Friday, September 7, 2012

Thoughts on the FLT

The Fish Lake Trail is normally a route I avoid. With the exception of the dirt bit between Scribner and Fish Lake, it's basically a flat and boring ride. Before it was paved -- the part from Sunset Highway to about Marshall Cemetery was all dirt. And it was interesting dirt: some rocky parts, some single-track, some deep water sections during spring that turned to mud. Good stuff all around.

In fact, a couple years ago, I was sort of grumpy about it getting paved. That changed as soon as I saw how many kids and families and people started using it. And they jumped on it immediately. Hard to be grumpy about that.
The FLT in 2007. Before it was paved. This is right at the intersection of FLT and Marshall Road. It was always that quiet, even in the middle of the summer.

So I'm not really annoyed by the pavement any more. The crowds and the pavement also forced me to explore all the little feeder trails and dirt paths and old roadways that connect into the FLT, which, of course, it's a good thing.

Anyway. I've spent the week out at EWU, riding the bus to Cheney in the morning and riding home in the afternoon. Two of the days I rode the single speed chiller Shogun and two of the days I took the cross bike.

On three of the four days I ended up taking the trail. My mind is in the process of getting overwhelmed with school stuff. And school hasn't even started yet. Jumping on the trail, zoning out, and processing the brain-cram is a fantastic way to wind down. It's still a boring ride, but I've got my thoughts to keep me occupied.

As it turns out, I think I'll be taking the FLT frequently over the next couple years.




2 comments:

mechBgon said...

One thing I do like about the FLT is the good line of sight. The traffic is likely to escalate, but at least you get a fair chance to see each other coming, unlike some sections of the Centennial Trail. OK yeah, the CT follows a river, not a railbed.

Now if they'd just start plowing the FLT so we can use it (with studded tires, at least) in the wintertime...

Andrew said...

If you want to be bored try miles and miles of trails like that in the Midwest. I grew up in Spokane, and live north of Chicago. So boring. Still I get to ride 16 miles each way and don't have to join a gym. Meh.