DnvrFox

or so it seemed as I took an otherwise wonderful ride down the South Platte River north of Denver this evening on my way home from my teaching job.

Splat - it sounded like hail on my helmet. Swarming dense clouds of bugs, bugs in my nose, my ears, under my shirt, on my legs and bare arms - DON'T OPEN YOUR MOUTH - oops, I just did - a mouthful of the crunchy little critters. Bugs crawling inside my glasses, blocking my vision.

Another bicyclist weaving all over the trail, trying in vain to get away, and a runner with a bandana completely covering his face Wishing I had a bandana.

Now they are under my helmet and in my hair. I can feel them walking around on my scalp. Yuk!!

And this goes on for 3 miles of riding along the river, especially when there is water on both sides.

I dread the return trip, and put on my long sleeve jacket, even though it is warm. BUT, a bit of rain spits from a passing cloud, and the bugs disappear. Where did they all go?? Vanished, not a bug to be seen on my way back.

Anyway the 20 mile ride was great. Wonderful scenery, wide open spaces along the river - which actually has water in it this year after last years drought!!

So, it was fun despite the bugs.

Have to go take a shower now, I think I still have some parts of them stuck in my hair!!

LATER:

Amazing how a shower and ten minutes in the hot tub can make one feel properly debugged!!

Guest

I'd be freakin'! Seriously.

Glad you didn't let that stop you.

Koffee

DnvrFox

Yeah, I know what you mean. I think it is swallowing the litte things that "bugs" me the most!!

A.troll

Eww! Glad you got outa that alive, boyfriend!

DnvrFox

I would swim through a million bugs for you, Trollie. But no way I am going to "ride nekkid."

Grendel

It will soon be love bug (Plecia narctica Hardy) season here in Texas where they swarm by the millions for a few weeks while they're mating. As you're going down the road you see clouds of these things and they make a heck of a mess. Ugh!

georgesnatcher

I was just thinking about posting on this yesterday. Here in Florida its already Love Bug season. You hit a swarm of them at speed and it really sucks. You get two for one every time.

SellingEngland

Bugs=Protein....open up and say ahhhhhh

uciflylow

Ask a fly fisherman! They will let you know they are the midge. They live in the water, hatch at dusk and then are gone!

Here we have some kind of gnat that swarm in the millions. Big flying balls of little gnats, hit one of those and you'll know it!

greg360

Same deal out in the Skagit Valley, today. Gawd it was like riding thru a hailstorm. A staccato splat-splat-splat. Eeewwwww...

We've had unseasonably cold weather for the last week, so when it warmed up today... the bugs were hungry, they were out for blood. The worst ones are the bees. They fly 4 or 5 feet above the pavement so you are guaranteed to get hit by a few, for some reason I seem to get hit on the ears by them (deflected by my helmet visor?). They hurt like little high-speed pebbles and fortunately they don't have enough time to sting, but still...

I also found out that my lightweight rain-jacket will trap bugs around the collar if it's not zipped up to the neck. An uncomfortable prospect in nearly warm weather.

Biking - you gotta love it!!!