Barking at shovels

To Walden Pond

To mark the new year, I've reset my odometer. 2004 total: 1546 km, just shy of 1000 mi.

Got back on my bike on Saturday, for my now-traditional Patriot's Day Paul Revere ride out the Minuteman and Battle Road to the Old North Bridge. This year I had company (ukelele, chrysaphi, narya, and fanw), and we got a completely beautiful day for it. Warm sun, cool breeze, rivers in flood, crocuses and skunk cabbage pushing fresh green out of the mud.

I was a wimp this year and didn't touch the bike all winter. I was nervous at how much condition I might have lost. After riding, I don't actually know -- all I can say is I can still handle a 60-km loop just fine. Which is good by me -- last year this ride was a big deal. I'm still a bit stiff, but I think that's more the fault of trying to play ultimate Sunday than the bike ride on Saturday.

Weather permitting, we're going back out for another ride this Saturday (Apr 23). The plan is a lakes tour -- starting from Davis, around Fresh Pond, out Concord Ave and up bad boy Belmont Hill. Then over to Totten Pond Rd, around beautiful Cambridge Reservoir, and out past Sandy Pond to Walden Pond. Home via Concord, part of Battle Rd that we missed last week, Mill St and Marrett Rd to the bike path. Optionally we could add five miles from Arlington Centre by finishing with a loop around the Mystic Lakes.

I don't know the exact distance that adds up to, but it'll be comparable to last week but a bit more rolling. And it includes Belmont Hill.

We'd love more company. Anyone interested, let me know!

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