In Which I Enjoy an Interesting No-Snow Day

My bike at MMU library.

Feb. 16—my marathon-running daughter posted an image of her and a friend after a 5-K run that Saturday morning. I also was hankering to get outside, and as these things go, this winter day was not too bad.

It was around zero Fahrenheit that morning, although the day warmed up. I had to go to Mount Mercy to edit the first Introduction to Journalism TV story done by one of my students, and I was tempted to ride—the sun was shining, it had been a couple of days since snow fell, and I knew most streets were in decent shape.

Which doesn’t necessarily make it a great day to ride a bicycle, but perhaps it made it a day where the level of “terrible” was manageable. So I did it.

I decided to head west to the Cedar River Trail figuring that: A) Some sidewalks on the more direct route south were either not shoveled yet, or shoveled several days after a layer of ice had set in, so where “cleared” more symbolically than practically, and B) Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha do a very good job of clearing the trail.

I started out headed north on Devonshire, which had plenty of snow and ice on it, but also enough pavement that, on my winter beater mountain bike, it was ridable with care at slow speed. I planned to take the sidewalk on C Avenue north to 74th Street. I rode briefly on the Boyson Road bike lane—which was clear, thank you city, and then headed through a relatively clear parking area in a shopping plaza, heading back to C Avenue.

As it turned out, the sidewalk along C Avenue for about a block at the north end of the shopping area was completely covered in snow and ice—although packed snow and ice that had been shoveled. I rode very, very slowly, but I rode, and am happy to report that the Fancy Beast and I arrived at 74th unscathed.

Sidewalk on C Avenue south of 74th Street, contrasted with the better conditions (below) on 74th Street.

That street was fully open, bare pavement. There were a few patches of snow and ice at the end of a few drives—but largely good riding.

Then I got to Council Street, where the plan was to take the west sidewalk south to Northbrook Drive. As it turned out, the sidewalk north of Boyson was packed with ice and snow—until one block away from Boyson, where the semblance of shoveling broke down completely by a church, and the crossing of Boyson was blocked by a 5-foot white mountain range.

Council Street sidewalk--rode it, ridiculously slow going. And then, the church by Boyson Road and the places where the bike must be carried (images below).

The Fancy Beast is fairly light, and I hefted it and crossed the mountains. A helpful passenger in a car at the light suggested with enough speed I might just shoot over the range, but I respect my mortality way too much to try that plan. South of Boyson, the sidewalk was uneven, sometimes clear, sometimes very icy—but better than it had been north of Boyson.

Then I got to Northwood and headed to the trail. The street was in great shape, and as I got to the creek between Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha, one of my goals for the ride was unexpectedly and early realized.

An eagle was wheeling around north of the street. It was a bit of distance away, so my pictures aren’t great, but it was very nice to see. Despite the bike-toting hikes, slow riding and winter day—well, I have to admit I was all fan-boy happy to see an eagle and decided right then that the ride was probably worth it. And it was.

Shortly after that, a raven quoth at me for a while, and that was fine to see and hear, too.

Eagle circles over Hiawatha.

The raven of Northbrook quoths at me.

There is something pretty about an open creek in winter. Mallards along the Cedar River Trail in Cedar Rapids.

Geese on the frozen Cedar Lake.

The Cedar River Trail was great, both in Hiawatha and Cedar Rapids. There were a few spots where snow had blown over after it had been shoveled last, or snow had melted and caused ice on the trail, but that’s to be expected. All in all, it felt great to be on the trail in the sunshine as the day grew slightly less cold. It never got warm, but I was properly dressed, and it was still a good day to be out.

I headed down to circle Cedar Lake before going to campus. I had half hoped to see an eagle there—when a lot of ice forms in Cedar Rapids, it’s sometimes a place where there is a bit of open water and the big birds visit. As it turned out, the lake was pretty thoroughly iced over. Never mind, I had already scored an eagle on this ride.

Well hi, Hiawatha. I arrive at the Cedar River Trail, and it is good.

Cedar River Trail, Cedar Rapids, north of 42nd Street. Some ice, but most of the trail was clear.

Joggers up ahead by Cedar Lake. A few people were out running--did not encounter other bikers.

South end of Cedar Lake--must have been more snow blowing across here. Most of Cedar River Trail was bare, except this part, but even it was OK on a mountain bike--better than some sidewalks I had been on.

When I got to MMU, I worked for most of the remaining afternoon on campus—the bike ride, usually 30 minutes, had taken well over an hour, due both to the longer trail route, my carrying the bike over the Boyson Mountains and my going very slowly on snowy spots. Still, I think the ride left me feeling in high spirits.

Why I ride--the stark beauty of a sunny winter day. View of sunny sky on Cedar River Trail (above) and passing by Daniels Park (below) on my way to campus. The air was cold, but I was dressed well and my heart was warm.

It was getting close to 4 by the time I was ready to head home, but I wanted to leave before it got dark. I decided to take my regular commuting route, as it is more direct. The streets were, for the most part, OK, although icy here and there. The worst was Lennox Avenue, and in retrospect, I probably would have gone up E Avenue instead. I took an older route I don’t often use nowadays and went up F Avenue to the Collins Aerospace campus—I knew the newer route along the bike lane on C Avenue was iffy, and there are some sidewalks beyond the bike lane that are never cleared of snow (business park at the corner of C and Collins, I’m wagging my finger at you).

C Avenue was a repeat of Council Street, with the fun addition of also being on a steeper hill, so for much of the last half mile of my “ride” I walked my bike.

At MMU, rodent watches as I reach the top. I rode up the "macho" way, behind lower campus, by the garage and up to the library.

Still, all in all, it was a nice February break, a brief biking interlude that I was glad to take advantage of.  A bunch of snow has dumped on us on this Sunday, and the weather forecast into the first part of March is for this messy, snowy winter to keep going, so I am grateful for Saturday.

And, as time goes on, there should be more of these breaks in the weather. The sun is shining more now—it’s starting to look a bit like spring on a sunny day, and it won’t be that many weeks before it starts feeling like it, too. Knock on wood.

Almost home, looking back at C Avenue bridge. The only bare pavement on the walk down the hill was just north of this bridge. I traveled most of the sidewalk on foot.