Back to the Hills in Calgary

This is the bike ride I promised Stryder in April but snow and crappy weather prevented it from happening. So, out of the blue, I said something along the lines of “want to go for a bike ride?” and he was happily bouncing up and down by my Jeep long before I’d even found my summer cycling gloves and shoes.

Because it’s a long weekend our normal Nose Hill route/trail was clogged with parked vehicles and people. We opted to head to a “secret” west section of the park where parking is difficult unless you have a 4×4 vehicle. This means fewer people, more fast riding, and one panting, slobber covered happy dog.

But this also means traipsing through long grass and muck to get to a cycle-able path. Stryder didn’t care… he happily searched for gophers and covered himself in burrs. The last part is one of the reasons why I make him wear a chest vest [link removed].

The terrain on the Northwest side of Nose Hill Park is a mixed bag. You can encounter everything from pea gravel to large rocks to sand to washed out root destroyed path… and deer and coyotes; the later is why I never bring Kima on rides. The grass along the ravines (where we go) also tends to be really long so visibility into what you are riding on is limited. But as long as you don’t stop pedalling you won’t run into any problems.

While Nose Hill is nice and convenient (quick in and out)… I think I might try taking Stryder into the foothills for the next ride. I’m not worried about him being a nuisance to other riders. He’s a good bike follower and only barks when I’m going too slow.