All we had scheduled for today was ride on the Elroy-Sparta Trail. Mary and I had biked on the trail before so we kind of had an idea of what to expect. So after breakfast, we drove to Norwalk to catch the trail.
The Elroy-Sparta trail is touted to be one of the first rail to trails in the country. It’s 32 miles long and has three long tunnels. Built in 1873 it had a 3% grade which proved to be too much for long trains so a helper engine was used to get through the tunnels and over the hills. Eventually the line was replaced with an easier route and it was shut down in 1964. The rails and ties were removed and in 1965, the rights were sold to the Wisconsin Conservation Department and it was converted to a walking trail. Later, improvements were made to allow for bikers and snowmobiles. An estimated 60,000 now use the trail each year.
At the Norwalk trailhead, we unloaded the bikes. This was a state trail so we paid for our day pass by putting the money in an envelope and dropping in the collection tube and we were off heading north west towards Tunnel #3.
We climbed that 3% grade for a couple of miles and were getting close to the tunnel.
What is a Stone Flume? Glad you asked. It is a drainage ‘canal’ to drain water away from the tunnel.
Using our bike headlights, we walked our bikes and hiked through the tunnel. Once inside it seemed about 15 degrees cooler and the rain started. Yes, rain. The ceiling constantly leaked ground water from above and there were number of small ‘waterfalls’ coming from the side walls. If you go on a day like we did, expect to get a little wet.
Once through the tunnel, we pedaled another mile or so on the trail then turned around and went back through. Our plan was to ride back down to Norwalk then head south east to Tunnel #2.
More facts about the structure.The ride back down to Norwalk was an easy coast thanks to that 3% grade that earlier in the day was a nuisance. The only catch was we knew we were in for another climb to #2.
A few miles of pedaling and we were at the next tunnel. This one was a little shorter but it seemed much more wet and muddy.
Even more facts.This was quite the waterfall. There were channels on either side of the path to channel the water away and out of the tunnel but this entrance was plugged up because of sediment and dirt. I can’t imagine how much water flows through when it actually rains outside.
The walk through didn’t take us nearly as long.
We turned around and went back through the structure and headed down the hill back towards Norwalk.
We saw this sign on the trail and were kind of puzzled. Our best guess is a groomer is someone with a horse whether that’s horseback or with a carriage. There is an Amish population in the area.
Once back at the van, we loaded up. We’d only traveled a little over eight miles but a third of that was ‘spelunking’ in the tunnels. All in all it was a very enjoyable outing. We were a little muddy so cleaned up a little and drove to Sparta WI.
We found Franklin Coffee House in Sparta. The coffee was really good but they did not have a lunch menu and we were hungry.
Taking a recommendation from the coffee shop, we walked just a few doors down Ginny’s Cupboard. They had indoor seating but also a lot of outdoor tables.
It was time to get back to home base. Mary and our host had an appointment to do their nails. They drove to Tomah to visit Mimi’s Nails & Spa. Mary highly recommends Mimi’s. David will take her word for it.
On the way back the pedicure excursion stopped at Twin Peaks Ice Cream. This is a converted farmhouse in the middle of nowhere but is the place to go for the best ice cream and treats. This place even had a drive through window! They had the “Muddy Boots” ice cream cone – chocolate covered peanuts and caramel swirl in chocolate malt ice cream.
That evening for supper, we all climbed into a road-worthy 4×4 and headed to The Hillsboro Brewing Company. It was about 10 miles away so the ride through the hills wasn’t boring. The 4×4 has seat belts, a radio, lights and a heater so we were good to go.
Actually the ride to Hillsboro was a lot of fun and we got a close parking place to boot.
This is a pretty large place with plenty of seating and even an area for wedding receptions.
I had the mushroom burger. They have a full menu of craft and home brewed beers. We were there on a Thursday and it was a little busy for a while. But the service was good and the food excellent.
After our meal we had a smooth ride home and made plans for our last few days in Wisconsin.
Interesting adventure! Do you think they might groom the trails during the winter for x-country skiing or snowmobling and that may be the Groomer reference?
I’ll upvote that response.