This past Monday I biked from my place up to a local cemetery. On Sunday I had kayaked past it, and it looked like a gorgeous, calm place, so I thought I'd bike there to check it out. It was about a 6 mile round trip, but it was a gorgeous ride. My camera could not do the changing leaves justice for just how brilliant their colors were.
It wasn't a long trip, though it was mainly hills, which are both fun and a bunch of work. Unfortunately I haven't been able to take any more fun adventures with the start up of work and classes again. Hopefully this weekend.
"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." John Muir
Hawaii
Friday, October 17, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Kayaking trip up the river
On day two of my fall recess I decided I really wanted to go kayaking. I placed a phone call down to the local outdoor gear shop "downtown" and they said they were closed doing inventory, but if I came down they'd let me rent a kayak. They were beyond nice. I rented the kayak, one of the store's employees let me borrow a dry bag for my gear (his own personal bag), and another employee helped me carry it down to load it into the river. To top it off, they gave me their cell number to call so when I was done someone could help me carry it back to the store.
The weather was gorgeous; low 70's, bright and sunny, some clouds but not many. Paddling up river I meandered between the many islands. Sometimes there were barriers every so often, most looking to be man made, but there was always a cut-through somewhere.
The river bed is sandy in many places, and usually muddy. The river is very deep in places and extremely shallow in others. Sometimes I got stuck on the sandbars, but with a little maneuvering was able to make it back to deeper water. When I wast stuck on one of the sandbars I looked down to see trails in the sand. The trails reminded me of those made by moonshells off the beaches of Cape Cod. Following one of the paths I found a fresh-water mussel. I picked it up out of the water and it pulled it's foot back inside the shell. Looking around I found at least 3 dozen more. I left them where they were. Not good eats.
The river is spotted with many islands, and I could have spent a few hours exploring. Passing by the shore in one place I noticed a few people walking along the path at what looked to be a cemetery. They said hi and told me it looked like the perfect day for a paddle! I only saw a few others actually out on boats, but the river is wide enough in places to seem like a lake that we never really crossed paths.
Around 500 Canadian geese honked and floated in the river. I heard a few blue jays sqwaking from nearby trees, and saw half a dozen great blue herons, a few in flight with their long slender legs trailing behind them.
It was the perfect day for a paddle. Returning back to land I called up the shop, pulled the kayak back up to dry land, and within a few minutes another worker came and helped me carry it back to the shop. Of course that is a 3 minute walk or so up the main drag downtown, and I can't tell you how many odd stares we received from passers-by.
The weather was gorgeous; low 70's, bright and sunny, some clouds but not many. Paddling up river I meandered between the many islands. Sometimes there were barriers every so often, most looking to be man made, but there was always a cut-through somewhere.
The river bed is sandy in many places, and usually muddy. The river is very deep in places and extremely shallow in others. Sometimes I got stuck on the sandbars, but with a little maneuvering was able to make it back to deeper water. When I wast stuck on one of the sandbars I looked down to see trails in the sand. The trails reminded me of those made by moonshells off the beaches of Cape Cod. Following one of the paths I found a fresh-water mussel. I picked it up out of the water and it pulled it's foot back inside the shell. Looking around I found at least 3 dozen more. I left them where they were. Not good eats.
The river is spotted with many islands, and I could have spent a few hours exploring. Passing by the shore in one place I noticed a few people walking along the path at what looked to be a cemetery. They said hi and told me it looked like the perfect day for a paddle! I only saw a few others actually out on boats, but the river is wide enough in places to seem like a lake that we never really crossed paths.
Around 500 Canadian geese honked and floated in the river. I heard a few blue jays sqwaking from nearby trees, and saw half a dozen great blue herons, a few in flight with their long slender legs trailing behind them.
It was the perfect day for a paddle. Returning back to land I called up the shop, pulled the kayak back up to dry land, and within a few minutes another worker came and helped me carry it back to the shop. Of course that is a 3 minute walk or so up the main drag downtown, and I can't tell you how many odd stares we received from passers-by.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Bike trip
Hello everyone! Today marks day two of my fall break. I decided not to make the trip home for this break, due to my frequent travels home this semester thus far. It's a long drive for just a weekend. So instead I'm staying here just laying low for a weekend. So far it's been an amazing break.
Yesterday I woke and got the urge to go for a bike ride. But not just a bike ride. A 10 mile long bike ride! It was a lot of fun. The path took me to a town 5 miles down the road. The town is situated on the same river, and the entire area is in full fall bloom. For the path back I took a small county route, which took me down a few amazing hills.
A smile was plastered on my face each time I was racing downhill. Of course that smile faded a little when I would have to walk my bike near the top of the other hill...
The entire trip was a blessing. Just as I turned back onto the main drag into town I got a sharp pain in my knee. Thank goodness I was really close to town so if it had continued to bother me I could've just walked my bike. Couldn't walk into any of the main stores though... covered in grease and sweat. Pleasant.
The pictures below are from my trip. Enjoy!
Yesterday I woke and got the urge to go for a bike ride. But not just a bike ride. A 10 mile long bike ride! It was a lot of fun. The path took me to a town 5 miles down the road. The town is situated on the same river, and the entire area is in full fall bloom. For the path back I took a small county route, which took me down a few amazing hills.
A smile was plastered on my face each time I was racing downhill. Of course that smile faded a little when I would have to walk my bike near the top of the other hill...
The entire trip was a blessing. Just as I turned back onto the main drag into town I got a sharp pain in my knee. Thank goodness I was really close to town so if it had continued to bother me I could've just walked my bike. Couldn't walk into any of the main stores though... covered in grease and sweat. Pleasant.
The pictures below are from my trip. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
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