More fun with commuting

Ok, ok, first I'll acknowledge that a commute is travel from home to work, so my errands don't count, but I just prefer the sound of that, especially the concept that travel to work can be fun! It coulf be a half the fun, or more, of going is getting there situation. I was a bicycle commuter for a number of years, some even overlapping with the final years of my first racing stint, but I now entitle my utilitarian wheels "errand bikes".

After my last post, Matt, who'd left my left-behind water bottle on the left side of the fence post, sent me a note about other sneaky cut-throughs in the area, which made me happy. For one, yes, I love anything sneaky and cut-through-y, but also because when blog posts in some way become interactive, I smile. No man is a small landmass in the middle of an ocean and all that.

One of the connectors Matt mentioned was a personal favorite that joins two low traffic dead end neighborhoods sandwiched between Route 33 and Westover Air Force Base, both of which are advisable to avoid. In the past, part way along that trail was a houseless encampment with residents whose tromping kept the undergrowth in check. While I don't laud an economy that pushes people to the margins, those people's departure had made the path far less passable this summer. It's akin to my relationship to ATVs. I hold some angst for them, especially when they convert singletrack into something wider, but yes, back in my Connecticut day, I did appreciate that they kept my riding along the river trails lined with nettles far less itchy.

Matt's and my connector in Chicopee lacks nettles, and with impending fall and current draught limiting the foliage, I figured I'd give it a try on my long, indirect loop around Westover to my physical therapy, which seems to be working well enough that I'm taking long, indirect routes to get there. And another win, yay, it seems that connecting path is in the repertoire of more people than just Matt and me, and at least one of them has pruning tools. The undergrowth has gone under!

With the time savings of that win, I decided to continue my trip north by cutting through the Bynan Conservation Area trails which had the possibility of connecting directly to the physical therapy facility. It will take more try or tries to fully realize that connection, if possible, but that kind of commuter exploration sounds like a fun possibility to me!

Win

Bynan included chicken of the woods

growing, brightly, along the trail.

But less winsome (sic)

the sign on the gate saying,

"Salem, don't go this way!"

was missing.

The trail beyond

was pretty OK before ending

at a chain link fence,

and I mostly enjoyed riding it twice.