Mar 08 2011

Fort Worth’s Trinity Trail an excellent urban trail

I hadn’t heard much about the Trinity Trail in Fort Worth, Texas. In fact, I had a difficult time finding information about it on the web.

But what the heck, I was going to be in Dallas to watch my daughter in a cheerleading competition, so I figured I would find a couple good trails.

On my first day, I rode the Lake Mineral Wells State Trailway, but I’ll tell you more about that in another entry.

On my second day in Texas, I drove out to Gateway Park, east of Fort Worth and prepared for a Texas trail ride. I had no idea what to expect. Some urban trail can be a bit confusing and occasionally even depressing.

This definitely wasn’t one of those trails. In fact, I would rank the entire Trinity River Trail System as some of the best urban trails in America.

Even though the trail runs right into a major park and very near a major business area in Fort Worth, it seems more dominated by riparian/river views than by city views. And the portion of Fort Worth where the trail runs is actually quite beautiful and very well maintained.

I was fortunate to be riding the trail on an ideal winter day, but I would imagine it can get pretty hot in the summer. As if to punctuate this point, there are misting stations at a couple spots along the trail. That was a first for me. I mean I’ve seen misting stations at amusement parks before, but never beside a trail.

One of my favorite portions of the trail was the part where it ran through Trinity Park. It was very scenic with lots of trailside distractions. Other nice parts of the trail included the river crossings, bridge underpasses, city views, and access to downtown Fort Worth.

If you’re ever in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, take some time to explore the Trinity River Trails. You’ll be glad you did.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/03/08/fort-worths-trinity-trail-an-excellent-urban-trail/

Mar 04 2011

Trailsnet blog merges with trailsnet website

The title of this blog post is also a link to the trailsnet website homepage. Click on it to see what happens…

Find the best trails in the world,
right here on your computer.

… I’ll wait.

Surprise. Look familiar?

This blog is now also the homepage for trailsnet.com, the trail locator website.

And this time, it actually works!! I tried this same move a couple months ago, with no success. This time, it actually took hold.

Admit it, the old home page for the trailsnet website was pretty boring. So I merged the path less traveled with the spectacular (If I do say so myself.) trailsnet blog, and voila… I present to you, the new and improved trailsnet home page.

To find the trail descriptions for trailsnet, just click on the “Locate trails by state” in the navigation bar near the top of the blog page and you’ll still be able to find pictures, descriptions, and maps of your favorite trails. It’s the best of both worlds.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/03/04/trailsnet-blog-merges-with-trailsnet-website/

Mar 03 2011

Yogi Berra quote applies well to trails.

Lake Mineral Wells State Trailway in TX

“You can’t observe a lot just by watching.” – Yogi Berra

Normally, Yogi Berra is  noted for his malapropisms rather than his words of wisdom.

But his quote above is actually quite perceptive and appropriate.

This past weekend, I drove thousands of miles to ride a couple epic Texas trails. I can tell you very little about what I saw on those thousands of miles of driving. But in slightly less than 100 trail miles, I can tell you a volume of great sights.
Trinity Trail in Fort Worth, Texas
So to tie this back into the Yogi Berra quote, when you drive, you spend a lot of time watching. But when you are on a bike trail or hiking trail, you are constantly observing; you are immersed in your environment and you actually see and appreciate your surroundings.
Obviously, that is one of the reasons I love trails so much. They allow people to become a part of their surroundings and to be keenly aware of the rhythm and peculiarities of nature.

If you haven’t seen America by trail, you haven’t really seen America.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/03/03/yogi-berra-quote-applies-well-to-trails/

Mar 02 2011

Idaho trails featured in latest Everytrail guides

The Trail of the Couer d’ Alenes, a paved path that runs for 72 miles from the backwoods of northern Idaho to the shores of beautiful Lake Couer d’ Alene is one of two featured trails on both Everytrail and trailsnet.com.

Bikers rest outside one of ten tunnels
 found along the Route of the Hiawatha
  bicycle trail in northern Idaho.

This trail is famous for it’s perfectly sloped grade and smooth surface. It is ideal for inline skating, recumbent cycles, bikes, and Trikkes. If your idea of a good time is bumping and bouncing over tree roots, rocks, and ruts or constantly avoiding deadly encounters with cars, then you might not like this trail. But For the rest of us, the Trail of the Couer d’ Alenes is paradise on earth.

The other trail featured this month is the Route of the Hiawatha, another great northern Idaho trail. It is not paved, like the Couer d’ alene trail, but it has some of the greatest trail tunnels and trestles anywhere in the world. It is also rife with wildlife, history, and bodacious scenery.

Visit trailsnet and Everytrail to view these two great Idaho trails and start planning your trail trip today.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/03/02/idaho-trails-featured-in-latest-everytrail-guides/

Feb 26 2011

Topeak handlebar mounted phone/PDA case

I haven’t published a product review on the trailsnet blog for awhile, so now’s a good time to review one of my most useful trail tools.

Next to my trusty steed, or in this case my trusty bike, my Topeak phone carrier is probably my most important trail tool. Heck, since I often rent a bike, but always have my Topeak, I could argue that the phone case is my most valuable trail tracking tool.

I learned, the hard way, that carrying my phone in my pocket wasn’t a good idea. I had finally broken down and purchased an iPhone, because a.) I needed a portable trail-tracking GPS and b.) I love everything Apple makes.

The first time I took it out on the trail, I turned on the tracking system (At the time, I was using the Trails app.) and jammed the phone in my shirt pocket.

Bad move.

After owning the phone for less than a month, I was mortified to feel the phone slip out of my pocket, hear it as it crashed to the ground, and see it as it made its final tumble into a nearby ditch.

It’ll be fine, I thought. Only a couple scratches… or in the immortal words of Monty Python, “It’s only a flesh wound.”

Wrong!!

Major damage!! Long story short… I had to buy a new phone. And for a cheapskate like me, that hurt.

So I knew I had to come up with a better system than jamming the phone into my pocket.

I began the search for a phone case that mounted on my bike. It had to be something that would secure and protect the phone yet allow the magic satellite signals to reach the GPS thingy majobby on my phone. (Sorry to go all technical on you.)

Topeak handlebar-mounted
PDA/phone case

My search ended at REI in Boulder, CO where I discovered the handlebar mounted PDA case by ToPeak. The actual case is perfect. It’s just the right size, holds the phone securely, and is easy to put on and take off my bike. The plastic mounting bracket is easy to secure to the handlebars and can be put on just about any bicyle.

Topeak PDA case w/
iPhone inside

I’ve had it for almost two years now and haven’t dropped another phone. I have ridden many trails in that time, and some of them have been brutally bumpy; not a problem.

The only downside is that the ToPeak PDA (or smart phone) case is a bit hard to find. I have discovered that the same REI where I bought my first case, no longer carries them or at least didn’t when I went back to buy a handy-dandy back up case to mount on another bike.

Topeak case on left & mounting
bracket on the right

They do appear to be available at Amazon.com, so if your local bike shop/sporting goods store doesn’t carry them, check out this Amazon.com link.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/02/26/topeak-handlebar-mounted-phonepda-case/

Feb 26 2011

Texas trails

The weather’s fine,
The trails sublime…
clap, clap, clap clap!
Deep in the heart of Texas.
I’ve logged a little over a 100 miles the past couple days, on Texas trails.
Yesterday, I rode Lake Mineral Wells State Trailway and today, I blasted up and down the Trinity River Trail System in Fort Worth, Texas.
It was surprisingly warm for the Mineral Wells trail, but a bit windy.
Today’s weather on the Fort Worth trails was perfect; low 60s w/ a slight breeze.
The Mineral Wells trail is a rail trail that runs from the town of Mineral Wells to Weatherford, Texas. It has a crushed limestone surface and a slight grade leading up to a whopping elevation of a little over 1200 feet. The only disappointment was when I found out that after tracking the entire trip using the Everytrail app, the system crashed somehow, and I lost all the coordinates, notes, and photos that I recorded on the iPhone. Bummer. I’ll still be able to produce an Everytrail guide, but I’ll have to draw in the map portion and use photos from my Panasonic camera and notes from my head.
That last one is the scary part.
The Trinity River Trail is a different story though. Everything worked fine. I got a little off track on the first leg of the trip, but I found a better route on the way back, so I’ll make the necessary adjustments. I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the Trinity Trail is and how nice the city of Fort Worth looks from the trail.
If any readers have had experience on Texas trails, I’d love to hear about it. Feel free to leave comments or send an email.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/02/26/texas-trails/