Yesterday morning was rather crisp, so I waited thirty minutes past the start time for stragglers before taking off — nobody showed.
Since it was cold starting out, I kept the bike in a low gear and pedaled quickly to build up body heat. By the time I completed the first mile, I had warmed up nicely. With the cool morning air, the light fog hanging over several of the small lakes at the North end of the Greenbelt, and the smell of pine trees that were scattered along the route, I felt as if I was riding somewhere other than in the Phoenix area.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it all the way to Tempe Town Lake. The trail was closed for construction at one point near the South end — fences, workers, and heavy equipment everywhere — and since I’m not familiar enough with the route or the area, I decided to turn back rather than try to find my way around the closure. Still, the route made for a nice quick 25 ride.