Day 40: Amnicon Falls State Park, WI to Bessemer, Michigan (T.D.: 160.03km or 100 miles!; 7h22min)

Today was quite a day! Perhaps the most enjoyable riding day since we left the Rockies. We had perfect riding conditions, with a blistering tailwind the likes of which we had never experienced before (would’ve been torture trying to ride west today, I can assure you). The highway shoulders on the number 2 seemed to cycle through all possible paving options while still maintaining a great degree of rideability. We’re becoming connoisseurs in the pavement department, and prefer a warm, rubberized asphalt mix to the more conventional cold mix asphalt you might find on your local highway. The difference in tensile strength and durability - not to mention reduced friction and noise production - is just astonishing, trust me.

We stopped in Iron River for a quick pit-stop and fuel up (i.e. pit toilets and granola bars) before sailing 40km through beautiful forest landscapes to the Great Lakes Interpretation Centre, where the flags were flapping furiously due east, and every second we spent eating lunch seemed like a waste of good wind.

Fortunately, the wind lasted long enough for us to digest and get back on the road. We had planned to stop in Ashland, but again, we opted to sail through due to the favourable conditions. We did stop long enough to enjoy some pie and spectacular waterfront scenery along the way (we rarely turn down a chance for pie these days).

The wind died down a bit as we got away from the lakeshore, and there was one huge hill to contend with, at the top of which a state trooper pulled over to make sure we weren’t about to die or anything. A fine fellow. We felt energetic enough to keep going, gunning for the next state line between Wisconsin and Michigan.

We made it in good time, and stopped for dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Ironwood. Mexican food should’ve been on the menu a long time ago – the fine folks at La Mariachi served up a fibre-and-calorie rich meal that was excellent fuel for a long day like today, and tasted oh-so-good to boot.

Another 15km brought us to the far end of Bessemer, and to 160km for the day – our first genuine 100 mile run. We set up a tent at the Alpine Campground, where our hostess warned us that there was a family of bears in the area. We didn’t lose any sleep over it.

Stats:

Av. Spd.: 21.7km/h (pretty good!)

Mx. Spd.: 54.4km/h

Truth to the idea that we have become pavement connoisseurs: Not much