This post is not a storytale. Just a bunch of disjointed remarks, nothing more nothing less.
After 7 months of cruising on Beacon St, I decided to change the scenery- took the week off to go to North Jersey. Part of the reason why I bussed south was to visit the family and the other part was so I could take advantage of the trails that litter Sussex County. I figured I should comfort my inner woodland creature and bike through dirt and mud- as a way to reassure myself one month before takeoff.
But there's nothing more comforting than wanting to revert to the fetus position at the base of a nearly vertical climb. The flat, paved roads of Boston have spoiled me to the core. My thighs right now stopped responding. I've even renamed them. My left is Misery and my right is Anguish. So yes, "Ouch"...ouch is right.
Besides my new dependency on pain relievers, I had a stupendous ride today. I did an out-and-back of the Sussex Branch Trail- which follows what used to be a railroad path. The route totalled about 40 miles on dirt and mud, but it felt like 400 when including the route to and from the trailhead.
It took me a while before I found a decent route of the Sussex Branch Trail on Google, but I did stumble on some interesting sites:
www.traillink.com
But there's nothing more comforting than wanting to revert to the fetus position at the base of a nearly vertical climb. The flat, paved roads of Boston have spoiled me to the core. My thighs right now stopped responding. I've even renamed them. My left is Misery and my right is Anguish. So yes, "Ouch"...ouch is right.
Besides my new dependency on pain relievers, I had a stupendous ride today. I did an out-and-back of the Sussex Branch Trail- which follows what used to be a railroad path. The route totalled about 40 miles on dirt and mud, but it felt like 400 when including the route to and from the trailhead.
It took me a while before I found a decent route of the Sussex Branch Trail on Google, but I did stumble on some interesting sites:
www.traillink.com
Kittatinny Valley State Park (from the NJDEP)
For the record, let it be known that this post is also my response that cute thing people say: "New Jersey? What's in New Jersey?" The state has a HUGE backyard to its notorious turnpike. I'm almost ashamed to say that I forgot how many animals run around on the streets. A black bear greeted me on my first day home. Granted, it was in our neighbour's yard, but the last bear I've seen was stuffed and in a museum. I saw a generous number of deer...enough to make me wonder why we don't see venison on the market, Deer is delicious AND they don't know how to look both ways before crossing. I also saw a fair share of cute furry rodents. one red bird, one blue bird, four bikers and two cats.
I commend my dad's bike for its plushie seat, lightweight frame and smooth cruising. Its gears mastered the 90° inclines that seem to dominate the neighborhood. Great bikes like these almost make me think that my decade-old, $10, greasy purple Garage Sale mountain bike is obsolete. But of course, I'm just being seduced by this shiny blue one. I'm totally bringing the plushie seat back to Boston with me.
by the way...Berries are EVERYWHERE. They've saved me before and saved me again when I was becoming delirious. If you're ever spending time in the woods in the NE zone, look out for mulberries (June/July), blueberries (mid-June-August) and blackberries (July/August)
For the record, let it be known that this post is also my response that cute thing people say: "New Jersey? What's in New Jersey?" The state has a HUGE backyard to its notorious turnpike. I'm almost ashamed to say that I forgot how many animals run around on the streets. A black bear greeted me on my first day home. Granted, it was in our neighbour's yard, but the last bear I've seen was stuffed and in a museum. I saw a generous number of deer...enough to make me wonder why we don't see venison on the market, Deer is delicious AND they don't know how to look both ways before crossing. I also saw a fair share of cute furry rodents. one red bird, one blue bird, four bikers and two cats.
As summarized in these two pics, NJ is a juxtaposition of noxious chemicals and natural beauty.
and terrible suburban graffiti....
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