Riding Between the Snow

Imlaystown-Hightstown Road

24 March 2018

After the last snowstorm of winter, before the first snowstorm of spring, on a morning that was barely above freezing, Plain Jim gathered a passel of Hill Slugs at Six Mile Run along the D&R Canal for what he said would be a flat ride with one hill.

Treetops at Six Mile Run 

There were three little hills. There was the one on Homestead as we made our way west towards Route 206. There was the one at the northern end of Mountain View Road. There was the northern end of Mount Lucas as we headed back towards the canal. If I were to choose one as the advertised real hill it would have to be Mount Lucas because, first, you can't see it all at once, and second, it's always really annoying. The pavement always sucks too. Maybe that's why it's so annoying.

It was too cold to stop for pictures so I waited until the end, when we were a few hundred yards from the parking lot and I saw the downed tree in the canal.

There were buds on the branches. It must be spring!

At home the first front-yard crocuses were in bloom.

The next day I drove to Allentown to ride with Chris. I was the lowly B rider on this official B ride; the rest were B+ people with nowhere else to go. I hung in at the back until the fastboys got tired, after which I moved up to the middle.

Again it was cold, as Rebecca G demonstrated by snapping a normally supple stroopwafel in half. While she did this I snapped a picture of all the white pines that aren't on White Pine Road.

I squeezed a bike commute in on Monday. By Tuesday evening the next nor'easter had arrived, closing everything on Wednesday and leaving the roads wet on Thursday morning. Friday looked dry enough that Saturday would be a good day in the flatlands.

I wanted to ride the route we'd done two weeks ago to get the pictures I didn't stop for last time.

I was joined by five Slugs and a stiff wind out of the northwest.

There was still enough snow on the ground that I could get the pictures I wanted.

 Burlington Path Road, East of 539

Burlington Path Road, East of 539 

 Burlington Path Road, West of 539

Imlaystown-Hightstown Road, South of I-195 

Back home most of the snow is gone. The crocuses that had bloomed and been buried under snow have emerged unscathed. Out back the daffodils are getting ready to bloom.

On the road today we were making wisecracks about how many more snowstorms we'll get. I don't mind if there are more as long as the roads are clear by Saturday morning.