Goat Island

I'd been riding the roads around Forney because it had rained for like 3 hours one night, three days earlier, and this time of year that's enough to shut down every trail for a while. Goat Island usually opens up first, and as fate would have it, it was open first this time too. So, I made my way over and spun a lap.

I've actually ridden there quite a bit. It's actually the closest trail to my folks' place, and since it's usually open when other trails aren't, it's become my Dad's go-to spot. We've hit it at least once every time I've been out that way.

It had been a while since I'd been there though, and there were a few new features. Most noticeably, signage:

I'd never noticed any of those signs before. There were plenty of signs way out at the back, but I think the ones on the island are new.

The singletrack was fantastic.

Perfectly dry except for the always-flooded-spot.

It was, of course, flooded. It's only dry in the dead middle of summer.

There was a trail out on the island that led to "The Rapids".

I don't specifically remember ever having seen the rapids before.

The Thicket trail led to an overlook, which pretty much looks directly across the river at another overlook, but you really can't make it out in this photo.

One think I love out there is how the woods just row after row of trees, forever.

It might even make me feel claustrophobic if there wasn't a trail through it. Just the same thing forever in every direction. I'm not sure why that's cool, but it is. Croom in Florida gives the same vibe. A while later in the ride, I stopped for like 5 minutes and just looked through the trees, all around, taking it in.

Obligatory Lock and Dam #2 photo:

Part of it had collapsed since the last time I saw it. That chunk with the gauge on it used to be upright and attached to the lock.

The power of water!

I also noticed this old farm implement out there.

I'd swear that I'd seen it before, but I'm not sure if I ever got a photo of it.

When I got back to the car, there were 2 guys parked across the street fishing in what I thought was just a flooded gravel pit. I guess there are fish in it though. They were both smoking so much weed that I thought I was going to catch a contact high from across the parking lot, 100 yards away.

I don't remember exactly why, but I had to get back, and I didn't really have time for more than 1 full lap, which is 12 miles or so. I want to say that I got under 100 feet of climbing in the whole lap. Ha ha! Gotta love it.