Biking the Hoosier Uplands, Summer 2008

Jojo was a bit a under the weather from breathing dust all week at work, so we took it easy riding about 15 miles up and down the Clear Creek path. The path is fine, plenty of people to look at as we cruise along the nearly level path, it is really easy riding. The weather was “warm”, in the mid-40’s, meaning you can get cold if you stop and hang out, but if you keep moving, you have to strip off a layer.

The problem is safely getting to the trailhead on Tapp Rd. As riding on Rockport Rd. from Rogers St. and then over the hills Tapp Rd. is such a hazard, we always approach from Weimer Rd. Getting to Weimer Rd. is a challenge as well. We avoid 2nd. St. and ride instead on Allen St., which would be cool if only there were a sidepath, it is hilly and narrow, we often ride on the sidewalk where available. At Cory Lane we loop around and get on Weimer south of 2nd St. The city plans either a path or bikes lanes coming down Sudbury when it connects over to Rogers Rd, and this will be great.

The most remarkable part of our ride was finding a beaver dam along Clear Creek, the industrious animals have created an small pond, with a drop of about 3 feet over the dam. We didn’t see the beaver or any tracks, but that is because we didn’t want to poke around and scare them. Here are some pictures and a video of the dam in action.

Now that i think of it, another remarkable thing happened, and this happened last week too. As we were heading down the trail past Church Lane, we weren’t sure how far we wanted to go, but a piliated woodpeck started squawking at us, flying tree to tree for a couple hundred yards, calling us to keep moving, and we stopped when he did, getting really good look at his red head, which neck and black body.

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