Starting in Ketchikan under a slight rain and 39F. A whisper of a tailwind pushed me for 7 miles out to Ward Cove and where I turned off No. Tongass highway to reach Frog pond bridge. By now, temps had dropped and I could see my breath vapors. Just past Signal creek campground, I entered the Ward Lake trail system and followed it to the Ward lake parking lot. Across the parking lot, I picked up the gravel trail wandering between Ward Lake and Last Chance campgrounds. Leaving Last Chance, I went up Revilla to the dirt road leading to Connell lake. Where the pipeline crosses the road I followed the wet and muddy trail along the pipe going back to Revilla road. Crossing Revilla road, I joined the continuation of the pipeline trail, still cold, muddy, lumpy, rocky and the day got wetter and darker. It was nearing sunset. West bound on that trail, I eventually regained Revilla road and spun as far as the intersection going to Ward Lake. By then the rain increased, temps were dropping, and sunset in the tree lined trails was deepening. Because I have ridden these trails before, I turned off Revilla at the dog park lot and regained the pipeline trail again. It was definitely dark when I came out onto No. Tongass highway at Ward Cove market. Turning southbound on the highway, I pushed pedals harder to stay warm through the 7 miles back to town I knew was coming up. North or southbound between town and Ward Cove, I like to take a side road, Shoreline Drive. This gets me onto a quieter parallel route off the busy highway, then later rejoins No. Tongass. The headwinds I anticipated on the return ride didn't happen in any significant force which made the dark splashy ride a little easier. My biggest lack of equipment was for warmer gloves.