7/3 - 7/12 Ride Report

7/3 - Blanco, TX
7/5 - New Berlin, TX
7/7 - Mission Trail
7/8 - Schertz, TX
7/9 - Mission Trail
7/11 - Government Canyon State Natural Area
7/12 - Freiheit, TX

The Blanco ride (7/3) was really nice. I'd never been down the section of FM 3351 from Kendalia to Edge Falls Rd. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable riding there during the day. I did, however, locate the intersection on Edge Falls Rd. where Acker Rd. comes in from Spring Branch Rd. I need to drive that road sometime soon to see if it's suitable to ride from Spring Branch Rd. to Edge Falls Rd. That would be a great connector and allow a trip to Kendalia without having to go on FM 3351 at all. That would be a big win.

The Mission Trail ride in the morning from the house (7/7 and 7/9) is a good way to start the day. I can't wait until later in the year when I'll be able to ride later than 6:30 am. I have to start that early to beat the heat right now and it kills me to wake-up so early.

I finished getting all the GPS data I wanted for Government Canyon (7/11) and I took a few pictures. I'm now ready to do that map. I normally ride the perimeter trails, but this week I rode on the inner trails. Little Windmill and Twin Oaks were both smoother than I remember. Also, I rode up Wildcat Canyon instead of down it. I remembered it as being a lot more rocky and technical than it was. I really like it going uphill.

I've never done the Freiheit ride before (7/12). It's out near New Braunfels, which is farther than I usually go out I-35 for rides. I like the roads, but I wonder how busy they are during the week. They may only be good for early weekend rides. When I get ready to do those maps I'll drive it during the week to get a feel for what to expect.

I'm getting a better feel for the area around New Berlin (7/5). There's a whole quadrant Southeast of San Antonio (south of I-35) that I've not ridden much over the years, mostly because it's flatter than I usually like. With the traffic getting so heavy on the North side of town, I'm spending more time out in that area. I'm finding some really great roads out there, though unfortunately the street signs are few and far between, making navigation a challenge. I've got some good ideas for maps out in the area that I'm going to refine over the next month or two until I'm ready to do the maps.

The ride from Schertz (7/8) was also in the Southeast quadrant and gave me more of an appreciation for how the roads flow between I-35 and I-10. Slowly but surely I'm learning how the roads work over there. Eventually my mental map of that area will allow me to navigate around there without getting lost. I hope.