Yesterday I saw one of the urban hares hopping around with a while stripe down it's back - already changing to winter colours!? "Bullshit!" I called after it, "It's only AUGUST!"
Anyway... After our little Trip out to Pike Lake...
Kids and I went on a little ride up to the New Chief Mistawassis bridge - on our mountain bikes and hitting any easy dirt trails we found along the way.
Wasn't too hot. Wasn't too cold. It was a nice day for a ride.
I had to stop alot and wait for them to catch up. I'd pre-rode the route the day before on the Fargo. it took me an hour and a half. Ffteen minutes into this ride, I realized it was going to take THREE HOURS with the kids!? And I wasn't even riding all that fast the day before!!!
The walked EVERY SINGLE RISE...
YELLOW LEAVES!? It wasn't even half way through August!?
Bullsh!t!!
Most of the trails we took were flat and easy.
Fairly well maintained.
With a few little log bridges.
Wonder what the story behind this is? This was at the bottom of a very long, steep, wooded river bank!?
We rode a section that I HASN'T pre-rode and it turned out to be a little more technical than I remember... The kids were pretty annoyed with me. They're really not hardcore mountain bikers. At. All.
We took the next trail going up. It was a scrambling trail, not a biking trail - longer and steeper than it looks.
Had to help Keira haul her bike up beyond this point.
By this point it was clear there was rain showers going on all around us - but in the distance. I really hoped we'd make it home before any of them caught up with us!
And then we had to take a break because Finnegan had low blood-sugar (following a crazy high1?) and had to deal with that...
Heading back south on the other side of the river.
A lot of the riding on the other side was fairly open trail through prairie at the top of the river bank.
in a few spots we dipped down into the wooded banks along the river... kids pushing bikes up every rise again...
Back down by the river level.
Grumpy child who neglected to bring any snacks starting to get a little HANGRY!
At one point these were ski trail in the winter. family level and open still, down in the trees.
(maybe they still are ski trails...?)
More climbing...
Still dodging rain.
Another fast dit trail through the trees.
More distant rain.
AS we got to the Traffic Bridge I was going to leave the kids to go home on their own and go on a bit of an extended ride to the South Bridge, but there was clearly rain going on over there... so I just went home with them.
On the weekend we did the same ride (less the more technical stuff) with Amanda!
More waiting while dealing with blood sugar....
The trails along the riverbank really are great.
Boy dismounting like a pro as he rolls up behind sister who has already stopped on a climb.
Snack Break.
A bit of gravel.
What's the story here? What was IN that safe!?
Amanda don't walk no hills!!
Or over roots!
I should just go mountain biking with HER in the future!
Skirting wetlands in the Northeast Swale.
Gravelled Mewassin Trail.
Back onto some dirt single track.
With a little coaxing Keira rode down this little track which she'd had to walk the other day!
Amanda needs no coaxing!
Dirt Grrrlz.
A happy Amanda riding in the trees.
Again, smallish girl getting tired and cranky...
Almost home.
I can't remember if this was the same ride, and I'd gone to the south bridge while the rest of the family went home, of if it was another ride altogether... but riding across the south bridge I noticed some new graffiti on the south train bridge and had a laugh. If only my middle name had been "Roy", I could have been "Bad, Bad T. Roy Brown"!
Went out on a few more rides with Amanda on the Burley Duet - not that we got it fixed up and rideable... though she was wanting a more upright riding position - hence reversed handlebars.
Evening ride - long shadows. Feeling more like the summer is coming to an end...
Spotted one of the beavers living in the Gully by the Diefenbaker Centre and the new Children's Hospital.
Amanda's been trying out some new Loaner Saddles from Bike Universe... this was one.
On another day I rolled out to the South Home Despot and picked up some wood.
Well... MDF... which was sort of wood at one point...
Another solo evening ride - MORE leaves starting to turn! DAMMIT!
Just about rolled over this well camouflaged fuzzy critter!
Spotted Brian out on the river!
Saturday morning tandem ride with Amanda.
in the afternoon I went out on a longer ride on the Salsa Fargo.
warn and mostly sunny as I was heading out.
Started to see distant rain...
AS I was rolling through Chief Whitecap park I heard a rumbling behind me!
While it was mostly clear skies ahead...
It was clear the city behind me was getting poured on...
It looked like the system was tracking east so I though I'd just keep going south and hoped it blew past before I headed back.
Heading back I spotted some clear blue skies poking through - I hoped I might dodge through this break in the rain!
MURDER!
As I got closer to the city, it became clear I was NOT going to TOTALLY dodge the rain, so I got the rain cover out for the trunk. I didn't have a jacket, but it wasn't too cold and I was getting close to home.
I did get sprinkled on a little bit as I was rolling past Cranberry Flats.
But as I rolled into the city it had mostly moved past.
Still raining off to the east. Lots of lightening and thunder!
But the time I was riding into the city it was mostly clear skies and sun - with very wet roads!
When I got home Amanda and the kids were very concerned and were certain I was going to be soaked to the bone and it had really poured for some time while I was out. They were amazed I'd (almost) completely dodged it all!
Another evening ride.
Out to an appointment with Amanda.
On the way home from looking for dance costumes and stuff with Ananda and Keira, we rolled past the latest cycling infrastructure in Saskatoon - a cyclist activated crossing at 14th and Clarence.
I can't tell you how often this happens. There are clearly marked separate spaces for cyclists and pedestrians along the new Victoria pathway, but just about EVERY time I ride along them there are pedestrians walking right in the middle of the cycle track...
And that's about it for August. Most of these rides were in the third week of august as this last week I've been feeling a bit under the weather... Hope to get riding a bit more in September!!!
