Detoured

I was out on my bike this evening.  It was a really nice day for a ride.  I typically plan out my route before I ever leave home and was looking forward to the ride home.  The plan was to go over to the river and come home along the trial that runs along the river.  But as I turned onto the street that ran to where the river trail began I looked ahead and saw what might be an obstacle. A tree blocking the road.

As I got closer it looked like the tree was thoroughly blocking the road.  Often, while a tree down like this could stop a car, it doesn't necessarily mean a bike can't get through so I kept going.  As I got nearer the tree I could see that if I was going to get through I was going to have to walk and pick my way through and around the branches.  There were a couple of utility guys there working on the mess and they didn't way anything as I went by so I started pushing through the branches.  But as I began to emerge out the other side a guy up in the cherry-picker yelled at me to go back.

Apparently there were a whole bunch of wires down on the other side of the tree.  So I backed out, turned around, and spent a few minutes looking for a way around the mess.  Alas, the trail along the river goes out the end of a dead-end road and there was no way around to be found.  Train tracks, fences, and security guards had all the alternate routes blocked off.  So I finally had to picked a different way home and get started.

I had been looking forward to the trial route so I picked a new way home that would still involve plenty of trails and woods.  It also added a couple of miles to the ride, but that was okay.

Fall is beginning to arrive in this neck of the woods, there were quite a few leaves beginning to turn colors.

It made for a very nice ride.  Actually, this is getting into my favorite time to be out.

The days are cooler and the leaves are turning.  It all makes for some very pleasant riding.

My alternate route home still involved a river and pretty soon I was by the water.

This river is a bit smaller and runs a bit slower than the other one.

The result is more wetlands growth along the water.

There were even a few lilies still in bloom.  Very nice.

Didn't see much in the way of animal life on tonight's ride.  But still, it was a very nice ride.

Gradually the trail moved away from the river but still ran through the woods.  Lots of light and shadow through the trees.

As I moved away from the river the vegetation began to change.  Not so much of a wetland any more.

Still, the trails through the woods are beautiful no matter the type of vegetation, wetland or otherwise.  The ride ended up being three or four miles longer than originally planned but that's perfectly fine.  Any time out on the bike is a good time.  I better do this some more!