Bikes are for exploring

Yesterday I was meeting someone in the far western reaches of Northampton, a town that has much further far reaches than I realized. In mapping the address, Google Maps nudged me by pointing out the Parsons Brook Conservation Area trail head less than a half mile off the route of my return trip home. Hmm, I was intrigued, and I'm not good at ignoring that feeling, so returning on route 66, I turned left into the neighborhood street I never would've guessed was the gateway to trails. As I've slightly satirically said, "Faith in Google," although I do bemoan that they dropped "Don't be evil" as their corporate motto.

But Google was right, there was a trailhead, and while the online reviews mentioned a minimum of parking, I had no issue finding lots of places I could leave my bike! Yes, pedaling is still easier on the recovering ailment of my leg, but for the last almost week, I've been able to manage gentle walking, possibly even benefit from it. Parsons Brook is definitely gentle. Surrounded by swamp and wetland, the reason it was spared from development, the trails are through sandy pine barrens.

Pines tolerate well drained sandy soil

better than most trees.

And those habitats survive when

soggy swamp surrounds them.

It's a neat area, and while not an extensive trail network, if I am back in the vicinity with a mountain bike, it could definitely be fun to zip around terrain devoid of rocks. It could also be darn fun on a cyclocross bike, although I didn't see anything as lumpy as gravel, so I guess those bikes wouldn't work, cough, cough.

I did also spot and confirm the identification of (as I'm still unpoisoned writing this the nextday) chicken of the woods mushrooms. I guess that's one more win for better living through the interwebs, although sorry less-adamantly-not-evil Google, I did use DuckDuckGo for researching the mycological offerings with the fowl name.

Aside the trail

And in the free roadside bowl

I found earlier that morning!