In Which I Scout A Short New Trail

The Boyson Road end of the new trail that heads east from the Boyson Trail, meandering along a creek there.

There is a new creek trail taking shape in Marion, a trail that heads east off of the Boyson Trail. I’ve seen the ends of it, one at Boyson Road near 10th Street, the other at the Boyson Trail.

I was taking a quick ride tonight. For context, I did some gardening on a warm day Wedneday, and I think I got myself a bit dehydrated. My plan was to walk with my wife to a diner a bit over 2 miles from our house, and then go on a bike ride.

But the morning was already getting warm, and although the diner breakfast was excellent, my right knee didn’t appreciate the walk and was sore on the way back home. Instead of hoping on my bike, I hopped on a couch and spent much of the day napping.

Well, it was 90 out there, and I just don’t do heat as well as I once did.

Tunnel under Alburnett Road leads to city park. I don't recall it's name--my wife calls it "the park on Alburnett," while to me, since I use Geode to bike there, it's the park on Geode. Getting there will be more pleasant with this nice bike trail leading there.

Anyway, the day was ending and it was near 8 in the evening when my wife got the itch and wanted to go out for a walk. She already knew I wasn’t going to walk with her—I can’t walk as fast as she does and my knee was already bothering me.

“Are you going on a bike ride?” she asked me.

It had not been my plan—the sun is going down at 8, but I figured what the heck. I have lights, I could avoid streets for the most part, and why not get a few miles in? I ride the Boyson Trail a lot because it’s near my house, but I figured the familiar was better as the light would be fading. I turned on my lights, headed up Devonshire to Boyson and then went over to the trail.

Biking along the new trail.

Where something a bit unexpected happened. They have opened the new trail. I decided to take it. It leads to a city park on Geode Street we like to take a grandson to sometimes, and then terminates at Boyson Road. All told, it’s probably about a mile along a creek bed. It curves a bit and includes a few rises and dips, but it is a nice little trail, even late in the day.

So I scouted it and enjoyed it, and also rode a bit on the Boyson Trail. All told, I did 7.31 miles, not bad for starting at 8 p.m. For July I have 217 miles, compared to almost 491 I did in June—not sure my July miles will beat my June ones, after all. My year to date is 1,524.62.

Another view of new trail.