2012 BIKE LIST

I should have posted this a few months ago. This is a list of biking related things I would like to do this year:

1. Bike The Drive.
2. Attend a few Chicago Critical Masses. Maybe June through September masses.
3. Ride the full length of the Fox River Trail(FRT).
4. Ride the McHenry Prairie Trail(MCPT).
5. Ride the Illinois Prairie Path(IPP).
6. Ride the Great Western Trail(GWT). Eastern portion AND Western portion.
7. Ride the Long Prairie Trail(LPT).
8. Ride/hack my way through the Pecatonica Prairie Path.
9. Try to get in a century ride. Maybe a string of trails from the Grand Illinois Trail that would include the FRT, IPP, GWT, LFP(Lake Front Path), GBT(Greenbay Trail) and back to the FRT again.
10. Ride the I&M Canal Trail.
11. Ride the Hennepin Canal Trail.
12. Ride to Norway, Ill. to camp over night.
13. Stealth camp a trail or two.

First blog post from phone

Wow! This is neat! Here is a pic from the new bike bridge in Crystal Lake.

 

 As you can see, the trail has now been diverted to the right to the bridge(not shown). And the old trail goes to the left. Part of the old trail has already been dug up. This is kinda annoying, since they haven't finished the bridge yet. I hope they finish it soon.

Good day to ride

Got in 22.22 miles on the Fox River Trail today. Went North to Crystal Lake and back. When I got to the point where I turn around, I decided to go into old downtown Crystal Lake to see what kind of stores and shops are down there now.  And I ran into a nice bike shop called Wheel Werks. But I got there too late. They were closed.  Will check them out later. At least I got their website link off the front window. Overall the ride was a good one.

Cinco De Bike-o

I know I know! It makes no sense when you translate it. But it sounds funny and this is ONLY a bike blog.  So who cares? Anyways, after I got off of work at six in the morning I wasn't ready to sleep yet. So I decided to get in another ride on the Fox River Trail. Headed North from Carpentersville towards Algonquin.  In a past posting I was talking about a bridge over a creek in the Algonquin area of the FRT bike trail and how that bridge was out for repairs. Well, they had removed the whole dang bridge, as my pictures had attested to.  The signs had said the bridge was going to be inaccessible until May 5.  When I got to the area the signs were still up and the barriers as well. I thought I might as well go take a look for myself to determine the current conditions. The picture captions are numbered but not in order. I am too lazy and short on time to fix it right now. Heh.

1)That lite spot ahead is the location of the bridge.

4)A look up the trail from the center of the bridge.

2)Much closer to the bridge now.

3)Entering the new structure from the South.

And then I decided to lengthen my bike trip now that I have established that the bridge is useable again. I am going to head North to Lake In The Hills to see if I can see the site of that small plane crash that happened yesterday. Also, the new pedestrian/bike bridge over that nasty intersection of Pyott and Three Oaks Road should be nearing completion and is right next to the LITH Airport.

Riding North on the FRT. LITH Airport on left side of pic. Gravel pit on right where I THINK that small plane crashed. But no signs of it there now.

Looking across the street from the FRT at the LITH Airport.

Looking South on the FRT at Pyott rd. and the LITH Airport.

More looking South on the FRT.

More looking North on the FRT.

In that last pic, if you look hard, you can make out an old grain silo. That is where the new section of trail will open and go around the nasty busy intersection of Pyott and Three Oaks Roads and over a new bridge.

Left old trail leading to nasty intersection. Right new trail with new bridge.

Looking East up the new trail.

Looking North up the old trail.

On the new section of trail looking North at the new bridge.

Looking NorthEast from new trail section.

On new section of trail looking West towards old section of trail.

Looking directly North uphill towards new bridge.

New bridge construction not complete yet! Bummer.

A closer look at the forms.

Forms and corrugated galvanized steel on bridge.

Looking down and NorthWest at nasty intersection.

Looking parallel with West side of bridge.

On the bridge.

Good sturdy bridge! 20000 lbs!

Looking parallel with East side of bridge.

Looking down and East at Three Oaks Road.

Looking back South at my bike and the new trail.

Looking SouthEast at gravel pit from new bridge.

Alas, the new bridge is not done yet. I think I will continue North for a few more shots of the bridge and then into Crystal Lake to finish half of the ride.

On MCPP looking North towards the nasty intersection.

Entry gates at nasty intersection.

Just past the entry gates at the nasty intersection.

Construction everywhere.

Waiting for cars to pass in order to cross.

Looking East at the new bridge.

New lanes being added under new bridge.

And the old trail keeps heading North.

Looking South at the nasty intersection.

On the MCPP looking South at the nasty intersection.

Where the old and new paths merge.

Looking South where the two paths merge.

Looking South at the beginning of the new construction.

McHenry County Conservation District trail sign.

The Rules