Trans-WI to TUPeR: The Route

I've been interested in off-road touring ever since I started pondering the scenic back-roads and trails we were missing on our X-USA honeymoon tour in 2002.  Since then 29er mountain bikes have become mainstream, bringing lots of solid parts for bikes with 700c wheels, "bikepacking" routes have been developed including the famous Kokopelli Trail, and even across states like Arizona, Utah and Colorado and a major bike brand, Salsa even developed a bike built specifically for off-road touring, the Fargo.  Sounds like fun, but I'd hate to have to drive or fly 1500 mile for such an adventure.

So I was intrigued last spring, when I began hearing word about a Trans-Wisconsin bike race being put on.  Since the race was in mid-June, the busiest time of year for my business, there was no way I could participate, but I followed the pre-race info and trip reports with interest.  So when I figured out how to take a couple weeks off here in late summer of 2011, trying out the Trans-Wisconsin route was the first idea I had for something to do with my free time.  So tonight Carol and I will be getting a ride to Yellowstone Lake State Park, and from there we'll head out on a bike ride along the route below.  Carol will ride along with me for 2 days, and then turn back towards home so that she can get back to reality and her job on Monday:


TWMBT, Trans Wisconsin Mountain Bike Trail, now official at EveryTrail


Once I get to the northern edge of the state, I'm going to head east, across much of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and across the Straits of Mackinac, and down the western shore of Michigan, where I will meet Carol at her parents place just north of Traverse City.  I can't quite figure out how to imbed the link to this one, so you'll just have to follow this link below to see he MI part of the route.


Should be a good time.  Now I'm off to do some last minute preparations... but shortly I'll have some photos posted of my bike set-up.