Return to the Trail!

 Today, after five days of gray weather & fog, the sun broke through!  I'd been watching the forecast hoping to get in at least one ride in the month of December!  My last ride was November 24th.  We found the Bronco & traded in the Explorer on the 30th.  I had to wait until the 10th to get a hitch installed on the Bronco.  The rest of December only had a couple days that weren't either cold, windy or both.

Butch had been researching electric bike racks & found the Lift Caddy.  He ordered one from Bike World in Ames.  The staff was a little surprised when the semi pulled up in front of the store.  Home for the holiday, Butch had time to get both the lift & rack installed.  

The Bronco & Shadow~

Today, was the first trip with the Bronco carrying my bike to the trail. The electric lift made loading & unloading the bike super easy!  Much easier than manhandling it onto the rack, even with the ramp.  Driving has become fun for me again, too.  I'm still getting used to the Bronco's smaller size & quicker response. 

The Bronco waits~

I parked at my usual spot.  It felt so good to be back on the bike, the air was so fresh!  Lake Manawa, surrounded by city, is a gem of nature.  I'm so lucky to live as close as we do & be able to enjoy the trails during the months the Wabash is in its freeze/thaw cycle.  I've given up even trying to ride the limestone once the weather changes.

On the trail~

A truly glorious afternoon, very quiet.  The sun was so warm, even with the breeze the bike makes, I took off my jacket more than once.  We've had so much fog, the trail was wet.  We haven't had any measurable precipitation in weeks & weeks.

Indian Creek Bridge~

As usual there was a headwind going up the west side of the park on the Indian creek trail.  When I stopped for the photo, one other rider passed.  The shadows are so long this time of year, Shadow lives up to her name.

Me & Shadow~

Can you recognize us?  The sun was getting lower in the sky & as it dropped, the temperature did too.  Still - we reached 50 mid-afternoon.

South end of the lake trails~

The smell of Juniper was thick in the air!  The conifers here, considered to be weed trees by many, are Eastern Red Cedar.  The name is a misnomer, since they belong to the genus of Juniperus. They are about the only native conifer in our area.  (Several years ago, we dug up four along the side of a country road & transplanted them to the marsh.  They've done well & I enjoy seeing anything green during the winter months.)  Why the smell was so pungent I don't know.  Maybe the moisture in the morning fog has something to do with it.  I absolutely love the smell.  The wood is used in the manufacturing of cedar chests.

My favorite view~

The stumps in the foreground are what's left of the huge old cottonwoods I used to admire.  Many cottonwoods were cut down in the park last year & I miss them.  I sat out in the sun for quite a while, it was just too nice a day.  There's hardly any ice on the lake so far this season, but that will probably change in the coming month.

The way back~

It was after 3:30 p.m. by the time I left to return to the Bronco.  My usual ride at the park is just under twelve miles. This year, my first ride on my new e-bike was March 28th.  Since then, I've ridden 565-miles.  I'd ridden my analog bike 100-miles earlier in the year, giving me a total of 665-miles for 2024.  More than last year, but less than the 800-miles I in rode in 2022.  My all-time biking total since 4/1/20 is 3,303 miles.  Not much compared to dedicated riders, but enough to keep me happy!