Day Twenty One

Root Trail to La Crosse River trail

The morning arrived clear and bright. A frontal passage had changed the skies from the dreary, wet overcast to clear. The wind was at our back as we packed up our campsite. A few joggers and cyclists passed as we readied for another day of touring. The Root Trail was accommodating, scenic and mostly downhill. We stopped several times to toss the Frisbee and relax. The riding was simply too nice to rush.

Eventually the trail expired near the town of Houston. We found a library and took the time to send some e-mail. It took an inordinate amount of time as the computer refused to cooperate. At one juncture I would have taken the machine out of the building and slung it, Olympic style across the street.

Much of the rest of the day was spent traveling towards La Crosse. This would put us in Wisconsin, another victory. The ride along Mississippi gave us a sense of having covered a huge portion of the continent. All of the water came from the east side of Loveland Pass, our first notable accomplishment.

We found the next source of food in La Crosse. As we exited the market, a stunning rainbow stretched from horizon to horizon. It was another visual token to underscore the magnitude of our adventure. We asked directions and were informed that there was a bike trail out of town. We found it. This one was not paved. It was composed of packed earth much like decomposing granite that we know in California. Tired but enthused we pedaled for another hour until we came upon a campground. We paid the fee and set up. It was a pleasant evening.