In Which Deer Gaze at a Biker

Computer data from computer and linked cell phone app on today's ride.

The ride today was cool but nice. It started about 2:45 in the afternoon and didn’t end until after 6, but it was just a tad over 31 miles.

My average speed was 9.6 mph—pretty slow, but I’ll take it. The Wahoo computer says I once was going 22 mph. There weren’t big hills, but some downhill grades. There was more than 1,000 feet of climb on this ride.

I ended the ride rather tired, but I still felt good about getting in more than 30 miles on a winter day.

Seen at Greene Square, mural on parking garage and some Christmas lights in the park.

Earlier in the day, I had met some family members for a walk around Cedar Lake—and by luck, there were several eagles hanging around. I had brought the good camera with me, and I got a few images.

Eagle over Cedar Lake midday today.

Maybe I was hoping to see them again (I had the good camera with me just in case). It wasn't the only reason I rode the route I did—with rain yesterday, I wanted to ride on paved trails. I have recently gone out to Lowe Park, and before that went north past Lafayette. Thus, since I wanted a ride on a paved trail, the eagles weren’t the only reason I headed south on the Cedar River Trail.

The eagles were a no show for the bike ride. But I did enjoy a mural on the parking garage at Greene Square, celebrating the coming national trail that is planned to use this route.

I rode on, down to the site of the Connect bridge, and then turned back to cross the river. A pleasant surprise awaited me at the end of the Bridge of Lions—the closed trail section there has been opened. I rode the new segment of trail and headed south to the small city park at the edge of town.

It had been cloudy and dim, and was now starting to get dark. I rested for a few minutes at the park, and turned on all my lights for the ride home.

Views of two trails. The sky (above) on the levee trail on the north side of the river, and the new trail beside the new levee on the south side (below).

Riding the dusky trail in early dark was a bit spooky, and at one point fairly early on the ride home, I was a bit startled to come upon two does, standing by the trail. They just stood there, stared at me, apparently as startled by me as I was by them.

That was the only spooky thing that happened on the way home, but to be truthful, I did sing Christmas songs along the darker parts of the trail, to give any deer a heads-up, just in case. Just so you know if you wondered at any odd sounds you may have heard along the Cedar River Trail early this evening.

Monday is not looking good for a ride—it should snow. So today’s ride was probably the last one of 2019. It was nice to make it a 30-mile one! Some views of the ride home:

A bit of blue in the fading light by the Cedar River Trail.

Grain plant across the river.

Downtown lights in Hiawatha.

Christmas lights about a mile from home.