Riding Into The Sunset Past Mountains Of Litter In Fort Worth

As you can read on the sign. It is time to team up to clean up the Trinity River, with a Trash Bash, September 18. I don't know if that clean up will be in time for the latest massive J.D. Granger inspired inner tube float down the Trinity.

I liked my sunset bike ride so much last night, I decided to go on another sunset bike ride tonight, starting from Gateway Park, with the duo purpose of checking up on how the humongous pile of littler is holding up that I showed you a few days ago.

I thought I might have the Gateway Park parking lot to myself. As I often am, I was wrong. A lot of cars were pulling in to the park. There were rugby games, softball games and other ball games going on. Before I unloaded my bike I saw other bikers returning from rides.

After pumping some air into my front tire, I was on my way. As I passed Fort Woof I saw dozens upon dozens of canines. A few of them chased me the length of the fence. Very frustrating for them that they could not get to me.

Soon after getting chased by the dogs I crossed the bridge out of Gateway Park to the Trinity Trails.


As you can see, the water has receded, the big pipe no longer under the flood waters of the Trinity and the floating litter and debris is now resting peacefully on the ground. The smell was not very pleasant in this location.

As you can see, Trinity Falls is back falling. As you can also see, due to the sun setting, depending on which way I'm aiming my camera I get a different lighting scenario.


On Thursday there was a several feet high pile of litter at this location, right next to the pedestrian bridge. As you can see, it is gone. Where it went to is interesting.


The litter was moved to make temporary, I hope, Mount Trinity. I wonder why the effort was made to clean the litter from one spot, only to move it 50 feet away to another spot and pile it higher? I hope it does not spontaneously combust.

A week ago tomorrow I would be drowning if I were at the location I am in the picture, on top of the Trinity Falls Dam/Bridge. But Trinity Falls is now peacefully falling underneath the Dam/Bridge where it properly belongs. A large pile of litter did not quite make it over the barrier during the flood and remains stuck, as you can see.

In the picture I am under the Riverside Street Bridge, looking west as the sun sets over the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth. I pedaled another couple miles before deciding it was time to turn around. The roundtrip ended up being a little over 10 miles.

Now we are back at the parking lot we started from. Looking at one of the ubiquitous outhouses that grace, well, more accurately, disgrace many of Fort Worth's parks.

Gateway Park's various ballfields are very well done. The baseball/softball fields have an actual restroom facility. But the rugby fields and soccer fields, that were built to replace the fields lost to the takeover, by Chesapeake Energy, of ballfields at the north end of Oakland Boulevard, do not have modern facilities. Or running water. Just a half dozen, or more outhouses.

A food vendor was selling something to eat at the entry to the rugby field. I thought modern American cities did not allow such things without proper sanitation facilities.

I saw something tonight that bothered me a lot more than Fort Worth's lack of proper amenities in its parks. But, I do not want to talk about it right now. Maybe in the morning.