WI; Great River Trail; Marshland to Brice Prairie (18.3 miles)

WI; Great River Trail; Marshland to Brice Prairie (18.3 miles)

I took the Univega and threw it in the van, after calling my friend, Buck, to go on a trip. We took two vehicles up to Marshland on the Mississippi River's edge where the trail begins in earnest after the route comes over the river from Winona, MN.  We left our pickup vehicle at Brice Prairie, Buck positing that he thinks it was about 14 miles.  We got on the trail at 2:00 p.m. which is common with Buck. It took an hour to get him out of his yard, 45 minutes to drive to the area, a half-hour to eat lunch, fifteen more minutes to get coffee and finally I got him to the trail's start.  After 6-miles, we rolled into Tremepleau, and he felt we needed a halftime Jack & Coke.  We went into the Muddy Waters bar and watched most of the first half of the Badgers-Northwestern football game, while he had 2 Jack & Cokes to my one. Then we rambled on, finding the trail simply gorgeous, with the fall leaves turning and many little trestles and scenic ponds right along the trail, which is built on an old railroad bed.  What we didn't realize was that we had twelve miles to go, not six.  We were pretty ready to see the van when we rolled up.  Buck has a cobalt knee he got put in this summer but it held up well and we were real satisfied with the ride.  2 hours and 2 minutes rolling time, not a race by any means but very fulfilling.