Let’s bike to work with Torch
So last week I took my shitty cell phone camera along for the bike ride to work to photodocument my daily commute. Why am I sharing this with you? Because I’m awesome.
That being said, hold on to your pants and lets go!
Disclaimer: most of these photos suck (shitty cellphone camera, remember?). Deal with it.
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Thermometer outside my kitchen window. Yes, it’s a few degrees below freezing. Yay!
Bye bye, Poe! Be good while I’m gone!
Socks tucked into pants = new fashion statement?
Good morning, bike! Note: derailleurs are for suckers.
Poe watching me leave
Out to my street… off we go!
Down the street, turn right.
Onto the bridge
Normally I ride on the street, but this morning I’m hitting the sidewalk. Easier to take photos that way.
Absolutely deadlocked. If I drove to work, I’d be stuck right in the middle of that bullshit.
Nose Creek, from above.
Quick hop down the stairs…
Aaand… onto the Nose Creek Trail.
Note bear-proof garbage can on the right. I have yet to see a bear while riding (yet!).
Soccer fields off to my right. After work, these are filled with little kids playing soccer. Note to Derrickito: remember this location.
Yet another garbage can. We’ll take the left fork in the path.
Someday I’m going to explore that big-ass storm drain.
This construction zone along the path has looked exactly the same all summer. Wtf.
Brrrm!
Mmm, water. Usually full of beer on the way home.
If I’d stopped to take the photo proper, you could see that the sign says “ZOO.”
Under the bridge downtown, Is where I drew some blood…
Closeup of the Nose Creek. On REALLY cold mornings, the creek is a giant fog bank.
This is where the Nose Creek trail officially becomes the Bow River trail. *snore*
Off to my right, the Calgary City Zoo. Normally that cage has African Wildebeests in it, but now that it’s below freezing at night, they’re in for the winter. Pussies.
Sometimes on my way home from work, I stop here for a smoke. When it’s nice.
Taking a photo of a deer from a moving bike and through two chainlink fences isn’t easy.
“On your left!” *beeps horn*
The Bow River, and a few of the Canada Geese that haven’t migrated yet.
Build up some speed here…
… for the sharp uphill blast HERE.
Leafy!
“Slow” my ass.
And back out to where the traffic lies. Boo. But… all is not lost.
Is that a bridge up ahead?
Sure is! Turn left onto the bridge. We’re actually riding on a small island in the middle of the river at this point.
Sign says “Local Traffic Only.” Why? Read on…
Calgary City Zoo entrance. Totally silent at 7:15 am.
Normally this road is a solid wall of standstill traffic in both directions. Why so empty?
My Kozmo.com bag, in use.
Uh, oh! The bridge is out! What ever shall I do?
Good thing some enterprising, artistic construction worker thought to leave me some directions!
View of downtown Calgary from the Bow River. That’s where we’re headed.
View of the Bow River, facing back the direction we just came from.
Navigating this mess changes every day. Of course, it’s better than dodging cars.
Past the bridge, heading back down onto the trail, but now we’ve crossed the river. Yay!
Leafy! Note to self: buy a rake. Frontyard looks like shit.
“Leaves With Motion Blur.”
There’s a homeless dude who’s usually sleeping on this bench when I ride past. He’s probably off taking a wizz in the bushes.
Downtown’s getting closer!
The Bow River, yet again. The branch off to the left is the Elbow river. We’re going to be following that for a bitsy now.
Fort Calgary, history, blah blah blah.
Uh oh, trail looks like it’s ending.
No problem, we’ll just take a right onto the bridge, and then…
…we’re going to make a hard 180 to the right and go down THAT. You can’t tell by the photo, but it’s kickass steep.
And then under the bridge that I’d sleep under if I was homeless.
Out and back along traffic. Stupid cars.
After a legally questionable and possibly unsafe traffic navigation, we’re playing with cars the rest of the way.
That tour bus has not moved ONCE since I’ve lived here.
Hang a right at the dead end…
The concrete median here had a 10ft high wall along it up until last week. The right side is a bus-only road leading back to the Calgary Transit maintenance garage.
Uh, oh! More cars!
After more questionable traffic crossing and stop-sign running, we’re nearly there.
And here we are at work!
They’re pretty sticky about taking pictures in the office, so all I’ve got is a sneaky photo of the metal stairs leading down to the basement, and…
The bike room! Good ride, little bike! Now I’m off to go take a shower. See you in 8 hours!