Don't Forget the Lights!

The wife worked late and I was busy this afternoon, so after dinner I decided to head out for a little ride. I thought I had left at 8... but I guess by the time I changed, got my bike out, and started pedaling, it was a bit later.



Meh, plenty of sunlight to do my normal 7 mile loop. I decided, once again, to take the mountain bike since I still haven't fixed the flat on the road bike. And damn, it was a beautiful night! Nice cool breeze right after a day long rain.





When I got to East West, the sun was just setting and I figured I'd have enough time to make it down to the main entrance to Kinder Farms like I had on the previous ride, so I stayed on the B&A. After about a half mile, I started getting nervous. I had based my daylight decision while standing on top of the East/West Bridge, which rises about 20 feet in the air... by the time I got back down the sun had well set and it was really starting to get dark.



I recalled that there was a side entrance to Kinder Farms from a cul-de-sac that also connected to the B&A, so when I saw a small side path I took it which opened into a neighborhood I had never been on before. Figuring this was part of the neighborhood that shared a side with Kinder Farms, I kept on riding. And riding. And riding.

And nothing ever came up. I saw a lady walking her dog, so I stopped and asked for directions to the park. "Up ahead, down the path and on the right."

Alright, so I raced on ahead, now nearing complete darkness. I spotted a small side path and took it. Unfortunately, it was for a small community pond.

Long story short, the "down the path" was actually the major road at the end of the neighborhood which I recognized and went down into Kinder Farms.

Not wanting to waste too much time, I took the main bike path around and found my side trail that I love to take.



Granted it was pitch black. I had no lights. But I just wanted to take it.


And damn was it fun! I couldn't see a damn thing except the white dirt/sand mixture of the single track. I was scaring all sorts of wildlife around and almost had a heart attack when I came within 10 feet of some bunny or something that ran across the track.

And then... when I thought I was in the clear... I get to the park exit back onto East West.

The closed the damned gate on me!


And mind you, that really is a tall fence. I had no idea what time it was, but I figure it was just after 8:45. There was simply no way around it and I had zero interest in backtracking out the main entrance, back through that neighborhood, down the B&A to East West.

So I threw my bike over and hopped the thing.


At which point I took off down the road and back on home.

All in all it was only 10.7 miles though it felt much much longer.