Take a Ride on the CCRT

One of the nicest amenities on Cape Cod is the Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT for short). We do not have a railroad anymore, but the old Right of Way for the Old Colony Railroad Company has been transformed into a wonderful bike path. It's pretty flat, well supplied with ice cream and bike rental shops, and will even take you to the Cape Cod National Seashore. I've been riding from Dennis to Wellfleet as often as I have time for a 70 mile ride, but there are plenty of parking areas along the way for those who want a shorter ride.  A day's ride for me shakes out like this:

I don't have anyone to go for a long ride with right now, so the first thing I do is plan to get out early but actually leave the house at 10:30 because I don't have to be on time for someone else. This would have been suicidal in Oklahoma because of the heat, but even in the heat of the day today the temperatures on the trail did not get higher than 91°. The humidity was a little high, but the air temperature was cool enough to support life. Getting ready involves making a sandwich to eat on the way to the trailhead, making up my bottles (one water, one PowerAde & water half & half), sunblock, charging my phone, yada, yada, yada. Then I check everything twice to be sure I still have everything.

Orleans Bike Shop

Once at the trailhead I lollygag around airing up my tires and changing shoes, then it's off for a ride. For the first five miles I mope along because my legs hurt. I'm sure my seat is at the wrong height, I've planned too long a ride, I don't really feel like it, I didn't have enough sleep, and besides it might get hot.  I can't get into a rhythm so I keep speeding up and slowing down. For the second five miles I remember that my legs always feel bad for the first eight or ten miles. I remember that this was my idea, and that because I am riding alone I can turn around at any time. At around twenty miles I am feeling good, and I pick up the pace. I decide to go on to the end of the trail, then turn around and come back. By this time I am tired of the song that has appeared in my head but can't think of another one. I wish I had brought my iPod even though I don't like to wear it on a ride. At forty five miles I stop for a break at Arnold's. I order a coke and think I may also have an ice cream. I change my mind and think I don't need anything else. Ten miles later I am hungry, stupid, and my legs are tired. I consider the choice between stopping for ice cream or eating an energy gel from my back pocket. I brood for five miles, then decide on ice cream. Ice cream peps me up, but while I was eating it I got a little stiff. At 60 miles I decide my feet hurt, my behind hurts, and the wind shifted in a way I do not like. At 65 miles I'm feeling pretty good, and slowing down a little to cool down so I don't stop suddenly at the end. It's been kind of a fussy ride but I'm so glad I did it. A long ride always leaves me happy and relaxed afterwards.

Cape Cod Rail Trail

I finally took a spin on the Cape Cod Rail Trail, which runs from Dennis to Wellfleet. I really wanted to check it out for a nice ride but I didn't want to go without Shana and she couldn't go this weekend. Turns out she was glad I was ready and willing to check it out. Since the weather was perfect I suited up without further ado. Actually it was with further ado because I was not at all sure where my bike clothes were and I had two mountain bikes already in the car. I dug around in the basement and found my bike gear, brought one mountain bike into the basement and took my road bike out. I fixed myself a couple of bottles and found out that the battery in my bike computer was dead. So. On the way I went to CVS for some blue Powerade (the Drink of my People), a Clif bar, and batteries for my computer. Once in Dennis the trailhead was super easy to find and provided with loads of parking but my water bottles were not so easy to find. My water bottles were on the kitchen counter, one of my classic moves. Lucky for me the travel coffee mug that had mysteriously disappeared last month was lurking under my seat, so it became my Powerade bottle. This was not an attractive addition to my kit but it did serve the purpose. Around a mile down the trail I ran across Barbara's Bike Shop where I bought a bottle of water and one of the guys adjusted the front brake which was slightly off center. He admired my beautiful bike tactfully not mentioning the coffee mug in my bottle cage and sent me on my way ready to roll. Everyone there was more than cordial, the shop was spotless, and I would recommend them to anyone. They rent all kinds of bikes and are right on the trail.




Once back on the road I really enjoyed my ride. The trail is flat and well maintained, with the many road crossings well marked. The scenery is lovely. What I most worried about before I came out was that traffic on the trail would be intense. It was not nearly as bad as I had feared, and the trail was wide enough for me to pass slower riders and family groups easily. There were long stretches where I did not run into any other riders or walkers at all. I rode an easy 40 miles and averaged 21.6 mph even though I had to slow down many times for road crossings. I have to admit I was blessed with perfect weather and almost no wind at all. I was also anxious about getting back on the road bike. I did not ride it at all last year, so I thought I might be in for another humiliating adjustment period featuring falling over while still attached to the bike by my shoes. I need not have worried. Once I rode the first 300 yards I was totally comfortable again.

There are lots of places where you can get off the trail for ice cream or a more substantial snack, and rest rooms are available at the Nickerson Park information office. There are also quite a few parking lots along the way for people who want to pick up the trail at various places. The trail is a great resource, and set up for use by a wide variety of people. I'll probably be going back next Sunday with Shana and some friends. Using a combination of highway and back roads to avoid the Sunday afternoon bridge traffic I drove back in just under 30 minutes.

Really Spring

Great Sippewisset Marsh

We had such a nice warm weekend that I am confident about spring really being here.  We haven't passed the last frost date yet, but the winter was so mild and the temperatures so warm now I don't expect to see a hard freeze. I hope I don't live to regret my confidence! The trees are leafing out and the garden is coming back to life in force. I started a bed of hydrangeas and hostas in the back corner of our lot which I hope will be a lovely place to sit in a few years. Everything looks good back there, and I was able to apply a generous top dressing of compost to give the new plants a fighting chance against the existing tree roots. Lucky for me I can take as much compost as I want from the dump because my own is no where near ready yet. That will be the corner where Inace's little boat will be living as a planter. I have great hopes that in time it will be a gorgeous part of my garden. Due to the kindness of one of my knitting friends and her handy husband my lawn mower issue is settled and the grass is cut. I'm sure this improves my standing in the neighborhood; the weeds were outstanding and the grass was looking like an unmade bed by the time we got it cut. Last night we went to the local hardware store and bought a trimmer to finish the job and a pair of loppers to allow me to finish up the pruning our giant forsythia so richly deserves.

Last night we had a salad  straight from our lettuce planter - you can't get any fresher than that! There have been a few cold nights since we set up out lettuce and herb planters. This did not agree with the basil but everything else is doing just great. Next things in pots will be some cilantro and a few pots of flowers, and when the nights are a little warmer we'll try some tomatoes. Now that we have some chairs on the deck we are wishing for colorful pots of blooms.

Sunday after the lawn mowing Shana and I went out for a ride on the Shining Sea Bikeway with some friends. Shana and I had not been out since last year and our friends had been out only once; we were all trying not to be too ambitious. It was a perfect day and we all had a great time. Ten miles out and back were plenty for me on my mountain bike, and Shana was glad she rode a shorter distance. We both need some more riding time to avoid feeling saddle sore. One friend wants to train for a long distance event so she'll be up for some mileage but needs to shop for a new bike to replace her 70's vintage steel motobecane. It is in perfect condition but weighs as much as my mountain bike. With weather like we had Sunday it won't be a hardship to put in some miles. Of course today is grey and cool and tomorrow will be rainy and cooler. I hope to ride some this weekend when the rain is over and the warm weather returns.

I'm done with baby blankets for the moment except for weaving in some ends. For my next project I have a few knitted items in an unfinished state and some house projects that need to be done. There are some baseboards waiting for paint and a watercolor in progress that needs about a day's work to finish. The big outdoor projects for the season are done but the weeding is never ending as is the task of adding compost to the existing planting areas.

Roxy is showing her age these days. Her hearing is pretty awful and she sleeps sounder. When I woke her up to go outside last night she nearly jumped out of her skin. She may not live to see another birthday if she does not stop eating my Georgia Peach heuchera. Nearly every day she walks into the middle of the bed to chomp the leaves right off of it. I have several varieties but this is the only one she has any interest in.