Starting at this end may not be the best idea if you aren't going to walk the entire 6 1/2 mile stretch. There's precious little shade at this end. There are some flowers, though:
Two different people warned me about snakes as I was taking those pictures, but I'm honestly not worried about snakes. I was making plenty of noise, and I was not off the trail in the flowers. The first person acted so shocked at my response that I just said, "Thank you," to the second.
The trail crosses the Wolf River:
There's some woodland:
and even more water:
and what looks like the beginnings of a "love locks" bridge:
but the one in France collapsed from the weight, so let's not get too carried away.
We ran into some construction on/over the trail:
There were signs instructing cyclists to dismount when traveling through the construction zone, but not a single one did. In fact the cyclists were, with very few exceptions, very rude, speeding by within touching distance. The few who said, "On your left," as they approached were refreshing. The entitled bastard who yelled, "Get back!" as he raced past leaving us reeling in his wake was more typical. It's not like we were hogging the trail; we were clearly occupying less than half of it, staying as far to the right as possible. I swear, I'm beginning to believe that "cyclists" is to "pedestrians" as "car drivers" is to "cyclists". They complain about the exact same abuse from car drivers that they then turn around and heap on pedestrians.
Ah, well, all I can do is try to obey the road rules as they apply to me and try to treat my fellow travellers with some kindness and courtesy. I'm not sure why I resent the cyclists' rudeness so much. Maybe it's because they do complain so much about their treatment by folks in cars.
We found one piece of public art (though this may be no more than simple tagging graffiti) on this section of the greenline:
We stopped at this intersection:
which was about 2 1/2 miles in. We'll start here next time. We're hoping for more shade the further west we go. This trail is used by commuters and fitness walkers and explorers -pedestrians and cyclists alike. It really is a wonderful addition to the city.
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I'm so glad the Rails to Trails is working well in your area. As I mentioned before, it didn't get off the ground in Wichita. Looks like a fun afternoon. Maybe going later in the year will prove to be less hot.
ReplyDeleteI knew about the Love Locks, but had NO idea part of the bridge collapsed. I can remember back years ago when they first started it. There were very few on the bridge at that time. Maybe about 200 the first time I saw photos. Seeing all those recent photos, shows how an idea can turn into a bomb!
Yes! It's working great! There are always people out there :)
DeleteWe have a long way to go before we rival the Paris bridge in # of locks, but still....
Looks like a nice place to walk. Laughed at your description of rude bicyclists. DH bikes for everything and complains about cars. I always complain about bicyclists, it is somewhat of a standing joke with us. I do find that bycyclists seem to think they own "trails" just as drivers seem to think they own the road. DH always says he wins because a bike doesn't pollute. I say, yeah, try getting to the mt. house on your bike. It is all in fun of course.
ReplyDeleteDarla
Bikes don't pollute, that is true. I just wish they weren't so rude to pedestrians. They almost ran us down a couple of times. I'm walking, in part, to build bone mass. It's gonna be bad if a cyclist knocks me down and breaks me.
DeleteLovely photos, lovely place!
ReplyDeleteI agree about the cyclists, they are the same here. There is an article in the papers every spring, spelling out the rules: that cyclists must, on roadways shared by pedestrians and cyclists, give way to pedestrians, who can walk on whichever side of the road they like without having to take abuse (this does not apply to roads with car traffic, though). I am often passed by speeding cyclists at a distance of millimeters on the bridge over the railway into town, which is something like 10 meters wide and very sparse with traffic. And for some reason, a majority of the folks in Luleå have this idea that pedestrians should keep to the left at all times (not just on roads with car traffic, where it is the law), contrary to the habits of the rest of the world, where you meet other pedestrians keeping to your right. You can tell which people are new to this town, by what side they pass you by on. Weird. Even I have written a few "letters to the editor" on this subject over the years - it is really a cause of road rage, which is both unnecessary and unpleasant. I am ranting, am I not? lol
Road rage, yes, not limited to car drivers. There's no talking to the cyclists, tho. They are filled with self-righteous indignation at the thought that a mere pedestrian might complain about them.
DeleteIt is a lovely place, but I do prefer the shadier sections further to the west.