Dateline: Saturday, 25 June 05
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

I took the K2 for a ride up the Jordan River Parkway. I had invited a few people to join me, but no one took me up on the offer. Their loss.

I started at the 6400 South trail head. I set a moderate pace; I had nothing but air, opportunity and time, so I didn’t see a need to rush. I made it to the International Peace Gardens in roughly an hour and fifteen minutes, which I thought was a reasonable time. That also included the time that I took me to get back on the trail after veering about a mile-and-a-half or two off the path. I’ll just say that I took “the scenic route… through a residential area.” “They,” some nameless division of the Salt Lake Parks and Recreation Department, are repairing parts of the trail. One of the places where there is no path – but there is lots of construction equipment – was under the 2100 South overpass. I had to dismount and walk the bike through this area.

When I got to the Gardens, I stopped between the German, Japanese and Lebanese gardens. I called the paternal unit and talked for a while before getting back on the bike and heading a little further north. I made it to 400 South – around the I-80 overpass – when I lost the trail. It just seemed to… stop. I know that it picked up somewhere on the other side of I-80, but I figured that I could discover where on another excursion. I turned around and headed back.

The southbound trip was good… despite the fact that I was riding into a head wind. Even so, I enjoyed the ride. I also discovered where it was that I lost the bike trail on my northbound ride. I believe that my thought when I saw where I’d turned off was “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…” And I rode on. Around the time that I got near 4800 South, a light sprinkling rain, though not enough to call it a “drizzle,” started to fall. The opening to The Who’s Love Reign O’er Me started playing in my head; it made me laugh. The rain stopped and I pressed on.

I made it back to the car around 1:40 PM. I was hot, tired, and VERY sweaty… but it was worth it. Spending a few hours out in the sun was a good thing. Except for the “biker’s butt.” I have/had always wondered about guys who wore biker shorts. But, now, I’m beginning to see the benefits of ’em… especially the ones with the padded seats. I might have to make some serious inquiries into acquiring a pair or two…

After the ride, I made a few realizations:

  1. I like the new bike.
  2. Getting out and riding was a fun – and more productive – alternative to being a couch/computer chair potato.
  3. There was no one but me to push me to keep going. I think that I did a good job of that – after getting to the Gardens, I planned to ride up to at least North Temple Street. I-80, however, put the kibosh on that. For now.
  4. While it would have been nice to have others along for the ride, it was nice to go it alone. I could set my own pace and not have to worry about going too fast or too slow.
  5. For the most part, people on the trail practiced common courtesy to others around them. I think that I only noted two or three exceptions to that.

I may have to do this again next weekend. Although, it will probably ride to the southern end of the trail, for variety.