A couple weeks ago I was out for a bike ride around town, when I decided to "broaden my horizons", as it were, and ride the Provo River Trail. I rode on this trail once last summer and, although I liked it, I was scared because of some sections of the trail that I came to call "tunnels of terror."
These tunnels exist at various spots along the trail, allowing riders to travel "safely" beneath the highways and avoid ignorant motorists who wouldn't stop for a pedestrian even if it was his/her own grandmother. Now, my fear of said tunnels is because of the fact that they are wide enough for only one biker to ride through at a time, and visibility to the other side is limited until you're about halfway through. The other reason I was afraid of them was because they happened to be extremely dark, which miraculously changed when I rode through them in the MIDDLE OF THE DAY as opposed to the ride I took last year at dusk. Wow, who would've thought? I'm sad when I think of how I've robbed myself for the past year because I'm such a wuss. The trail is beautiful, and I am amazed that such a place could exist in the middle of a roaring, hectic city. The trail is the perfect escape, and I now enjoy it's beauty nearly every day. Since my life at present is better described in pictures than in words, here is a glimpse of why I feel so grateful right now: (sorry if some of the pictures are a little blurry... I took them with my phone)
A few days after my fabulous re-discovery, a friend invited me to ride up Provo Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls. That ride has long been a goal of mine and, though I didn't feel quite ready for such an adventure, I gave in to peer pressure and agreed to go. About halfway to the bottom of the canyon I began to feel that I had made a huge mistake, and I'm pretty sure I would have turned around and gone home had I been by myself, but I am proud and didn't want my friend to realize that I'm a wimp, so I persevered and continued on.
...and on.
Thank heaven for the "flowing spring" of water that we met along the way. Next time I'm bringing my Camelbak.
At last, after approximately 9 miles of pedaling furiously at a steady incline, we arrived at the prize. Actually, the whole ride was rewarding because of it's beauty and the amazing endorphin "high" I experienced, but there is something about Bridal Veil that just takes my breath away. After resting and stretching for a few minutes, we journeyed back to reality; the city and the harried craziness that comes along with it. However, we were rewarded even further as the strenuous labor of pedaling uphill for all those miles gave way to the wonderful flying-sensation of the wind rushing past as we coasted all the way home.
