YTD – 75
MTD – 75
Thursday – 15
Friday – 17
I ended up spending the last two days of the week riding on roads in the opposite way I am accustomed to. Nothing earth shaking or revelatory but just nice. Friday was a relative heat wave in the mid-forties compared to the Monday and Thursday.
I was wishy-washy both days about where to go. Thursday I thought I would take an older route that feeds down to the waterfront by 10th and Main in New Albany. I did so but halfway across the downtown I found a stretch of about 40 feet of muddy path. I hit the brakes – I had spent my lunch time Tuesday doing maintenance and judiciously cleaning the bike. The thought of slinging mud did not make the cut. I turned around and thought I would go out to Budd Road and Highwater Lane and then back into town via IN 62. This was the first view as I turned around:
This is the view up the hill from water level to the mansion row in Silver Hills. It was striking to me as I never go in this direction and had never noticed this look. It is a real contrast as I passed several mobile homes and junkyards in this area as I moved towards the power plant along Water Rd. Down the road I reached the Gallagher Power Plant. It is responsible for most of the power in the area (and along with the Cane Run Rd plant on the other side of the river – most of the pollution).
I thought the difference in the dark clouds and light was very striking. The dark clouds ring the smoke stack looking like a product of them.
I was expecting to see a dog a the top of a hill on Budd Rd but it was absent. However two dogs on Highwater made up for it. They gave chase and it was unnerving. There has been lots of talk on the KY Cycling list of dog attacks and subsequent injuries. It’s on my mind. They gave up quick enough but exposed me as just not feeling the ride. It could be all of the cold air sucking or just a general tiredness. I took it easy on the way back and hit the showers.
Friday was a little better on the temp but I was still undecided and uninspired on where to go. I thought I would head to the river via Clarksville because I hadn’t been there this week. I went down and made it to the waterfront and then started recalculating where to go. I turned around in Jeffersonville and headed down a different parallel road. From there I kept going along the water past the Falls of the Ohio again down a route I only use to go the other way. I stopped to snap a pic with a good view of the ‘Ville:
The problem with this road right now is that there is no good way to get back into New Albany. It involves using the bridge that crosses Silver Creek which is potholed to holy hell. So I rode in and then ditched onto McCollough Pike and then to 131 briefly before safely returning to Providence Road which a normal way into town. I was getting close to work but only at about 13.5 miles. I felt good, the weather felt good so I ditched down Silver Street and back towards downtown N’Albany. I stopped to get this picture of the old tannery and the entrance to the Loop Island Wetlands:
From there I cruised down Main Street, cut across 4th and then weaving back to work for a nice 17. I even got complimented at work for my tenacity in the cold. It was a good day.
