Yesterday the bike and I went exploring, to a short back road I found on Google maps. Turns out, it's nearly vertical (okay, not really, but it felt like it) so I hiked that half mile, uphill, in the snow! We'd gotten an inch of snow the night before down in the lowlands, and two or three in the hills, a rarity for us, so there was melting snow everywhere. It's a beautiful ride to the top of the ridge, with woods and snow and slush, and and on the ridge lots of "PRIVATE ROAD" and "NO TRESPASSING" signs. Spoilsports. At least there were horses out. It was around 46F, bracing but not shivery as long as I kept moving, and the air was clear and crisp. The ride back was interesting; I rode the brakes hard all the way down the rough wet pavement, bits of trees, and slush to the bottom, my philosophy being I'd rather fall off the bike at 18 mph than 30. And, the main reason I love my hybrid, we took the muddy little trail in the Aldergrove Marsh just because.
It started out sunny, but clouded up as I rode; the forecast had called for a 10% chance of showers, so I figured I would be okay, and the rest of the week/month will be rainy, so I
had to take the one clear day. On the way home I stopped at a nursery, and as soon as I brought the bike in the clouds opened up, for about a minute. The rest of the ride was pleasant and uneventful, and I'm
so glad I went out.
Google maps has also shown me
Rocky Creek Rd., which comes very close to Greenwood Heights Dr. and I suspect that mountain bikers may have made an unofficial trail connecting the two. It'll be a steep adventure, regardless.