This is, I guess, the 5th Triples Rally I’ve been to. And I never even made it with a Triple. The first time was in 2003, and that was my first big trip on a bike. It was unbelievably cool to hit the cow roads of western Wisconsin. A little gravel here and there, but it definitely got me hooked.

In 2004 Greg and I hit it again, this time in West Salem, where it has been since.

Alas, I seem to have not put up pictures in the intervening years, but I’m pretty damn sure I’ve not missed one since… the last two with Tim.

This year, I actually planned the route for Saturday’s group ride; quite an honor!

Google Maps version is here and a better hard-copy version (constructed from the Wisconsin Gazetteer) is here. I ended up modifying this route… we ran a great road at the beginning that we’d hit coming in (and loved), and then on the south leg we ended up hitting gravel and had to detour south.

This, to the best of my knowledge, is the route we actually took on Saturday.

I was damn nervous to make sure we didn’t do anything too gnarly (sadly, a year before I first hit the NCR, someone actually died), but really wanted to show off the incredible scenery and roads in the Driftless Area up southeast of La Crosse. I think it turned out pretty well, despite the unbelievable heat (in the mid 90’s each day).

Holy crap… I’m not sure if this was a bug or a frickin’ hummingbird, but look at the bloody pulp he left on my helmet on the way home.

I didn’t take many pictures this year, but here’s what I have: