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.

For Once, It Was Just Too Cold

Worn looking bench where I took a short break before heading home.

Quoth the Raven: Get off my trail!

Well, on Monday, I did it for the first time this January.

I drove a car to work because it was too cold to ride. We’ve had a dry January, and even on fairly chilly days, I’ve been riding my bike. But not Monday, when the morning wind chills in Cedar Rapids were two digits below zero and the actual temperature struggled to get much above a goose egg all day.

I will bike when it’s zero and not windy. But this was around zero and very windy. No thanks.

Today, Tuesday, is between semesters, and I almost rode my bike to campus on this chilly afternoon—but I decided to drive at the last minute to save time (which I’m now wasting writing a blog post), and I drove because I may take a stack of spring books home to work on syllabi.

So, it’s nice to think back on Saturday, a slightly cool, windy day that was the final unseasonably warm day for a while.  It flirted with 50 that day, and despite cooling off a lot during my afternoon ride, it was still a good use of the day to get out on the trail.

I was not the only one to think that way. While much quieter than it would be during summer, the Cedar River Trail in Cedar Rapids nonetheless had quite a few bundled up bikers on Saturday.

I started out at 2 p.m. and headed south. I rode on the Cedar River Trail until almost 3:30, and made it just south of 73 Avenue Drive Southeast. It was pushing 3:30, and I assumed (correctly, as it turned out) that Audrey might want to go to Mass that night so we could Skype with Amanda on her 28th birthday.

I was looking for a turnaround spot—and a place to eat the granola bar I had brought along—when I spotted an old bench beside the trail. I wonder about its worn appearance, since the trail itself is not very old—but there it was and I was happy to sit on not-my-bike for a few minutes before heading home.

I had seen birds in abundance on the ride.  There was an odd moment on the trip home that happened just south of  the river in the Mount Trashmore area. A crowd of ravens were chattering and squawking in the brown, winter sleeping trees. I don’t know why.  They didn’t seem happy with either each other or a passing biker.

Then, a minutes later, after I had crossed the river, I met a group of geese ambling across the street by the new federal courthouse. Geese are not friendly, but I weaved my way through the crowd with barely a halfhearted hiss. You understand, I hope, that it was the geese hissing. I don’t hiss when I ride, although a tire of mine might when punctured—anyway, the geese didn’t bother to hiss much or threaten as they might have if goslings were around.

All in all, it was a pleasant ride despite the Hitchcock moments. Spring semester gets underway Thursday, but snow is possible, too. We’ll see if the new term brings as much biking as the old one did.

I like to bike, but I hope not. Rain will keep me from two wheels, and this spring, we desperately need rain.

Still, three hours of Saturday were well spent in a windy ride. And I did make it home, just in time to join Audrey at church.

Why did the goose cross the road? To get his picture in my blog, of course!

A New View of Skeleton Trees

I'm riding on J Avenue, on my way from MMU to the Cedar River Trail.  This oak in Daniels Park is without leaves, now, but a raven and other birds are it's fall fruits.

Now that Halloween is almost here, the trees are starting to look skeletal.  A few have leaves still clinging, but mostly, fall is done falling.  Hills that were splashed in color a week ago are drab and grey and brown.

I think one reason I bike is that I just enjoy being outside—the fresh air, the sun, the breeze, the trees and flowers and other plants.  So I do enjoy biking more when the world is green and birds are plentiful and things slither and buzz and hop in the woods.

We’re arriving at the brown time of year.  On the one hand, I don’t really mind.  I do like seeing the outline of hillsides that are normally hidden in the woods, the shape of the trees is interesting and I don’t mind the slightly odd experience of actually seeing the interstate traffic through the trees, rather than merely hearing it as you do on many stretches of the Cedar River Trail when the leaves provide more screening.

Still, it will be nice when the green returns.

The ride was a bit windy and raw today—cool and frosty in the morning, and it did not feel a whole lot warmer in the afternoon.  But, I had my biking jacket and warm socks on.  I was comfortable.

Yet, I do feel compelled to ask.  Is it spring yet?