Training Log Archive: PGIn the 1 days ending Aug 16, 2017:
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Wednesday Aug 16, 2017 #
11 AM
biking - dark blue bike 1:35:01 19.15 mi (4:58 / mi) +779ft 4:47 / mi
ahr:115 max:149
One of those (rare) days when it's good to have the GPS along so you can look at the track afterwards and see where you went...
Actually, I tested myself first, a look at the topo map afterwards made it pretty clear where I'd been.
Wanted to see if a trail was ridable. It was marked on the topo, angling up across the lower Whately hills. I'd been on it many years ago, running on the snowmobile tracks in winter, always approaching from Whately Glen Road. This time I came from the south side, wanted to make the connection with where Walter and I had ended up a couple of months ago and then see if this gave an alternate route back up towards his place. I figured the odds were that it would be too steep/rough, but wanted to see.
Got to where that trail headed up, and there was a cable across it and No Trespassing signs. Didn't look very appealing. Kept going along the bottom of the slope. In a little bit I passed a trail on the right, also lots of signs. Kept going. In a little bit, my trail looked like it was starting up, and more than I was capable of doing. So I did a u-turn, went back to the previous junction, at least there was one sign admonishing folks to stay on the trail. Well, that seemed OK. And the gate was open.
Headed down that way, nice wide trail, verging on a dirt road. After a bit there was another gate, this one closed, but a smaller trail branched left. My assumption was all these trails were used by the snowmobiles in the winter, and must go somewhere. So followed this one.
Got a little rougher, tested all my bike skills, but I stayed upright. But before too long it was clear I wasn't where I hoped to be, plus I really didn't know where I was. After a bit I (and the trail) were meandering across an overgrown field, then the next thing I knew I was heading really steeply downhill. At this point I knew where I was -- the whole valley was in view in front of me -- but I also knew the section of land I was dropping into was all private.
Got down the steep slope, then meandered past some horse jumps, and a couple of barns, and a few horses, and then down a long driveway with another barn and some goats. But fortunately not a single person. The whole time I was working on what I would say when confronted by an angry landowner... :-)
Then back home via a nice assortment of public back roads.
And so an adventure, which is good by definition, but not one I expect to repeat.
--------
Well, maybe I flunked the test? Looking at the GPS track, seems the trail I'd wanted had been the one I bailed on, not the one with the cable across it. So of course now I'm wondering what it's like as it climbs, and maybe a good bit of it is ridable? Guess I'll have to go look again some time.
And I remembered being in the upper fields before, but they looked different than I remembered. I guess snow-covered vs. 3' high grass will do that. Probably missed another branch of the trail that would have gotten me where I wanted.
Do I need to start carrying a map?
Actually, I tested myself first, a look at the topo map afterwards made it pretty clear where I'd been.
Wanted to see if a trail was ridable. It was marked on the topo, angling up across the lower Whately hills. I'd been on it many years ago, running on the snowmobile tracks in winter, always approaching from Whately Glen Road. This time I came from the south side, wanted to make the connection with where Walter and I had ended up a couple of months ago and then see if this gave an alternate route back up towards his place. I figured the odds were that it would be too steep/rough, but wanted to see.
Got to where that trail headed up, and there was a cable across it and No Trespassing signs. Didn't look very appealing. Kept going along the bottom of the slope. In a little bit I passed a trail on the right, also lots of signs. Kept going. In a little bit, my trail looked like it was starting up, and more than I was capable of doing. So I did a u-turn, went back to the previous junction, at least there was one sign admonishing folks to stay on the trail. Well, that seemed OK. And the gate was open.
Headed down that way, nice wide trail, verging on a dirt road. After a bit there was another gate, this one closed, but a smaller trail branched left. My assumption was all these trails were used by the snowmobiles in the winter, and must go somewhere. So followed this one.
Got a little rougher, tested all my bike skills, but I stayed upright. But before too long it was clear I wasn't where I hoped to be, plus I really didn't know where I was. After a bit I (and the trail) were meandering across an overgrown field, then the next thing I knew I was heading really steeply downhill. At this point I knew where I was -- the whole valley was in view in front of me -- but I also knew the section of land I was dropping into was all private.
Got down the steep slope, then meandered past some horse jumps, and a couple of barns, and a few horses, and then down a long driveway with another barn and some goats. But fortunately not a single person. The whole time I was working on what I would say when confronted by an angry landowner... :-)
Then back home via a nice assortment of public back roads.
And so an adventure, which is good by definition, but not one I expect to repeat.
--------
Well, maybe I flunked the test? Looking at the GPS track, seems the trail I'd wanted had been the one I bailed on, not the one with the cable across it. So of course now I'm wondering what it's like as it climbs, and maybe a good bit of it is ridable? Guess I'll have to go look again some time.
And I remembered being in the upper fields before, but they looked different than I remembered. I guess snow-covered vs. 3' high grass will do that. Probably missed another branch of the trail that would have gotten me where I wanted.
Do I need to start carrying a map?