Today’s ride was intended more as a workout. I took along my wife’s little camera and grabbed only a few shots. I left the apartment and headed straight west on Reno Avenue to the entrance of Eagle Lake. The lake was nearly deserted as I rode the path that connects to the OKC trail system. Out on the backside, as I passed over the bridge over Crooked Oak Creek, I encountered a bike patrol officer. He was watching a rather large buck hopping around in the underbrush near the big loop and pointed it out to me.
Once I got past the half-finished Indian Heritage Center, I spotted some very young joggers on the southern bank River Trail. Turns out they were from Mount Saint Mary High School, the first school were I subbed right after finishing teacher’s college back in 1996. They were a long way from the school house and I gather they were the actual cross country team. I spotted a second bike patrolman, which was quite rare in my experience.
It’s been more than six months since I was out on the river trails. I saw they had finally finished the initial phase of building a recreation facility on the site of the old Downtown Airpark. That ride was once the Santa Monica Pier ferris wheel (above left). There are a few buildings there and some parking set up, but it may be awhile before this place attracts any more investment.
I stayed on the south bank all the way to Meridian Avenue. The crews have gotten the trail crossover open and the path fully restored on both sides now. There was no way I could have jumped over onto the Overholser Trail today, but it’s nice to know it’s open now.
I took SE 15th back to the Portland Avenue bridge and crossed over to the start of the north bank River Trail. By the time I got back as far as the other end at Bricktown, I had to stop and rest. From a bench in the back parking lot of Outdoor Sports, I could see the new overpass that connects the Interstates with the south entrance to Bricktown is almost finished. I would like to at least see the viewpoint from the apex of the overpass. After I recovered enough, I rode up to 4th Street and headed back home.
I noticed on the way that, while I was riding, my right knee looked almost normal with most of the residual swelling gone. It won’t stay like that, but it’s nice to see it while I’m using it that way. I can bend it almost normally, but the thigh muscles are still just a little tight. The oddest thing remains how my foot is always sore, as if I had been on a very long hike over rough ground. I’ll get there yet.
