Tales from the Bike Trail

Preamble
While I haven't written much about it, I have been biking to school most days. The rides are uneventful. I have not yet worked myself into a heart attack. On the contrary, I've continued to get stronger, and I'm doing most of my rides in a higher gear than when I started. The condition of my bike is not great, but I've managed to put off the getting a tune up. More workout for me, right? The ride in is still work, but I really enjoy the slightly more downhill ride home.

I. Moose!
I have had four moose spottings from the path; probably three different moose, including a mother and calf, the mother I've seen three times. For three sightings, the moose was 8-12 yards off the path munching away on grass or scrub. Once, I came upon two groups of people stopped on the trail about 30 yards apart, facing each other, as if there were going to be a rumble. In fact, the moose and her calf had just walked across the trail, and people were giving them space. We passed with the moose's rump just three feet off the trail. It was big. Sir Mix-a-Lot would be impressed.

While you might think that 8-12 yards would be a good opportunity to view a moose, and get a good picture, I have not done so. The reason is that moose are not that bright, but the moose near the trail have come to expect that there will be riders on the trail, and that they'll just keep going. And given that the moose aren't terribly bright, and that they defend themselves by charging and doing a 2000 pound hard-hooved dance on the head of the threatening entity, I've decided to do exactly what the moose expects: keep going.

II. Wipeout!
No, I didn't ride my bide down to surf the Turnagain Arm bore tide. I wrecked, hard. Left a lot of my left forearm on the pavement, and parts of my knee, hip side, and the plam of my right riding glove (it certainly paid for itself) as well. No hospital need, but it hurt a lot and required quite dramatic looking bandages.

I wish I had a great story, about dodging a moose (and then talking my way out of a trampling with my newly-honed moose whispering skills), or jumping over a dog, or helping to keep a kid safe, but I do not. I came into an intersection in the bike path, thought about going one way, saw some broken glass on the path, changed my mind, turned, got the handlebars cranked and went down.

The one lucky aspect was that this was the one trip I've made home without my laptop in my backpack.