A Hike with a Bike

 Last week, because yes, that how current I am with posts, I was influenced by the temperature to hike. I've previously praised moving at a variety of speeds for the difference in what one notices, but another advantage of moving at a slower speed is less wind chill. 

The winter solstice included the arrival of true cold, prompting me to finally swap the pedals that doubled as large, aluminum heatsinks for ones with less thermally conductive plastic. I also walked periodically in the afternoon to tilt the calories burned versus convective cooling equation in my favor. The bicycle is the most efficient form of transportation, but sometimes that works against the rider.

So last week, I hiked, but the loop, a slightly shortened version of the unintended marathon I ran last year with Matt, was a bit long for a late morning start, and it also includes some long, straight trail that, at walking speed, I would notice more than I enjoyed. I've often hiked a bike through sections of exploratory rides, and I definitely ride to trailheads for hikes, but last week may be the first time I departed with the intention of taking my bike for walkies!

A good bike rewarded for good behavior

pet, pet

It was my tour de skirting shooting ranges, 

three in total. 

No bikers were harmed in the snapping of this photo.

Although this muskrat

(I think)

fared less well,

but it wasn't from my tire!

Dedicated 

(and forwarded) 

to my friend Todd

who photographed deer hooves

on the 1st official

Detour de Connecticut.