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It’s amazing what a difference elevation makes. Michigan does not have the extremes of elevation that your Virginias or your Colorados have but the first 3 days of this ride were subtly uphill most of the way. These last two have been subtly downhill and today’s 52 miles flew by, not even close to the slog I was expecting given my 61 mile day.
Only about of a third of the miles today were on trails but they were nice ones. That’s the Battle Creek Linear Park above and the Kalamazoo Valley Trail below.
In comparison to the long straight trails I’ve mostly been on, the KVT had some cool curvy spots so I could zoom through and pretend I was a racecar (yes, that’s the kind of thing you do when you’re biking all day).
I also had opportunities today to think about non-naturey topics. In downtown Battle Creek there was this impressive monument to the Underground Railroad.
And then as I got close to Kalamzoo, I passed this riverside encampment of folks who are apparently homeless. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a discreet tent in an out of the way spot that was clearly where someone was living, but it was definitely the biggest grouping (the encampment goes on for like another 50 yards).
It made me think of the book I’ve been reading this trip called “Station Eleven.” It’s about a post apocalyptic society where a troupe of actors and musicians are traveling around Michigan. Those who remember the days before the collapse reflect on having things like electricity, flying in planes, being able to use the internet. Seeing those tents today it occurred to me that, if there was some apocalypse, there’d likely be a surprising number of people who wouldn’t know the difference.
On a lighter note, I also took notice when I saw signs for an upcoming historic marker. When I got there, it was a theater! The Barn Theatre is an equity house that’s been doing shows since 1954. Their sign declared hopefully “See you in June!” An equity house in rural central Michigan makes me very happy.
I had picked out “The Slowest Book Ever” to feature today because I thought I was going to be feeling it was the slowest day of the ride, given the mileage and knowing I’d be looking forward to a day off tomorrow. Even though it didn’t end up that way, this is a great book to talk about just because it’s quirky and fun. Here’s the warning April gives at the beginning:
“This is a S-L-O-W book. Do not read it while surfing, water skiing, or running to escape giant weasels…”
Thinking about reading while surfing is funny enough, even before the giant weasels. I went faster than I expected today. I’m looking forward to taking it S-L-O-W tomorrow!
Sent from my iPhone
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