Rideing the T.W.A.T. ( Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail)

I had read about the Wisconsin trail on Lonewolf expiditions website . I contacted Chad at lonewolf and he sent me the GPS tracks for this trip , It is the new 2010 version . Thanks Chad ! I loaded the bike on Sunday with all the crap I needed for 5 days. Monday morning july 12 I waited for my Son David and the Queen to go to work . Once they were gone I hit the Start button and 200 cc of rage and fury sprung to life. I left Gunpoint Ranch like I was shot out of a cannon and headed in the direction of the Great North Woods .

I took the local country roads over to 150 at Congervill and headed north to 40 in Peoria . Went north on 40 stopping for gas and a Whopper for lunch. I think I may have found that bridge to nowhere the government wasted our taxes on its just off I40.

As I got close to the end of I40 I had to make an emergency stop on a sideroad this guy was mad I was peeing on his food and I know he was hopeing I would hit the wire with my stream.




Rocketing back onto the main road I came upon some hardcore bikers that wanted to race.

At the top of the state I saw the state park in northers Illinois and I stopped to view the sceneic overlook.

When Rideing in Galena on my way to the TWAT I noticed that they were having a car show . All Old School Austins 3000s , Sprites , and my favorite BUGEYES !! Just plain luck for me , I had a job fixin these cars back in the 70s and havent seen one in years.










And last but not least.... the trolley -----

Going north into Wisconsin I finaly arrived here . The point of Beginning , where else to start a ride than at the beginning ? Hats off to the people responsible for this route ....excellent beginning .

The first part of the TWAT is some real sweet twisty roads that wander all over sothern Wisconsin . Some are gravel some are tar and chip and some asphalt . Great views and cool places to stop and visit.


Sweet twisty roads


Lots of old cool buildings





And you end up at a State Park . If you have out of state plates they charge you five bucks for 2 hours of rideing and sightseeing. I manned up and paid the 5 bucks rode . some roads and looked over the lookout.

After Leaving the state Park the 2010 version of the TWAT crosses The Big Muddy into Iowa. I left the state park before my time was up and headed to get gas . Almost every section on the Twat seems to have a GPS point for gas and camping . Another great feature by the folks that created this track. I found a well defended small town about 20 miles away.





They dont mess around up here every small burg seems to have its share of artillery.

After crossing the Old Man River into Iowa The trail takes you along the river road lots of great views and twistys . Plenty of dirt and gravel frontage roads along the railroad right of way. I took some time to explore some of these and got stuck in the sand on what Iowa calls the sholder of the road . The TW was tired and layed down for a rest. I picked it up and got the tires on the road and went back to the river road.

I crossed this bridge back into wisconsin it was getting around dusk I had been traveling more than 12 hours and thought I would Get a campsite after one more section on the Wisconsin side. I started the section and a half hour later came to a road with a bridge out so I backtracked(hate backtracking] to a state campground I has seen down by the river. The state of Wisconsin charged me 22 bucks to set up my tent and plug in my phone and camera to charge them. I phoned the Queen , set up camp fixed some coffee and oatmeal ate it and went to sleep around dark.


Bridge to Wisconsin




Track with road closed.






Home Sweet Home

The campground was full of Old folks I mean really old. They seemed nice enough and were real inquisitive as to why I was takin this trail . I woke up when the birds were chirpin , climbed out of my tent and fired up the campstove for coffee and more oatmeal. Thats when i realised that the old campers were fishin not 20 yards from me and couldnt help stairing at a 350 pound man in his whitey tightys . I put on my shorts had coffee and oatmeal . Then I went over and spent 2 bucks in there pay showers. Thats right , like a carwash. Packed up the adventure bike and headed out north on the Wisconsin River Road. I got about 5 miles and there was a Pirate couple on an old harley with parts and crap all over the shoulder of the road. I stopped to see if he needed help he said no , so I stayed and helped him put his battery back in and re attach the seat and homegrown sissy bar backrest thingy. He said he would be fine. As I rode down the river the fog was just lifting . I stopped to take a couple pictures and the Pirate stopped to see if I was Ok . nice dude. And his girl smiled and showed me both teeth . I knew my next track section had a bridge out so I went north to find a place to change my oil as the valves were rattelin like a can of rustoleum. Stopped at an independent garage and they said they dont do bikes I asked if they would just let me drain my oil and change it myself NO ! I went north and found a bikeshop , CLOSED , acrost the street there was an oil change shop they had no 10/40 oil so i bought some at a hardware store and went back. The kid there had a 250 ninja and he changed my oil for free !!!

All forms of transportation highway boat and train 1 shot lucky me.

After the oil change she purred like a kitten so I headed to my next track that led me to sparta and an astronot statue. From there it was one great ride. Lots of gravel trails fire roads chip and tar and even some atv trails that got me lost and made my bike tired at least 2 more times.

The 13th turned out to be an Intersting day . At one point I was heading north on a washboard gravel ATV trail about 35-40 standing on the pegs looking out for downed trees or holes dug by 4 wheelers playin in the mud. I slowed for what I thought was a large tree 1/2 way acrost the trail . The tree stood up oh crap BEAR !!! I grabbed the brakes and then thought dont stop! back on the gas ! The bear had turned and was running in the same direction as I was going and was down to about 20 yards in front when I realised passing this beast was a bad idea back on the breaks! I watched as the bear did a shoulder check and leaped from the trail into the woods , I gassed it and left the area ASAP.

As soon as i got off the trail and back on the hardroad I hit the GPS for Ernies Bar to get gas and somthing to drink . It was hot and humid my camelback was 3/4 empty and my 2 20oz bottles were gone gas tank was low and the spare was empty. The GPS took me on some real fun gravel roads I was driftin the curves and even took one at full lock and wide open it was awsome. Got to Ernies and filled my tank and water supply had an Ice cold beer 75 cents for a short one and told my BEAR story to the guys at the 4 wheeler camp next door.



This Stuff has no traction and is randomly spread over the ATV trails cant steer or even power out of a turn it made me fall over several times. I was on one trail that had a couple miles of it.

After Ernies the GPS directed me North on fire roads atv trails and even some goat paths . It routed me to Big bear lake and I rode some great blacktop . The shadows of the trees were gettin long and I was Low on fuel again. I got to Clam Lake just as they were rolling up the sidewallks. Filled up with fuel and noticed that the gas station had a few rooms to rent. After that BEAR I really didnt want to camp in the woods. I checked in and put my phone on to charge. It had not been working before noon and I knew the Queen would be worried. ( I have got to buy me a spot tracker) I got a shower and clean clothing then went to the bar acrost the street for pizza. Much better than oatmeal. When I got to the room the phone was working . Tired , Sore ,Bruised , Bug Bit I checked in with the Queen then went to bed.

The BEAR on the trail wasent this big but he looked it to me!


Black Creek


CLAM LAKE GAS GROCERYS AND HOTEl

I woke early wendsday morning around 5 am , packed up the bike and headed out of Clam Lake to the north. The fire roads were washboard and had huge potholes. The GPS lead me to some sweet single track snowmobile trails , The four wheeler croud had rutted these to the max and the brush got real thick. I had to stop and clear small brush several times to keep rideing.

I was really having fun on these trails , it was slow and tecnical rideing just to keep the bike vertical. it was hot and muggy by 9am and I was getting a real workout . I followed this trail about 4 miles untill I came to a tree acrost the trail . I broke as many limbs off as possible but still had a 10 inch log about 12 inches off the ground. I wheeleyed up and planted borh feet on the log pushed and gassed it . I was real proud of gettin over that log . Another 300 yards and a huge tree was on the trail bolders to the left swamp to the right , I have to turn around. I hate backtrackin .
THIS IS THE ONE I GOT OVER



THIS IS THE ONE THAT TURNED ME BACK

I was hot sweaty low on fuel and mad because I had to backtrack . The trail was rocky and rutted and was having trouble turning around in the rutted rock trenches . The bugs were eating me up . To get turned around I had to do a series of small wheelys and land the front wheel on top of the 14 inch ridge in the middle of the trail . No traction , not working , maby one big wheely and jump the ridge . Bad Idea!

The bike is going in the right direction finaly . But it is as hot and tired as me so it layed down for a rest.








Me , I was hopping on one leg and saying things you cant say in church.

I couldnt get to my First aid kit on the trail (next trip it goes on top) so I picked up the TW , rode it back to the fire road. After some time the bleeding slowed enough to get a big bandaid to stick to my sweaty bloody leg. I hit the GPS up for directions to gas figuring that I could get some real bandages there . It lead me down fire roads and finally a hardroad to a general store near the reservation.

Back on the fire road it took about 20 minuts before i could get a bandaid to stick . I cut the foot part off a clean sock and used the elastic part to put pressure on the bandaid.

I bought some Peroxide gause and medical tape from the Indian mini mart and went out on there porch where I dressed it and got all kinds of knoledge and wisdom from the local tribe of smart ass native americans drinking Irish coffee. They explained how wolves could smell blood for 5 miles and that 2 four wheeler guys were killed by wolves last summer . The plan was to ride the woods trails and roads untill about noonish but with the injured leg ,visions of wolves tracking me and seeing the bear yesterday I directed the GPS to take me north . Ended up at the Delta Diner , Great place to eat , had a portabella mushroom omlett with pepper cheeze and a special garlic and hot pepper sause made by the owners wife. They were real friendly and let me change my bandage in there bathroom. They said 4 guys from ADV Rider were there yesterday rideing the same tracs as me . I left a huge tip and started my way to the finish.




They Moved this diner from somewhere out east it was built during the 1930s way cool and great food.

Shortly after the Delta Diner the rain started , it poured buckets and didnt seem to be letting up. The fire roads up here were sand mixed with mud and were wiicked slick . Slow rideing on mud in a doownpour SUCKS. It was hard to keep from crashin and I ended up off on the sholder more than once . I finaly came to a small burg on the shores of lake Superior , got under the awning at the gas station and went in for a cup of coffee. I was muddy wet to the skin and getting tired of rain and slick trails .

While hainging around the gas station waiting for the rain to let up I checked the GPS tracks . Only One left I was heading to the finish !! The rain slowed down and off I went following the turn by turn and found myself on a vertical trail made of the slickest stuff on the planet . Wet sandy Bull dust . I dont know what kept it from running down the hill like water I was in both ditches on either side of the road several times and paddlefooted back to the center to start again. About half way down this small chunk of road a logging loader was comming right at me and I had trouble getting over to the ditches I hated so much so he could pass. Slickest road ever. I made it without falling over and the GPS led me right back to the town I just left. I stopped at the beach and took a picture as the rain had let up.

The rain started up again and so did I the road was asphalt and fun compared to the trails earler. The road takes you past a harbor and a lake Erie museum the rain stopped so I took some Pictures . These are wood boats and I cant imagine anyone wanting to go out in that huge lake in these old tubs even when they were new.

Small skiff


Fishing Boat ?


Steamer

I left the harbor and headded north to the finish . I was finishing earler than planned and was almost dry . The sun came out and the road was clear. Life was good !!!



HARBOR

By the time the turn for the final leg came up it was raining again . The track led to more fire roads that were not to slick . The final track took me to a slick trail leading to a campground it was mostly sand mixed with mud but was not as bad as the vertical road earler.

This is the slick stuff to watch out for.



Turn to the campground.