Tough 20

When I got out of work tonight, I saw some very dark ominous clouds rolling in from the West. I decided to check the weather radar when I got home on the Weather Underground website.  What I saw was alot of clouds and rain coming. so I decided to eat dinner and check again for a break in the clouds. So when i checked again, I was able to start biking about 15 minutes later. But I knew I would get soaked on the return trip. No big deal, I was still pretty dirty from work today.
   When I started down the Fox River Trail, I started seeing leaves and small branches and sticks all over the trail. A few miles down the trail I was stopped cold by a downed tree. It was pretty large, with a 2' to 2.5' diameter trunk. With no way thru, under or over it, I was forced to backtrack a quarter mile and get onto a road for a half mile until the trail was accessible again. I then encountered another two downed trees on the trail over the next two miles. Small debris was littering the trail for the next 3-4 miles. At about the five mile mark the downpour began and didn't let up for the rest of the ride. After I reached the halfway point and turned around to return home, I was forced to use the light due to early darkness because of the cloud cover. As I neared the area with the debris everywhere, I thought it best to go from the intermittent light setting to constant light. Even though I know that will drain the batteries much faster, it was necessary so that I wouldn't lose an eye on any branches, etc.
   Even though it wasn't the wisest choice to ride in the rain, it sure was alot of  fun! I guess I will take another ride down the FRT tomorrow to see what the damage looks like. Hopefully the crews will be out clearing the trail by then. I will try to get some pics then.