal was to rack up some miles, but with church starting at 9, I wanted to get home so I could clean up and finish the ride after getting home from services. The bike computer registered 38 miles for the round trip.

Wild flowers off of the Elver Path. 8/2/26 dwm

  It was after 11 when I got back on the bike. I wanted to get in 20-miles and thought going north on the Ice Age trail and other streets and trails before going west through the Pheasant Branch Conservancy then turning south on Pleasant View Road would get me close.

  In the early morning hours, I saw only a handful of riders and runners outside. Three hours later there was all kinds of activity. The recent warm weather and overnight rain seemed to wake up a lot of the flowers along the trail. 

  It's the first weekend in August, I expect to see flowers during the ride. I did not expect penguins.

Penguins party on Everglade Drive. 8/2/2026 dwm

Part of my north-bound route put me on Everglade Drive on Madison's west side, just north of where Gammon and Mineral Point roads intersect.

In the second block on Everglade, I saw an inflatable penguin wearing a flamingo float toy while wearing a holiday hat.

I saw a second penguin, then a third. There were at least six flightless birds standing in front of beautiful homes. It's the first time I've seen summer-time penguins, so maybe the neighborhood is starting a new tradition.  

From there I got back on Gammon and followed it as it turned into Park Street at the line separating Madison and Middleton where I turned west on the trail through the Pheasant Branch Conservancy. Saturday's rain was traveling downstream, looking for its level.

Tale of the Bike Computer

 

Distance: 60 miles

Average speed: 15.4 mph

Time in the Saddle: 4 hours, 55 minutes  

 

A Note of Thanks: August 6 marks 14 years I've worked with the Oakwood Foundation. The years have passed quickly and I continue to enjoy the opportunity.  

 

 

Pheasant Branch Creek hurries to its destination. 8/2/2026 dwm