October 5, 2008

Moose Blog

I take seeing a moose as a sign of good luck. So this morning when we saw a family of moose in front of our house and one looked at me, I figured it was time to buy a lottery ticket.



Img_9203



Img_9199



Yesterday, after truing up my front wheel from last week's exploits, I rode the bluffs. I always ride up Hatch to the new odd Disneyland-like Mediterranean-themed (in the Northwest? C'mon) development that has only one over priced spec home and access the trail. On the way home I explored the trail off Tomaker and, to my excitement, discovered that the trail brought me to my doorstep. I feel like a fool for not having listened to the many times Veep told me there was a trail there. I didn't explore the trail from our end because I didn't want to cross our neighbor's property on the gas line easement road and thought she was talking about some short trail that just paralleled Hatch. But this trail heads east into some nice open space and goes along the hill side for about 2 miles. On google maps it looks like there is a segment of singletrack below the road that I will explore soon. So maybe the moose stare is retroactive good luck, though I did see at least three large deer while riding down yesterday, which may also merit a little good fortune.



The bluff trail.



Downsized_1004081705



The view from the top.



Downsized_1004081715



Friday, after a hearty bowl of grape nuts, I rode up Hatch. I learned a few things. First, don't eat grape nuts before riding up Hatch hill.



Second, local election season is in full swing as evidenced by the beautiful boquet of rogue yard signs at the intersection of Hangman Valley and Hatch (and any other intersection where those running or supporting feel that the property owners wouldn't mind another lovely sign being planted).



Downsized_1002081750a



I was fortunate enough to witness this yahoo planting another. Is there really no other way to run a local election? I think I'll vote for the one that says 'control noxious weeds.'



Downsized_1003081413



And just think, in a few months these signs will join the other's I pass on my morning commute, alongside the train tracks on Inland Empire Way.



Downsized_1002080718b



Third, the "World Peace" concrete divider wall midway up the hill has been renovated and carefully mulched.



Downsized_1003081050



I wonder who maintains this and what they hope the addition of organic matter will do for the concrete. Maybe it is a magic mulch that will, in fact, grow world peace.



At the top of the hill, there is now nice smooth asphalt on the stretch of Hatch between the Rocket and 57th.



Downsized_1003081055



Felt oh so nice to ride on. Could road construction season really be ending?



And finally, I learned that a blog is nothing without a cameraphone (see above).



0906080841





9 comments:

  1. Wow! It's kind of mind boggling to see there are moose out and about so close.
    I noticed that the World Peace Sign had been renovated on Saturday while driving out to my mom's house, but didn't register the fresh fill to go along with the new paint job.
    Hatch is finally looking pretty good from just past our house through 43rd- just one final layer and it should be wrapped up. It's going to be weird to have regular traffic again after two months off.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I bombed down Hatch yesterday at around 1:30 and saw the fancy new world peace sign. Nice work. I wonder who did that? Maybe that church at the top of the hill?
    As for the trails behind tomaker/pines, my buddy Ben just introduced me to those. It's a wonderful alternative to get down hatch and pop out at Hangman Valley road. I saw a cow moose and her kid in there last week.
    Btw: I'm sure you know that you can enter the HD trails from the development across the street from the Pines. There's public trail access down at the bottom of the main road. On the right. Between two houses.

    ReplyDelete
  3. John, last time I tried to access the trails from that neighborhood (Highland Park) there was a locked gate. Maybe there is a different access point I'm not seeing? I use Casa Bella since I know I can get on from the back of the lower lots. I can't see any houses going in for some time, even with the fancy new fountain at the entrance (fortunately all my money is being lost on the stock market and not on this floundering development).

    ReplyDelete
  4. The documentarides are working well--keep 'em coming.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, and you might try strapping the cameraphone to your handlebars so that the lens is pointed at you--that'd be a rad shot.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Moose in your front yard. That's pretty cool. You guys really moved into the wild. (Into the Wild, an interesting book.)
    Grape nuts before a ride. I can see how that could lead to a problem.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good tip on the Grape Nuts. Here's another one, though I think you were there the day I learned this: Before a strenuous ride, don't eat scrambled eggs and salsa.
    I enjoyed your various evaluations; they made me chuckle.
    Next time a moose comes to visit, go up and wrestle with it a little bit; I hear that makes for a upper-body workout.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Now I only eat things I want to taste again right before a strenuous ride.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yeah. There is a locked gate. But we climb over it routinely. No one has ever bugged me about it.

    ReplyDelete