Like Riding Into A Blow Dryer

Looked at the forecast last night and one thing was clear, the later in the day the stronger the wind was going to be. With that in mind I decided to try to get out early before the winds went from sucky to horrible, decided to just hop on the Big Papio Trail and ride it for a bit and then turn around and head home with a tail wind.


Been riding a bike for quite a while now and in several different states on all kinds of trails and I gotta say this is the first time I have ever been warned about dangerous canoes! I'd like to meet the canoeist that can paddle on cement, probably don't want to shake his/her had but I'd like to meet them.


This was a pretty fun downhill, rode by it a few times but never wanted to expend the energy to ride up it until today.


Made some new friends along the way as well, the city cows aren't as friendly as the country cows but they come around just fine after a bit.


I've always thought this was a pretty cool looking railroad bridge, first time I've ever seen it from this side usually I drive by on the Interstate.


Train decided to show up after I took the previous picture but you know, those trains, who can trust them, always running behind.


Happened upon this place, didn't realize the trail went by here but the GF works here, told her she could ride bike paths all the way to work... I was a lot more stoked about that little fact than she was. Figured this was as good a place as any to turn around so that's what I did.


Thought this mural was pretty cool, it's on the underpass wall of the road leading to Stinson Park and BCBS. This particular picture is actually two pictures I stitched together, you would not believe how long I stood on the side of the trail trying to figure out how to get a good picture using the auto panoramic feature on the iPhone 5S... forget that it's much quicker/easier to just take multiple pictures and manipulate them later, apparently I need to start taking a 5 year old along with me on my rides from now one. Damn whipper snappers and their technology wizardry.


Same railroad bridge from before but the other side, seems the dating scene in Omaha is a lot different than what I'm used to as I can only assume D2F is just a spin off of DTF. Problem I see with this type of advertisement is that while it might get a large amount of traffic, it's lacking any details... male/female, how to contact them, etc. Are you just supposed to spray paint your interest or questions on the cement next to it?

After battling the wind for almost two hours I decided to stop here and sit on the park bench for a bit and channel my inner Forrest Gump, those look like comfortable shoes... other than the wind you couldn't have asked for a nicer day nor could you have asked for a nicer place to sit and take in the gorgeous day.

I Hear A Train A Coming

What this winter has lacked in snow this year it's more than made up for in bone chilling cold. This morning was no exception with actual temps being only 7 degrees but with all the driving lately for the new job riding time has become scarce and the weekends seem to be the easiest time to get a ride in.


Met my nemesis at our usual rendezvous spot, what you can't see is that it brought company as there were two trains, one moving one sitting still. No choice but to turn around and back track to Old Cheney to slip into Wilderness Park.


Plan B was met with another train... actually I'm pretty sure this was the stopped train from moments earlier now moving and in the way. Oh well, nothing to do but wait for it to pass.


As I sat there waiting, cars piling up behind me just waiting to squish me when the gates went up... here comes yet another train. Hard to see in this picture but those three dots in the very right of the frame are those of a third, maybe fourth if the one in front of me is not the sitting one, train coming in just behind the current one.


Gates finally went up and I pedaled my ass off for the 50ish feet from track to entrance into Wilderness without getting mangled by 2000 lbs of metal. Trails were in really good shape, freezing temps make the dirt almost as smooth and fast as pavement.


Picked up a Relevate Designs mountain feed bag the other day at Cycle Works, wasn't quite a long enough ride to need anything to eat but last summer I saw Mr. Swanson throw his camera in one like this and thought it was a really good idea especially when wearing gloves. It might not be an official camera bag but with it being right there in easy reach and the ability to completely close and open it with one hand while riding it might get more than a little use as one.


Fittingly came out of the trees to see this stopped on the tracks, lucky for me I didn't need to cross them this time... probably the most trains I've ever seen on that section of track in a 30 minute period of time.