I drove to Armstrong Park in High Point to ride the High Point Greenway and Bicentennial Greenway to Greensboro (a 20-mile out and back ride). A mile into the ride, at the entrance to High Point University, the greenway was closed between North Centennial Street and North Univerity Parkway for maintenance; it was due to open in mid-September but it is still closed. I attempted to find my way through the university to the other side but the university was holding its Fall Family Weekend and it was a mass of cars everywhere and hordes of people swarming everywhere. Finally, I got pissed off, gave up, drove back to Winston-Salem, ate at Mr. Barbeque, and rode the Salem Creek Greenway/Salem Lake Trail loop (a 16-mile ride).
Salem Creek Greenway fully open
The greenway closure at the ford and creekside sidewalk has been opened and the kudzu along the greenway has been mowed. There was a large running event held Saturday morning along the greenway and the trail. Coincidence?
You tax money at work
The city is spending bond money to replace the ground material under the equipment in the children's play area that was only built a few years ago. It is constructing new areas outside the main gate. It is building a new boat ramp, which involves lowering the level of the lake, which means the Salem Creek Greenway will be closed from the Reynolda Park Road bridge to Salem Lake Trail for months due to high, rushing water along the greenway at the concrete sidewalk and ford.
How much of the bond money is being spent on the actual greenway and trail. ZERO. Salem Lake trail is more like a well-used dirt road to a logging operation; it is rutted, the surface is washing away, there are areas of constant standing water and mud, areas where water constantly runs over the trail, exposed large rocks, ancient drainage pipes are completely clogged, etc. The greenway even has kudzu growing ONTO the pavement.
The six-mile Granite City Greenway in Mount Airy is always immaculate. It is always clean, clear of debris, and they have bridges over all the low-lying areas. The High Point Greenway has over a thousand feet of elevated trail over a rugged section of terrain. However, the Salem Creek Greenway has a sidewalk beside the creek at creek level and a ford used to cross the creek. Water flows over these areas most of the time and the area is impassable after heavy rain or when lowering the lake. But to be fair, the city may never fix the problems but it always apologizes for the inconvenience.
Salem Creek Greenway HAZARD
Eastbound on the greenway headed toward the Salem Lake dam, just as you cross the concrete ford, about 200 yards further east, there is a large limbless, dead tree trunk lying across the trail and the shoulders of the trail. It is about a foot in diameter. The only way to get past it is to go over it. When approaching from the dam side, it is visible on a straightaway. When approaching from the ford side it is just past a curve so be careful. As usual, it probably won't be taken care of by the city until next week, or maybe later.
Bad day in the mountains
I rode the Granite City Greenway in Mount Airy, North Carolina today and had an accident at the halfway point. See my accident log for more information.
Nice day in the mountains
I rode the Granite City Greenway in Mount Airy, North Carolina today. It is one of the prettiest and most well-maintained greenways in the Triad. I had a superb broiled catfish lunch at Libby Hill Seafood. On the way home, a played a round of disc golf at the Armfield Recreation Center in Pilot Mountain; this course will kick your butt.
Salem Creek Greenway and Salem Lake Loop Ride
My first ride of the greenway/lake loop this year. I started at Marketplace Mall.
It's only been three days since the big Thursday night rainstorm. There is evidence of lots of sand having been removed from sections of the greenway. The concrete ford has rushing weather but is crossable. The concrete sideway area near the ford has rushing water but it is only a couple of inches deep and easily passable. As you near the dam, a tree has fallen in the trail but a one-lane path is cut through it.
As you ride clockwise around the lake, there is evidence of fallen trees having been removed. There are lots of fresh ruts and loose sand in curves to watch out for. As you near Linville road, there is a section of the trail that is known to stay soggy. It has some really nasty fresh ruts. Alongside the trail where a long puddle usually stays for weeks, the water is running. In eight years of riding the trail, I've never seen it have running water. On the south side of the lake, the west side of the big hill has many nasty ruts, At the bottom of the hill, I had to hop over one fresh, deep rut.
I had to poke along behind two horseback riders for about 100 yards in a curvy section before having an opportunity to slowly pass. Horses are rare on the trail but they are permitted.
Riding the trail with idiots is always a challenge, such as people walking on the wrong side of the trail in blind turns looking at their phones. In the middle of one sharp blind turn, a woman was kneeling helping her child. Groups of people walking and blocking the trail and then reluctantly moving over just enough at the last minute for you to squeeze by. As I rode by an unleashed dog, it didn't bark but as I passed it, it ran after me and nipped my leg.
