Shaun’s Rides

Water Dog Again – Morning Ride

Water Dog - Fireroad Warmup

Park Condition: Moist – Not lots of mud, but the ground is nice and sticky with no dust

Riding Condition: Fast

Population: Very Low

I went out early this morning before Lucy’s swim lessons so I could get in a good ride before the predicted rain hit for the weekend.  There was a huge difference between Wednesday’s ride and today.  The muddy corners are dry enough to be really sticky, there was only a few people out – all hiking with dogs, and the amount of wildlife encounters was significantly increased.  I got to see about 30 rabbits and 3 flocks of grouse.

One rabbit actually ran square into the spokes in my front wheel.  It happened so fast I didn’t have a chance to react, or even slow down.  I’m pretty sure the little guy was hurt but he tumbled off into the brush so I don’t really know.  This was a great reminder that no matter how well I’m feeling on the bike, nature needs to be respected.

I was able to ride the same route as Wednesday in 1 hour 15 minutes instead of 2 hours.  I could be that I’m stronger in the mornings instead of after work but the lack of waiting around for groups of 30 riders to clear sections probably helped a bit too.