cape cod rail trail and more

Finally did some real biking yesterday, for the first time this year. Actually got out to the Cape, too, so two firsts in the same day! I ended up doing almost all biking and very little sightseeing except from the trail, so I still need to make at least one more trip out. Despite an early (for me) start and using up all the daylight I could to put in better than 70 miles of pedaling, I have some unfinished business to take care of on the bike too, as there are a few smaller trails that I wasn't able to get to. But next time I'll hopefully be a little more prepared to take on the surprisingly (and painfully) steep hills on some trails and the brutal headwind that tortured me for the most of the return leg of the main trip. That constant wind from one direction may be an unfortunate reality that I have to get used to out here, being near the ocean and all.

The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a decent day ride that also has some good side trails. In fact, I thought my best ride of the day was out to Nauset Light and back. (I'd call it a lightHOUSE, but apparently they're just called "lights" in these parts.) The scenery on the Cape is plenty diverse to make for a good trip -- beaches and dunes, dense forests, small lakes, towns, and even some hills. As a side note, it's very surprising how hilly some areas around here are -- nothing like the Maryland part of the Atlantic coast I'm used to.

I did get a few pictures, of course. A funny thing with bike trails is that the scenery is mostly just countryside or town/city stuff so there's not a whole lot to take a picture of. It's quite unlike hiking out west or roaming in distant lands, where everything looks photo-worthy when you first see it. I only took pics when I stopped at a side destination or landmark.

Anyway, pictures...

boardwalk bridge on Cape Cod Rail Trail (that's a lake on the left)

boardwalk to Coast Guard Beach

as true today as in 1927

Nauset Light -- a real, actual, operating lighthouse (ocean is to the right)

yes, folks, that's a paved road leading straight off a ~30' cliff -- they're aren't kidding about beaches around here eroding (Nauset Beach, eastern side of the Cape)

Herring Cove Beach, northwestern tip of the Cape (the beach extends further in the other direction but that was looking toward the sun)

looking north or so from the Province Lands trail near Herring Cove (that's rain over the water, thankfully it never came ashore)

sunset at Herring Cove