A Saturday’s Adventure

I had a fun excursion today and here are some pictures and a map to go with it. First I’ll tell you why I wanted to do this. As you might know, I used to drive a taxi (I think I still need to update that on the about me page). There was a faire that we would pick up close to the top of Vineyard Mountain. Every time I passed by certain points, I would think to myself, “I really need to come up here and take some pictures.” So, I did. Unfortunately, they were only taken with my cellphone. I hadn’t premeditated doing this. I just decided I would as I was biking away from my apartment. I didn’t really have a plan, it just happened.

I would compare this to my random journeys I’ve taken in the past. I randomly decided to walk to the capitol building when I was in Lincoln, NE. I didn’t have a bike so, I walked. It turns out that the building should have been closed. It was Memorial Day. But apparently, someone left a door open and I got to take an unguided tour all the way up to the fourteenth floor balcony. I also randomly went on a 30 mile bike ride with my buddies in college a few years later. It has been enough time (only about five years).

So, without further ado…

According to Google Maps, this route is exactly six miles (that’s just one way). However, I’m sure that since I took a longer route it was more than that. I took the bike trail from my place south to Harrison, then went to 29^th street and stopped at the Co-op for lunch, and then continued on to Walnut. That’s where the map becomes accurate.
When I got to the top of the hill on Highland Dr, right by Lester Ave, I snapped this picture:

Then I continued down the hill and past Crescent Valley High School. I then snapped this as I was biking past it:

I continued down and then up to the base of Vineyard Mountain.

I then looked up and saw this:

I biked up this for a while until I came to a really steep part. I then walked up that hill since I couldn’t bike up it without my chain slipping off my rear gear assembly. When the slope approached what I thought would work I got back on my bike. I stopped when I was almost to the overlook that I wanted to get to and took some pictures:

I continued on and finally made it:



I then proceeded to eat a protein bar and then coast down the mountain. It was quite a ride down on a bike. It was much faster than going down Witham Hill where I live. I’m sure that I reached speeds in excess of 35 MPH.