Ken's story: Dairy Roubaix

BaseCamp athlete Ken Carl shared his experience at the 2025 Dairy Roubaix in Wisconsin.

This event reminded me of BaseCamp gravel camp. The setting is a Bible camp. Folks have the choice of tenting or staying in cabins with heat and cabins without heat. These bones like heat. I had bunk three lower. My roommate was a coffee Jedi who made us all wonderful pour-over cups to start our day. Thank you, Sam.

The location is deep in the Wisconsin driftless area. Folded landscape of steep short grinds and beautiful Midwest countryside.

Start time is self selected with 40, 71, and 101 choices. A community breakfast with folks riding out into a wonderful sunny April day.

I rode with my birthday buddy Rico. That young kid just turned 50. 9am start and just like Gravel Camo, the ride starts with a big climb. That folding landscape presented for our entertainment twenty 22 climbs, many with choice 12-18% grades. To put the FU in fun, the longest climb with multiple sections above 10% is climb 22.

On this day the gravel was gentle, the sun spirt warming, folks friendly, the roads clear of cars, and a special shoutout to Wonderstate Coffee in Viroqua Wisconsin. They treated all riders to the free espresso pictured below. After our halfway coffee break, we got our legs up to speed and brought it home with a smile.