Biking North Fork Goose Creek

I had plans to go biking on Saturday with my friend Todd and maybe his wife Erin, but I got word that those plans had changed. Instead of going biking there was a canoeing/kayaking adventure to be had. Todd and I decided that we would try going biking on Sunday instead.

I got word that the bike trip was on and after driving over to his house we were trying to decide which area to take. Our options were staying on the back roads which would make for an even and predictable ride or we could take a back trail/off road path that would be more adventurous. Naturally, we chose the harder off road path.

We headed down a nearby road before taking a quick turn and heading down the mountain, through some woods, and ending up near a small stream. We peddled across the stream at a low point and came to an area that appeared to be mostly marshland. As we peddled through it I confirmed it was marshy because I had to place my foot down multiple times due to the soggy conditions and my bike tires not getting enough traction. Each time my foot touched the ground it slowly sunk about four inches down into muddy water.

We continued, soggy feet and all, until we had to cross the stream again. There was a place where you could attempt to ride across the stream but you would never make it, even in dry conditions. It was too steep on both sides and you have to go down and back up about five feet on both sides. We decided we had to jump the six foot gap. Todd went first and continued down just a bit. I was considering the best way to jump over the stream without falling the four or five foot drop into the water. Just as I decided I would just jump while holding my bike I heard a loud thud and looked over to see that Todd had fallen almost face first into some shrubbery. He let out a groan followed by some laughter. After he stood up he told me that he had fallen into a pricker bush. I then grabbed my bike and leapt across the gap successfully.

We began peddling along the stream in super muddy conditions until we came upon the "swinging bridge" that crosses the North Fork of Goose Creek. Todd looked at the water level and decided it was "passable" on bike. He dropped his bike into the creek to wash the accumulating mud off his brakes and the mud off his tires and then started crossing while I was inspecting the bridge. About halfway through I heard him yell and heard some splashing. While he didn't fall completely into the creek he had to hop off and walk the rest of the way. I decided to try the bridge. I propped my bike up on the boards of the bridge and figured I would walk down the bridge and then pick my bike up. The opening to the bridge is set between some large branches and was barely big enough for me to fit through, much less my bike. As I began walking along the bridge my confidence was as shaky as the bridge was, despite some recent renovations. I slowly made my way towards my bike hoping not to shake it off the boards and dropping it to the ground. I finally got to my bike and made it across to the other side.

We continued biking through some grassy areas and came to what was basically a back yard to someone's house. The trail was marked at this point and a resident who was outside didn't seem bothered by our presence. We continued to the main roads and headed back. That last part on the main roads was mostly uphill and was the most tiring part of the entire ride. We did take a quick break on a bridge and watched some cattle taking turns trying to mount one another. Good ol' Loudoun County! By the time we got back we had only enough energy to hose the bikes down and sit on the front porch and hydrate. It was a great ride and we're gonna hit it again soon.

Free Weekend

My original plans for the weekend of May 16th, 17th, and 18th were cancelled and I was stuck with a weekend away from work and the option to do whatever I pleased. I was also in need of getting away from this area and clearing my head. I began brainstorming and considered a few choices. One was to fly to Hawaii. My buddy Steve has been down there for about six months but is slated to return next month. In his remaining time there I could have visited and had a free place to stay making it the cheapest Hawaiian vacation I could possibly take. But, instead of rushing the trip and dropping $1,300.00 on a plane ride, I decided to stay in the contiguous states. I also considered flying out to Portland to visit my buddy Scott, but I never really discussed it with him and he was going to be out of that area for a few days on work related business. It would have been nice to go out there again. I went out there in February for a few days and had an awesome time. Portland was a great city with an awesome feel and great people. The bars and restaurants are laid back and snowboarding on Mt. Hood was incredible. I will be going there again in the future, just not this particular weekend in question. I also considered going to New York to visit another buddy, Dave. He has lived there for the past three or so years and is currently living in Brooklyn. I haven't been up to visit him but, as it turned out, he was coming back for the weekend for a wedding. I did get to meet up with him when I gave him a ride from the metro station to the rehearsal dinner. It was good to see and talk with him. Another consideration was a trip to Atlantic City. I figured I could drive up there and make some money playing poker. I decided against it because I thought it could get pretty boring being by myself when I wasn't seeing flops and seedy hotels and prostitutes just aren't my style.

Another option that manifested quickly was to visit my friend Kim in Raleigh, North Carolina. I met Kim the first day I attended Virginia Tech and we've been friends ever since. We haven't been able to see each other very often for various reasons. Part of that is the five hour drive and another is that we've been in relationships which make it more difficult to drive that distance to visit a member of the opposite sex without arousing suspicion or jealousy in the current girlfriend/boyfriend. It's just easier to keep things drama-free.

I was speaking with Kim one evening prior to the weekend I had free and she mentioned that her weekend plans had also been canceled. We figured this may be one of the few times our schedules would match up so I threw some clothes in a suitcase and drove down. It would be the second time I've been to Raleigh and the first time we would have seen each other in just over two years.

I arrived there late Friday night, I think around midnight or so. She gave me the tour of her new house and introduced me to her dog, Ranger. We talked for a little while before deciding it was a good idea to get some sleep.

The next day we went to Durant Nature Park and walked along one of the various trails which paralleled a creek. It was a beautiful day but the park wasn't very crowded. We walked down the trail talking and catching up with all the latest goings-ons. We would stop along the creek periodically and get distracted by various snake sightings. We saw a few here and there which all appeared to be the same species. At first glance I thought they may have been venomous Copperheads, but when they would take to the water and swim around like they enjoyed it I knew they weren't. They would swim all around and go under rocks and come up and just lounge around like they were in their own personal swimming pool. I guess, in a way, they were. We looked up possible snakes on the internet and found out that they were Northern Water Snakes. Makes sense.

That night Kim and I went to Tir Na Nog, a bar in downtown Raleigh. It was really nice and the fish 'n chips was quite good. Afterwards we sat at the bar and had a few drinks. Well, Kim had one beer because she was driving. I, on the other hand, had quite a few Newcastles. Nothing overly crazy, but I was feeling pretty good. The band we originally thought was going to play had to cancel. They are apparently very popular in the Raleigh area and were replaced with some cover band. The replacement band was actually good and played a good selection of songs.

The rest of the weekend went well. On Sunday we went to the movies and ate some delicious Chipotle. We had been discussing our dinner options and Mexican food came up. Somehow that led to Chipotle and the revelation that Kim had never been. She then decided that she would give it a go. She said it was pretty good although she could only compare it to Moe's, which is terribly substandard. I noticed the Raleigh Chipotle burrito tasted slightly different than the burritos I was used to, but they could have put a dirty diaper inside a tortilla and it still would have tasted better than any burrito from Moe's.

I drove back on Monday and had to readjust to my normal life. All-in-all it was a great weekend and I was happy to get away and see a friend I hadn't seen for quite some time.

Biking In Lake Fairfax

Yesterday, after feeling restless and not wanting to waste the beautiful day we were having, I decided to drive to Lake Fairfax Park in Reston for a bike ride. I've been here a few times overall and have yet to be disappointed with the one trail I have always ridden. The trail parallels a creek and winds through wooded areas and crosses various roads including Route 7 at one point. There are also several points where you ride through the creek. I have yet to find a comparable ride in Loudoun without subjecting myself to trespassing and having to outrun a shotgun blast of rocksalt.

It was such a nice day out I was caught off guard when I arrived and saw the park virtually empty. I figured people weren't taking advantage of the day because they were still working due to it being Friday, people were out of the area getting a head start on their Memorial Day weekend, or the park was closed and I was, indeed, trespassing. I saw no signs saying they were closed and continued into the park. I drove to the picnic area which is quite often reserved for large functions. I found a few vehicles parked in this area and a small group of people beginning a cookout but nobody gave me the stinkeye so I parked and saddled up.

I began down the trail and noticed there were plenty of muddy spots leftover from the recent rain we've had. I wasn't terribly in the mood to clean my bike later so I tried to somewhat avoid the deepest spots. I made it through relatively clean and afterward was somewhat disappointed by my own wussiness. Getting out and dirty was half the point!

I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't see anyone on the trail for a while. I was so busy focusing on the trail directly in front of me that I almost didn't see a female jogger coming toward me. I'd like to say there was an almost-collision, but I don't want to be overdramatic, although I only saw her at the last moment. She was jogging along listening to music and was certainly cute enough to talk with, but I didn't. And not just because of my wussiness. Mostly because she was heading in the opposite direction and distracted by her music. I also didn't want to get a facefull of pepperspray which she undoubtedly kept hidden inside her sportsbra. I'll tell you quite honestly, after having been exposed to pepperspray before, I'd much rather take that shotgun blast of rocksalt.

Aside from the squirrels, there was a lack of animal sightings on the trail. I've never really seen any on any of my trips out to the park, but I am always hoping. I did see a hawk sitting in the creek but before I could get my camera out it flew off. I did see evidence along the trail and creek bed of deer and other animals.

I casually began riding back to my jeep and saw a few other people riding their bikes. I also saw the jogger again. This time I got a better look. Perhaps it's okay that I didn't talk with her.