Dubuque to New Buffalo

The Adventure Begins

This is my first bikepacking trip. The plan is for a seven-day adventure from Dubuque, IA to New Buffalo, MI. The first five days are self-supported. The last two days I will be joining up with Le Tour de Shore, a 100-mile ride from downtown Chicago to New Buffalo, MI.

I first rode in Le Tour de Shore in 2021. One of my daughters lived in the Lake View neighborhood of Chicago near the Lakefront Trail. I rode to her house the day before, and then rode to Indiana Dunes and New Buffalo with the tour for a three day, three state ride.

In 2022, I decided to start in Genoa City, Wisconsin and make it a four day, four state ride. It was only a quarter-mile into Wisconsin, and we only go a few miles into Michigan, but it sounds (and feels) more impressive as four states over four days.

I don't consider either of the first two tours to be true bikepacking trips. I stayed in homes or hotels each night and only hauled what I needed for the days' rides and a change of clothes in a Topeak MTX TrunkBag.

This year, I decided to start in Dubuque and make it a seven-day, five state ride. Three nights will be in homes and three nights are self-supported camping. The route essentially follows the northern segments of the Grand Illinois Trail, except that I deferred to Ride with GPS to hopefully provide the safest route.

I now have four Ortlieb panniers, two Fork-Packs up front and two Sport-Roller Plus in the back. My sleep system (tent, quilt, pad, etc.) fits in a 31L Rack Pack that clips in on top of the rear panniers. These are collectively very small panniers. The approach was intentional to keep weight down and force me to not bring things I don't really need. We'll see if I chose wisely.

Dubuque to Galena Territory

Day 1: 33 miles, 2,600 feet of elevation gain. I averaged a little over 10 MPH, which seems good for the elevation included. Weather was challenging. It was very cool (mid to upper 50s, cloudy) and a strong northeast wind (20+). Most of the ride wasn't into the wind, but there were moments.

An observation: As a flatlander, I didn't know how to judge the hills in terms of effort. My guideline now is, assume each 1,000 feet of elevation is equivalent to an extra 5 miles of distance if it was flat terrain. Calorie-wise, it's a pretty fair assessment. Effort-wise, it may be underestimating, but it certainly helps, Meaning today felt more like 45-50 miles rather than 33.

Important notes: Layering works. You need a base layer, you need another layer, you need a windbreaker layer. Thank God for merino wool. It gets wet, but it doesn't get cold, and it wicks quickly. It's expensive, but worth it. The only thing that got cold today was my ears.

There weren't any special stops along the way today. It was short enough that I just rode from start to finish with stops for snacks I was carrying along the way.

Things to watch out for:

It's not obvious how to get onto Route 20 in Dubuque. Best suggestion is to look for the Burger King just south of the Route 20 bridge. That puts you on the right side of the road.

The hills are challenging. Practically speaking, I walked anything over 5% grade (three hills). Anything below that I was able to pedal up. I ultimately found a good rhythm for the hills. No sprints, no hurry, just ride like you're going to be at it all day and get it done.

My GPS lied to me. It sent me down a road that came to a No Trespassing sign. Three-mile detour to get back to where I needed to be and an extra 500+ feet of elevation to go with it. I need to always compare Google and RideWithGPS / Garmin to make sure they all agree on the best path to take.

The route was mostly very light traffic. The least friendly part was Stagecoach Trail. The "shoulder" is deep loose gravel, and there were several occasions where there were cars coming in both directions and I had to move onto the shoulder to feel safe.

Otherwise, several of the views are breathtaking, with many miles of farms and rolling hills. A nice ride!

Galena Territory to Seward Bluffs

Day 2: 71 miles, 3,600 feet of elevation gain. I averaged almost 12 MPH, which was really good considering the elevation gain. Weather was sunny with a high in the upper 60s and a strong wind over my left shoulder.

The climb out of Galena territory was brutal. I walked three hills that were over 6% grade and rode the rest.

My favorite part of the ride was the Jane Addams Trail south into Freeport. It's a nice dirt and gravel two track for most of the part I was on, and it's an old rail trail, so nice and flat.

My least favorite parts were the climb, the distance, and the lack of water or anything else before Freeport. I stopped at a BP gas station and got a cheeseburger in Freeport. That was about it. It was a surprisingly good cheeseburger, or I was just really hungry.

I camped in Seward Bluffs Forest Preserve. It was very quiet. maybe five to ten families in the whole campground. Not much in the way of amenities. An outhouse and some water spigots here and there. But it was good for a night and close to where I needed a stop.

The rain held off until I was able to finish making dinner. We had rain for the rest of the evening and some overnight.

Seward Bluffs to Genoa City

Day 3: 75 miles, 2,000 feet of elevation gain. It looked like it was going to rain when I got up, but it held off and cleared for a while. But it started coming down by 11:30 and rained for the rest of the day. The theme for the day was "Embrace the suck!" Wind from the northwest and totally soaked by the end of the ride.

They say there's no bad weather, only bad clothing. I'll disagree. There is bad weather, but good clothing makes it tolerable. While I was soaked, I wasn't cold at all. The biggest challenge was having to remove my visor to see the GPS.

There were really nice parts of the ride today. The Pecatonica Trail is a nice gravel path. The river trails in Rockford aren't contiguous, but are very pretty when they are there. The trail from Rockford to Rock Cut State Park is gorgeous. The Long Prairie Trail is nice. The Hebron Trail needs work along the train tracks, but the rest is okay.

The parts between the trails were fairly light traffic-wise, so from that perspective it's a good route. But I'm kind of done with long straight country roads for awhile. I'm glad tomorrow is all trails.

I want to highly recommend the Broken Spoke in Genoa City. Food was excellent, Spotted Cow on tap, good music and excellent service. Stop in if you are in the area.

The only things to watch out for are to fill up (food and water) in Rockford. There really wasn't anything after that until Hebron. And Rock Cut State Park's south road was under construction. Harlem Road was a good alternative.

Genoa City to Palatine

Day 4: 51 miles, 1,100 feet of elevation gain. Weather was cool to start, but warmed up enough for a long sleeve jersey and shorts by the time I departed. It was a slow start today. I didn't get on the road until almost 9 a.m. It was also a slow day in general. I had a real energy deficit going.

I pretty much ate all day long. Breakfast before I started. Snack 10 miles in. Multiple snacks (basically grazing) 20 miles in. Stopped for a big lunch 30 miles in. Got to the end and had dinner, twice. And I just finished with a late-night snack. If you're going to do long rides over multiple days, plan your food and count your calories. I wasn't really hungry until today, but I should have been eating more all along.

This is one of my favorite rides. The first 8 miles are gravel, but quite pretty. Last year I saw a coyote cross my path. This year it was a deer. Once you get to McHenry, the path is paved all the way to Elgin, and then on to Palatine. There are several rest stops along the way north of Crystal Lake. From Crystal Lake to Elgin, there are water stops as well. Then a quick 16 miles or so east to Palatine.

While I was riding today, I was struck by how much more we are capable of than what we typically expect of ourselves. As I rode past farm after farm, I was reminded of the Europeans who settled in Northern Illinois. They came by sailing ship, and then horseback and covered wagon. Some of them walked. They endured hardships, worked the land, and built their farms. They worked harder than many of us ever do, but most of us are still capable of that effort if we set our minds to it.

Riding 230 miles in four days makes you think about what you can accomplish if you want to.

Things to watch for:

Depending on the time of year and water level, the views of the Fox River can be very nice from Algonquin to Elgin. South End Park in West Dundee is one of my favorites. There's also a bridge under I 90 with a park to the west, and several nice parks on the east side along the river.

D.C. Cobbs in East Dundee has good food. I've stopped there several times and never been disappointed.

Things to watch out for:

There are serious hills just north of Crystal Lake. I walked all three of them today. Between my low energy level and the extra weight of the overnight packs, pedaling wasn't an option. I also walked up the hill from the river in Elgin. Sometimes, you have to focus on getting to the end rather than how you get to the end.

Make sure you go through the neighborhood in Hoffman Estates (just east of Elgin) rather than going down Shoe Factory Road. Shoe Factory is busy, there's no shoulder, and the drivers typically aren't bike-friendly.

There is no water on trail from Elgin to Palatine. But there is a hotel about half way, between the two forest preserves. I've stopped there for water when necessary. There is also the Assembly Bar and Cafe on Barrington Road, which is a convenient bike stop if you're hungry or thirsty.

Palatine to Winnetka

Day 5: 30 miles, 350 feet of elevation gain. This was an easy day / rest day. I left in late afternoon and arrived just after sunset. Weather was cool/cold with a strong northeast wind off the lake. I dressed for the temperature, but underestimated the wind chill and had to stop and add an extra layer before turning north.

There are several ways to head east from Palatine. The one I've found I like the best is to go over to Rolling Meadows High School and then down White Oak and Lincoln and then zig zag south and east until you get to Algonquin Rd. Then there are bike lanes that will take you to the Des Plaines River Trail.

If you head south on the Des Plaines River Trail and then take Sibley and Howard Street, you can follow bike lanes to the North Branch Trail and go north to Winnetka (and beyond) or south and east to Chicago and the lakefront. The North Branch Trail is amazing, and one of my two favorite trails in the Chicago area. The other would be in the Oak Brook area on the way to Brookfield Zoo.

Things to watch for:

Wildlife. I had never been on this trail in the evening. I saw at least two dozen deer, some within just a few feet of the bike trail.

Things to watch out for:

Traffic between the two forest preserves. This ride wasn't too bad, but in the past I almost got run over on Howard at Milwaukee and Harlem by someone turning left across the bike lane.

Winnetka to Indiana Dunes

Day 6: 81 miles. 950 feet of elevation gain. The longest day of the trip, but also the flattest. We stayed essentially along the lakefront for the entire journey. Weather was cool with a strong northeast wind. The lake was angry, with 8-10 foot waves crashing against the breakwater.

I got started around 6:15 and made it downtown by 8 a.m. The Green Bay Trail is good, but you have to pay attention to your GPS, as there are frequent side street detours to stay on trail. South of Golf Road, you pick up the North Shore Channel Trail. The trail seems like it would be good under normal circumstances, but most of it was under construction with several detours to the east or west part of the trail, depending on which side they chose to dig up.

I decided to take Lawrence Avenue all the way to the Lakefront Trail. I didn't know Lawrence was under construction, so the first mile was dealing with traffic and no bike lane. I had to pull off at least once, but it was manageable. When it's not under construction, this has been a good way to go.

The Lakefront Trail goes all the way to Indiana. Despite the waves and cold temperatures, there were actually people swimming in the lake this morning! This seemed like a, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should", but there they were.

I joined up with other Le Tour de Shore riders as I passed Millennium Park. Typically we end up in groups of 20 or so as different street crossings and lights bring us together. We had breakfast at Whiting Lakefront Park, with pancakes, sausage, and fruit.

Then we turned south and headed to Hammond before turning east on the Oak Savanna Trail. The Hammond part is a bit industrial, but otherwise fine. The Oak Savanna Trail is very pretty, and a typical midwest rail trail, fortunately with trees to block some of the wind. I had good clothing, but there were several riders underdressed for the cold temperatures and wind chill.

We had PB&J sandwiches for lunch in Griffith and stopped for a smoothie at Trailblazers Bike Barn in Hobart. The extra calories were enough to get me to the Village Tavern in Porter, where I think most of the tour riders stopped for a beer and snacks or a sandwich of some kind. Food was good and prices were cheap, at least by Chicago standards.

That left another almost five miles to the campground. I got in after 4 p.m. and set up the tent. We had wood-fired pizza, salad, and cookies for dinner, and then sat around a campfire. I turned in just as the last light of the day was fading. It was very quiet, but also extremely cool. Overnight temperatures were in the upper 40s. I changed or added layers three times overnight as the temperature dropped. 

Things to watch for:

The artwork / sculptures in the Skokie part of the North Shore Channel Trail are very interesting.

The lakefront views are stunning. I always stop and take pictures of the lake and the city as I'm coming in.

Definitely stop in at Trailblazers Bike Barn for a smoothie and stop at the Village Tavern in Porter for refreshments.

Things to watch out for:

The bike lanes and pedestrian lanes on the Lakefront Trail keep crossing. Sometimes they are separate, sometimes they are together. Somehow, I always end up on the wrong one somewhere along the way. Fortunately, this was early in the morning and I didn't get run over or yelled at this time. :-)

Some of the railroad crossings caused challenges for tour riders. People bunched up and stopped, and I saw at least one biker fall over because he couldn't get unclipped. I strongly recommend Magped magnetic clipless pedals. In a panic stop, your feet just automatically come off the pedals, no falling down.

Keep eating on long ride days. 4,000 calories is a lot of calories. Force yourself to eat more than than you think you need. You need it.

Indiana Dunes to New Buffalo

Day 7: 43 miles, 800 feet of elevation gain. Weather was still cool, but sunny today. We started out with French toast and fruit for breakfast and then hit the road.

Just east of Indiana Dunes State Park, I saw a sign for the Calumet Trail. I had read about them planning to pave the Calumet Trail and thought, why not? It's a gravel trail and I have a gravel bike. Let's go for it.

The first mile and a half were good. Course gravel, but manageable. I even got some trail magic. There were three turkey hens on the trail just ahead of me, with six small chicks. The hens went into the tall grass, and then after awhile three of the chicks did as well. The other three thought they would outrun me. After a little of this I decided to speed up so they wouldn't get too far away from momma. I learned that turkey chicks can fly! They took off and circled back toward the hens and I continued down the trail.

Shortly after the turkeys, I came to a few puddles in the trail. Not deep, but manageable. Now I'm probably two miles in, no way to go anywhere else, and the puddles get deep. At the deepest point, probably a foot deep, and puddle after puddle went on for quite awhile. I was impressed that the bike handled it extremely well. No slipping, no falling over or falling in, and no real problems other than wet feet and some sandy mud splashes here and there. My feet squished for another hour or so, but otherwise all was well.

We stopped for donuts and fruit / yogurt in Michigan City, then continued on to almost New Buffalo before turning east and heading to Three Oaks. The Three Oaks loop makes the tour just over 100 miles. Then we headed back to New Buffalo and had Redamak's burgers on the beach. A great way to end the ride!

Things to watch for:

Stunning views of the lake along the Indiana and Michigan shores.

Things to watch out for:

Don't take the Calumet Trail if there's been any rain in the last week. Don't take the Calumet Trail at all unless you have a real gravel or mountain bike and 42mm or wider tires.

The first day of Le Tour de Shore is mostly a trail day. The second day is mostly a road day. You'll feel more comfortable if you have a tail light for traffic. Also, don't try to stay on the side of the road and hope traffic passes you. You're actually safer in the lane than on the side. With a tail light, cars will see you. And you're in their way, so they have to navigate around you rather than passing you without trying to avoid you.

Epilogue

The seven-day adventure was 384 miles! I rode an extra 18 miles today to make it 402 miles in eight days. That's a record that will last six weeks, until RAGBRAI at the end of July.

The hills in the Galena area are still impressive. I should not have used up so much energy early in the trip trying to climb them so hard. When you are doing long distances, go for no pain. No pain is all gain. Otherwise, you end up with no power to climb hills later in the trip.

I really enjoyed the trail parts of the adventure. I saw deer and/or wild turkeys almost every day of the trip. I didn't enjoy the road parts as much. Even when the views are good, you can't relax and look at them without constantly checking your mirror.

I survived riding in the rain. I survived gravel riding through extended foot-deep water. I survived sleeping in a tent for three nights out of seven, with two of them cold and/or wet nights. I didn't eat enough. And I overestimated how far I can go when there's a lot of elevation gain.

I'm glad I did this trip. I learned a lot more of what I am capable of and what my limits are. I don't think I would do this trip again. Not that it wasn't good, because it was good. But it wasn't good enough to repeat, at least not the first half. I'll probably do Le Tour de Shore again. It's a nice ride, very pretty, and supports a good cause.

External Links

• Ride with GPS: Dubuque to New Buffalo
• Grand Illinois Trail
• North Branch Conservation Area
• Le Tour de Shore
• Indiana Dunes