Tag Archives: Bicycling

Our Corner of the World – Trail Warriors

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Last Friday I loaded up my bike and took it to Tulsa’s RiverParks trails. The light wind was out of the north so I started on the south end at 71st street so I would have the wind at my back on the return leg of my ride.

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I had my action camera attached to the handlebars set to take a photo every three seconds and off I went. I was feeling strong so I went across the 71st bridge to take the long uphill ride to Turkey Mountain. It’s a gradual slope but still I had been putting it off. It went well though, me and my knee felt strong even though pretty slow.

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I went by the lower parking lot at Turkey Mountain. We’ve had a couple of serious crimes lately at Turkey Mountain. A stabbing and a rape so everybody is on edge. The RiverParks Authority was having extra cameras installed as I went by.

It was amazing the number of people I encountered on the trail. Strange for a week day except is Friday really a weekday any longer? Above is a fraction of the bicyclists I encountered.

Walkers and Runners galore. I love the lady with the cane. After my surgery I did lots of walking with my walker and later my cane. I should have attached an action to cam to it!!

I was astounded by the number of people talking their babies for a stroll. Tons of baby strolling moms and pops trail warriors.

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I pulled one photo out of the collage. Here are four strollers in a row.

And dog walkers everywhere.

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And people standing in the trail yakking. Move off to the side folks, you are messing up my Strava segment times.

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And people off by themselves, just pondering the view, taking photos, talking on the phone.

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I crossed the river four times on my ride. Once on the 71st bridge to start, the bridge above, which call the 11th street bridge, and the Williams Crossings pedestrian bridge twice.

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Several people fishing.

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The construction crews keeping the trails in good shape while bicyclists whiz past them.

A couple kayakers were out that morning. I’ve kayaked once on the river last year. I’ll be doing it again in the next several weeks.

All in all a good ride!! Pretty slow but hey I had a good time.

I am linking with My Corner of the World

Hot Sunday Bike Ride

On Sunday, July 20 a couple weeks ago I took off on a bike ride on the Tulsa RiverParks. It was hot and I didn’t start until midmorning for various reasons so things got a little warm.

Sunday is a big day for Tulsans to get outside and ride their bikes, run, walk, whatever on the RiverParks. The traffic is mainly on the east bank so I started out on the east bank and went up and down the west bank just to get away from people.

Still, it was pretty busy but not overly so.

I was passed by almost everybody except…

…for people standing.

I always love going by PSO’s old Tulsa Power Station electric generating station. That sign looks really nice at night.

I got to my predetermined turnaround point and rested a bit and drank some water and then reversed course. I always check the weather apps to see which way the wind is blowing. I don’t mind riding into the wind on the outbound leg, that way I have the wind at my back going back to my car.

Strava Map

I was one hot, thirsty, old bike rider at the end! 14 miles all told.

I am linking with Skywatch Friday.

Shadows on the Trail

Sunday morning I rode my bike up and down the west side of the Arkansas River. It was hot, and I was exhausted at the end of my 14 mile ride but I was happy. I had my trail camera on my bike capturing the scenery including lots of other bicyclists, walkers, runners, and escooter riders. Here is a collage of a few of the people I saw.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Skywatching Bike Ride on the RiverParks Trails

I went on a bike ride at Tulsa River Parks on a pretty clear day the other day. The trail runs north and south, I always check a weather app to see which the way the wind is blowing. I like the wind at my back wind I am heading back to my car.

It was a south wind so I started close to the north end of the trail system. I love this mural and it’s setting on the river.

I went a mile further north and crossed the river at the 11th street bridge and took this photo looking south.

We had some nice clouds that day. I love fluffy white clouds.

I crossed over to the west side of the river and went a couple miles south and crossed over the Williams Crossing pedestrian bridge. You can see that the river is still running full. The Arkansas River’s basin is huge. It starts close to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado so if is rainy there is potential for a lot of water.

I looked the other way to the refinery oil storage tanks. I was reminded of one time when I was on the bridge and group of people came by and one of them wondered what the tanks were for. One said it is for the refinery, another one said with air of authority, that those were water storage tanks for the city of Tulsa’s water system because everybody knows oil storage tanks are illegal inside city limits. Just so you know, the Arkansas River water is pretty nasty. Way back when, the city layed a pipeline to a lake northeast of Tulsa and that is where most of the drinking water comes from.

I crossed back over the east side of the river and went down to what I call the Bear Fountain at 71st street. It’s a great place to rest up a few minutes. A new friend of mine hid a geocache near here. I spent some time looking for it but couldn’t find it. So I’ll try next time.

Turned around and headed north. The kayak boat ramp is closed. The river is too high and moving too fast. You’d be swept downstream fast.

So a little less than 14 flat miles at a leisurely pace. The red marker is where I started. My knee is coming along nicely. The first half mile or so is still “ouch ouch ouch” as I turn over the pedals but after that it’s fine after that. I’m still building up strength and endurance.


Skywatch Friday

Shadow Shot Sunday – Last Sunday in October Edition

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In my previous post I wrote about my new action camera and tested it on our pets. A day or two later I put it on my bike and went for a ride. I set it to take a photo every ten seconds so I end up deleting almost all of the images. Here I am at a stop, off my bike. You can see the action camera mounted on the bike and me. If the weather is good I carry along my superzoom camera.

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Here is another rest stop with a shadow and my fingers.

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This is a phone shot at a local park. I love all the various shadow patterns.

One day I loaded up my drone and took it the Thomas Gilcrease House here in Tulsa. A one time oil baron who bequeathed the Gilcrease Museum to the City of Tulsa. His house has formal garden with a fountain so you can see the shadow of the fountain.

Here is what the fountain looks like.

I am linking with Shadow Shot Sunday

Riding the Arkansas River Loop

The other day I went on a bike ride on the RiverParks Trails around the Arkansas River in Tulsa.

I always check my weather app to check the prevailing winds. I like to go against the wind on the outbound leg and with the wind on the inbound leg. So today I started on the south end because the wind was from the northwest. I crossed the 71st bridge. It is always nice when the river has water in it.

Got across the bridge and hung a right onto Elwood to pass through Turkey Mountain.

I love riding the west side trails. I haven’t done it too much since the last several years since some of the trails have been closed for construction of the new Zink Lake Dam.

This fully enclosed bridge over Mooser Creek always tickles me. Why is it enclosed?

I got up to the soccer fields and checked out the detour map. The trails are opening back up on Labor Day Weekend. They are having a Big Dam Party to celebrate the completion of the Zink Lake Dam, construction of the new Pedestrian Bridge, and reopening of the closed west side trails. I’ll be celebrating, at home, and I’ll check out everything when the hubbub dies down. That’s how I roll.

Oh, yeah, I found a geocache near the sign.

And a guy passed by on this recumbent three wheeler complete with flags. Thankfully, they were right side up.

I deadheaded up the trail past the old PSO Power Plant. I love old infrastructure, even when it doesn’t run.

And go to the sign, “No Public Access” one sign says, the other says “No Bicycles or Scooter.” If you look to the right of the gate, it is propped open and there is a well worn trail there.

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I had been wondering how these folks were getting to the river to go fishing. Now I know!! I don’t have a problem with it. These people have had to walk about a mile to get there and by gum. They deserve to fish!! (I am not being sarcastic. I love it when rules are bent to the will of the people, unless it is an insurrection of course.)

So I turned my bike around and headed back down to the soccer field and headed out on the trail detour.

This part used to be scary on southwest boulevard. The road was all torn up and with gravel and such. Plus they had four lanes which made for a tight bike lane especially with tanker trucks going to and from the refinery, dump trucks and other big vehicles that are part of Tulsa’s industrial west side. Then they had a long construction project to redo the road. That was a disaster. No bike lanes, no nothing. The one time I rode it I had to ride on the west side business parking lots cuz I didn’t dare get on the road. I drove the section last week and noticed construction was over and that is why I was riding the bike lane today. I felt pretty comfortable in the bike lane.

So I got up to Route 66 and went across the bridge.

And headed back down south to the car. Didn’t take too many photos. I took some photos of some critters and you can check those out on my post Saturday.

Anyway, almost 18 miles, going slow, stopping and taking photos plus found one geocache. My longest ride in a while.

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday.

Saturday’s Critters – Arkansas River Critters

I went on a bike ride on Tulsa’s RiverParks trail system along the Arkansas River.

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I spotted this bale of turtles out basking in the hot sun. The interwebs tell me that bale is the collective noun for turtles.

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I focused in on the boss bale. At least it was the biggest one.

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Just a few white pelicans out and about. The interwebs say the collective noun is squadron, pouch, pod, or scoop. So I am calling these four a pouch of pelicans.

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And just below the Zink Dam there was this group fishing.

And here is my turnaround spot with the River Bears in the background. It was a hot day!!

I’m linking with Eileen’s Saturday’s Critters. Come over and join the party.

Skywatch Friday – Biking in Bixby

Monday I went on a bike ride. I wanted to check out a new (to me) bike trail Bixby put in.

The new trail section didn’t have a trailhead with parking or anything. It starts at a neighborhood entrance with no parking anything so I went into the neighborhood and parked at their association play park and swimming pool just so I wouldn’t be in anybody’s way.

So I rode 15 miles on Bixby’s bike trail system. It’s oriented three segments: northeast, northwest and southern. The new leg is the northeast segment. I started at the very northern end and moved over to the northwest and then backtracked down to do the southern segment. I’ve been on the northwest and southern segments several times before.

The northeast segment cuts in behind a subdivsion and a grass farm. Bixby grows a lot of grass sod. There is less of it all the time because the farmers are selling out to builders who are building lots of subdivisions.

The bike path goes close to several strip shopping centers.

Much of it is in big spacious green belts bordering creeks and drainage ditches.

Here is the very northern end of the northwest leg. Somebody had mowed a path through the grass so I had to go check it out.

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It looks like a homeowner put a gate in on his back fence and uses his mown path to access the trail. I’m hoping that Bixby and Tulsa get together and connect Bixby’s trail system with Tulsa extensive system. They only have two miles to go.

The southern leg goes in back of Joe’s Farm. The last truck farm in Bixby. It’s an amazing place and they do a great business.

The southern leg goes by the Bixby Police Department gun range. I’ve been by when they are shooting with their AR15 type rifles. They are not loud. They make an airy pew, pew, pew sound.

And then we are into Washington Irving Park.

I revisited Mr. Irving. He camped overnight here on October 12, 1832 during his tour of Oklahoma accompanied by U.S. Rangers back then. He wrote “A Tour on the Prairies” about his travels.

We have had rain so the river is up but not near flooding.

There is a map of the Arkansas River set in concrete. It is a really long river. It originates in the Rocky Mountains near Leadville, Colorado which is only 85 miles from where my sister lives in Colorado Springs.

The old bridge across the Arkansas is now a pedestrian bridge called the Harmony Bridge. A fun area with seating, shade, and entertaining things for kids and childish adults, like me, to do.

And the turn around is this cool play park.

And doubling back to the car, this was my only stop. On Harmony Bridge looking upriver.

So that was my fun little adventure.

I am linking with Skywatch Friday.