Today was more about the ride than any pictures. I rode out to Post Road, south and onto Draper Lake Drive and around clockwise. While the crews weren’t working anywhere near the east end today, I took this shot to show that it’s all ready for the actual paving to begin. I believe they still have to pack down a gravel surface first, but they don’t usually do that until they are ready to lay asphalt on top of it. It’s all pretty much one operation over several days. I avoided the whole area this time.
On my way around I noticed that the water was quite clear and blue. That’s very unusual over the past few years. I suppose this indicates they’ve finished upgrading the pipeline to Atoka Lake 100 miles southeast, because today the water was flowing through the outlet. That would help explain the clarity of the water, because Atoka Lake is very clear, nestled in a rocky area. They’ve had quite a bit more rain in that part of the state than we have here.
I need to work on shooting flowers. These tiny lavender blossoms grow as underbrush in forested areas only in the fall. Keep in mind that Central Oklahoma is part of the Cross Timbers belt. That describes a mixture of small meadows, with trees varying between thinly scattered to dense and impassible. Most of them are scrub oak (AKA Blackjack oak), cedars, various kinds of elm, pine, etc. However, this varies with the terrain — high Cross Timbers is different from low lying Cross Timbers, but it’s all on a spectrum that varies little from north to south across the entire state. The soil type is the primary controlling factor.
But the primary reason for taking this loop around the lake is that it’s mostly flat. The Post Road route on the east side is slightly hilly in places. At the other side (west) is the Sooner Road route with very few hills. It’s more about the distance. If I went the least bit east of the lake, I’d be in brutal hills, but that’s too far from home right now. I’m praying for a pickup so I can take my bike out farther and see more countryside. I’m also just about ready to get some fenders for this thing. Wet weather is coming. While we are predicted to have a gentle winter, I’m keeping the knobby tires for now. They do slow me down on long rides, but they grip better in bad weather. Once we get past the spring storms, I’ll be ready for something with a smoother tread.
