Trails

Yesterday I was reminded of what a beautiful state we live in when I biked from Sparta to Kendall on the Elroy-Sparta Trail. I especially like the trail system because the grade is never more than 3 percent. Even if you aren't in shape, trust me, you can bike a long ways at that grade. The Elroy-Sparta Trail runs through beautiful countryside--hills, forests, hidden valleys. Some peacocks almost scared us off our bikes. We enjoyed the surreal experience of walking through the three train tunnels in the pitch dark and dripping wet. In places the trail was crowded with couples, families, kids, and a few more competitive bikers. We made the obligatory lunch stop at Gina's Pies are Square in Wilton. (We recommend the peach pie.) It was an idyllic day.

My only sadness was in the distance we had to travel to get to the trails. While I enjoyed the scenery, I wished we could access it more quickly and with less fossil fuel use. I encourage everyone to enjoy the trail system we do have here in Marshfield and to support efforts to extend it. Trails provide us all with healthy and safe means to enjoying the outdoors.