In Which Bugs Still Hang on in November

Nov. 9--Bike parked on Creek Trail beside the Boyson Trail--Sewage project continues, but the trail has been opened again.

It’s November in Iowa, and now definitely looks like fall. The landscape is starting to take on its muted brown hues, and the look of woods beside the trails is different now, as leaves leave and leave us with a different, unobstructed view of the land.

And yet, on the ground, green hangs on a bit. A few later flowers, like Asters, aren’t yet all spent. On Thursday this week, I wandered a bit on my ride to work, riding out the Cedar River Trail via the new western leg of the Lindale Trail and the street that goes by Theisen’s. Along the way, I saw a flash of yellow in the corner of my eye—butterflies are a rarity now, but one was flitting about in the cool morning air. It was gone by the time I stopped and took my camera out, but it was a reminder of how warm this autumn has been.

Fortunately, it has not continued as dry—which has reduced the days I can ride, but I’m OK with that. The soil needs to store some moisture before the winter freeze, especially after the very dry September and October we had.

Nov. 2--Just climbed the hill on C Avenue, while I get ready to go down Lindale Trail, chain shifts off of the front year. Fortunately, I knew enough to stop right away so the chain didn't get lodged--quickly fixed.

Cedar Lake seen on indirect ride to work Nov. 7.

It rained today (I wrote this Saturday, Nov. 9), which kept me inside this afternoon, but I knew from my weather app that there was a chance of a ride this morning. It was sprinkling as I got The Fancy Beast mountain bike out of the garage. As expected, according to the app, the sprinkles ended quickly, so my morning ride was mostly dry.

I went on the Boyson Trail because it was nearby and I knew rain would be coming. I had the mountain bike because I thought I would gamble and see if the new Creek Trail is still closed. It’s not, they have opened it. It’s been wet, the end of the trial near the Boyson Trail is a shallow pond when rain falls. Still, they have replaced the section of trail that they recently dug up, so I rode out to Boyson Road before returning.

Nov. 7--Dandelion fluff near Collins Aerospace on Lindale Trail. Near where I saw the butterfly.

Before heading home, I cycled out to Oak Shade Cemetery and walked over to say hello to my parents, recently buried there.

November has had a few days where I did not ride due to rain, but as of Nov. 9 I have still managed almost 70 miles—66.78 so far, giving me 2,743.99 miles for the year.

And a butterfly! Is it really November?

Nov. 11--Creek Trail--where it used to be closed and is now open.

In Which the Witch of November Comes Early

Oct. 30--Ready for morning bike ride, first ride in full winter gear.

Oct. 30—the eve of All Hallow’s Eve—and I was getting ready to ride my bicycle to work.

Two days earlier, I rode on a cold, windy Saturday, and planned to put in more than 20 miles but gave up and came home and rode just a bit over 14 ½ miles. I had planned to ride north to Lafayette, but my feet were letting me know that my bicycle sandals were totally inadequate, despite warm socks, when I got out to County Home Road, so I sat for a minute, ate my Lafayette snack, and turned back.

I rode again Sunday, a shorter ride, and it wasn’t as windy, so despite being cool, it was OK. But Sunday into Monday true cold weather, a genuine hard freeze, settled into Iowa. The witch of November came stealing a bit early.

So Monday was my first long johns commute—the first day of riding with warm winter boots, long underwear, my biking hat, my hood, coat and gloves.

Oct. 28--Cool bike ride, colorful Sumac bush beside Cedar Valley Nature Trail in Robins.

There had been some frosty nights by Oct. 28, and few flowers were to be seen--but a few still hang on.

Yet, it was still a good day to ride. Even with a temperature in the 20s and wind chill in the teens, I was OK. Partly, it was because it was a north wind I’d been feeling, and most of my commute involved riding south.

Cold weather bike season came for a visit. It didn’t really stay long, as the first days of November, according to my weather app, will feature cool nights, but not the bitter cold that visited us both Oct. 30 and Oct. 31.

Well, I get more miles in during the warm months, and I do like the flowers and butterflies of that time of year. I’ll still ride some miles during the chill months, too.

Must be the warlock in me. I wasn’t ever that scared of witches.

As of Oct. 31, I had 235 miles for the month. I finished October with 2, 972 miles for 2023, just 328 from my 3,300-mile goal for the year. November is here now, and I missed riding Nov. 2 because I had a blood draw that morning (routine checkup blood tests for an old man), and didn’t have time for biking. But on Nov. 1 and 3, I managed commutes that totaled 14.6 miles. Not bad for a cold, old man.

Sunset Oct. 23 sunset, seen on bike ride home. More night rides coming as time change is this weekend.

 

In Which The Ride Features Flurries

I arrive on campus on a grey Monday morning. Catherine McAuley seems dressed for this winter-like weather. I was hoping to show some flakes in the air, but I don't think you can see them very well.

On Sunday, I had to go to campus to grade some projects and papers. Because it was possible that it would rain, I drove a car.

The storm, which was quite impressive in some places, passed south of us. We didn’t see a flake.

And the winds picked up and the temperature dropped. It was in the upper 20s this morning, which, if the sun is shining and the winds are calm, is honestly not all an unpleasant temperature to be outside.

But, the wind was brisk and the sky grey. Because it was not supposed to snow, I decided I could dress for the weather and bike.

And, of course, on the way to work it began to snow. Is was enough to see some powdery wisps dancing across the cold pavement, but never really enough to cover the ground.

Dressing for the weather mean I didn’t really mind the cold that much. In the early afternoon, returning to my office after class, I noticed a car parked at the University Center. While our ground is bare, this car was caked with wet snow that had frozen to it. It had license plates from a county a bit south of here.

The snow car parked on campus around 12:30 p.m.

We dodged that blizzard of 2018. Based on the forecast, I was thinking I would be driving most of this week, as I waited for pavement to get clear. In fact, I’m thinking of adding a layer and possibly riding Tuesday, when it will be even colder than today.

And, based on what happened south of here, I will not complain about a few random flakes the in the air!

In Which the New Trail Quest Ends in Success

I'm riding Argent, that's Ben in front of me on Clarence as we head south on Cedar River Trail. We're on the west side, encountering some bike traffic.

Black Friday, 2017—with the temperature rising to the 60s in the afternoon, it was a rare, nice warm fall day in Iowa. I spent the late morning and early afternoon playing at a park in Robins with two grandsons and other family members.

I wish I had biked there, but I had not. Still, the fun play date was followed by lunch at a Mexican place I like, and there was no shopping at all, so it was a win for Black Friday.

By mid-afternoon, we were back at home. The under-2 grandson was fading fast—so tired he was willing to nap with his mom (sometimes he insists on your biking correspondent as his nap buddy). So I asked my son Ben if he was interested in a bike ride. He was.

It was past 2:30 p.m. by the time we started. I had a vague notion of finding a new trail. I thought I had seen a photo of it in The Gazette, but maybe it was on Twitter or Facebook, because I could not find it on the newspaper’s web site. Still, I recalled that it was on a levee, and that said “Cedar River” to me, so we supposed we would encounter it going south on the Cedar River Trail.

There were a number of bikers out on this warm afternoon, more down by the river than north in our neighborhood. It was a pleasant ride to the Bridge of Lions despite the little zigs and zags downtown where they are redoing rail crossings. We crossed to the west side of the Cedar River and continued on the trail. We got past Mount Trashmore (which has a new shelter built on the top of it although there is no access yet), but the light was fading and we had not seen the new trail.

However, we did notice a new levee on the east side of the river before we crossed the Bridge of Lions. I suggested to Ben that we check out the neighborhood near the levee on our way back. But by the time we got to the river again, it was getting late, and I suggested we instead just head home.

“Sure,” he said. “But maybe it’s just on the other side of the levee.” He said it in a joking way, not serious or thinking he was right. But we rode a few feet past the flood wall at the street, and there it was! The Sinclair Levee has a short trail on top of it, only about a half mile or so, a little stub of trail that leads to the ruined railroad bridge.

The new bike trail on the Sinclair Levee. This is the far end--you can see the approach to the ruined rail bridge of the left.

They hope, via the Connect CR project, to build a swanky “Sleeping Giant” bridge using the supports for that broken bridge. And there is now a trail that leads there. I was a little surprised that the trail interface was on the north side of the levee—if it were on the south side, you would see it from the Cedar River Trail. At the least, I hope they plan some signs to along the Cedar River Trail to signal that the new trail is there.

It was getting very late, the sun very low, as we rode the new trail there and back. It was very breezy on top of it, but it provided a nice view of the river. I hope some trees can be planted there—wouldn’t some strengthen the levee?

Low sun on Cedar River and son who photo bombed me as I was shooting the sun. This is on the Cedar River Trail, not the new trail.

This photo and one below are at Cedar Lake on the way home. Starting to get a bit chilly, but still it was a very nice warm ride for this time of year.

Anyway, it was a fine afternoon for a ride. On the way home, we paused at Cedar Lake to take a photo of the sunset, and to also take an ussie, because Ben thought I needed photo proof I had been on the ride.

It was about 5 when we returned home. The whole ride was about 23 miles. With my morning ride to the gym, I did not quite get 30 miles in today, but I came close—not bad for November!

A Frosty First Winter Ride

Dry Creek, about 7:15 a.m. Nov. 12, 2012.  Not dry.  A buck has passed by.  Sorry you missed it.  I am glad we had 2 inches of rain Sunday--we sure needed it and it's nice to see a little water in this dry land.

OK, it was cold. So cold that I almost (almost) was in full winter regalia:  Long underwear, two pairs of socks, hood on under my helmet, winter gloves on my hands.

It was cold.  The thermometer sign at Walgreen's said it was 23, although that sign is usually of, shall we say, iffy veracity.  KCRG said it was upper teens in the countryside, low 20s in town.

Well, a brisk wind was blowing, and my ears and feet got a bit cool when I faced into the wind.  Sadly, the wind seemed to be from the southwest and I was heading west and south for pretty much my whole ride.

Still, the winter gear proved adequate.  What was I missing in my winter gear?  In the dead of winter, I’ll wear a long-sleeved shirt under a sweater or sweatshirt, and a scarf.

The ride was a bit rushed—I had to leave by 7:15 because I had an 8 a.m. appointment that I could not be late for.  But I stopped to snap a photo of the now wet Dry Creek from the C Avenue Bridge just south of my house.   A buck had crossed under the bridge and headed east—he was gone before I could unholster my Canon, but I like how the creek, with water in it for once, looked in the cold morning light.

The frozen puddle is at the corner of H and 30 something—may 33rd Street?  Whatever street runs to Elmhurst Country Club.

There were a few icy patches on the ride, but nothing that posed any real danger.  All in all, with the right clothes, not a bad ride.  Still, it’s OK with me if the howling winds either die down—at stay from the same direction.  I won’t mind a tailwind during the ride home in the dark tonight!

Frozen puddle by the side of the road.  But the pavement was mostly bare, not difficult to ride on at all.