Morning Wakeup

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone.

Big Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell (1970).

A kingly breakfast at the base of M-Hill.

I miss my early morning commutes to work. It's one of those things that you really don't know what you've got 'till it's gone. See, A Final Commute.

This spring my cycling drifted a bit. Then Weston Neiffer and Evan Walterman of the Black Hills Bike Hub raised the possibility of starting some group bikepacking rides, which eventually were introduced at the Bikepacking 101 Social Gathering. See, BHBH Bikepacking 101 - A Brief Report. For the "Show & Tell" element of that event, I loaded my Jones 29+ bike as it would be for a multi-week remote road ride and rode it around town one morning. 

That simple act rejuvenated my mornings. 

Since then, almost every morning when in town, I pack up some makings for breakfast and pedal out. I usually spin toward downtown on a gentle tour along Rapid Creek, although not much is on the paved bike path. Rather, I seek adjacent or nearby gravel alleys, two tracks, and foot paths. I love to ride through the Jackson Park disc golf course, along the top of the dirt levee by Sioux Park, across the overgrown two track between Raider Park and Mary Hall Park, and around the Little League baseball fields. Sometimes, I'll veer upwards to ascend single track on M-Hill or Skyline Drive. 

Then I find a nice spot to stop, brew coffee, make breakfast, and spend some quiet time with a devotional. Often friends, acquaintances, and even strangers stop to chat for a moment. Eventually, I'll ride home.

Typically, that morning outing results in 1-2 hours of riding and 30-60 minutes of chilling. Sometimes those numbers are longer, sometimes shorter, and sometimes even reversed.

I'm home by 8a-9a and ready to start the day in earnest, which may include a longer bike ride later. 

If you see me at a picnic table in a park some morning, you're welcome to stop. I'll make some coffee.

Big Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell (1970).