CannonTracks - South of Wabeno DS Ride (WI) (Also Chute Pond Version)

FYI. If you need premium grade fuel for your bike, the gas stop in Crooked Lake only offers regular (bring 5-Hour Energy bottles filled with octane booster). And they are closed Mondays with no pay at the pump. You can run Hwy "W" 8-9 miles East OR West from the Crooked Lake gas stop ("W" & Parkway or Mountain @ "32") to find premium and pay at the pump 24/7. (All three owned by the same people )


And for those who would like to ride out or camp from the S.E. end of this track PM me. I know of some groomed spots in the forest with fire rings or could point you to some camp grounds and/or secure parking.

Also got a garage full of tools, a truck, and some bike parts if needed. PM ahead of time for an emergency contact number.

Looks like fun, thanks!

Anyone riding this solo today?

Past a dude on a new looking KTM wearing new looking gear (or at least clean), somewheres between Crooked Lake and Waubee Lake. I was out trying to get lost, and probably crossed Cannon's track a few times.

I dang near stopped. Looked like he dang near stopped. I thought about pulling a U-turn and running him down.... But he was on a KTM, and I'd never catch him on a Yamaha .

Would anyone be interested in doing this ride this weekend?

I'm a little new to the avd dual sport thing (1 year) and usually ride alone, but as Cannon says this ride should not be done solo.

I've been to the last 2 CADVR rallies, last 2 Wabeno rides, Leaf River this spring and numerous trips to Black River Falls (on the trails and single track). My riding skills are fair (translation: no speed demon, I've been known to tip over, but up for the challenge).

Have GPS and the track (thanks Bryan, all you do for the community is greatly appreciiated) and no fear of following the route.

Looks like a nice campground just north of Wabeno with full sites and cabins, showers and and all the rest. Have not checked on availability yet though.

Chime in if interested.

That blue loop looks promising, I'll have to check it out this weekend.

Cannon, you say the blue loop is "sporty", does that mean gravel roads?

Should be a lot of fun after all the rain they just got.

Hi Bryan & others,

Here's a ride report. My son and I rode part of this map last weekend. We started in Wabeno and took the red track East/South to Crooked Lake. It was amazing! Everything was open, in good shape, and we didn't do any bypasses that I recall. The fall colors were beautiful. There were some wet spots and large puddles, but nothing that gave us problems. One puddle was so large with high edges we opted to drive around it by bushwhacking in the woods, but no big deal. Another puddle we came across had a STUCK four-wheeler (not kidding). By the time we arrived his buddy was pulling him back using a winch on his own ATV. We waited in case they needed help but all was good, so we took the well-trodden trail that went around the puddle.

We stopped at Crooked Lake for a break and lunch. It took us about two hours to get there from Wabeno. After leaving Crooked Lake the trail (pink trail heading NW back to Wabeno) had down trees blocking our path. We got around a couple until we ran into several in one place and no easy way around. And looking further down the trail I could see others. We had to turn back since it would have been a herculean effort to get around them and no guarantee we wouldn't run into more and more.

With my GPS it was easy enough to pick up the trail at the next road crossing. It was starting to rain as well so we didn't mind cutting the ride short. At one point, we bypassed that southeast section that goes out of our way, and some of the remaining ride was on the road.

But I have to say the quality of this route was incredible. It had a nice mix of two-track, gravel, road, sand, and dirt. It was essentially the same high quality path the Wisconsin Dual Sport event puts on, but you can do this entirely on your own anytime you like! I look forward to riding some of your other routes, Bryan!



The first segment from Wabeno to gas in Crooked Lake is about 63 miles. There are two potential closures on this segment. The first is indicated by the yellow go-around and shows that a side loop is only open in the fall. The second go-around has to do with a temporary closure on a popular rugged 4WD path called "The Pipeline". This segment normally opens on 1 June but is temporarily closed until some repairs can be made. As a side note, I wouldn't ride into any water holes on the 4WD path as you may find they are very deep.

On the way to Crooked Lake, you will be routed onto an ATV trail in the National Forest. Normally motorcycles are not allowed on this county ATV trail, but in the National Forest the trail is a road on the MVUM that is open to dual sport motorcycles so these is no problem with using the trail included on this track.



Once at Crooked Lake, get gas and then decide if you want to take the blue loop south of Crooked Lake. If it is early in the day, go for it. If it is late, you can by-pass it and head back toward Wabeno. The blue loop is about 43 miles long and can be a sporty ride.



Once back in Crooked Lake, top off and head back to Wabeno on the third segment which is 47 miles long. There is also a seasonal go-around (yellow) on this route. The dates are listed and the main segment that is by-passed is open in the fall. Note that you will again be routed onto an ATV trail that is a forest road as described earlier. Once you get to Forest County, you are allowed to ride on the multi-use rail road grade trail that goes back to Wabeno. We recently were able to get permission for dual sport motorcycles to use the Forest County portion of this State trail.



The above loop is my favorite of the two. The people that have test ridden the path found it to be a challenge and a blast.

The second loop is better for a shorter day. It runs about 130 miles with gas at 62 and 67 miles.


This one has a little more road on it because in some spots there were few alternatives. As before, the return trip on the railroad grade trail in Forest County is open to dual sports as long as the trail is open (probably opens in May).



The motocross track is private and not part of this loop.



Have fun but exercise due caution. Don't ride this alone as there are some pretty dim spots along the route where people seldom go.[/QUOTE]

Do sections of these tracks require the Wisconsin OHM permit?