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Driftin' - June 10-13, 2021


Mike

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John Ranalletta
38 minutes ago, Mike said:

That would be a great addition! Don’t put yourself out if it’s a problem, but I’m sure it would be appreciated by the Drifters. 


I’ll pm my address for samples.  

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Tentatively in.

Where would be a convenient place to fly my wife in?  She doesn't have the vacation time, nor the desire to ride that far. (About 4000 miles round trip)

 

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Glad to hear that! The closest regional airport is Dubuque, IA, about 60 miles. Madison, WI ( I believe they refer to it as Dane County) is around 100 miles. Both have some commercial flights, but it would be a regional carrier. If she’s more the type to want to go in and out of a larger airport, both Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago O’Hare are roughly equidistant, just a bit over 200 miles. 

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On 11/12/2019 at 7:57 AM, Mike said:

Glad to hear that! The closest regional airport is Dubuque, IA, about 60 miles. Madison, WI ( I believe they refer to it as Dane County) is around 100 miles. Both have some commercial flights, but it would be a regional carrier. If she’s more the type to want to go in and out of a larger airport, both Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago O’Hare are roughly equidistant, just a bit over 200 miles. 

Mike...don't forget Lacrosse.  About 60 miles or so.  American connects out of Chicago and Delta out of Minneapolis.  Hope to make the event!  A short ride for me since I am just up the river from you.

 

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2 hours ago, jeddy said:

Mike...don't forget Lacrosse.  About 60 miles or so.  American connects out of Chicago and Delta out of Minneapolis.  Hope to make the event!  A short ride for me since I am just up the river from you.

 

Thanks! That would be a good option. I haven’t been to the airport, but La Crosse is roughly an hour away. 

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On 9/4/2019 at 9:18 AM, Mike said:

As long as I’m inundating everyone with information about the area, this documentary gives a good overview: Mysteries of the Driftless

I'm among those who had no idea that the Driftless existed or what it was.  The video cleared that up pretty well.  Effigy mounds were the biggest surprise for me.  Once upon a time I was a young west coast musician, who traveled the U.S.  While on the road I worked at a nightclub/restaurant called Fanny Hill in Eu Claire a couple of times.  I wish I had known how close I was to this geological treasure.. 

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On 11/23/2019 at 11:58 AM, RPondaRoad said:

I'm among those who had no idea that the Driftless existed or what it was.  The video cleared that up pretty well.  Effigy mounds were the biggest surprise for me.  Once upon a time I was a young west coast musician, who traveled the U.S.  While on the road I worked at a nightclub/restaurant called Fanny Hill in Eu Claire a couple of times.  I wish I had known how close I was to this geological treasure.. 


It is an interesting area. Anyone coming from the flatlands that dominate the Midwest tends to be a bit surprised by the ridges and valleys that define the area. For those on two wheels, the unique geology has created a fantastic place for riding--thousands of miles of twisty roads that are, generally speaking, lightly traveled. The natural assets, ranging from miles and miles of spring-fed streams to the vast number of unique plant and animal species, adds to it all.
 

The effigy mounds are pretty fascinating as well...the alternate campsite, Wyalusing State Park, has a nice trail where you can see a fair number, and Effigy Mounds National Monument, an easy ride from our place, is even more impressive.

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  • 1 month later...

Now that we’re making the adjustment to writing “2020”on our checks, I wanted to remind you to pencil this into your calendars if you haven’t already done so. I’ll update the info guide that I’ve tossed together soon, but wanted to remind everyone that the hotels around these parts tend to get busy as summer approaches. As I mentioned, we have some free camping space at our cabin for those who are inclined to rough it a bit, and there’s a beautiful state park camping area not far away.

 

I’ve already received notes suggesting that folks are possibly riding in from both coasts. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I wanted to preview  couple of dual sport routes I asked my friend Dale Hoke (www.driftlessroadadventures.com) to put together for our June gathering. These are not overly challenging, for the most part simply incorporating some scenic gravel roads and, on the second route, a water crossing. 

 

Dale is making a couple of changes I requested, and these should be available in final form soon, but I wanted to share a preview. As you can tell from these overview maps, as well from the maps you can download from his website, the roads in the Driftless Zone are truly fantastic motorcycle roads. 

AEE9F89A-860B-4C7C-B913-1F2FBEDAE605.png

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Mitch—a renowned route planner—is also going to share some routes. He puts together some great trips, incorporating roadside attractions and excellent dining options. Watch for more here. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

As I mentioned above, I slipped Dale Hoke of Driftless Road Adventures a few bucks to come up with a couple of rides for those of you who like to get off paved roads. He came up with these two final routes, which he described as follows:

****

Here is a summary of the Day 1 route: 


Starts and ends at your house.  Hits most of the gravel roads I could find between your house and Blue River.  At Blue River the route crosses the river and goes to 5 Points before turning back towards your house.  There are some gravel roads on the way back but not as many.  When I could not find gravel roads, I tried to select smaller paved roads, so that the traffic is still very light.  It is ~180 miles and 5.5 hours of riding time.

 The Day 2 route is a little longer at 195 miles and 6.75 riding hours.  From your house I have the route running South the Cassville and crossing the ferry ($8 per bike).  We didn't talk about when your event is going to take place.  Hopefully the river will be down and the ferry will be active.  After the ferry, the route goes North toward Pike Peak State Park.  that is a good stopping point and has a good view of the River valley.  From there the road goes along the river and through Yellow River State Forest (fun!!) then towards Lansing.  But before Lansing the route turns West to hit a water crossing.  This crossing might be a problem if that water it too high.  I attempted it once and didn't make it but the water was high and I was 2 up.  After the water crossing, its back to Lansing to Mt. Hosner for more great views of the river.  Then cross back to Wisconsin and run the river road back to your place.  This route is longer obviously and ends up with a long stretch of pavement.  If you want, i can redo it to be shorter and not go to Lancing and/or the water crossing.  I can make is shorter and include more gravel if thats what you prefer.

 Day 2 obviously has a better description, but Day 1 is just as fun.  the riders will need to keep track of fuel, because after Blue River, fuel is a bit scarce, unless you get off of the route a bit.

***

These are not what you'd call heavy duty dual-sport routes, but they'll provide a nice alternative for you GS types who prefer to kick up a little dust.

Day 1 Final.PNG

Day 2 Final.PNG

Day 1.gpx Day 2.gpx

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  • 2 weeks later...
50 minutes ago, mnTwin said:

In  and booked a site at Wyalusing SP.

Excellent! You may be familiar with this, but there are some campsites on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi Valley that are pretty spectacular.

 

Wyalusing is a beautiful park. There's a very manageable trail of Indian mounds there, including a number of linear mounds and a bear mound. We're so fortunate to be near the park.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Uncertain times right now, but for those who are wondering, this event is still on. 

 

I am hopeful that circumstances by mid to late June will allow us to go forward. It’s a great area for riding, a beautiful little corner of mid-America. 

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Mike, too am hoping the worst is past by then. All depends on travel recommendations, motel accommodations, and a few other conditions. While it looks like I will miss my standard "V Strom Rally East" as it stands now, this might become something to shoot for! 

 

I am SURE I could use the distraction by then......

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Joe Frickin' Friday
6 hours ago, Mike said:

Uncertain times right now, but for those who are wondering, this event is still on. 

 

I am hopeful that circumstances by mid to late June will allow us to go forward. It’s a great area for riding, a beautiful little corner of mid-America. 

 

+1.  I've recently gotten through a list of chores around here, and now I'm building a variety of routes to showcase the best parts of the Driftless.  In one sense, this is easy - there really aren't any bad parts in the Driftless.  :grin:  I've been taking trips through this area for 15+ years, and have a pretty good  collection of pleasing rides and roads to choose from.  

 

Hoping we can all go outside and play together in a few months.  :wave:

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  • 1 month later...

Folks, I would appreciate your thoughts on whether we should go forward on June 11. Here’s the backdrop: Wisconsin is currently under an expansive lockdown until at least May 26, roughly two weeks before we’re supposed to kick off.the politicians are fighting this out, but the current state of affairs has all restaurants closed, most retail and service establishments closed, and most public facilities (like the state park where some are planning to camp) shuttered. 

 

On on the other hand, gas is cheap!

 

I know of at least a couple of folks who were planning to attend whose plans may be changed by their membership in the High Risk Club. S**t!” 

 

Please let me know your thoughts. If we don’t go on June 11, it’ll be a postponement, not a cancellation of the event. 

 

 

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Morning sir - 

 

I'd have to admit that the current work from home status is jeopardizing this event for me.  If we remain in lockdown through May, which seems likely given my employer's communications, I'd need at least 2 weeks to normalize the flow back in the office, probably more.    Then I'd have to bail, Tom Roe would openly weep, and that would be embarrassing.  It might be worth it to stay on schedule just to witness that, as there is little chance a thing like a global pandemic would prevent Tom from sullying your lawn.

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John Ranalletta
29 minutes ago, Mike said:

Folks, I would appreciate your thoughts on whether we should go forward on June 11. Here’s the backdrop: Wisconsin is currently under an expansive lockdown until at least May 26, roughly two weeks before we’re supposed to kick off.the politicians are fighting this out, but the current state of affairs has all restaurants closed, most retail and service establishments closed, and most public facilities (like the state park where some are planning to camp) shuttered. 

 

On on the other hand, gas is cheap!

 

I know of at least a couple of folks who were planning to attend whose plans may be changed by their membership in the High Risk Club. S**t!” 

 

Please let me know your thoughts. If we don’t go on June 11, it’ll be a postponement, not a cancellation of the event. 

 

 

 

 

Mike, if accommodations are not opened and operating by May 11, I'd vote to reschedule.  Some members might need more than 30 days to make plans; so, I'd yield the floor to them.

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4 hours ago, John Ranalletta said:

 

 

Mike, if accommodations are not opened and operating by May 11, I'd vote to reschedule.  Some members might need more than 30 days to make plans; so, I'd yield the floor to them.

Thanks, John. That’s the goal—to make the call on this not later than that date. Mitch, Steve and I have discussed this and want to ensure that we don’t pull a rabbit out of the hat at the last minute. There’s currently a legal fight going on between the Governor and the Legislature as to whether there’s any legal authority to extend the lockdown beyond May 12 (it's more complicated than that, but you get the idea).  I think that it will be clarified by the state Supreme Court before that date, but that some restrictions will still remain in place, even if the Gov loses.

 

It’s all a fluid, largely unpredictable situation at this point. And then there’s the question of whether folks who are at risk would still want to gather.

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John Ranalletta
10 minutes ago, Mike said:

Thanks, John. That’s the goal—to make the call on this not later than that date. Mitch, Steve and I have discussed this and want to ensure that we don’t pull a rabbit out of the hat a tree the last minute. There’s currently a legal fight going on between the Governor and the Legislature as to whether there’s any legal authority to extend the lockdown beyond May 12 (it's more complicated than that, but you get the idea).  I think that it will be clarified by the state Supreme Court before that date, but that some restrictions will still remain in place, even if the Gov loses.

 

It’s all a fluid, largely unpredictable situation at this point. And then there’s the question of whether folks who are at risk would still want to gather.

 

Thanks, Mike.  Even if we have it on schedule, how do we swill spirits, smoke cigars while wearing masks and yelling at each other at a proper social distance?

 

I'll bring 6' lengths of string for everyone.

 

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I had intentions of making this ride. But right now I have made zero plans. Which means I don't think I can commit to it. I can do things at the last minute. But I simply don't see things changing enough in time to do this. For me. Not a short trip and as bad as I hate to admit it, I am afraid of what I would be up against. I do not think the odds of getting Covid 19 are going down by then. Especially when you are on the road travelling. We moved our V Strom rally from mid May to October. I don't see ANY motorcycle trips where I am on the road for days until end of summer. If then. If this is postponed, I hope to keep it very high on my "list"!

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Due to circumstanses here at work it will be a last minute decision for me. I would only know a week or two ahead. That said my chances improve the later the date. 

 

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2 hours ago, realshelby said:

 I don't see ANY motorcycle trips where I am on the road for days until end of summer. If then. If this is postponed, I hope to keep it very high on my "list"!

 

Me too!  Would like to attend this event but see no extended trips until at least late August/September.

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I'm just too much of a scallywag to let this dissuade me, so I'm in for whatever goes down (it's way too close to the house to miss).

Pandemic = fewer LEO's and less traffic= prime Duc time.

 

I will however, weep openly and hysterically if Jake is not in attendance, so be ready for that.

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My bike is going in for new skins :) so I would be ready if things open up for June but I am only in illinois, I could do a drive by anytime. 

I have not left the state since the stay at home order went in effect and the weather it still hit or miss. 

I would be up for a wave and photos with masks sometime in may. 

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In Illi-noise we are locked down till the end of May.

 

I hope to be able to attend whenever it is. Time will tell.

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Very interested in attending.  June, July, August whatever... still will try to attend. Keep us posted Mike as to the new dates since June is slipping away it seems.

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Allen Faber
On 4/24/2020 at 6:40 AM, Mike said:

Folks, I would appreciate your thoughts on whether we should go forward on June 11. Here’s the backdrop: Wisconsin is currently under an expansive lockdown until at least May 26, roughly two weeks before we’re supposed to kick off.the politicians are fighting this out, but the current state of affairs has all restaurants closed, most retail and service establishments closed, and most public facilities (like the state park where some are planning to camp) shuttered. 

 

On on the other hand, gas is cheap!

 

I know of at least a couple of folks who were planning to attend whose plans may be changed by their membership in the High Risk Club. S**t!” 

 

Please let me know your thoughts. If we don’t go on June 11, it’ll be a postponement, not a cancellation of the event. 

 

 

Mike,

I'm thinking of likely not attending if you hold the event in June simply due to Covid 19. I just think there are too many unknowns at this time. But I'm definitely interested in your gathering in the future. I live in northern wisconsin except when I'm in Lake havasu city, AZ in the spring and fall. On another note I'm looking for enduro riding partners in arizona. There are a ton of trails out here and it's pretty easy to do physical distancing with 2-3 riders. So if anyone's interested give me a holler!

AL

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Dave_in_TX

I probably won't be attending. I'm currently in ICU with a fractured scapula and some fractured tired ribs. I don't think I'll be sufficiently recovered to make the trip from Texas. A deer ran into me this morning while I was out riding

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11 hours ago, Dave_in_TX said:

I probably won't be attending. I'm currently in ICU with a fractured scapula and some fractured tired ribs. I don't think I'll be sufficiently recovered to make the trip from Texas. A deer ran into me this morning while I was out riding

 

Whoa.  I fractured my scapula a few years ago during a particularly spectacular wakeboarding fall.  The Doc said "I usually never see this type of a fracture on the living."

 

Reassuring.  Good luck with your PT, if your ribs will let you do it.

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Sorry to hear about your injuries. I'm glad to hear that you can tell the story.

That is why I say the only place you should be able to see a deer is at the zoo.

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GANG, WE’RE MOVING THIS TO NEXT JUNE.

 

As much as it pains me to do this, it looks likely that the pandemonium pandemic currently impacting us will make it difficult to host the event next month.

 

So, the dates are now June 10-13, 2021. I’ll follow up with more information, but the basics remain the same—free, informal, fun.

 

My sincere apologies. I hate making this decision, but it seems the best. In the meanwhile, I will try to do a short-notice, even less formalized something here later this year. Keep your eyes open.

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