13.2 Mile Ride Through the Corning Preserve & Schuyler Flatts Cultural Park
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Talk about an obvious lesson regarding what lousy shape I'm currently in - I picked the Corning Preserve because it's flat and easy with the plan to do an easy paced ride. Granted, the brisk headwind I was fighting half the time didn't help, but my legs were cramping for most of the ride thanks to how little time I've spent on the bike this year. (I've walked almost as many miles as I've ridden, just short of halfway through the year...)
The last time I rode here was late October, so this was another example of "surprise, it's almost summer!" Any grass that hasn't been mowed was thigh high, and the rather formidable troupe of goslings are all the goose equivalent of early teenagers. While I was there I also spotted several adult woodchucks, including one with an accompanying wooodchuckle (or pup, if you want to be pedantic.) The little guy was pretty cute - at one point he actually moved up next to the adult and was licking the side of its face. I don't know if woodchucks are generally affectionate with each other or if the adult had something tasty on its fur, but it was fun to see.
Lots of traffic on the way out to Schuyler Flatts, much less on the way back (obviously much more to my preference.)
At the end of the ride, I even got to see the swing bridge in operation when a tug pushing a barge went through.
JMH
