The Lobster Run

Today, after weeks of crazed busy-ness followed by two weeks of total lethargy, I grabbed the ol' lead sled and went for a peddle.  My goal:  the Maine Lobster Truck.  Today they were just 2.5 miles away on High St.

The North Long Loop

Summer is Now

After an early morning set of chores, I headed out the door for a bike ride around quarter 'til eleven.  Inspired by lovely weather, I headed north to knock off the nearly 8 miles of my North Long Loop. 

There were very few walker, joggers or bikers out for such a pleasant Sunday.  The sky was New Mexico blue with only a few high clouds.  The pavement of the bike path showed some large new cracks with nothing was growing in them.  Perhaps thermal expansion from the 90°+ heat?

 The Sisymbrium has been reduced to scattered dry twigs.  Chenopodium and Amaranthus are starting to take hold, but still less than 6" high.  A few tumbleweeds are shaping up.  In some places the Lactuca and others are getting up to 24" tall and crowding the ditch path.  Not a goathead to be seen... yet.

The paths along the acequias losing their firm crust from last winter.  In the last month, the surface has been pounded until areas of fine sand are appearing.  Lots of low gear cranking to get through the deep, soft spots.

Here are a couple navigational videos from the area where the Griegos Lateral splits off the Gallegos Lateral.  After crossing Rio Grande Blvd, you are following the right bank of the Gallegos Lateral.  The first video begins looking back down the Gallegos Lateral and pans to the west where the narrow walkway over the ditch takes you to the very northern most piece of Eakes Rd.

Hop a low gate and peddle south 100 yards and you come to a damaged metal gate with narrow wooden posts to keep out the non-pedestrians.  A little careful work with the handlebars and you can squeeze through.

The South Short Loop

A Calm Friday Evening

No wind, a rarity in spring, but the forecast was for horrific winds at least through Monday.  So I took advantage of the warm, calm air and headed out on my trusty stead. 

The Griegos Acequia Error

Yesterday I had a few minutes between getting back to the house after brunch with Mom and picking up Caro's car at the shop.  I took advantage of the fact that the daily spring winds hadn't started blowing and made for a quick tour of a couple nearby deadend acequia trails.  In the end, I discovered a cartographic error on the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District maps.

The North Long Loop

The spring weather was glorious after work today.  I couldn't resist the opportunity to take a long ride to the north before dinner.  Armed with Glass, I took plenty of photos and videos.  As Google Glass sync's with their photo service, I'll include them below.  Here's the map.

There is Water

The acequias have begun flowing, a sign of the return of life to the Valley after a dry, cold winter.  I peddled my favorite route up the Alameda Drain and over to the Rio Grande Nature Center, then down the Bosque Trail to Campbell and home.  Below is the view of the Albuquerque Acequia as it flows just north of Matthew. 

Spring Has Sprung

Temperatures climbed into the 60s this past weekend, so Caro and I dusted off the bikes and hit the trails.  Her tricycle was in fine shape, but my tires both needed a good pumping.  Last fall's goatheads had taken their toll.

We were testing the "pavement only" route from our house to the Flying Star north of Griegos on Rio Grande Blvd.  Here's the route map from Map My Ride:

It's 4.7 miles round trip on the bike path or low traffic side streets (mostly San Isidro).  There was a few hundred feet on Candelaria and another leg on Griegos from San Isidro to Rio Grande.  The video below #throughglass shows the bike lane on Candelaria as we approach the Rio Grande Animal Clinic.

On the way back we turned early off of Griegos and got away from the traffic by detouring past Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.  In retrospect, it's probably better to take the little bit of gravel ditch-bank road between Griegos and Dietz Place NE, which brings you up to the back of the Flying Star.  That would let you miss the traffic signal and congestion at Griegos and Rio Grande.  

Here's the view as we finish up on the bike path next to the Alameda Drain.

In a side note, a third party is offering Google Glass-like wearable cameras designed just for cyclists.  Not sure what that brings to the party that a GoPro doesn't.  Hide and watch.