Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Coffeeneuring 2019 - Sixth Cup at Billado Park


New Places, New Spaces
The next stop on my Coffeeneuring in Colchester tour was Billado Park. Because the waterfront path conditions might be iffy because of wintry-like weather, I cruised instead down busy North Avenue (thankfully on a bike lane), over the Heineberg Bridge to where I could easily access the park. With temperatures in the mid-30sF the plan was to meander homeward later along the waterfront path to see if it was ice-free. 

The Place:  Billado Park
Date: Sunday, November 17
Drink: Trader Joe's Red Refresh tea
Observation:  I'm curious where the trails lead.
Total Miles: 15


I walked the last hundred yards to rest on the boardwalk overlooking the Winooski River.

It's a pretty spot and seemingly under-utilized - visible from a car, I rarely see anyone standing or fishing. Sipping hot tea, I noticed ice was forming along the water's edge. Nearby snowy footprints headed off in different directions into the woods. I made a mental note to check out more of the park later. It was still hunting season, also allowed in the woods nearby, connecting Halfmoon Cove wildlife management area with Billado Park. After becoming obsessed with finding access to Halfmoon Cove, I spotted it from a dead end Colchester neighborhood. The water way is much larger than I expected; would make a nice area to explore when frozen or covered with snow.


Overlook is currently under construction.
Lucky me! Looping back home I discovered that 35F and sunny feels like 50F! Trail was passable, so I enjoyed a quiet moment with the best water view in the world - I'm biased, of course - of Lake Champlain.

There is more precipitation in the forecast. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to finish with coffeeneuring next weekend.

5 comments:

  1. Seems to early for snow but then again it will be December on Sunday.

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  2. On the other side of the country it is raining and I have no thoughts of going out on any of the traditional Thanksgiving Day rides. Good for you on getting out - that looks so cold.

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  3. Sweet. I'm inspired to get out and ride in this kind of weather again. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Lous, funny but cycling in cold wasn't something I did until a few years ago, mostly to finish the coffeeneuring challenge. Then I broke a personal barrier of sorts, realizing I was comfortable last winter to do pleasure rides on weekends until the path conditions were slick. Until then I only commuted to work.

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  4. Nice to see the sure footed old MTB getting you through the snow

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