Riding White Rock Trails

Our week here is coming to a close as we leave for Austin, Texas early on Saturday. Melanie had a full week of work with both GCLC and EPF. Miranda and I have shuttled her around Carrollton and beyond for meetings and meet ups. And I/we've also had some time to check out a few bike trails. 

One of the decisions we made fairly early in the process was to not tow a car as we travel. We played around with the idea, we shopped for the right car to tow behind the van and researched the right method to tow it. Mostly, however, the thought of towing gave me pause and not a little trepidation about keeping watch while traveling on such a vehicle.  

​There was also the additional cost in time, and maybe money, trading in our Honda Accord (can't be towed) for a suitable vehicle, the additional costs of fuel, insurance and upkeep of the TOAD (towed vehicle). Ultimately, I came across the idea of having two electric assist bicycles on a rack behind the van which then morphed into storing them in a KOMO Creations Multi-purpose chest. 

My search for the right bicycles ended up with us buying two Trek electric assist bicycles from Cahaba Cycles Homewood. I'm grateful to the staff there for all their help including allowing me to test ride a Commuter + 8s (my bike) for a week before deciding whether to purchase it. Special shout out to Abby for all her assistance.

While Melanie worked yesterday, I scouted out the White Rock Creek Trail and the White Rock Lake Park Loop Trail. I started at the northern end of the White Rock Creek Trail headed toward White Rock Lake. The trail follows the creek for 8.4 miles and, frankly, isn't much by way of a scenic tour. I'm certain I've never seen as many plastic bags and multifarious debris in a creek before. The creek floods on a semi-regular basis and apparently trash from North Dallas businesses and homes along this drainage flows into the creek to great deleterious effect. 

The day was gray and cold and it made me not a little sad to see the effects of such human negligence on what could be a really scenic walking and cycling trail. 

One of the things saving the ride yesterday was the White Rock Lake Park Loop Trail, 9.4 miles of joy, which intersects with the White Rock Creek Trail at its southern terminus. Melanie and I left Carrollton around 8:30 this morning and headed for the southwestern parking lot of the park. If the White Rock Creek Trail lacks in aesthetics, the Park Loop Trail makes up for it. 

While the weather could have been just a bit warmer and sunnier and the wind a bit calmer, Melanie and I had a great morning ride around the lake, stopping along the way for breaks and to take in the scenery.