Friday Tracking, Courtesy of GPS and Ham Radio
We were chugging away at home trying to catch up on THINGS (such as pulling weeds, getting broken radios fixed, installing new software, getting Windoze 95 to work in the Brave New World, etc.) and it was well after noon when Jacque strongly suggested we go for a ride. Since her Catrike is now mounted inside as an exercise trike and the Tandem Terratrike was easily retrieved from its protective shelter under the front deck, we did the tandem thing.
Since we already had a list of stuff to do and pick up in Albuquerque, we hitched up the trailer and hauled the tandem to town so we could ride the world famous Bosque Trail .
We decided to park at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Museum parking lot and ride the trail from there to the Bosque. There are parking lots adjacent to the trail with easy access; unfortunately they are frequent targets for thieves who enjoy burglarizing parked cars, a well established detriment to the City.
It's close to 4 miles from this parking lot to the Alameda entrance to the Bosque Trail, and we made it to that point maybe a half hour before sunset. After several miles southward on the Trail, it began to get quite dark - and cold as well - so we began to get worried about needing to turn around. We were in desperate need of a bathroom, and Jacque was set to grit her teeth and survive the entire return trip without a break, when we suddenly spotted a VERY unusual sight on the Bike Trail: A Porta-Potty. Talk about a beautiful vision in the middle of the forested riverbank. WOW, we thought, the City had Finally set up a FACILITY along the bike trail.
As it turned out, it was only there for some sort of construction project, meant for construction workers only, not unwashed cyclists, homeless waifs, or other denizens of the Bosque Trail. Temporary though it may have been, it was mightily appreciated by all who stumbled upon it. Cycling trails are wonderful but invariably they lack "facilities", meaning users must either hold it until they explode, or if of the male persuasion such as I, do it in the bushes and trees and other foliage along the trail. Whatever, life is good, and the occasional porta potty is a wonderful relief.
As usual, we met all sorts of odd folks on the trail: Homeless wanderers stumbling along with their quilts and sacks of stuff and layers of warm clothing regardless of the heat, high speed racers zooming along bent over face down in their pursuits, pretty Moms trudging along with their baby strollers (moving barely slower than we were), joggers, and ONE upright tandem with a grinning couple pedaling furiously, and ONE low slung 2-wheel recumbent headed the other way. FUN
We decided to turn the trike around (the path has no turnaround points, so this involves picking up the rear wheel of the Terratrike off the ground and walking it around until the entire trike was facing the other way).
We got a bit more tired and exhausted as the daylight completely faded away, with the last half hour almost totally in the dark. Thankfully we always ride with bright blinky tail lights, headlamps on our helmets, and bright objectionable clothing. Which reminds me as I type this: I need new batteries in MY headlamp.
And, Jacque got her wish for a "long" ride: Stiff knees. But they're still looking and working great.
Ride Started: 4:15 PM Ride Ended: 7:17 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.2 Ending Voltage: 13.2 Lowest: 12.5
Lowest Temp 57 F Highest Temp: 75 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 17.51
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
5.7 MPH 7.0 MPH 21.9 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
3 hours 3 mins 2 hours 30 mins 33 minutes
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