Jun 19 2010

Amtrak Train delayed by over 8 hours

Train.pngWe were scheduled to leave Denver @ 8:05 am to take an Amtrak train to Glenwood Springs. It has now been moved back to 4:00 pm.

I was hoping to ride the Rio Grande Trail on Sunday.

Yikes!!

How come trains are scheduled to the minute in Europe and are always on time and U.S. trains are notoriously and horrendously late?

Five of us planned a fun weekend enjoying the strawberry festival, riding bikes, and soaking in the hot springs. Now are plans will have to be drastically altered.

My first disappointment was when I found out Amtrak (on the Chicago to California route anyway) doesn’t transport bikes (w/out a big hassle & extra $). Now the late train. How much do you want a bet they won’t be willing to refund our fare?

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/19/amtrak-train-delayed-by-over-8-hours/

Jun 18 2010

Inline Skating Trails

Okay, we’ve discussed biking trails & hiking trails lately. Now it’s time to give equal time to inline skating trails.

Over half the trails listed on trailsnet.com can be used as inline skate trails. If you are planning a trip to Florida, another great site for finding rollerblade trails is, believe it or not, the Southwest Florida Water Management site. Some of the links on the “Inline Skating” page include “urban getaway,” “Cypress Creek Preserve,” and “Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park.”

Speaking of great Florida inline skating trails, one of my favorites is the Withlacoochee State Trail in Central Florida. Another favorite non-Florida trail is the Trail of the Couer d’ alenes in Norhern Idaho.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/18/inline-skating-trails/

Jun 18 2010

Hiking Trails and Clubs

One of the great benefits of trailsnet.com is the wide variety of trails found on it. The trails are often suitable for hikers, bikers, horse riders, inline skaters, & joggers.

If you are enjoy hiking trails, you may want to consider joining a club. Adventure Travel Guides recently devoted a web page to the “exciting benefits of joining hiking clubs.” The article explains what the benefits of joining a hiking club are and why people partake in group hikes.

On the one hand, group hikes may seem contrary to the purpose of hiking, which is often to seek solitude.
However, hiking with others provides companionship, safety, and motivation.

Read the Adventure Travel Guide article, then look for the best hiking trails on trailsnet.com

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/18/hiking-trails-and-clubs/

Jun 16 2010

Bike Blog

I just visited one of the most comprehensive bicycle blogging sites on the internet. It is called bike blogs and is nicely organized. It is a must-visit for hard core bikers.

I’m hoping they will list trailsnet.com in the bicycle touring section of their blog. A better fit would be a section called bike trails, but they don’t have that yet. I’m hoping they consider a trails section for future postings.

By the way, I love their motto/slogan: “ride vicariously”

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/16/bike-blog/

Jun 16 2010

Bike Boulevard … good or bad?

Okay, I’ve never liked interrogatory headlines. They’re a dime-a-dozen.

And the one above is even worse, because the answer is obvious; anything done by any city to promote and improve the bicycling experience is good.

But I have to admit, for the second time in this blog, I’m a trail snob. I avoid riding my bike on the road at all costs. One of the greatest people I’ve ever known and a leading citizen of my current town (You are awesome John Breaux) was killed while riding his bike nearly 30 feet off the road. He was about as far in the ditch as possible. (As usual, he was trying to beautify the community by picking up trash; and also as usual, he was doing it on his bicycle.)

So that brings me to Columbia, Missouri. The good folks there have created a bicycle boulevard. Not only is it a step (or in this case, pedal) in the right direction, it also is also awesome alliteration.

So then, what’s up w/ my “good or bad?” question in the title. Could they have built a trail nearby that would have kept bikers even more safe? It’s not just a rhetorical question. The answer is no. After reading the article and seeing the price tag of the bicycle boulevard, they definitely could not have. I adore trails, but this whole blog is my way of saying, “Good on ya, Columbia.” Thanks for improving biking in your neck of the woods.

Next time, how about a new trail?  (Sorry, I just had to ask.)

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/16/bike-boulevard-good-or-bad/

Jun 15 2010

New York & New Jersey Trails

I recently came across a website dedicated to New York trails & New Jersey trails. 

By itself, this was a pretty good find, since I haven’t yet had the opportunity to ride bike or hike in New York or New Jersey.

But I was especially thrilled to find out about a wilderness area in the Catskills called the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area.

Why did this excite me, you may ask?

Because ever since I read the book My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George, I’ve been obsessed by the Catskills. I loved the book, I loved (especially as a teenager) the idea of “living off the land,” and I loved the idea of wandering around for a year in the Catskill Mountains. Ms. George did such a fantastic job of describing the scenery and the wildlife, that I could picture myself immersed in the day-to-day trappings of being a recluse in the wilds of New York.

What is especially funny about this is that I grew up in northwestern Montana. Imagine a boy from the mountains of Montana dreaming of the “wilds of New York.”  (-:

Someday I look forward to including New Jersey and New York trails on trailsnet.com.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/15/new-york-new-jersey-trails/