Scratching the "locked gate itch"
 

Don't all good commuting adventures start with a locked gate?

I have been eyeing a levee road that runs close to my route home. I looked it up on Google Earth yesterday before leaving work to get a better view of where it went. Then I took it home.

I had to go over the gate to get started and it ended up being just like every other levee or fire road I have ever been on. It is used by the city vehicles occasionally but there wasn't a soul out there when I was on it. The other end comes out at an open gate of a trail head parking lot - so I figured I had only a 50% chance of being somewhere I shouldn't (that is a lie - I know the locked gate meant I shouldn't have hopped it - but the itch was terrible).

At any rate, I finally scratched that itch and can go back to my normal route.

http://texasbikecommuteproject.files.../commute-6.jpg

Once many decades ago, us kids rode our bikes to an old junk yard. We could see thru the locked gate what looked like a huge mountain of old toys, just stacked on top of one another.

We therefore decide to get off our bikes and climb the gate for a toy discovery and bonanza!

Well needless to say, that was a huge mistake! No sooner than we got to the top of the toy pile, we were surrounded by three large viscous looking dogs. They were howling, barking, growling, and threatening. Each dog would charge the pile in a futile attempt to climb it, only to lose his footing. It seemed like with each charge, more and more toys would fall to the bottom, as our toy mountain was slowly becoming a small hill.

Finally, some old guy in dirty jeans orders the dogs to return to him and he orders us off the property. We were only too eager to oblige.

Sometimes, scratching your itch just isn't quite worth it! :lol:

How was the scenery?

- Andy

Been there and done that. There is a big metal gate near the end of trail that I rode from time to time. What was on the other side I thought? All the sign said, don't go any further, but I had to go on. About a mile after the big gate was a big, remote lake and it was good. Some times you have to follow that voice in side of you and press on. You never know what is just around the corner!

There wasn't much to look at as far as scenery goes, just a distant view of our million lane tollway. It was damn windy though, basically an elevated road in a Texas wind tunnel. Between the ruts and the wind it was challenge enough to just stay upright.

I'll consider this itch scratched, I doubt I will feel the desire to ride it again. Where I ride, I have to work with what I have - which isn't much.

I find that in most circumstances people are reasonable. I used to take great liberties through an amusement park facility on a former commute. Most of the security guards I encountered over the years left me be, but the even the most difficult merely told me to get lost.

There's a gated pond or reservoir on my route through Groton, CT that looks like one I'd like to circle if I ever find it open. I'd probably be too chicken, though.