The sun was barely over the horizon with a cool morning breeze. I nodded in agreement to the weather forecast of a warm, partly cloudy, sunny day. The mountain bike stood leaning against the wall of the shack. It begged for some scenic biking to loosen its crank and chain. I obliged.

I was at the trailhead in no time. It started with a concrete pavement as I left the parking lot and abruptly transitioned to a flat, gravel road. The route looked scenic enough for a flat, gravel road. There was no traffic at the trailhead and I anticipated an easy, steady progress up ahead. This route was totally different from the mountain biking route that we did a week or two ago. Along the way, I passed a few brisk walkers, dog walkers, and some slow strollers. The fast riders whizzed by me and nary gave me a look.

There was a build up of a burning sensation in my thighs as I navigated the barely perceptible rise in elevation. I kept the pace steady and worked the gears to keep effort at a minimum. The steady exercise pace gradually loosened up my muscles and joints. I picked spots that caught my attention as my waypoints. I caught my breath, relieved the burning sensation, and took photographs.

The water from the lake made humidity high and would have been worse if it was warmer. It was visible from the side of the road. I imagined that it would feel good just to have the water lapping close to my feet.

The lake area has been indigenous to a variety of flora and fauna. Some of the fauna remain hidden and nocturnal. The flora varies with the season. I was delighted that in mid-summer the Mandarin Honeysuckle made its appearance and, hopefully, will attract the hummingbirds to its nectar. I have been trying to grow this flower variety in my backyard to attract hummingbirds too.

I reached a wide space partially shaded by trees and bordered by brushes. It marked the first half of the trail. A water park was right next to it and it was not far from the main road. It was a good resting place before heading back to my point of origin to complete eight miles of scenic biking.