In Which It’s Looking Like Christmas

Walkers and Bikers on trail north of town. Long afternoon shadows.

Late November in Iowa—a cool afternoon. Around 2:30, I take a break from post-Thanksgiving grading, and get the hybrid bike out. Temperature in the upper 30s, so I have coat, hood and gloves on.

I decided to head north. I wasn’t sure if I would go all the way to Lafayette, which is a bit over 20 miles as a round trip, but the day was enticing. I was riding into a cool headwind, which slowed and chilled me a bit, but I was still enjoying the sunshine.

The Cedar Valley Nature Trail north of Cedar Rapids had some joggers, bikers and walkers on it, but was pretty quiet. I rode at a steady, slow pace, just taking in the quite brown beauty of Iowa in late fall. It’s not the prettiest time of year—the leaves are gone, and although the grass is still tinged with green, most plants have died back in the cold.

I rode the small trail that leads to Troy Park in Robins, but it's still closed by a mountain of ground derecho wood. I've turned back towards the main trail, shadows on the way.

Bike parked at Lafayette. I've just turned on lights for ride home.

But in the afternoon golden light, the harvested corn fields were almost glowed. About 5 miles north, I ran into Cardinal Village, a short stretch of the trail where, for some reasons, several cardinal couples reside. Cardinals live north of Robins.

The light was definitely faded when I got to Lafayette. I got off the bike for a few minutes, and flipped on my lights before taking off again.

Fluffy seeds glow in afternoon light beside the trail. I shot these near restroom at County Home Road, where I stopped.

Sun close to the horizon bathes trail in golden light (above and below).

It was dusk when I got back to town, fading into full night. Christmas lights shone from some houses. I detoured into a neighborhood where one of my younger sisters lives, and looped around a block where there is the house that in past was so lit up it probably interfered with aircraft navigation and was visible from the space station.

Sadly, I saw no lights there this year.

Moon rising as I head home. This is in Hiawatha, I think.

I noticed a new side trail in Hiawatha and took it--but it was just a little stub leading to a nearby street. Moon rises over water tower at trail's end.

Just north of Tower Terrace Road, not far from Boyson Road trail head, geese fly overhead to land in harvested corn field, seeking bedtime snack, I assume.

Well, there were other lights, and it was a pretty night. I admired the not-quite-full moon and shot some images of lights.

It was good to get out and work off some of the holiday feasting, although, to be honest, the feasting on leftovers was in full swing when I got home.

Christmas lights on the western edge of Cedar Rapids, seen as I ride home.

Waiting for light to change at corner of Boyson Road and Council Street, I amuse myself by making image of streetlight and moon. Was surprised it turned out without a tripod.

Rode by my daughter's house on the way home--lights on a fence near her house.

In Which We Fry and Travel 24 Miles

My wife's shadow on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail between Lafayette and Hiawatha.

I had a fun interlude this afternoon. One of my daughters invited my wife and me to go to the Marion Pool and play with four grandchildren.

A pleasant time was had, although I think in the 90 minutes of pool sunshine, I got rather fried, despite sunscreen.

And then we thought about what to do with the rest of our busy Friday. The morning had been spent on one of the most dreaded and difficult rituals of summer—cleaning the garage, a process that sadly must continue Saturday.

So the afternoon break was very welcome. And then I suggested we could ride our bikes to a restaurant for supper.

And a quick trip out for a meal, for no other reason than it was a nice afternoon and we were in the mood, turned into a ride out to Lafayette.

Twenty miles after leaving home, we were at Culvers in Hiawatha for supper, and then we rode another 4 miles home.

I’ll still somewhat fried—I’ll need to use some lotion before going to sleep tonight—but I do have to say that, between swimming and riding my bicycle, the afternoon sure beat the morning!

In Which I Am Well Beyond 800 Miles

Bike traffic at Lafayette. It was a popular evening on the trail.

 I rode 36 miles today, most of that in a long late afternoon ride with my sister Cate. And those 36 miles mean I have been in saddle for 823 miles so far in 2014.

That’s not 5,000 yet, but I closing in on 1,000 miles.

Around 4 this afternoon, I cycled over to Cate’s house, and then we went west to the trail. It’s possible we snuck through a technically closed street that had stymied me yesterday.

We headed north. Cate had gone to Lafayette yesterday, and that is where we headed. It was fine, sunny and in the 70s, although there was a bit of headwind. Still, we rested at Lafayette for a few minutes and then remounted for the ride back.

To make it a slightly longer ride, and to earn supper out at Culver’s, we went down and circled Cedar Lake before heading back north. We met my wife at the restaurant, enjoyed our meals, and then headed back homeward, with lights on as the evening was settling in. It was past 8 when I got home, and definitely getting cooler.

It was a grand ride, one of many I’m sure we’ll take this summer.

The other end of the ride. Cate takes a drink as we round Cedar Lake.

Lafayette, I Am Here

End of the road for me, I turned around in the little bike parking area just on the other side of this new bridge were a road crosses the newly-paved Cedar Valley Nature Trail north of Cedar Rapids.

Lafayette is the name of a germ of a town that never really sprouted, a cluster of a few houses and now-closed tiny stores north of Cedar Rapids along the Cedar Valley Nature Trail.

That trail has a newly paved portion north of Robins, and I had ridden on it last weekend. However, this week, the trail was closed again. A rumor among bikers is that there were several accidents involving bikers who didn't make way quickly enough for construction trucks and ended up falling when they hit the loose rocks adjacent to the trail.

Can't say I blame the powers that be, if the rumors be true, for deciding they had better finish construction completely before letting bikers back on the track.

But, despite the “trail closed” sign still being in place, the barriers were down today, and I went a bit farther north than I had in my first ride on this new pavement. I did not have time to go to the end of the new surface, but I made it to Lafayette, and back.

It was a pleasant ride. Although we are in a dry week during a drought, recent rains and cool weather leave everything still seeming lush, particularly compared to this dry summer. There were enough clouds to keep me from having to wear shades, but enough light to make it a cheerful day.

New shoes, which I biked in Thursday, I think.  Very comfortable.

 

I was wearing sandals today, new, comfortable ones that I will probably use for work on warm days. When it cools a bit, I'll be wearing my new shoes, which I wore on some bike rides earlier this week.

New shoes on a new trail on a fresh, fall-like day...biking is only better when I have more time, but conditions were just about ideal today. And old tunnel-like culverts near Lafayette have been replaced, as you can see by the new “Lafayette” road underpass, shown at the top of this post.