Pack Rides has moved to greener pastures!

Okay, folks ...

Just to ensure everyone is in the know, Pack Rides and femme's desk have all of their new stuff posted on Sibling Synergy. (Click the embedded links to get there.)

I was experiencing loads of trouble with blogger, after google upgraded it's interface that we (Alicia and I) moved all of our work to Weebly, which we are HUGE-WHOPPING  HAPPY WITH!

Yes, the change has been a breath of fresh air, and Weebly has blogger beat six-ways-from-Sunday!

We're so happy we've relocated, and merged our businesses.

The actual blog posts here, and on femme's desk (blogger) will remain.  But, the new material, as well as the entirety of the Pack Rides Gallery has been copied to the new Pack Rides! home on Weebly, and will remain there, unless otherwise notified.

However, since Weebly is so very interested in keeping their customer's happy, I doubt we'll be changing website hosts again any time soon.

So, thank you for bearing with us for our updates and we'll see you on Weebly!

femmeflashpoint

Finally, some saddle time!

DFW weather just won't give us a break.  The temp has remained in the triple-digits since Nee arrived in Texas, a little over a week ago.  We've had loads of work to get done while she's been here, and with the weather being so hot, we've been hard pressed to get any exercise, let alone any cycling done, while she's been here.

We attended a writers' conference last Friday and Saturday.  She liked it, and I couldn't wait to leave.  Sunday, we made an overnight trip with Ma to Wapanuka, Oklahoma, for a visit with our Auntie Kay, and some cousins. 

Boggy Park

The visit was great.  Auntie Kay always makes for excellent company, and the cousins are a good deal of fun too.  I live closer and get to see them more often than Nee, so for her, it's a rare treat.

Sunday evening, she and I scooted over to Boggy Park for a bit of squatching and to scope out some bike trails.  Auntie's house isn't far away, and 'though she said she'd never heard of any squatch activity in the area, we wanted to go anyway.  The history of Boggy Park is interesting, and so is the history of the cemetery that borders it. 

I'd promised my packmates to investigate any bike trails in the area, and since we had woods and water, we decided we may as well do some squatching too.
The squatching was interesting, and we did manage to find a new ride spot for the Trinity River Pack.  It's a little more than a two-hour drive from DFW, and easy to get to.

Bodark thorns.

The woods at Boggy are dense.  The weather has been hot in Oklahoma too, so we had the entire park to ourselves, other than a brief visit with the park caretaker and his wife.  It's a bit lacking in water, and in some areas, near the bodark trees, there are thorns on the ground long enough to pierce a tractor tire.  (Okay, I'm stretching it a bit, but really, they're more than long enough to easily flatten mountain bike tires.)  Nee stepped on one that went all the way through her sneaker-soles, and it took a good amount of wrenching for me to work it free of her shoe.

I admit, I have no desire to ride this park in warm weather because the area is a prime habitat for rattlesnakes, copperheads and scorpions.  Trekking into the woods there will have to wait until much cooler weather.  I hate to admit to cowardice, but femme doesn't do snakes, scorpions or spiders.  I'm not real keen on cougars or bobcats either, and the area hosts both of these sorts of cats as well.

Nee's spare wheels - a Huffy 18-speed with front and
center shocks.

When we returned to Texas, we spent the next several days working from morning-'til morning on our new collective website.  We're still not finished, but we've made great progress.  Hopefully, we'll be able to let it go live in another couple of days.

And after a week of no exercise, other than chair-swapping at my desk, we finally broke away for a short ride.  We were both hoping to do the single-tracks at Gateway, but the temp was still pushing at 105 by late afternoon, so we waited until 7 in the evening to go, and opted for a short ride to the Fort Worth Stockyards along the Trinity.  Nee hadn't yet ridden on the Trinity, so it worked out well.

Packing her Schwinn Sidewinder on the plane was going to be more trouble than it was worth, so she decided to buy a spare mountain bike when she arrived here, in Texas.  We picked up a Huffy 18-speed, for a great sale price of $80 at the Walmart on Beach St., in Fort Worth.  I can't say that I enjoy shopping at this location, and I go there as little as possible, but I can say that I'm impressed with most of the cashiers.  In fact, I feel sorry for them.  This location is nearly always busy, the lines are long, and they never seem to schedule enough staff to handle the customer load efficiently, which puts those who are working in a difficult situation due to having to deal with customers who give them grief for having to wait so long to check out.  That's a management issue, not a cashier issue. 

The cycle Captain at Wally-World on N. Beach.
If you've got a question, go to him, 'cause he's probably
got a good answer to it.

One employee in particular is awesome.  He works with the bicycles and is as helpful as it gets.  He's good with customer service and he seems to take a great deal of pride in his work.  He even checks with customers to see if the bike needs any adjustments before they leave for the check-out area. 

I was impressed with the guy's knowledge on bikes, and after talking with him, was even prompted to send Schwinn an email, letting them know of the flat-issues I'd been experiencing with my Sidewinder.  Dawn, the customer service rep who responded to my email, was awesome, and is not only sending me a free resolution to the problem, but has assured me she will report the issues to the Schwinn quality assurance team to prevent it from happening in the future. 

Huffy's been around the cycle-scene for a long time now, and though I'd never trade my Schwinn for even a higher-end Huffy, but for folks who are looking for an inexpensive bike, Huffy's not a bad choice at all.  In fact, I'm way impressed with their Panama Jack cruisers.  If I weren't a loyal Schwinn fan and was interested in buying a cruiser, I'd be inclined to go the Panama Jack route and buy one.  For Nee, who was in need of a spare bike for guests to ride, Huffy provided a great option. 

The only problem she's encountered with the bike is some handle-bar slippage.  We tightened the ring on the bar-mount before we left on the longer ride, but before the ride was finished, it was loose again.  Our Sidewinders have a front and rear tightening screw on the bar mount.  The Huffy has only one, and it won't tighten enough to prevent the bar from sliding sideways in the loop when hard-ride pressure is being applied. 

Other than the handle-bar issue and the ride being shorter than we prefer, it was a good trip.  Nee enjoyed the scenery, and got several photos along the way.  We also had to stop a couple of times to make way for some other folks using the trail, but neither of us mind giving way to horses.

Here they come ....

There they go ....

She also got to see some of the mess I've been fussing about, regarding trash in the Trinity. 

With the water levels so low, we encountered more trash than usual.  It's been there all along, we can just see more of it because it's closer to the surface during drought.

Thankfully, we only came across one dead fish, and the rest of the animals we saw in the water looked healthy. 


I was hoping to show Nee the pretty little waterfall along this part of the trail, but, there was no water flowing over the rocks today.  Whatever trickle was making it through, must have been moving below the waterfall area.  Both ends of the river have water in them, but the northern stretch looks more like ponds in a dried up river bed, rather than a real flowing river.

This section usually has water flowing completely through it, but not today.  The small waterfall is usually just past
this dry area, but for now, it's only dry rocks.

When the water levels diminish, the trash is more easily noticed.

To the left is shallow water, probably not ankle-deep.  To the right there's still enough water to allow the turtles and fish
to dive out of sight when someone steps to the edge of the walkway.

We didn't ride onto Exchange or Main, but we did do a few turns in the livery's parking lot.  The Stockyards is usually bustling with tourists on Sundays, even with the temps are soaring.  But, by the time we arrived in the area, the southern section, behind the buildings was quiet.

We saw only one girl working her horse on the barrels in the back corral, the other horses were quiet, and munching hay.

Jared, the Trinity Pack point-rider is still under the weather and wasn't able to come with us for this outing.  The rest of the guys were readying for a wedding they're having to attend tomorrow, which left Nee and I to do the trail alone.

We're hoping to get some ride time in on the Lake Grapevine trails before she goes home, and hopefully, the rest of the pack will get to ride with us when we go.  None of us have ridden Grapevine before, but, per the videos we've seen of the trails there, posted by other riders, the place looks like it will give us a decent challenge.

A working train trestle en route to the Stockyards.

Saunders Park near the Fort Worth Stockyards

I'm happy Nee got to see at least this part of the Trinity River ride.  Now she'll know what we're referring to when we tell her we've been riding on the Stockyards' trail.

This is the trail that I was worried might turn Andrew off on off-road cycling, but thankfully, he's still enjoying our rides at Gateway.  It's not a bad trail, but it for sure doesn't offer anything to anyone looking for a challenge.  However, if a rider wants to get in the dirt and is lacking for time, it's at least got some interesting scenery along the way, even when the river's low.

That's it for this one.  I'll let you know how the Grapevine ride goes, and hopefully we won't have to wait long to check out the trails there, from our saddles.

God bless you, thank you for the read, and please don't forget to thank a veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Dirty Rails and Newts' Tails

The Trinity River Pack has been on two outings in the last two days.  I've crashed on both trips and am beginning to think I might need to put training wheels on my Sidewinder.

For the first time in months, I actually had on a helmet.  That turned out to be a good thing, because the tree I encountered wasn't interested in giving way when I smacked into it.

I was tailing Andrew, who is still in the learning phase, and riding at reduced speeds.  Another cyclist came up behind me, and I moved off the trail to let him pass.  The soft dirt and leaves on the trailside yanked my front tire hard enough to pull me in the wrong direction.  Next thing I knew, I was hitting a tree then scrambling in the dirt.  The passing cyclist kept riding, but did ask if I was okay.  I'd have said I was fine even if I'd broken something.  It was a tiny bit humiliating trying to untangle myself from my bike, lol.

For the record, I didn't break anything, and didn't even dent my helmet shell.  However, I can admit to my ego being a bit bruised.

As I said in the last blog, I lost my little Sony while touring the Fort Worth Stockyards with some friends recently, and trying to get decent photos without it has proved to be a hot mess.  I bought another, higher end Sony, for my sister a few months ago, so she could have it as a back-up on photo shoots.  She does raw photography in the Wabash Valley, and has a very good camera, but, as cameras go, when you take a lot of photos, a back up is always a good investment. 

Skywalker and I had come across some impressive Sony's in a shop recently, while bike browsing, and I have intentions of purchasing one from there, but haven't made it back to the shop yet.  In the meantime, I needed something to take with me on pack rides, that could serve as a decent alternative until I decide which new Sony to invest in.  I picked up an inexpensive little Vivitar, on which the packaging stated it has a telephoto lense and recording options, as well as a motion inhibitor.  It's compact, purple (they didn't have a green one), and the packaging assured me it was (in simpler terms) blonde-friendly. 

The Vivitar "Fail-Cam"
For only $19.99, the joke will be on you.

As the good Bishop McCool would say, "LHM!"  That translates to, "Lord have mercy!"  No kidding, I'd been flat out duped by what I read on the packaging.  The Vivitar is absolutely the worst camera I've ever used.  No kidding, the poor thing is beyond terrible and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, unless you're into giving gag-gifts.  If that's your game, by all means, buy one of these.  You'll love it!

Other than my new crashing routing, and the foul-Vivitar issues, the last two rides have been fun.  We'd intended to ride today as well, but I went to bed with a migraine last night, and though I'd doped myself to the gills to get rid of it, I maintained it through the night, into the morning, and spent most of the day continuing the pain meds and lacing them with benadryl.  This evening, it's finally given way to "Ahhhhh - Relief!".  But, we're too low on daylight to load up and head out for a ride, so it will have to wait until next week when I'm off again, and hopefully headache free.

Trail-side above the Trinity, a few feet from the collapsed area, which is to my right.

Jared and Skywalker, checking the cliff side near the fallout spot.

We are happy to announce that Jared, our point-rider, is back with the pack after several months of being without a ride.  He's outgrown his Raleigh-Hybrid, and though he's been shopping for a new ride, he'd not yet found the one he wanted to invest in.  In the meantime, Skywalker and I found a used 28" Diamondback that's worked out well for him until he decides which new cycle to buy.  So far, the Diamondback's been holding up really well, so he won't have to be in a hurry to make a decision on a new purchase.  After he upgrades, we'll still have the Diamondback for a spare, in event we have a tall bike-less guest who wants to ride with us.

He was the first to check the new trail we'd found the day before yesterday, that we were in hopes would get us to the river edge, near the rapids.  But, he rode it through and discovered it's only a short trail that loops back onto the main trail, that leads along the cliff.  We've only seen one access to the rapids area, which is a hiking trail, that isn't cleared nearly well enough for cycles, and it drops nearly straight down, about 25 feet, through close brush.  None of us are willing to ride it, so for now, we're stuck with only viewing the rapids from higher up.  It's frustrating, because the ground below looks like it would be really fun to ride on.

Still no passable path to get below the tree line.

This sign (and a few others in the park) has been a thorn in my side since we first started riding Gateway.  It's a public park, funded by taxpayers.  Years ago, this walkway was put in, that leads to the Trinity River bank below. 

They spent some impressive taxpayer money to build the thing, and then they've let it sit, cordoned off to the public (who pays for it) because they won't maintain it when flood water dumps debris onto it.  At this point, it's been sitting for so long, the dirt deposited from rain has built up on the lower end, high enough to be level with the guard rails.  In parts, the entire ramp is totally under foot after foot of hard dirt, with weeds growing up between the foot boards.  Someone recently tore down the "caution tape" that was stretched across the opening.  It wasn't us, but I admit I'd not have minded if it HAD been us.  Someone else just beat us to it.

Gateway Park is (for the most part) fairly well manicured.  It's the only park in Tarrant County (that I know of) that provides off-road cyclists both intermediate and advanced trail areas to ride on.  The soccer fields have awnings in the bleacher areas.  They also have a sizable fenced in dog park, and even frisbee-golf areas, with paths through the woods to give the game a bit more interest and challenge, but I've seen no bathrooms or water fountains in any of the areas I've been in.  Also, there are large stretches of walkways in the wooded areas that are fenced off.  Big signs are attached to the fences, like the one in the photo above, to keep people away from the loads of collapsed concrete walkways that have fallen away towards the river below.

If officials aren't going to ensure that the park is maintained effectively, then they should stop collecting taxes to pay for it.  People are willing to volunteer to pitch in and help, but not if they're having to pay to have the work done, and still spend their own time, doing the work themselves.

That makes as much sense as hiring a lawn service, who sits under the tree sipping lemonade and watches you mow the lawn you've paid them to mow for you. 


Lukas and Andrew were looking at the Trinity, past the end of the fenced in walk, when Lukas said, "If I were a millionaire, I'd BUY Gateway!"  I appreciated his sentiments because it's a truly beautiful spot in Tarrant County, and much of the scenery off of the main paths is stunning.  If I ever produce enough best sellers, I might buy the place myself, and just give it to him.  It's a good guess that if the boys were turned loose with some machetes in this place, they'd have the largest mountain bike park in the U.S., with mile after mile of awesome trails.  They're the generous sort, so they'd ensure the walkers, joggers and horse riders had plenty of areas to have fun in as well.  I'm not so sure they'd be inclined to not plant loads of trees in the soccer fields, but, since park trees keep getting torn down by the acre to accommodate soccer fields, I'm not inclined to feel bad about it. 

Andrew and Lukas

On the plus side, these are McGuyver's kids.  I have no doubt if Gateway were left to their disposal, mountain biking in Fort Worth, Texas would be taken to a whole new level.  These guys would be adding swinging bridges and ravine jumps, and only Heaven knows what else their big imaginations would come up with to include.  Andrew would probably design the entire thing on Minecraft first, then pass out his blueprints saying, "Make it so .... " 

If you're a gamer, and have never played Minecraft, my advice is DON'T!! It's horribly addictive, and once you start, you'll have a terrible time pulling yourself away from it and back into the real world.  Andrew is a genius with this game, and has even updated a texture pack for the game that has to date been downloaded over 5,000 times. 

Click the picture logo to get to Andrew's texture pack download.

The guys presented this game to me a couple of months ago, and no kidding, it really is as addictive as I've emphasized.

A bend in the river at the end of the wooden ramp.

The boys and I have found all sorts of garbage discarded into the Trinity River throughout the park area.  Much of it is heavy stuff, and we've no idea how they even hauled it in to get it to the site where they dumped it.  It leaves me wondering again, how wildlife survives in the water with so much pollution in it.

It's a shame for more than financial reasons.  Gateway offers an abundant area that would be an exceptional learning ground for students on field trips, or even a simple walk with their families through the park. 

There's a huge amount of wooded areas, where small forms of wildlife are present. Numerous variations of flora are easily accessible, and of course, it's a superb place to learn how to ride a bike. (Grin!)

Maybe the Trinity Pack should invest in tee-shirts declaring, "Clean Up Gateway!"  It's a thought, but I'm almost certain I couldn't get the rest of my pack mates to agree to wear one.

As for "fauna", Andrew and Lukas discovered a teeny-tiny life form hopping around near the path yesterday.  In fact, it hopped right into Andrew's glove.  The picture was taken with the Vivitar-Fail, so my apologies that it isn't more clear.  My replacement cam is on the way, but hasn't arrived yet.  Once it's here, I promise to be again providing better photo coverage of the pack's outings.

Our new friend, the Blurry Newt! (Compliments of Vivitar's fail-cam.)

That's it for today's post, and our thanks to you for the read!

God bless you, enjoy the trails, safe riding, and don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

A little blood, a little rain, and a little armadillo ...

Yesterday's ride at Gateway marked three new events for the Trinity River Pack.

One:  It was Andrew's first ride on single-tracks in the woods.  And he did great!  Beyond that, I was hugely relieved that he actually had fun.  I told his mother last night (Jen Hall) that I was thrilled over Andrew having a good time riding dirt, in the woods.  After his first outing, and his admission that he didn't care for the dirt road section of the ride to the Stockyards, I was worried he'd eventually move toward being a skinny-tire pavement rider.  To my elation, yesterday marked a turn around, and he sincerely enjoyed the adventure in the woods at Gateway Park.

Green Slime Tire Sealant

Two:  Lukas got his new Mongoose beast on single-track for the first time, and he reports that it grabbed and maneuvered as well as he'd hoped it would.  The only thing he's decided to switch out on the Goose is the saddle.  He said the Goose's saddle is really good, but his Schwinn techno-gel saddle still beats it in comfort.  (I had to smile at that.  Schwinn quality perseveres again, lol.)  My concern about the Goose was that I wasn't initially impressed with the tires.  We'd forgotten to pick up Green Slime tire sealant when he bought the bike, and I honestly thought it'd not make it through the first outing without sustaining a flat.

Much to my surprise, the tires didn't loose air, or sustain a puncture on the first ride, which is in an area that is known for causing flats.  And to add to my suprise, when we loaded yesterday, the tires were still tight with air.  My Sidewinder and Andrew's Ranger (both are Schwinn's) had to have "air lifts".  Skywalker was cheesin' over that.  And he once again asked me if I'd consider to divorce Schwinn for Mongoose, but for now, I'm maintaining my loyalty to Schwinn.  However, I really was impressed with the Goose's tires holding up far better than mine have.

Andrew - bike guarding.

If you've had issues with flats, and haven't tried Green Slime, I have to say, it's one of the best investments I've ever made.  The stuff is spectacular, and was recommended to me by a friend who's a quad-runner enthusiast.  It's inexpensive, and so far, I haven't had a flat since I put the stuff in my tires.  We treated two sets of tires with it for $6 and some change.  It's easy to put in, and one application has been sufficient.  My tires continue to loose enough air between rides to warrant refills, but I haven't gotten a flat while riding even once since using it.

Three:  I wiped out.  It wasn't an impressive wipe-out.  The boys still have me beat on those, but I did loose my seat, and made a one-point landing on my right foot.  My left foot got tangled in my bike frame, and it took a good bit of hopping and twisting to get it loose and get my bike back on it's tires.

That's the first time I've dropped my Schwinn all the way to the ground, and thankfully, I didn't even get a bruise from it.  I did come home bleeding, but that was due to some briars getting wrapped around my ankles.  I ended up off the track, and into the briars due to a duet of little armadillos that caught me by surprise.  They were really cute, and although they spooked me (I was afraid they would run into my bike) it was the first time I've seen armadillos in the open, that weren't road-kill.  Next time, I'll be on the lookout, and hopefully get a good photo of them, if I can keep from scaring them into the brush. 

A track that excited us, until we discovered it only
led to the road.

Skywalker and I got excited when we realized a trail that's been closed since we first started riding Gateway was finally reopened.  We'd heard that it ran cliff-side along the Trinity River, which borders some of the park, but had been closed for over a year due to trail collapse.  But yesterday, there was no flourescent ribbon barring out way, so we headed in to give it a try.  Lukas rode point, and we kept Andrew between us.  When the Fort Worth Mountain Bikers Association says a trail runs cliff-side, they mean it.  That means, no guard rails, just a steep drop.  If you veer off the path, you'll be hoping you and your bike can fly, 'cause the drop in that park is about 60 ft. from the cliff to the river below.  But, before you'd hit water, you'd hit dirt and rocks.

We made it a long way in before the trail disappeared.  It had broken away from the cliff, and we ended up having to turn around, and head back the way we came.  That's generally a no-no on single-track trails, but there was nothing else we could do.  In that area, the woods are way too thick with both trees and brush to navigate with cycles. 

If we could manage to get to the bottom of this hill,
there's an impressive river stretch with rapids below.

We were disappointed but still glad we'd investigated it as far as we could.  We also discovered a new trail along the way, that will get us down to the river side.  From the higher trail, we saw the first set of natural rapids in the Trinity that we've come across so far.  They're not deep, and certainly not huge, but big enough to be noisy, and make a whole lot of splashing.  We plan to check out the new trail our next outing, which will hopefully be today or tomorrow. 

Before we finished the last of the third set, we decided to cut it short and head back to the lot.  The light was fading in the woods, and I didn't want it to be dark before we finished.  That proved to be a good decision, because halfway back to the lot, the wind kicked up, the rain began to pour, and the sky was putting on a lightening show.

So close, but not yet accessible.

I didn't mind the wind or the rain, but the lightening was enough to spook me into as fast of a pace as I could manage without leaving Andrew behind.  We got loaded as fast as we could, and headed for home through some impressive spots of deep water.  When we got back, we had to wait an hour before the storm let up enough for us to unload our bikes.

No one came home with anything other than scratches, bruises and wet clothes, so we're chalking it up to another good ride.

That's it for this one, and my apologies for the poor quality with the photos.  My friends, Ronda and Mike, were in for a visit from Illinois recently.  During a tour of the Fort Worth Stockyards, I lost my little Sony, and I was reduced to using my mobile phone's cam for this trip.  I'll have the Sony replaced soon, but the mobile was all I had at my disposal for this one.

God bless you, thank you for the read, and don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

If you've got a pic of you and your bike, send it on!  We'd love to post it in the Guest Gallery!  You never know, one of these days, you might actually meet us up with on the trails. 

femmeflashpoint

Mongoose Fever

"No, I like my bike.  I don't wanna switch out."

Luke Skywalker seemed adamant to keep riding the cycle we'd picked up for him over a year ago at a second-hand store.  The paint was scuffed.  The saddle had been reduced to a couple of puffs of padding hanging out from under the torn casing.  The back tire had an impressive slash in it, and both of them were worn enough to need replacement.  We took it home anyway, for about $23.

McGuyver and Lukas replaced the tires and saddle, and with a few adjustments, some fresh lubricant, and a clean up, they managed to make the thing rideable.  After riding it on his first outing, Luke seemed to bond with it, and has enjoyed a lot of mileage on his recycled-Magna since then.    

Lukas and his Magna

Jared, our point-rider, is now 6'3", and has outgrown his cycle, a 27" Raleigh hybrid.  The Raleigh gives an awesome ride.  It's smooth, and can kick out some impressive speed for a larger-tired cycle, but it still can't hang onto the dirt like a mountain bike can.

Jared pushed it to the limit a few months ago, and it dumped him in the dirt while riding the advanced tracks at Gateway.  He didn't get injured, but the front rim was bent enough to need replacement.  Afterwards, he decided to upgrade to a taller cycle better suited for advanced off-road riding.

Jared and his Raleigh hybrid

  I asked Lukas if he'd considered switching to the Raleigh when Jared purchased new wheels, and suggested he might like it if we switched out the hybrid tires on it, and put on a set with bigger teeth, and no speed-strip in the center.  That's when I got the sincere rebuttal that he was sticking with his Magna.

I was impressed that he maintained his loyalty to his old bike as long as he did.  But, it deflated and blew away last week during a trip with me for some ride supplies.  We came across a new  29" Mongoose mountain bike, with a sleek frame, a center-shock and disc brakes.  No kidding, the boy nearly had drool sliding down his chin while we took a little time to check it out.  He caved in and brought it home the next day.  I think he made a good choice in the switch and a reasonable investment.  He's outgrowing his Magna, and the Goose will give him a better ride that fits his height. 


It's a sweet machine, and he was eager to ride it, but the weather wasn't cooperating. The evening before he brought it home, our clear skies from earlier in the day had disappeared behind some fluffy, dark clouds hosting a lightening show. The next morning our neighborhood woke up to a sprinkle of rain, that turned into a drizzle before forming into an all-out downpour.

Seth and Elizabeth stopped in our neighbor's driveway
to let me get a pic of them before they headed out
into the drizzle for a short ride in the neighborhood.  The used bike works
well, and is only in need of a bit of maintenance and a scrub-up.

Texans say, "If you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait a minute."  Thankfully, the saying is accurate most of the time. 

During the intermittant drizzle, Seth and Elizabeth decided to take a cruise around the neighborhood.  Luke and I had picked up an older model 28" mountain bike a few days before, and Seth wanted to take it for a test ride. 

The rest of us waited a few more hours for the weather to break.  I wasn't willing to be riding near water with a threat of lightening.  Thankfully, the weather broke shortly before noon, so, we didn't have to spend most of the day waiting out the storm.

Luke pulling the tags off of his new Mongoose

We'd decided to forego the single-tracks at Gateway, because that ride marked Andrew's first official ride with the pack.  He hasn't ridden much, and he's got a new Schwinn Ranger.  We chose to ride along the Trinity paved trail until we could veer off on the dirt fire-road that leads to the Fort Worth Stockyards.  It's wide and provided  Andrew some ride-time on dirt that was a less technically-challenging surface, so he could get in a bit of practice with balance and acquainted with his new wheels.

For most of the pack, we have about as much interest in riding on pavement as we do watching paint dry.  Torres and Kim don't seem to mind what sort of surface they ride on, as long as they get to ride.

The Trinity trail was the only area nearby where we could take Andrew that provided both on and off road paths, with minimal crash risk.  The start point on the route is paved, and when we veer off the paved path, there's a dirt fire-road that leads to the back-side of the stockyards.  It's not a pulse-thumper, but it worked well for what we needed.  There are no hard climbs or tight squeezes between trees. 

He started out a bit wobbly on the pavement, but his skills improved a good bit during the ride.  It's his first bike with hand-brakes and multiple gears.  By the time we finished, he'd learned when to up-shift, down-shift, and which brake to use depending on the incline, or flat surface.  He did great, and made it through the whole thing with no crashes.

Andrew following Lukas down the fire road towards the stockyards.

The extra helmet on Luke's pack is mine.  I hated to set a bad example, but it was hot, and my head is harder than theirs.

The wildlife in the Trinity is beautiful.  This shot was taken along the trail that goes under (via a tunnel) the stockyards.
Last year, this tributary was poisoned, and killed every fish in the water for miles.  And, I'm amazed what wildlife that lives
here manages to survive in such dirty conditions. 

I don't know if it was blown in, or thrown in, but this cup is only a tiny fraction of the stuff

we see either on the surface, or under the water in this area.  Not far from the cup, we found

an entire shopping cart submerged about three feet under the water.  There are no shops

in the area that have shopping carts, so it was brought in and dumped, from elsewhere.

Just to the side of the lamp post, in the above photo, is where we found the submerged shopping cart.

A prettier spot on the ride.  Below the bridge, the river looks better, but still has areas loaded

with discarded debris.

This part of the Trinity usually looks pretty clean, and we often see folks fishing here.

 

My Sidewinder, just topside of the riverbank.

Andrew on his last downhill stretch, before loading up and heading home.

Lukas and his Goose, bringing up the rear.

The guys on the last bridge between us and the Tracker.

It wasn't a long ride, but it was a good ride.  When we came off of the fire-road, Andrew gave me news that had the effect of someone raking their nails down a chalkboard.  He said, "I don't think I like riding on dirt.  It's really bumpy."

My immediate thought was, "Ohhhhh nooooooo!!!!  He's gonna grow up to be a skinny-tire rider!!"

I did my best to assure him, that he will likely get bored with riding on pavement when his skills increase.  I told him that pavement riding was better than not riding at all, in event we've had rainy weather and the trails are muddy.  I don't know if I convinced him, but I'm hoping he at least won't be totally turned off after his first trip through the woods.

As we were readying to load the cycles back on the Tracker, I shared Andrew's comment with Lukas.  Skywalker gave his little brother a dead-pan look and said, "Well, you'd best learn to love it." (Referring to riding on dirt.)  Lukas is still developing in the ability to be tactfully persuasive, but Andrew took the comment in stride.

Nonetheless, Andrew rode the dirt, and rode it well for his first time out.  I'm hoping he'll develop a love for cycling, and hoping bigger that he'll love riding in the woods with the rest of us after he's done it a few times, and looks forward to the challenge rather than being daunted by it.

A little more time on the bike, and he'll be able to stand up on his pedals when he crosses the rough spots, and maybe they won't bother him so much.

I'll say a lot of prayers and hope he changes his mind.

Happy Father's Day 2012!!

Thanks for the read!  God bless you, ride safe, have fun and don't forget to say "Thanks!" to a veteran at your next opportunity!

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