In Which I Praise the Twilight Light

A jogger ahead of me on the Cedar River Trail as I near J Avenue. He was pretty good--never caught up with him as I rode.

The last time I went for a winter ride, it was a grey morning before a cold rain. It was, as it turned out, a nice ride, although short to avoid the rain.

St. Ludmilla seen from Sinclair Levee Trail.

Today was a cool, but nicer day. Rain last week was followed by freezing drizzle and snow, which by Saturday left my small part of the universe slick and risky for riding. But the sun beat down this sunny Sunday, and by afternoon the temperature was well above freezing. Wherever the sun was shining, pavement was bare.

Still, there was water, ice and snow around, and I wasn’t sure if all the pavement in town would be as bare as the street and sidewalk in front of my house. So, I decided to take the winter beater today, rather than the fast road bike. I was helping to entertain grandchildren in the morning, and a nap was a post-lunch priority, so what with one thing and another it was around 3 p.m. when I opened the garage and wheeled the Fancy Beast into the driveway.

The day was windy, a little raw when I was headed south, but sunny and nice. I had a quick errand to run, and after that headed over to the Cedar River Trail in Hiawatha.

Because of the sunshine and warmer weather, plus the weekend, there was a bit more traffic on the trail. I saw a number of bikers, walkers and runners—nowhere near as many as I would on a fine summer Sunday, but still there were people out enjoying the sunshine.

The light this time of year is not long in the afternoon, although the good news, as the coldest part of winter still lies ahead, is that the days are getting longer rather than shorter. The sun was low and shadows long by the time I got to Cedar Lake.

Bridge on Cedar River Trail. Much of the trail was clear but there were times I was glad to be riding my mountain bike.

Cedar Lake.

Shadow of CR Biker at Cedar Laker.

Ice on the south shore of the lake. Turned on my lights at this point.

Cedar River as I head south.

Cedar River bridge in late afternoon light.

On the way home, colorful sky reflected in ice of small outlet of Cedar Lake.

But, since the ride around the lake was the end of my previous ride, I wanted to press on. By accident, I had left the rear light of my bike at home—I had changed the batteries but left the light in the kitchen. But, I figured, I do have a light on my helmet, plus a strand of Christmas lights on the Fancy Beast, so as I left the lake, I stopped to shoot some images of the shoreline and turn on my lights.

I headed across downtown, and neared the Bridge of Lions. My original plan was to cross the river and turn around at Sokol Park, but for some reason the desire to head down the Sinclair Levee Trail. As I turned around to head home, the sun was just touching the horizon.

That time of day as the sun sinks from view has always been about my favorite. As a boy, my fondest memories of summer are of the hazy blue twilight. One advantage of winter is that the pretty golden light and deep blue sky of the end of the day comes sooner. As I headed home, steam plumes from an agricultural factory on the west side of the river were turned a pretty coral pink.

Christmas lights were shining downtown during my return journey. When I got to Cedar Lake, it appeared geese were having some sort of noisy end-of-day committee meeting on a small patch of open water. Whatever motion Stephanie Goose had made, it was causing loud, active discussions.

Christmas lights on a street in downtown.

Christmas tree in Greene Square.

The light was fading as I neared home. It was not full dark as I crossed Noelridge Park, which is good because the sidewalk on the north part of the park is not lit, but the sun was down. It was early night by the time I was on C Avenue—late enough that the sky was turning from deep blue to black, but still too early for most stars. A planet, Venus, I presume, was twinkling by the time I got to Blairs Ferry.

I still have not had the time to go past Ely to check the new trail, but the ride today was nice nonetheless.

Sinclair Levee trail as I start ride home.

Pink light of sundown.

Flock on power lines seen on the way home.

The goose convention on Cedar Lake.

In Which Winter Returns to Iowa

Cedar Lake is mostly iced over, but birds congregate on the patch of water at the north end of the lake on a cloudy Dec. 26, 2018.

The day after Christmas, 2018—rain was in the forecast. An Arkansas winter was the theme of the week, with sometimes bone-chilling wet rains, sometimes freezing drizzle and now and then a bit to snow.

Frankly, at this time of year, I would prefer the white stuff, thank you.

Anyway, skies were grey and rain was in the forecast for the afternoon, so I decided to go for a morning ride. My original plan was to start early and head south, maybe going far enough to check out a bit of the new trail on beyond Ely.

It was not to be. Christmas had been grand including mulled wine, a large feast and family games—I was not exactly bright eyed and bushy tailed the next morning. I was not in bad shape, mind you, just tired and slept in.

By the time I puttered around, had a nice breakfast, read the paper, showered and dressed it was pushing 10. My weather ap said rain would start at 12:30 p.m., which proved wrong, but I still jettisoned my original plan and set out on a more modest ride.

I rode Argent, my road bike, figuring I need the practice on it, and I could cover the maximum distance in the shortest time. I pedaled down to Cedar Lake and circled it. A few hardy, brave souls were out jogging or walking around the lake, but I saw few other bikers and had the rest of the trail up and back to myself.

It felt damp and chilly and was also very cloudy—but despite the dullness of the day, I felt almost euphoric. I had not ridden in several days, and it felt grand to be on the bike, pumping away. Despite the whine of traffic on Interstate 380, the Cedar River Trail felt tranquil. I enjoy the quiet of a winter ride.

As it turned out, while the rain held off until later, it was the start of several wet or icy days. The morning after Christmas was my one ride in this, the last week of 2018. Given the snow and ice today, it's likely to stay that way.

Which makes the 16 miles I rode that day all the more delicious. And when I go home, my wife and youngest son were out on a walk. I texted them, picked them up and we headed to Taste of India for another post-Christmas feast. It was a nice after-bike ride celebration and a warming meal for the start of the cold, wet season here in Iowa.

In Which Gray Is OK on a Cool Day

Cedar Lake--cool afternoon.

It was quiet this afternoon on the Cedar River Trail. I was heading home about 3:30 this afternoon, and the clouds were so thick that I was riding with my lights on.

It was in the 30s, which is not particularly cold for December, but it was moist, the kind of dampness that lends a chilling edge to the temperature.

On my way home, I headed down to Cedar Lake. Despite the gray day, it felt good to be outside. As I paused to make some images of the reflections and geese on the lake, trail traffic picked up a bit. A few brave joggers were out, as well as just a few other bikers.

Save image of Cedar Lake, in color and black and white.

And despite the cries of geese and other birds, the afternoon felt peaceful. I like blue skies and springtime and all that, but I did feel somewhat refreshed by a shot of Mother Nature.

As I headed north to home, the mist increased a bit and the pavement just started to get damp. But I did get home before it really go damp, so it was a good ride.

Geese on lake.

In Which Slips Don’t Lead to a Fall

Corner of C Avenue and Blair's Ferry. I made it up the hill! Looking west as I wait for light that will let me continue south. Some of those tracks are mine.

The back wheel of my bicycle slipped to the right, and the whole thing started to topple.

I’ve been here before, and it was not a happy place. About six years ago, I took a bad fall on ice while riding home from work. A different bicycle had slipped in that case, and the accident was so fast I had no time for reaction or thought, but suddenly found myself landed heard on my right knee, which was sore for months. (Ironically, we visited my son and daughter-in-law in Seattle that spring break, my fall had been in January, and I was hobbling around on a still very sore knee in that hilly city when my son invited me to ride RAGBRAI for the first time. I said yes, and don’t regret it, but it was a gusty move that sore season).

Luckily, this morning the spill was different. For the earlier fall, I had been in the middle of a block on a hybrid bike, and I was probably going way too fast—maybe only 9 mph, which is slow on a bike, but too fast on ice.

This morning, I was on a mountain bike—lower to the ground to begin with. Wider tyres, for one thing, and for the other I was deliberately moving very, very slowly. I had just left home and turned onto C Avenue, and I think the turn, slow as it was, was a factor in the spill.

So the great accident of 2018 turned into me standing over a partly toppled bicycle, not me suddenly on the ground with a crushed knee joint. Because I had just turned north on the sidewalk on C Avenue, and I was still close to home, I did consider going home and driving today.

I arrive at the top of another hill--a less icy one, thank you MMU Facilities. Shadow of a biker Wednesday morning on the Rohde Family Plaza.

The Fancy Beast in the bike rack at Warde Hall.

I'm not the only biker. But I bet Dr. Cross stayed warmer than me!

 But, no. I was physically fine, and I figured the spot I was on would be the worst pavement I would have on the whole ride—if I ascended the hill, I would come to a better places. Plus, I was gambling that the afternoon ride would be much better, since I knew it was to be a sunny, if cool, day.

Well, I was both wrong and right. I under estimated how much of the sidewalk would be a thin layer of snow covering and concealing ice—in fact, the first mile or so of my morning commute, until I left the sidewalk for the bike lane on C Avenue, was like that. Going slightly downhill to Collins Road, I stopped peddling and put my feet down and bike-skied down the hill so I could use both feet and brakes to arrest the bike’s momentum.

But, I am happy to report, I had no more slips. And I’m glad I did ride today. The afternoon was, for this time of year, gorgeous. I left work after 4, so the sun was ready to go down, and I headed to Cedar Lake on the Cedar River Trail. As I expected, the sunset was gorgeous there, and I shot some images before I passed one biker stopped by the trail.

“Everything OK?” I asked.

“Sure,” he said. “I just stopped to take a picture of the sunset. It’s so beautiful!”

Sun setting at Cedar Lake, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2018.

And it was. I had already snapped a few myself, and stopped again after chatting with him, only to be passed by the other biker. Later, at the other end of the lake, he had stopped again, and I shot the sunset with him in the foreground.

It only got to 30 or so today, but sunshine will clear thin ice from pavement at that temperature, and that’s what happened today.

I am not even sure about Thursday. It will get colder, but not too cold to ride a bicycle. But will the pavement be clear enough to chance the hybrid bike? Maybe, although I do feel some sense of loyalty to The Fancy Beast after today’s not-so-bad fall. It was a good day to have wide tyres!

The lake and the other biker as light fades.

In Which Cold Rain Falls

Pond on C Avenue, morning sun on Wednesday.

I did not ride today, which is mildly funny because it was a warmer day today, and I have been on two wheels during much colder mornings this week.

The difference is that I knew I had to say on campus late into the evening, and rain was possible. As it turned out, a light, cold slight drizzle was falling as I drove home today—justification for not being on two wheels.

I can dress for cold. Neither any of my bikes nor I react that well to getting wet.

Still, I was impressed Wednesday morning, yesterday, with how pretty the partly cloudy sky was on a fine frosty late fall morning in Iowa. I shot the images here on my ride into work, and felt a little guilty, because, as usual in the morning, I was in a hurry.

I was riding the Fancy Beast mountain bike, and I really enjoy that bike even if I don’t like wearing a backpack. The bike itself has wide tyres and shocks in front, and even if it’s my slowest bike and does not have the carrying capacity of my hybrid bike, is still the most fun to ride, as long as the distance is not too great.

And Friday the day should be dry. Back to two wheels, probably using the mountain bike!

Morning shadows Monday on C Avenue near Collins Road.

In Which The Ride Features Flurries

I arrive on campus on a grey Monday morning. Catherine McAuley seems dressed for this winter-like weather. I was hoping to show some flakes in the air, but I don't think you can see them very well.

On Sunday, I had to go to campus to grade some projects and papers. Because it was possible that it would rain, I drove a car.

The storm, which was quite impressive in some places, passed south of us. We didn’t see a flake.

And the winds picked up and the temperature dropped. It was in the upper 20s this morning, which, if the sun is shining and the winds are calm, is honestly not all an unpleasant temperature to be outside.

But, the wind was brisk and the sky grey. Because it was not supposed to snow, I decided I could dress for the weather and bike.

And, of course, on the way to work it began to snow. Is was enough to see some powdery wisps dancing across the cold pavement, but never really enough to cover the ground.

Dressing for the weather mean I didn’t really mind the cold that much. In the early afternoon, returning to my office after class, I noticed a car parked at the University Center. While our ground is bare, this car was caked with wet snow that had frozen to it. It had license plates from a county a bit south of here.

The snow car parked on campus around 12:30 p.m.

We dodged that blizzard of 2018. Based on the forecast, I was thinking I would be driving most of this week, as I waited for pavement to get clear. In fact, I’m thinking of adding a layer and possibly riding Tuesday, when it will be even colder than today.

And, based on what happened south of here, I will not complain about a few random flakes the in the air!

In Which the Bridge is White

Ready to ride--winter bike in driveway this morning. Note snow on car and on pavement.

Snow! Late in the evening Nov. 8, a dusting of powder descended from the sky. Overnight, less than an inch of snow was sprinkled on the landscape.

The pavement was, for the most part, too warm and the snow melted and dissipated. A bit of snow collected on grassy areas and leaves, enough to give this cold November day a decidedly wintery feel.

C Avenue Bridge this morning. Those are not my tyre tracks--I have not crossed the bridge yet, so someone else was out biking, too.

But, with nothing more falling, I felt OK getting the mountain bike out this morning.

The ride to work was fine, although when I got to the Rockwell-Collins entrance, a pedestrian on the driveway to my right did a little disco dance as his feet tried to slide out from under him, and he tossed up his hands to grain balance.

It worked, he didn’t fall, but it was a reminder that not all of the melted snow on pavement disappeared. There were some icy spots.

Well, I went more slowly than usual, and reached campus.

The MMU Bike Club was to have a ride this afternoon, but I’m thinking it’s not terribly likely to happen. The clouds have rolled away into a milky sky, but the wind has picked up and it’s still cold out there.

Despite the chill, I was comfortable this morning—I know from long experience how to dress for cold biking.

So I don’t mind the snow. At least not in November. Don’t ask in March.

Parked in bike rack behind Warde Hall--very Christmasy looking bike picture.

In Which We Ride The Frosty Mornings

Tuesday (above) and Monday (below) views of the pond at Rockwell-Colllins on C Avenue. I was leaving a bit earlier on Tuesday--the sun was not up yet and I had to ride with lights. In the pre-sun cool morning, the water was like a mirror. I like both images, but I guess pre-dawn pond wins.

October is getting beyond its third week, and fall in this part of Iowa is probably at its peak or just beyond it. Some trees still have plenty of leaves, but many have changed colors and dropped leaves, and we’ve had a few freezes, so the lush, green look of summer is only a memory.

More and more trees are bare. After my bike ride home today, I was walking with a 2-year-old grandson to the park, and he remarked repeatedly how leaves were “everywhere.”

Still, this time of year, when I have wear a jacket and gloves for the morning rides and have to run with lights on if I get out of the house on time is probably my favorite biking time of year. There are just a lot fewer insects—no annoying cloud of gnats, no reason to apply the lemon-pie perfume of summer insect repellant.

And the still, frosty mornings are very pretty to see from the seat of a bicycle.

On Monday, I arrived at work to find the bike rack buried under 3 feet of leaves. With hands and feet, I briefly became a human rake and cleared one side of the rack.

Clarence in the bike rack Monday at Warde Hall. Raking of pile of leaves so I can get bike to rack done by CR Biker.

I didn’t really mind it. Fall! As long as there is no cold rain falling, it’s a great time of year to be a bicycle commuter.

Another view of Dr. Cross' cool electric-human tricycle. I walked by it Monday and could not resist taking it's picture again.

In Which We Love a Missouri Trail

MKT Trail near Columbia on a pretty fall evening.

Iowa bikers—if you have not tried the Katy Trail in Missouri, you should.

This fall break, my wife and I went down to central Missouri for a quick two-day visit. We brought our bicycles with us, planning some short rides along the long trail.

We stayed in Columbia, where we both went to graduate school. We arrived late in the afternoon on a Tuesday, and after checking in to our motel, we drove down by the MMU campus to catch the MKT Trail.

Bikes on Katy Trail as we rest before returning to town.

Our first trail ride in Missouri was on a pleasant fall evening, cool but not cold. The MKT moves through the city and quickly gets out into rocky, forested countryside. It was a gorgeous ride. If we had gone far enough, we would have made it to the Katy Trail, but it was getting late, light was fading, and we headed back to Columbia and Shakespeare’s Pizza for a Mizzou-style dinner.

On Wednesday, we drove over to Boonville, where we had lived for eight years in the 1980s. We parked and walked around for a while, starting at the house we had owned. Then, we unpacked our bikes and headed west and south on the Katy Trail.

An elderly man walking on the trail gave us a friendly warning that we were headed uphill, and he was right. For miles out of Boonville, the trail has a fairly steady upgrade, although it’s a rail grade, which means you can go uphill for miles but it never gets steep. Despite the climb, we were enjoying ourselves.

We crossed Interstate 70, and were starting to feel hunger pangs. After a while, we decided it was time to head back for lunch at the Palace in downtown Boonville. Along the way, we passed a yard where the resident had decorated the yard with skeletons riding bikes, and it was fun to see.

Decoration on Katy Trail.

If you ride the Katy Trail, making a lunch stop at the Palace in Boonville would be a good move. It was great. I had a french dip sandwich and Greek salad, and would like to try more food there except the sandwich and salad were so good I would also like to have them again.

In the afternoon, we were heading back to Columbia to meet my old friends and colleagues from my Missouri newspaper days. Along the way, we decided to stop in Rocheport and ride on the Katy Trail there. We only had an hour or so, so the ride was not long. But, wow. It was a fantastic ride. Trees along the Missouri River, bluffs on the other side, a tunnel through a hill—the afternoon was sunny, the weather perfect and the trail beautiful.

View of bluffs and Missouri River from Katy Trail near Rocheport, Missouri.

In all, we only rode a few miles along two stretches of the Katy Trail and the MKT Trail. I can’t vouch for it all. The trail is limestone and has some hazards—holes, branches, rock and such—along the way. You probably want a hybrid or mountain bike for this ride. But it’s a very pretty ride. I’d like to go back sometime and ride more of the Katy Trail.

And eat a good biking lunch at the Palace again, too.

My wife's shadow as we ride the Katy Trail near Boonville. Hope to cast our shadow there again before too long.

In Which Cool Fall Rides Are the Norm

Mount Mercy bikes in the bike rack as students put away bicycles from a recent Friday ride.

I did not see the snow Sunday—relatives living in central Iowa posted images on social media, so the fact that flakes were in the air later in the day here is not a surprise, but I was hunkered down, feverishly grading papers.

So I missed it, not that I miss it much. Cool fall rides are the norm here now. Today, the temperature is in the mid 30s, and in addition to the jacket I have already started wearing, I have to dig out some cold-weather gloves.

A very big creature (woodchuck? muscrat?) watches me Sunday as I circle Cedar Lake on my ride home. View of  Cedar Lake on a cold, grey day (below).

But the hybrid bike is back from the shop, and the monsoon season is temporarily suspended.

On Friday, the Mount Mercy University Bike Club held a ride. Five students showed up, not a bad size for a ride on a very cool afternoon. One first-year student is a woman from California, who I am proud of because she is not used to this Iowa weather, but came on the ride nonetheless.

At the end, she was “dancing” a bit, moving her legs to loosen them because biking 10 miles had left her sore—but what she said was “that was fun.”

Club selfie (above) before ride. Crossing grass at Noelridge Park on the way back to campus (below). Crossing a bridge on the Cedar River Trail (bottom).

It was. We headed north to Noelridge Park and circled the park on its limestone trail. Recent rains had washed some ruts in the trail, and I was a little worried we might have a spill, but luckily we did not.

So that ride was quite pleasant. On Saturday, I did a bit of yard work—raking, picking up fallen branches, planting some fall bulbs. And my wife and I headed out on a late afternoon bike ride, down the Lindale Trail to the Boyson Trail, heading to a big box store to get some more bulbs.

There were more slips on that ride, especially on the low-traffic stub of a trail before the sidewalk to the store. Despite that, again it was a pleasant ride.

Sunday, I went to campus to print more papers that had been turned in recently. That ride was less pleasant—rawer, windier, grey with a chilling dampness in the air.

And yet, it was still a bike ride, and that’s nice.

This week, we have a biking adventure planned. More to come later!

Some pretty sky views from Saturday ride to store.