Buffalo City to La Crosse, Wisconsin Wednesday, June 23, 2021
I was so excited today. For the first time in over a month, I’d be seeing familiar faces. Darren Knox was in my residency firm, one of our superstars, now working as a hospitalist in his hometown of La Crosse. He and his girlfriend Anna, now his fiancé, had been to our house a number of times for firm dinners, at the last one the group gave me a touching gift, a map of all the state highpoints that was instrumental in planning this trip. Just this week they moved into a new house, with lots of room for me and and another resident, Shawn Wayne and his family, their first houseguests since moving here. Shawn had been chief resident at UVM last year, and was starting his Pulmonary/Critical Care fellowship. Seeing them all would be a balm for my homesickness, a little taste of my beloved Vermont.
It was hot today, and I welcomed the headwind. 25 miles of the route was on the dirt Great River Park State Trail, reminiscent of the Erie Canalway, beautiful but slow. So I made it in to La Crosse just in time to reach the bike shop before it closed. The staff there was so helpful in showing me good rides through the Driftless Region, to keep me occupied for the next few days.
Darren recommended a great local bar, the Recovery Room. Alas they were out of their trademark cheese curds, but I had wings to die for before scaling the hill to the house. I was such a sweaty mess I called a “cool-down buddy” (Annie Reading, actually, my last familiar face) to talk with while I rested in the shade to become presentable before availing myself of their hospitality.
Distance 56 miles, 3,075 total. Time 8 hours with stops. Elevation gain 637 feet.
©️ 2021 Scott Luria
The Ends of the Earth 