Though my affair with running has been reignited , my true love remains cycling. It’s been awhile since I've done any sort of tour so I took a bike overnighter to Lake Solano, and it was much needed with all that’s been going on. Being out there on the road, knowing your needs are more basic, enjoying life and all the wonders of the world. For me, it’s also a great feeling to follow through with my plans. Too often in the past things have happened, or I seemed to make them happen, so that my trips failed and I sabotaged myself somehow. I look back and wonder why I did things to hold myself back. I believe fear played a large part, as did addiction to drama. Once I realized what I was doing though I was able to break free of those habits.
Day one: I rode along the west side of Lake Natoma on the American River Parkway. The day started out warm and just got warmer. Spider webs drifted on the breeze along the way. I saw two deer, one just a couple of feet from the trail with small, barely there antlers. The other stood afar in a field, it’s rack at least two feet high. I munched on Spam along the way, which was a surprisingly good snack. The scenery along the parkway seemed more verdant and riparian than I ever recalled seeing it before. Outside of Davis, on Putah Creek Road, the automotive traffic dropped drastically and I saw more bicycles than cars. When I reached camp (a whopping $5 for a bike in site!) I took advantage of the FREE hot showers and wandered down to the small lakefront. Peacocks wandered around camp as I ate my dinner.
Lake Solano
Day two: After a pleasant night beneath a starry sky I awoke at 5AM to begin the journey home. It was a bit chilly, but by noon it was in the 90’s. I noticed at William Pond park the boy scouts had installed a public bicycle repair stand, complete with tools and a pump. At Lake Natoma I took the east side this time. The final climb home was a grind, especially with the near 100 degree heat. It was like summer had said, ‘just kidding, I’m not really gone yet’. I geared down, took my time and finally made it home.
Riding home from work Saturday I noticed that the new trail along Natoma street was finally opened. It’s name? The Johnny Cash Trail! How awesome is that!(link) I, of course, had to ride it. At the top of the overpass above Folsom Lake Crossing I stopped to read a plaque that had been dedicated just that day. I hope some day other towns nearby will take a clue from Folsom and expand their own trail networks.
I went to Northstar Sunday, for the first time, to check out the mountain bike park I had been hearing so much about. I was not disappointed. I didn’t do any wicked jumps or haul ass down the trail but I did do things I had never done before and pushed my skill set. I crashed only once and my biggest injury was a small pedal bite, not bad considering I was riding a hardtail and had no body armor. My bike handled the abuse admirably. The scenery was fantastic and I enjoyed the singletrack the most. It was also fantastic to see such a large number of people coming together and having fun over a shared love of cycling. The sense of community was impressive. All in all it was a great experience.
Ride on!
What’s next? Well if you want to know, my curious readers you will just have to
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