Winter Hike

For the first time in 2 years we had some measurable snow. We had two storm, one on Tuesday and another one on Friday. By Saturday morning we had a total of around 3 inches of snow and a temperature of 15 degrees. For the weekend it wasn't going to get above freezing so there was no possibility of a bike ride. Instead I sent a message to the posse for a hike in Tyler State Park. It is our go to place in cold weather. The good thing about Tyler State Park is that they plow the paved paths so even if it snows you don't need snow shoes to walk around the park.

Most of the posse met me at 11am at the boathouse of the park. It was around 25 degrees but sunny. The parking lot was crowded because of some runners doing a race. It seems they meet there every Sunday morning but by the time we started our walk most of them were already leaving. 

I had a 4 mile route planned that would take us to the Scholfield Ford bridge and back. The park is scenic especially with snow. We took our time getting up the hill and down to the bridge as I caught up with everybody since I hadn't seen them in a while. I had brought my good camera with me as I wanted to get some good landscape shots of the bridge.On Wednesday morning I had gone out in the morning to get a picture of a sun over one of the ponds in our community and experimented with my camera to produce some sunbursts as you can see from the picture at the top of this post. 

When we got to the covered bridge I took out my camera and took a few panoramic pictures of the covered bridge.

 

I also got a good shot of the Neshaminy river. 

Then is was back up hill and back to the boathouse. At that point we had done around 4 miles but I was feeling good so decided to head down the river for another mile. There were a lot of geese on the river by the boat house. I took a few pictures of them but the light wasn't great. However we found a falcon in the tree that I managed to get a good shot of.

It is always harder to exercise in the winter because of the snow and cold weather but with warm clothing and a little determination you can still get out there and have some fun.

The Theraputic Value of Cycling

When I was working on my Road Biking NJ book I did a ride on Long Beach Island to map out a ride there. About 5 miles into the ride I met a man who was recovering from a heart attack and was doing his first ride since he had open heart surgery. We spent about a hour or so riding together on a warm summer day. He was just so happy to be back on the bike that he exuded the joy that all of us feel when we ride. I really enjoyed swapping bike stories and experiences with him. He also showed me some of the better roads to use on LBI. It was one of my favorite experiences in writing the book and reminded me how much biking really means to me. 

Yesterday I did a short local ride that sucked. It was warm for a winter day but the roads were wet with branches scatter across my path. It was extremely windy and I still have some health issues that make riding hard. However no matter what the conditions riding always makes me feel better. 

For me riding is more than just a way to exercise it is a way to relieve stress and improve my mental well being. When I ride, especially when I do a solo ride, I get time to get away from any problems I'm having and just focus on riding and the scenery around me. For me it is a form of meditation that helps me connect with what is really important and helps me get rid of negative emotions. I know the more I ride the better I feel. 

There have been many studies that show the benefits of exercise. It not only improves your health by reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, help you sleep better, and healthy weight but it has been shown to reduce depression and other mental diseases. 

There is also the social aspect of biking. I'm lucky that I found some like minded people who join me on some of my rides and have become my friends. I don't know who I would be without cycling as it is an integral part of my life. I'm just glad I found something that helps me navigate the ups and downs of life.