Cedar Blows

A sunny, 82-degree day sandwiched between freeze warnings in January demands a bike ride, but a ride along the South Walnut Creek Trail on such a day is basically the same as snorting a 14-mile long line of cedar pollen.

So keep a few tissues in your jersey pocket.

The paved trail runs from just north of Govalle Park to Loyola Lane, roughly parallel to US 183. The total paved distance, for now, is about 5 1/2 miles. But the trail continues north a mile and a half or so further, unpaved for now, so today we brought mountain bikes to see just where it goes.

If you want to avoid the cedar, you can follow the example of many visitors to Govalle Park, and enjoy the beautiful weather from inside your car with the windows rolled up and the engine running. There's presumably a reason people do this - I've seen a lot of it, at this particular park, on several different occasions.

Many people where I work also seem to feel most at home in an idling car, spending their lunch hour in the parking lot ensuring that their personal pollution quotas don't go unmet. But then, you kind of expect that from state employees.

If you're going to drive to a park, it seems reasonable to expect that you might get out of your car once you get there.

Then again, this level of cedar would make anyone a little irrational.

Bless you!