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The West Salem Dairy Days Classique

The West Salem Dairy Days Classique is the current version of the oldest tour in the area. Originally known as Le Coulee Classique, the current version is a moderately hard route with four medium climbs. What makes it challenging is the many rollers in the sand bottoms and valleys of the Black River valley. Unlike most of our routes, this ride starts outside of the city of La Crosse, but there’s a fine traihead for parking. As you head north from West Salem on low-traffic back roads, the forests change: they greadually shift from northern hardwoods to pines and other softwoods typical of the sandy areas north and east of the Driftless region. The many farms along the way mean you will see lots of cattle, and the ride gets its name from the yearly celebration of dairy farming held in West Salem. You return through the famous Mindoro cut, a popular route for motorcylists and bicyclists alike.

Route (27 miles)

Route (39 miles)

Route (66 miles)

Click for more images from June Dairy Days Classique on Flickr.