Riding Wisconsin MTB Trails-Paul Wojcik

My first stop was in La Crosse where Rock Solid trail building built a trail. They packed a ton of trails in a pretty tight area. I did just over 6 miles and had over 1000ft of elevation gain. There were some flow trails, a trail with a pretty sizable gap jump, some very extensive rock work done on a few sections(first picture) plus a bunch of Little rock gardens scattered here of there. There was one trail that was extremely tight to navigate up hill and would require hopping to ride it. It did have a decent over look of the surrounding area. I rode the upper Hixon Trails but there were still the lower ones which I did not get a chance to ride.

My next primary destination was up in the Chequamegon National Forest. There are over 300 miles of trails including Birkie Trails which are rideable during the summer and are groomed in the winter. I stayed at ROAM Adventure Basecamp and loved it! It was nice being able to take a hot shower after a long ride and even had a sauna for guests to use. They had running water and restrooms in one of the buildings and a couple of vaults scattered in the campgrounds. The campground is about a 20 min drive from Hayward which has plenty of food options as well as a grocery store, bikes shops and other shopping places.

My first day in Chequamegon I did just under 33 miles and 3500 ft of elevation. The trails there are a mix from flow, to technical to everything in between. I did the river pig log ride which is about 40 ft or so in length. It took me 2 tries but I made it. It gets fairly skinny at certain points but it isn’t too high off the ground. There were plenty of other log rides and lots of rock features from small to mediocre to try and challenge yourself on.

My 2nd day in Chequamegon I rode out to Esker Lake Trail Head and headed out to Rock Lake Loop. It is 13 miles long and fairly challenging. It most notably is known for a skinny bridge over the lake about 20ft long which I am glad I did not fall into riding over. I did panic as there was no warning coming up to it. There is a section on the trail called Wall Street that is a stone roll which drops down about 40 ft. Going down it I thought for sure I was going to punch flat but my bike held it together. The rest of the trail has plenty of rocks to ride over and around. It definitely beat my hands up a bit. I did stall over a rock but luckily was able to save my fall with pushing on a tree. On the way back to the campground, I rolled over some rocks but slammed by chain into it and bent it. Something that happened when I was starting to feel tired and fatigued. I went through 2.5 liters of water in my Camelbak, plus the 2 bottles on my bike plus a bottle of Gatorade as well other snacks. Ended up doing 44 miles and 3600ft of elevation. I had 6 tacos that night haha.

On the 3rd day of riding I took it a little easier and rode some of the trails that take you to Hayward. Some mix of flow, small rocks and plenty of zigging and zagging. They had some cool trail signs that you could ride through to know what you were entering. One of the the benefits of the area is the infrastructure that has gone into making trail experience nice. They had multiple water spots to get water and a few buildings which you can stop and get rest or use a restroom.

The trails in Chequamegon are for all users with riders not wanting to ride technical that can ride Birkie trails, plenty of miles of gravel or road to enjoy the woods and plethora of lakes in the area. Riders looking for a challenge can find that too whether in technical riding, climbing or fast descents. Looking at the elevation profile, you never go up super high but it seems like you were always climbing after a short descent.

On my way home I did stop by the Northern Wisconsin Veterans memorial to pay my respects for all the individuals who served so that we might be able to travel and enjoy the things/people we love!! Thanks for reading if you make it that far and hopefully someday you come and see the area!