Bats and Balls

August 13, 2017

Bats and Balls

Adventures, rides of exploration, don't always end with exclamations of success - "that was amazing, and I can't wait to do it again" is not part of the definition. Adventures may just as likely be dull, boring, uneventful, and end with a different exclamation - "well, I did it, but will probably never do so again." Somewhere during this mornings ride around Bonelli I decided on a change of course, a course that would go all the way from Bonelli up to Marshall Canyon in the mountains. It wasn't quite spur of the moment since I thought ahead, brought a light for that half mile long, darker than night tunnel that the channelized portion of the Marshall Canyon Trail traverses.

That tunnel, I assumed was the only obstacle between the two popular dirt riding areas. Largely, that assumption was correct; it is pretty boring down in that concrete canyon, and slow going because I didn't really want to emerge soaked and covered in algae, though there were also some minor points of interest:

1. Plants, mostly they grow along the sides of the channel, but there is one place up above Baseline, nearly to the end of the concrete where they grow thick all the way across the floor. Other than the cattails, I don't know what they all are, but they are clearly water loving.

2. Balls. There are a lot of them in there. I threw a couple soccer balls out, but there are also footballs, wiffle balls, basket balls, and just plain old rubber balls. Most of all, though, are the baseballs. There is one section, somewhere around Foothill I think, where they seem to be experiencing some kind of population explosion, multiplying like rabbits.

3. Bats, or bat since there was just the one (as far as we could tell). Tamera was freaked out so I told her it was probably just a swallow. Both have that erratic flight pattern as they seek out flying bugs, but this was the half way point of the long tunnel and I really did not believe a swallow would be living in that darkness. When it flew back and forth in the beam of my headlight it certainly did not have swallow wings, unless it was some kind of mutant.

4. Bugs, probably mosquitos. They were not at either end of the tunnel, just in the deepest, darkest middle. Hence the bat. Out in the light there were butterflies, and many dragonflies. The latter, in particular seemed to appreciate the company, flying along beside us for long stretches.

5. Dog crap. There is one place above Baseline where a homeowner thinks it is okay to shovel the stuff over his back wall. I don't know if it all ends up in the channel (I am sure some ends up on the trail up above) but a lot does. Disgusting.

Anyway, I really just wanted to prove to myself that it could be done, that one could ride off-street from Bonelli to the mountains. You can, but I can't imagine anything that would compel me to do so again.