Sunday, August 31, 2014

The Last Day Of August Biking In Arlington With The River Legacy Park Crowd

On this last day of August I decided I'd not been riding my bike enough, so I rolled my motorized transport device to Arlington, to River Legacy Park, to roll my non-motorized wheels on the River Legacy mountain bike trails.

Along with a lot of other wheel rollers and hikers.

In the picture my handlebars are in a quandary, trying to decide whether to go north on the relatively boring North Loop, or take the North Loop Bypass to the right. My handlebars opted for the bypass, the decision made when a group of four slowpokes arrived and took the North Loop option.

Soon after you roll past the River Legacy trail head you come to one of the more difficult ups and downs on the trails.

Today a family consisting of a mom and dad and three young kids had that first up and down congested. I waited about five minutes for the trail to clear. As I waited I was thinking to myself that these trails are not really kid friendly. That first up and down required the bikes to be walked up and down by the parental units, whilst the kids walked. This did not bode well for the rest of their bike ride, what with there being a lot of ups and downs.

About a half hour later I was zipping along, fast and suddenly the aforementioned family was coming at me, going the wrong way on the one-way trail. I slammed the brakes. I told the dad they were going the wrong direction. The dad asked how to get back to the parking lot. I did not know how to give exact directions from that location. And the dad was very impatient. I asked what trail they'd just been on, to which the dad replied "can't you just tell us how to get out of here?"

Well. I pointed north and said I think that trail will take you to a straight trail that will take you to the paved trail. He said thanks and zipped off, leaving the wife and kids behind. I elaborated on the directions, as best I could, to the wife. I assume they made it out and are not still rolling around, lost. I suppose I could have lead them out of there, but I found the dad sort of annoying and I knew it would be a very slow operation. That and I was having myself a mighty fine time.

This was not the first time I've come upon someone lost and confused on the River Legacy trails. Previous times I've been able to easily point the lost party in the right direction.

With the River Legacy Park mountain bike trails being so popular methinks maybe some new signage needs to be added to the already excellent signage. Maybe arrows at each junction pointing the way back to the trailhead.

Changing the subject to something else.

I'm feeling a bit Rip Van Winklish, what with August zipping by so fast, with September starting up tomorrow, also likely zipping by fast. And then it will be October with the dreaded, by me, Holiday Season, starting up and in another blink of the eye it will by Happy New Year, it's 2015.

By the way, I've already got all my Christmas shopping done.....

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