Northern Tier Day #25 Cascade, IA to Monona, IA
Northern Tier Day #25
June 14, 2019
Cascade, IA to Monona, IA 85 Miles
Ride Time 7:18
Tour Total 1999 Miles
I slept alright last night in the Cascade American Legion Park. There was a bright light overhead, and every time I woke up I thought it was morning. I ran my extension cord from a park utility pole to my tent so I could do office work last night and charge my devices. I looked at return flights, and did some catching up. Props to Michael Riscica for the notion to bring an extension cord on a bike tour.
The weather forecast called for 42mph wind today. At 4:30am the birds started chirping. There were maintenance workers in the park this morning, and I talked with one of them. He asked where I was going today, and after I gave him the lowdown he replied, “Manona’s a jaunt. You’ve got some hills.”
It was sunny with crisp cool air. The sky was bright and clear with wispy clouds. The gnats in the park were really bad and they’ve been nasty on the road. I wondered how all this rain would affect the insect population. It’ll probably increase it.
The landscape of eastern Iowa is like an orgy of sexy nudes. I love the sinuous lines. It’s great the way the road snakes through surrounding hills resembling hips, breasts, navels, and thighs. Because there aren’t any trees, one really gets a sense of the land's contours. There were ups and downs, and it was gentle and fun.
I stopped to take a picture of some cows and their eyes were instantly glued to me. They actually drifted from all over the corral to the fence where I was standing. I was definitely the most exciting moment of their day. I saw what I thought were rolled bales of hay, but were actually rolled bales of last season’s corn stalks. Ugh! Are they feeding that to the cows?
I was getting hot and wanted to take off my sweater but didn’t want to get eaten alive by gnats. I finally did the quick change. I enjoyed a tailwind this morning. Whenever I don’t complain about the wind in this journal, it means that it’s good.
I could see the two radio towers in Farley for miles. They were positioned on top of the largest hill in the area. When I got to the top, I realized that the town cemetery actually had the top spot. The towers' construction must have been an interesting town deliberation.
The strong wind was coming from the southwest, and I was traveling north, stair-stepping east and west. Sometimes I had a tailwind, and sometimes definitely not. In Farley I went to Casey’s where it was early enough to get an egg sandwich. I also got a Starbucks Frappuccino, an orange juice, and a pack of powdered donuts. I realized that it was a little extravagant.
I’ve seen a lot of Iowa flags in people’s front yards here. They’ve really stood out, as did the flags in Ohio. I don’t recall seeing other state flags during this tour. The wind was strong and from the south west. Lucky for me, I was headed north. This was awesome!
I encountered a sign outside of Farley that read 'Road Closed 11 Miles Ahead', but was confident that I was only going 6 miles before my turn off, so I decided to keep going. Two guys on motorcycles were right behind me and I could hear their conversation. They reached the same conclusion. County Road 513 had a concrete surface with a sharp drop off into gravel from the nonexistent shoulder.
For over a week now, I’ve been wearing my shoes without cinching the laces. I have draw strings, and last year I rode with them tight. I’ve found that a loose sandal-style reduces toe cramping, and possibly offers an escape option if I’m about to fall and can’t get out of my clips.
On Dyersville East Road I headed west and hit powerful crosswinds. The wind was strong today. I rode up a hill with a strong crosswind. I passed the 'Field of Dreams' movie filming site. I’d never seen the movie and felt no urge to stop. The route then took me back south riding into the wind for two miles.
The Saint Francis Xavier Basilica in Dyersville was huge and could be seen for miles. It is absolutely worthy of a pilgrimage. I continued west out of town into the crosswind. I’ve passed hundreds of dead birds on the road hit by cars. Most are red tipped black birds.
Just when I thought I couldn’t stand the crosswind any longer, I took a right on 300 Avenue heading west with the wind to my back for the next 10 miles. Wind is powerful. It can be abrasive or it can make you fly.
The town of Petersburg also had a large church. In fact, apparently it was the first consecrated church in Iowa. In Colesburg I stopped at the Hill Country Store where I ordered a cheeseburger, a chocolate chip cookie, and a Gatorade.
The curvy lines on the map indicated hills up ahead. I was riding with strong crosswinds. I had to ride with a tight grip on my handlebars. The wind could really toss me. Showers were in the forecast tomorrow.
I was riding on top of a ridge before coming down into Elkader. I could see northern terrain in the distance. I encountered a Down Hill Warning sign. I hit 35mph on the descent. I stopped at the town park in Elkport to use the restroom. An information board explained that I was in Clayton County Bluff Country.
The uphill county road coming out of Elkport was paved concrete grooved left-right instead of forward-back like this morning. There wasn’t much of a shoulder. I was on the River Bluffs Scenic Byway.
I witnessed a white tail hawk swooping through the air. I was on a steep uphill with a strong crosswind.
I’m getting used to my new finicky transmission, and need to shift slow and easy. With all these hills and the wind, I really need all my gears. At one point the wind almost blew me off the road. These conditions were for experienced cyclists only.
I took a right turn on State Highway 23 for the downhill and a tailwind. I crossed back over the Turkey River.
I stopped at Fast Trak where I purchased a triple bacon cheeseburger and a Gatorade. Afterwards I had a long uphill. I was able to stay in my middle front chain ring all the way up the hill. The wind was to my tail, but the bugs could keep up with me. It began to drizzle.
I had a 12 foot wide shoulder on Highway 13, but it didn’t last. It was raining in Farmersburg so I stopped at JR‘s bar and grill. I enjoyed numerous Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss beers until and well after the rain stopped. I had great conversations with the bartender and fellow patrons.
I met and talked with a local contractor who was rebuilding Gateway park in Monona. He told me I could stealth camp behind the construction or at his lumberyard.
Knowing that I was from Brooklyn, he mentioned the local Iowa Hasidic Jewish population. Ugh. Several years ago I read a book about them. I figured that since we were talking religion, I could venture into politics. He was a Trump supporter. He voted twice for Obama but couldn’t go with Hillary. He would’ve voted for Bernie.
The rain and the wind were gone when I left the bar. I rode 6 miles to Monona, where I went straight to MJ’s Bar & Grill. I ordered a Singlespeed Gable, in celebration of Iowan Dan Gables’s 1972 Olympic triumph. In addition I ordered a cheeseburger and fries.
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