Beth McConnell
snow treads, I assume
Today's image is titled snow treads, I assume... was photographed by Beth McConnell.
December snows haven't put a damper on the bowler-capped glory of "Big" Ben Bikin', a 32-foot tall fiberglass statue of a Victorian velocipedist riding a penny-farthing that's located at the intersection of Hwy. 16 and Water Street in Sparta, Wisconsin. Proclaiming itself as the "Bicycling Capital of the World," the small town located just to the west of Fort McCoy is a well-traveled rest stop, at least during the warmer months of the year, for bicyclists on the , the latter renowned for its tunnels originally constructed as part of the Chicago & Northwestern train bed.
"If riding the entire 32 miles a biker will pass through three old train tunnels, two of which are 1/4 mile long; the third is 1/2 mile long (and is creepy in the best exhilarating ways)," notes McConnell in the caption to the photo. "The third has an especially chilly belly and is best explored if you keep a jacket and a flashlight in your pannier."
Both trails remain open in the winter for snowmobiles, connecting to more than 269 miles of travel options across Monroe County. More information about snowmobiling in Wisconsin is provided by the DNR.
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