Another One Off My Bike It List

At this time of year I never know how many days I will get to ride outside.  Several conditions will cause me not to ride during this season.  Some days I am too busy and the daylight is less.  I can always find some time each day to exercise inside, Sunset is at 7:00 P.M. today and we have a couple of minutes  less sunlight each day.  The temperatures are the biggest determining factor for me.  I have set 50 degrees fahrenheit as my low temperature to stay inside to ride.  We have been having rain and I would rather not ride in the rain.

In the circle you see the route through the 3 Metroparks

I rode this in July and only got part of the way before I was stopped by a train across the path. Another rider with me said that this usually takes a long time and there is no quick way around to pick up the trail. 

I turned around and explored the Lower Huron Metro Park to fill my ride time.  This time I was hoping to get all the way through all three and then do the section to the city of Flat Rock.  On the drive to the park I was stopped by a train on the access road.  Luckily my mapping app gave me a suggest for driving around and I made it into the park.

Parking spots are close to the trail.

These parks require a day or yearly pass.  They are open year round to residents and non-residents. I get the senior rate.  A yearly pass pays for itself after only 3 visits.  Most activities are during the summer with the outdoor pool being a big draw.  During my three hours along the trail I saw cyclists, runners and walkers.  Most of the time I was by myself.

The Huron River runs through these parks and empties into the Detroit River which feeds into Lake Erie.

Now into the second metropark.

This park was as quiet as the first park.

The sledding hill is behind me. I love to go sledding, but I hate walking up the hill.

I enjoyed the path to myself. The woods were beautiful.

I will try to come back when the leaves turn color.

Now the third metropark.

What a large stone. You see by the front tire someone knocked off a section.

I made it to the city of Flat Rock.

At this point the path changed to a path through the city and many stop lights.  I decided to save this for another day since I needed to allow time to retrace my path to get to my car.  Going on from here will be a good summer ride because it leads to the water and to neighboring cities through the green way.

This map provides planning details that will be useful on a future ride.

In the park I also found this bear statue and next to it was a plaque that explained the significance.  I appreciate the tribute to the indigenous people who once inhabited this part of Michigan.

This was a great ride!