Riding to Madison proved to be really unique as far as the route and terrain. In this order, the following route got me to Madison: county highway, Pecatonica State trail, county highway, state highway, county highway, bike path, city streets (Dodgeville), Military Ridge state trail, more bike paths in/around Madison, and numerous city streets in Madison. Pedaling away from Platteville was a slight climb that eventually got me to the Pecatonica state trail. Despite all the rain that the area had experienced this spring, the trail was in relatively decent condition for the short stretch that I rode on it. A shortcut and the abundance of gnats made departing from the trail an easy choice. However, this came at a price. I now have firsthand appreciation for the steep, steep hills in southwestern Wisconsin from a bicycle. I figured that the shortcut would have steeper climbs than the suggested route, and I was curious to see this part of rural Wisconsin, especially away from gnats. Shortly after departing the Pecatonica State Trail, county highway O quickly ascended along a ridge where nearby Belmont and distant Platteville were visible. County highway O then turned north and a blistering descent away from the ridge had me back down in a valley just south of Mineral Point. Several more steep grades were between me and Mineral Point, and while they somewhat challenging they proved to be manageable. After a break in Mineral Point, I pushed on to Dodgeville where I picked up the Military Ridge state trail. This trail is advertised as crushed limestone, which is usually great for riding on, yet great lengths of it were in pretty rough condition. This seemed in part to ongoing repairs or repairs that were yet to be made from the rainy spring. However, other stretches of the trail looked like they were rough from wear and tear. This all made for slow going for the remainder of the time on this trail. As I got closer to Verona, I noticed that rain might be approaching after leaving Mt. Horeb. Around seven miles outside of Verona, I heard thunder once, then again, and again all within 30 seconds. Rain slowly began to fall, along with the temperature. With every rotation of the bicycle tires, the trail surface stuck to the bike tires, and eventually the muck got kicked up onto my gear. Wind began whipping up after the town of Riley, and the rainfall quickly became torrential. Putting on my jacket was less a measure of staying dry and more a measure of staying warm: this was an unreasonably chilly rain! When passing through Verona, timing worked out well to briefly visit with my girlfriend's sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and niece. They were at a school-related event along the Military Ridge state trail, and surprisingly the heavy rain had missed them! Seeing familiar faces and chatting definitely lifted my spirits after the last few hours of today's ride. When I arrived in Madison, I met up with a friend from college in Nick. I was very grateful to have a roof over my head after riding through a heavy rain. After cleaning up myself and the bicycle, I enjoyed a home cooked meal with Nick's housemates. It was pleasant to chat with everyone, and it made the stay in Madison all the more welcoming. Nick had a summer league game for ultimate frisbee, and I met up with him and his teammates for food and beverages at the Great Dane, which was a quick 10 minute walk from Nick's house. After walking in, it hit me: I had been here with a friend about five years ago! It was fun to experience the atmosphere again with Nick and his teammates. It was getting late, and rest was necessary for tomorrow's upcoming ride to Fond du Lac.
