Lisa and I decided that a good way to prepare for an adventure race at Cane Creek State Park would be to ride the trails out there again. We had done the full loop including the levee on the day that the Cane Creek Lake Trail was dedicated. It had been very wet and I was just getting over an end of the winter cold. The ride had been tough and the levee is not to be believed. Long, straight and it sucks all the momentum out of your tires.
So we went out today despite the 32 degrees (which was suppose to turn into 41 degrees but never did, it just stayed at 32). We figured on going out on the first half and riding as far as we felt like and then turning back. It just seemed a little cold for the levee since it’s very exposed.
This trail has more bridges per mile than probably any trail in the state. Lots of little bridges over various feeder creeks to Cane Creek Lake plus it has 3 large suspension bridges that are narrow and a bit unnerving. The third is a little over 8 miles out from the Visitor Center but the actual trail head is about a half a mile into the ride.
There were still some wet spots and the traction was a bit lacking in the tires on Lisa’s bike but otherwise most of the riding was uneventful. Well, except for the cold, and a couple of falls. The trail is way more difficult than many would think for this part of the state. A whole lot of short, steep climbs and some tight turns plus about .2 miles of riding through a muddy wet section with water between three or four inches deep. If you fall you are soaked! We did not fall.
It took us a little over an hour to get to the third suspension bridge where we dined on PB & J’s and Pringles. The ride back seemed faster but after looking at the bike computer it was really about the same as the ride out. This is going to be a very interesting race next month. I will try to be ready. This was my longest singletrack ride since the operation. No pain from that, just feeling a bit out of shape.
Anyway, if you’re down that way or just looking for a new or different place to ride I highly recommend it. Stop by the park visitor center. The folks there are very nice and you can check out the alligator.
