18 May 2012

The Caterpiller Cha-cha

#166

30 miles today on the American River Bike Trail

I did not head out as soon as I had planned today, so the end of my ride was rather warm and I got slower and slower and sloooooooower. I seemed to have eaten enough (today's snacks were Nature Valley Granola bars (4 total) and an orange. 2 bottles of water and one of electrolytes. I had a wonderful tuna melt and a green salad and a gingersnap at Karen's Bakery Cafe after my ride.

These little guys were out EVERYWHERE. I zigged and zagged and mostly managed not not run any over.


I wonder if today was a furlough Friday (the state offices are closed two (I think) Fridays a month) because there were quite a few people out today.

I saw one group of cyclists at William Pond (my turnaround point today) and it took me a bit to notice that they were all signing. So even non-verbally-communicating cyclists talk up a storm at rest stops.

I tried out a little mini battery powered speaker for my ipod. It worked out well.
(I prefer not to ride with earbuds in. I can't hear enough of my surroundings and they are pretty uncomfortable.)
I strapped the speaker to the back of my headrest supports, facing forward. It was loud enough to hear when I was moving slowly, when I was most in need of entertainment, and basically inaudible at 15mph or faster, when I needed to by paying attention to the trail, anyway. And not loud enough to bother others, I hope.

I finally noticed ONE bike path sign, way way up on a post where no bicyclist I know would look. Good try anyway.

And the official name of the trail is the South Lake Natoma bike trail, which nobody uses anyway.

I stopped at Hagen Park (one of many stops today) and inadvertently disturbed a duck and her ducklings. I wish I had had a video camera running, because the ducklings each tumbling over into the pond was, dare I say, cute.


Duck and -lings pre-tumble


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