Slug Trail

Union Transportation Trail near Doctors Creek

28 January 2017

With the wind blowing flurries sideways across the Herbert Road parking lot at the northern end of the Union Transportation Trail, Tom said that going off-road was the right decision today. The minute I spent with my gloves off as I fished out the sign-in sheet was enough to freeze my fingers.

I'd expected two riders, maybe three, on a day like this. There were already four or five when I arrived, and they kept coming in. We left with nine, going north first, because one of our number had just been exploring past the official northern end of the trail. Hill Slugs like exploring.

From Herbert Road to Old York Road the trail is finished. After that, we were in the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, flanked by farms, riding on grass and cinders, because another one of our number took the liberty of opening a gate that wasn't locked. The trail will someday officially include this stretch, all the way to Allens Lane.

We rode until we reached another gate. We could have heaved our bikes over it and gone on, as our exploring miscreant had done. One rider is one thing. Nine riders is quite another. I took a picture and turned around.

I turned around just in time to see a motorized cart approaching. The three of us at the gate figured we were in for it now. We weren't. The two farm workers in the cart waved at us and turned into a field.

Back at the unofficially opened gate, we paused for cows.

As we approached the Herbert Road lot again, we picked up another rider, and then John K at the lot. We were now eleven, a mix of B+, B, and C+ riders, and we got spread out. I didn't worry too much about it, considering the route was a nearly flat, well-defined, short, out-and-back deal.  I put my camera away and focused on keeping the ride together by stopping whenever we had to cross a road.

The southern end of the trail, for now, is at a parking lot on Millstream Road a few miles north of New Egypt. I would be remiss in my duty not to make a passing reference to the handful of wisecracks about using the port-a-pot on a day like this. Ice fishing. Gas power.

I offered that if anyone wanted to ride a couple of miles on 537, we could investigate a new coffee shop I'd learned about only this morning. Nobody wanted to do that, so we turned back.

I didn't do a head count at the end of the trail; only when we passed one of our riders a quarter mile into our return trip did I realize he'd been missing. He assured me he was OK as I passed, but I asked the handful of Slugs who hadn't gone ahead to wait at 539.

I positioned myself so I could see the trail behind us. After a few minutes, the rider didn't appear, so I called him. He assured me again that he was fine. "I've never been on this trail before," he said. "I'm taking lots of pictures. Don't wait for me!"  "You sure?"  "Yeah!"

So I hung up and took a picture of the trail ahead of us.

After that, I stopped to take more pictures. One rider decided to wait for the straggler.  I didn't care if the rest of the group went ahead. I was hoping that the two in the back would catch up with me while I took my time with the camera.

 

Most of the trail isn't wooded or curvy. It's dead straight and dead flat. Follow the power line poles into the distance and you'll know where you're headed.
 

Near the base of the I-195 overpass, the trail brushes up against a field of Phragmites. They're the cockroach of wetlands, but I'm fond of them all the same.

The wind was bending them.

Crossing New Sharon Branch, we passed a backyard dock and boat:

In the end, everyone returned within ten minutes of everyone else. We were all happy to have squeezed out almost 20 miles on a day when sane people would be inside.

Not until I lifted Grover out of the car did I notice the collage of towpath and trail mud caked to the underside of the down tube. Liking the red and gray contrast against the blue paint, I left it there and put the bike inside. Also, the hose was probably frozen anyway.

Todays' cast of characters: Tom; Snakehead (!); Chris; John K (on a road bike); Ralph; Ricky; Tru,;The Jerry Foster; and two newcomers, Brian and Paul.