New London to Wittenberg, Wisconsin. Saturday, May 22, 2021
I seem to be on a The Doors kick. Mr. Mojo Risin’ is an anagram of Jim Morrison. LA Woman was the last song he recorded.
My buds could tell I was in a funk, and Brian sent me a clip of Jimmy Smith’s Got My Mojo Workin’. It was just what I needed.
I set off, determined to take back roads this time. They were working fine for a while, but were definitely rougher, hillier, and more meandering. They also led me past a lot of homes with dogs. None turned out to be a problem, but it required that extra vigilance.
A sign up ahead said the road was closed for bridge repair. Ugh, not this again. Fortunately, a kindly couple said that ATVs were able to get through, and, with a little walking through the mud, so did I. Finally, I found myself on an abandoned railroad track, not yet made into a rail trail. It was beautiful but buggy, soft and partially overgrown, and I could only make about 5 mph.
US Route 45 was just over there, so I gave it a try. Much better. As opposed to the state highways, the shoulders were wide, smooth, and without rumble strips. The grading was better, the hills shallower, and nobody would let their dog out from a home next to a busy highway. And so the back-roads-versus-highways conundrum continues.
After weeks of flat terrain, I was mildly piqued to have to deal with hills. Then it occurred to me: if you’re going to be visiting highpoints, Poindexter, you’re going to get hills. Get over it.
The wind had shifted to a 10 mph headwind, which gets old after a while. At Wittenberg, the choice was to stop there or go another 30 miles. Thunderstorms predicted overnight, so camping not a great option. I opted to stay at the Best Western here, and had a great meatloaf dinner for $18 at the local truck stop. Kind of disappointed that it took me two days to do what I had hoped to do in one.
Crashed early, but was surprised by a FaceTime call from Jane and 4 friends, who really bucked me up. Thanks guys. Another mojo infusion. Maybe this will shake off my ennui.
Distance 41 miles, 1,634 total. Time 6 hours with stops. Elevation gain 1,040 feet
The Ends of the Earth 