6.10.19 - Marion, IA to Platteville, WI (100 miles)

The first day of a cycling trip, I feel, is usually the biggest mental hurdle to get across and today was no different. Traversing northeast Iowa, the Mississippi river valley, and hilly southeast Wisconsin approximately 100 miles to Platteville proved to be a healthy challenge. I hadn't done as much training prior to embarking on this newest journey, and I felt uneasy as a result. I hadn't cycled with gear this spring and felt a little unsteady at first. Adapting soon was necessary. A steady and stubborn north/northwest wind for stretches of today were at times demoralizing! I reached Dubuque around the time of day that I expected to roll into town. Thus far, only a few 6-10 mile stretches of the route were complicated by wind. In fact, at times the wind favored me. Despite this, it took some time getting used to the naturally occurring wind in combination with the winds created by vehicles driving by on US-151. Often times, the latter briefly canceled out the former for a few moments, which makes keeping the bicycle stable and on the shoulder tricky. After a brief stop in Dubuque, I crossed the Mississippi on the US-20/52 bridge. This crossing was a little dicey as the pedestrian pathway hung outside of the bridge's main structure that held the road deck. Navigating the combination of natural and vehicular winds made the this a true balancing act. It was good to be back on solid ground in Illinois. However, this time in Illinois would be short. Following a steady climb out of the Mississippi river valley on IL-35, I was welcomed by Wisconsin. It occurred to me then: today was the first time I had ever been in thee different states in the same day via bicycle. A combination of one state highway and three county highways led me to Platteville. These county highways were where I encountered the most challenging headwinds of the day. At times, progress uphill into the relentless wind was slow and grinding. Shortly after arriving in Platteville, I quickly learned that the town has a few very steep hills. By this time in the first day of this trip, I had had enough of anymore inclines! Luckily, it was a slight downgrade to the public campground in the northeast side of town. I met a local gentleman in Darren at the campground. He was a little curious about my setup, as he referenced that I didn't look like I was just out for a quick spin. Shortly into our conversation, he kindly insisted that I use some of his bug spray, because the gnats were so bad, and Darren absolutely right! We chatted for a while before I set up camp: a short nap was necessary after a draining first day on the road. I woke about an hour later, and had a second meal after arriving in Platteville. Subway was the first, and this second once was of the dehydrated variety. Darren and I chatted for a bit longer before turning in for the evening. Tomorrow would be a shorter distance to Madison partially on county highways and the Military Ridge state trail, in that order.