Day 81 Eagle River to Crandon 97km

The coldest morning in a long time has turned the humid air of Wisconsin into a soggy, thick layer of heavy dew, even the bike shorts I left out to "dry" glisten with frost. Everything is damp and cold, and I wait for the sun to climb up and hit the tent before I venture out of the sleeping bag. A Sunday on a bike trip can be great because traffic is light, but the towns often have this odd slightly creepy quiet, and people seem much less inclined to be sociable with strangers. Maybe it is the prevalence of the church in the US making people feel guilty for the week just passed and therefore not able to enjoy a beautiful Sunday. I say ditch the church, if you want a spiritual experience get on your bike and ride the Scenic Byway through the Nicolet National Forest, it is one huge cathedral of trees from one end to the other.


The chipmunks we met were so absorbed in their yoga posture salute to the sun, that we rode around them as they held their poses with determination. And the squirrels are so frantic to gather and store the bounty of the season that at least one of them was willing to dive beneath Kerstin's wheels for a good acorn, luckily this disaster was averted at the last moment. It was somewhat of a rude shock to emerge from the forest and be immediately confronted by the rather charmless town of Hiles, where we decided it was better to delay lunch another 12 miles, to enjoy at our end point in Crandon. With any luck the campground would have a laundry and we could wash some desperately needed clothes, which are currently sealed in an airtight bag. But there is no sense in looking for the laundry if you can't find the campground, after some extra miles, we gave up this plan and ate lunch by the lovely Metonga Lake. Food always helps in these situations, and our positivity restored the 4 miles out of town to another campground seems easily doable. We are rewarded with a camping spot right on the shores of the lake, with our very own little beach!


The laundry will have to stay sealed in the bag for another day, as a trip back into town on unloaded, lightweight bikes is necessary for supplies and for dinner at the local restaurant. Kerstin is in Kerstin heaven with a half rack of ribs, a huge pile of mashed potato and a choice of 25 flavours of ice cream for dessert! But for me the ride back around the lake, on a deserted road, with the sun just set is picture perfect. As we stand at our little beach Kerstin asks me "does it get any better than this?!"


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