My ride today was cold. It was 41 degrees according to my phone's weather app and the air was damp. It looked like there was a slight fog.
I set out knowing I was starting later than planned, but committed to doing at least 45 minutes. I didn't feel like a hard ride as I felt pretty drained right from the start.
I started up Tanque Verde Loop as I equate that to a peaceful leisurely ride I used to take with Richard when he was on his mobility scooter.
As I got to the top of Tanque Verde Loop Rd, I saw Melpomene across the road. It is a dirt road for this mile south of Broadway. I thought, "That might be fun to see how that road is." I knew it would be a little difficult to get traction in a few places, but I wanted an adventure.
The road was about what I expected most the way, but there is one section that shrinks down into a seldom used road. I found the south end of this section even had sticks and thorn filled branches strewn across the way to block ingress from the south. It took me a second to figure out that the best way to traverse it with the trike was to get off and pull the front wheel over the mess until the back wheels just touched it. Then go around, pick up the rear wheels and push it forward until the trike cleared it. Fortunately, it was no wider than the length of my trike so I was able to keep the tires from getting punctures.
I did enjoy my ride today. I was pretty much just going through the motions and thinking I might cut it short until I saw Melpomene and decided to take the adventurous route.
The lesson that was reinforced today is, Don't forget to take rides that are focused on being adventurous and enjoying the time, instead of just getting from point A to point B.