An odd sensation to postpone getting on the bike so late in the day. My body kept asking me when I was going to go for a ride. Patience, I said. In the meantime, photo ops came up as I saw this deer strolling across our front yard. It was off to the side when I crept outside and moved into its view. Keeping still, it kept its place and I slowly moved ten feet closer to get better shots.
I love the pose below it provided me. Shortly after that, it gave the very distinctive high-shrill snort warning sound and took off into the woods.
For several days, I mulled over where would be the best place to ride at least an hour on both sides of midnight. I wanted to do more than just go back and forth in a neighborhood. Habberton Rd and environs seemed a possibility as the traffic would be low. There was also the factor of drunk drivers to think about as this would be a Friday night. The bike trail made perfect sense but I thought that it closed at 10:00 or 11:00. I made a call and found out that it is open 24 hours as it is considered a transportation route. Perfect. I planned to park at the Botanical Garden, the northeast terminus of the trail and ride it all the way to the southern terminus and back with probably some side trips.
Wanting to make the ride memorable, I planned on being out four hours and had three lights with me, the number recommended to take when going caving. I expected my primary light to last the entire time but I wanted to have plenty of back up. I arrived at the parking lot of the Botanical Garden just at 10:00 and was on my way within a couple of minutes.
I haven’t been writing as much thoughts as I would have liked the past couple of months as it has been a handful just getting the pictures posted. With this being the midway point, more reflection seemed in order.
When I did the bike ride to Georgia, I thought of it as a poor man’s South Pole Expedition and I think of this year long journey in a similar vein. It has been a while since I have spoken about the journey process of this ride and it is both a journey and a process, more than I would have anticipated.
I feel as if I have already been riding for a year. Mentally, this has been more taxing than I would have thought. Again, I think the taxing part is juggling all the other life’s incidentals as I do the ride and maintain the blog. But, as much as I enjoy riding, I think riding day in and day out has taken a toll of which I’m not quite aware. It’s the type of daily wearing down that one does not became aware of until the journey is over. At the same time, my body feels as if it has really become addicted to bicycling and that I need to do more to sustain my habit. If I only do my minimum ride of 60 minutes, my body feels cheated.
I continue to see this daily ride as a journey as I feel the experience constantly is exposing me to new discoveries. More so because of the photography.
When I came upon an open area of the trail, a pair of eyes were reflecting strongly back at me. The eyes did not move even when I stopped and I aimed my lightly more directly in their direction trying to figure out their owner. In the shadows, I saw what seemed to be a big outline, almost of that of a hyena. A coyote? Finally, I saw the figure of a deer bedded down and then another one nearby. As often as I have seen deer, I've never spotted them at rest like that.
The sense of time and space are much different riding at night, especially where there are no other people around. I rode the first several miles without spotting anyone and eventually came upon a bicyclists who obviously commuted a lot at night as he was well equipped with a helmet and handlebar light.
The closer I got to downtown Fayetteville, the more traffic picked up on the trail. A few walkers and a few bikers. I was surprised to see a couple of women walking alone. Then, reaching Dickson St., it was like reaching a whole other world with all the activity at 11:30 at night.
Back down on Dickson St., I came across Jacob waiting for a fare for his Ped-a-Cab.
Physically, my body is holding up well. I need to be careful with my knees as a couple of times this year I have had to give them some TLC. If I push too hard, if I stand too much as I go up hills, my knees will not be happy.
The Old Mill on Sixth St.
A View in the Tunnel
Reaching this half way point feels as if I have reached the continental divide. This seemed especially true last night while riding from one day into the next. It also felt as if I was entering a different country, time zone, crossing the International Date Line. And, the world feels a bit different today. I stand outside and sense an alteration, as if I can perceive that the Earth is in a different position in its orbit. A very imperceptible, yet real, sensation that could have only been achieved by setting out on this journey.
Time
...and temperature.
Since I started two hours before midnight, a need for balance seemed to call for riding two hours after midnight as well. So, even though I reached the Botanical Garden around 1:30 AM, I found myself putting in more miles in a neighborhood nearby and then back on the trail. Now, I found myself wanting to hit 20 miles since I reset the odometer at midnight so I headed back on the trail. I'm glad I did as it was a great last three miles. The yellow line on the trail felt like a ribbon that was pulling me along through the darkness. And, at times, the reedy grass on the side appeared as seaweed and I felt as if I was riding through the ocean. It was a wonderful feeling.
I arrived back at the parking just shy of 2:00 AM. By the time I made it home and got into bed it was close to 3:00. I knew a short night of sleep was in store for me as no matter how late I get to bed I always end up waking up on the early side.
1 July Leg: 10:00PM - Midnight. 1hr 34mins. 15.67 miles
2 July Leg: Midnight - 2:00AM. 1hr 49mins. 20.04 miles 83 degrees. Miles YTD: 4,083.33
To see older postings, search the Archives listed on the right had panel.
To see postings before 11 June 2011, please go to www.mylifeasabike.blogspot.com
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