Easter Weekend Rides

Happy Easter weekend and happy spring!

After what has felt like an unending winter, spring is finally here and with it, OUTSIDE bike rides!! :D

2 Rides were completed this weekend and these are their stories:

Ride 1 - the very first, before any others, never happened before today in 2014 - outside ride!

I was ready, the snow had finally melted, the sun was shining (of course the birds were singing) and the bike was chomping at the bit to get out of the house. Not sure of the weather - the weather widget was showing a cool 38 F -  I geared up with my workout shorts, long yoga pants, hiking socks, long sleeved thumb-hole shirt, sweatshirt, winter hat & gloves. Before I set off, I shed the hat & gloves as the sun was shining and it felt warmer than the weather widget had lead me to believe.

I didn't have a route in mind, I figured I'd just ride here and there until I got tired and then go home. I hit the road (or sidewalk as the case my be) and began to head towards the Spruce Grove Heritage Trail where it runs behind Grove Drive between Century and King Streets. I quickly decided to follow the trail west and then North across Grove and into the park. A quick loop around the park and I knew I needed to head to my favorite section of trail that winds through the woods between Grove, McLeod, Jennifer Heil, and Calahoo. Now if only I could remember exactly where the entrance was!

 

 You can see it took me a bit to get there, riding first north, then west and south, and then making a mis-turn and heading east before doubling back and finding my trail! In case there is any question, it is the wiggly trail at the west end of this map from Grove Drive up to where it turns east. THAT is my favorite section of trail. :D I rode for approx 45 minutes before realizing I was going to be late to Easter dinner. So, after a short 12.15 km, I was done. The bike bug has bit and I was already planning on a ride for Easter Sunday. 

Ride 2 - the ride that follows ride 1 but immediate precedes ride 3 & happened on Easter Sunday.

 The sky was looking a bit ominous as I walked the bike out of the house. It was colder today than yesterday as well. I used this as an excuse to wear my never before worn Nike Arm Warmers. Like the leg warmers of the 80's but made out of Nike dry-top material and WAAAAAAY cooler (also black rather than funky colors & not knit). See?

With a warning from Dug to "watch out for loose gravel", I was off! I knew I'd ride my favorite stretch of trail again today but I was also planning to visit the Jubilee Park area of Spruce Grove. When I last rode it in the fall, the housing development that was under construction offered smooth riding surfaces and interesting construction in progress. I wondered how it may have changed. I headed north and then east to find out. Arriving at Jubilee Park, I turned into the housing development at the end of the road. The first thing I noticed... MUD. Construction is alive and well with large vehicles dragging mud all over the roads. Time to kick it into 4x4 and go mudding! Oh, wait, I put skinny slick tires on my bike last summer. Drat! I took it slow and easy along the roads and pathways until I was safely back in Jubilee Park. 

Next I decided to head west to the end of the road. As a side note, I have recently listened to Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane and now every time I say "the end of", I can't help but think my story so much more epic than it really is. ;)

The day was warming up and I was enjoying the sun though the wind was doing its very best to encourage me to try harder. Coming from the north west, it made heading north or west fairly difficult. Reaching "the end", I turned around and headed east on Grove again, stopping to photograph a couple of Easter colored houses (pink & purple) under construction. I suppose I'd have a better time if I stopped taking so many pictures. Reaching Jennifer Heil, I turned south along the Grove Heritage Trail, planning to ride up McLeod and then head north into the woods, picking up my favorite trail (henceforth to be known as MFT) at the top and riding south to Grove and then turning around to ride back up MFT. Pretty sneaky, eh? Getting in 2 passes on MFT! 

I found, however that the tail end of the trail was closed to traffic and so I detoured around through the neighborhoods until I reached the top (south) end of MFT. It is difficult to describe MFT. The weather today was warm but MFT is sheltered by a canopy of pines. Sunlight only filters in through small openings between branches. The air is far cooler on MFT than anywhere else I rode today. It was like riding into a walk in refrigerator, I could almost see my breath as I rode. There is still snow on the ground in several places that the sunlight hasn't reached but because much snow has melted and there was rain last night, the trail smells of fresh earth, pine and balsm, and old rotting wood. It like riding into another world. That is the best I can do, you'll have to come out and ride it yourself to truly experience it. For a small fee, I'm happy to give you a tour! :D

Alas, 1.5 hours and 25.21 km later, I was ready to call it a day and headed home. 

Now, let's not forget why I am riding: to get ready for a 220 km, 2-day bike ride in August. Won't you join me on this adventure by donating to sponsor me? 

In the USA(if you can't use the below link): Crowdrise Fundraiser

In Canada (and everywhere else): Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer

Thanks and see you on the roads!