Crazy bike ride!

Glimpse of a bear. Just discovered that my phone makes animated gifs if you take the pictures in rapid enough succession. 

I went for a crazy bike ride two days ago. I rode up to the Reservoir on my 'cross bike. I knew there would probably be a storm, but I was hoping that it would only be five minutes of rain like it was the day before. It held until just north of the MDC office at Reservoir 6 and then was a big storm. My phone apparently makes these angry weather alert sounds now. I keep thinking they're alerts that my phone has been infiltrated by water because the plastic bag I was using got a hole in it. Nope, just weather alerts. There are always "areal flood warning[s]" these days.

Anyway, there was one of those flashes of lightning/instant thunder/hair standing up (out of fear or static electricity? who knows?) things. Then, I got a stick in my derailleur. I bent back the hanger, but I need a new one again. I go through a lot of hangers. Singlespeed really is the way to go.

After that, a bear crossed right in front of me! Totally the closest I've ever been to a bear. It didn't seem to notice me. I was under the powerlines right where the blue-red trail goes back into the woods. It ambled across the path, went through the brush and back into the woods. They aren't very graceful walkers and when they don't see you they don't have a very intimidating presence.

Then I rode through Penwood and eventually ended up in way north Bloomfield in this warren of trails north of Day Hill Road along the river. Eventually, I followed this dirt road to a fence that told me I was in some environmental clean up area. Or a superfund. I think if you don't ride into the superfund site, you might be able to connect to Northwest Park. If you're nice to me, I'll show you where these are.

Mysterious Farmington River Park of Bloomfield. Following Hartford's lead, it seemed to be made for ATVs and dirtbikes.

Also, I saw a copperhead.