the Way of the Turtle

DRIZZLE, FOG, RAIN,... & SUNSHINE
19.4 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Sunday, January 10, 2015

My preference would have been to go for a run today, but my knees were a bit grumpy from yesterday's run and I don't want to risk screwing them up right before next weekend's double header at Mendon (probably trail running, though there's an slight chance they'll have barely enough snow for snowshoeing... in which case I may regret signing up for both the 5k and the 10k.) And really, 50 degrees in January with bike paths mostly clear of ice and snow just calls for a ride... when it's not raining.

But the rain had eased up by mid-afternoon and the hourly forecast called for things to be pretty good until later... so I packed the bike on the car and headed over to Rotterdam Junction.

The ride out to Scafford Lane was chilly but with only a slight drizzle and fair amounts of fog. The old canal is mostly frozen over, so not much to see there. Stopped at the car on the way back through to add a fleece pullover under my rainjacket and a neck gaiter - the damp air made it feel chillier than 50 degrees.

Good thing I did, too, because when I stopped to take a picture at the wetlands near the I890/5S/Thruway exit cloverleaf, rain (mixed with some ice pellets) swept in with a vengeance, and I spent the next several miles riding in the rain. Tights, gloves, shoes and socks all got soaked. Eventually that eased up and then stopped altogether, though I think the temperature dropped a bit in the process. As I was heading back toward Rotterdam Junction, the sun even put in an appearance through some breaks in the clouds.

I figured who knows when I'll get another chance to ride my road bike on clear bike paths during daylight, so when I got back to the car I kept going and rode out to Scafford Lane a second time. Lots of fog, and I got to see some nice bits of sunset. But it was still pretty nice to finally pull up to the car for good and peel off the wet clothes. Fortunately I had an old pair of shoes in the car, so I was able to give my feet a chance to dry out and warm up.

Temperatures are supposed to be in the 20's and low 30's for the rest of the week, so if I do any riding... it will be a shorter trip than today (and most likely in the dark...)

JMH