Cutting on my Cut-Through

Rail trails are great, but they aren't always the most direct, such as the Norwattuck Trail which I often use as a connection to Northampton. I can make the trip at least fifteen minutes, or about 25%, faster by riding the much more direct Bay Road, but for the last few years, I've more frequently opted for the car-free serenity of the trail on the logic I'd rather be a few minutes late than the late Salem Mazzawy.

On my ride home yesterday, with the rearrival of particularly pleasant weather, the trail was more crowded and a bit less serene. I'm a firm believer in using terms like "rail trail" or "multi use path" instead of "bike path" in recognition that cyclist are not the only users and don't have the dominant right of way. Similarly, I don't think of roads as "car ways", but both sets of transit infrastructure do have rules, like keeping right except to pass. (Noted exception: both the law and statistics dictate walking on the left side of the road.)

Another rule for the rail trail: announce yourself when overtaking another user. A lot of people on bikes don't do this, so some users have decided two wrongs are right and walk on the left. Yes, I understand, some people on bikes are a combination of rude and uneducated, but I disagree that disobeying standards is safer, so when overtaking left walkers, I change my usual announcement of, "Hello, passing on your left," to, "Hello, passing on your wrong side," because I just can't call it right. And I'm a wee passive aggressive.

After my third or forth such episode yesterday, I decided to exit the trail early an opt for the cut through I recently learned during my primarily bus-transit days: less than a half mile of wooded path to the end of a short neighborhood street, bypassing the indirect climb to through the center of Amherst. Less climbing, more direct, and it's no longer covered in snow! Of late, however, there has been a dismount to negotiate a fallen tree, which I remembered after taking the option, making a note to leave out a saw to bring on my errands the next day.

Nope, no need, rounding the bend, I saw someone had already cleared the fall completely, more than I would've managed with a small hand saw. Yay! My peaceful, direct cut-through is once again without disruptive dismount. Who knew a chainsaw could bring such peace?