After touring the flour mill we drove to Alma, Wisconsin where we were able to observe Lock and Dam #4 in operation. At first we got to see lots of small pleasure boats going through the locks to get around the dam. After they finished they had a very large grouping of barges that were stacked up waiting to go through the locks. The barges were grouped 3 across and there was 5 in each line. They could not get them all through at one time so the tug pushed in the entire group as far they would go, then they disconnected the barges between the 3rd and 4th rows and the tug pulled the back barges out. Once the lock was full they opened the gates at the other end and attached a heavy wire to one of the cleats on the side of the first barge and that was attached to a machine which then pulled the barges forward. They had enough momentum that they were able to get past the lock gates where they stopped. They then shut the gates reversed the water and opened up back by the other barges to start them through the process.
Boats exiting the lock
Boat entering lock
Barges entering lock
Barges in the middle of lock
Barges as they get close to us
Barges as they get close to lock gate
As the water goes up in the lock you can see the barges that are still outside the lock at the lower level.
Barges going up as the water fills the lock
To get over to the viewing area you have to go up and over a railroad track so we got a chance to look down on the top of passing trains.
Train that we crossed to get to locks
After leaving Alma Bruce decided to take the scenic route back. It was shorter in terms of miles but took much longer as you had to wander through miles and miles of farm land, I am sure we even drove through the middle of some farms. The fields were beautiful and we even saw a big buck on one of the fields. We did not seem to bother him, Bruce had to actually make a noise to get him to turn towards us.
Fields on drive back
Buck