Tanglefoot Trail: The Same Trail, A Different Ride Every Time
Someone asked us the other day if we ever get tired of seeing the same old things on the Tanglefoot Trail.
We didn’t even have to think about the answer. No.
Sure, we’re riding the same trail, and we’ve traveled some sections of it more times than I could count. But seeing something new isn’t really the reason we go. We ride for the exercise, the fresh air, fellowship with friends and, quite frankly, to get ourselves out of the house for a few hours! At this stage of life, that’s important.
Besides, the Tanglefoot Trail is never exactly the same from one ride to the next.
We Ride at Dawn…Almost
You know those old movies where a battle or raid is about to happen and somebody declares, “We ride at dawn!”
Well, that’s Terry.
We don’t quite ride at dawn, but it’s nothing unusual for us to be on the trail by 7:15 in the morning. Terry still gets up around 4:00 every day, just like he did during his working days. Some things never change.
We’re usually back home by 10:15 or 11:00, but don’t be too impressed. That doesn’t mean we’ve spent all those hours pedaling.
Not with me carrying a camera. 😊
There’s Always a Reason to Stop
I take my camera with me on most rides because I never know what we might see. Some days I come home without a single photograph worth keeping. Other days it might be a pretty bird, a butterfly, a squirrel, or some friendly horses and cows along the way.
I’ve even been known to stop and photograph moss or fungi growing on a tree. Terry says I’ll take a picture of a rock if I can’t find anything else.
He’s probably right.))
Of course, the camera isn’t the only reason we stop. On hot summer mornings, we take plenty of breaks to drink and rehydrate. And occasionally, there’s a stop because I need something to eat.
By the time we make it to the Algoma Country Store or Zuby’s in Ecru, a sausage biscuit can sound mighty good. Terry has usually been awake since around 4:00 and has already eaten something, so he’s not nearly as interested in breakfast as I am.
In the spring, when the mornings aren’t so hot, we may get a later start and even stop for a little lunch before heading home. We’re out there for the exercise, but we’re certainly not training for the Tour de France.
You Never Know What You’ll See
Yesterday wasn’t an especially exciting photography day, but I did manage to capture a bird I’d never photographed before—a Palm Warbler, if I’ve identified it correctly.
That’s one of the things I enjoy about taking my camera along. It makes me pay attention. A little bird I might otherwise ride right past becomes a reason to stop, take a closer look, and then try to figure out what I’ve seen when I get home.
And the next time I ride that same stretch of the Tanglefoot Trail, who knows what might be there.
The Landscape Is Always Changing
The wildlife isn’t the only thing that changes from one ride to the next. The landscape does too.
Right now, the cotton fields are bursting with white puffs from the open bolls, ready to be picked, and the soybean fields are ready for harvest. It’s interesting to watch the fields change throughout the season—from green and growing to harvest time and then, before you know it, bare fields again.
Sometimes It’s Just the Color That Catches My Eye
Wildflowers—and plenty of things that are probably technically weeds—are another reason for me to stop.
I don’t really care what they’re called. If they’re pretty, they catch my eye.
There are the bright red spider lilies, soft blue mistflower and yellow lazy Susans. And I never get tired of seeing the wild morning glories growing along the trail in shades of cream, blue and lavender.
It’s easy to ride right past things like these without giving them a second thought. Carrying a camera has made me slow down and notice the little splashes of color along the way.
Hot Days, Cool Mornings and Everything Between
The weather can make the exact same stretch of trail feel completely different too.
During the summer, some mornings are downright hot. Those are the days when we take our time, stop more often and make sure we’re drinking plenty of fluids.
Then you get a morning like yesterday. Instead of trying to stay cool, I had to bundle up a bit just to stay warm.
Same trail. Different day.
Maybe We Do the Same Old Thing
So when someone asks if we get tired of doing the same old thing over and over, I suppose technically we are doing the same thing.
We get on our bikes. We ride the Tanglefoot Trail. Eventually, we turn around and come home.
But every ride gives us fresh air, exercise, peacefulness and time together. Sometimes we ride with friends or stop and visit with folks we meet at whistlestops along the way. Other times our company consists of horses, cows, rabbits, squirrels and birds.
And yes, I speak to all of them.😂
Every now and then, a butterfly will even flutter along beside us for a little while as we ride.
Maybe that sounds a little corny, but that’s okay with me.
The older I get, the more I appreciate that an adventure doesn’t have to mean going somewhere you’ve never been before. Sometimes it’s simply getting outside, paying attention to what’s around you and enjoying an ordinary day.
And if I happen to photograph a rock along the way…well, it must have been a pretty good rock.))
See you on the trail!
