The River Trail Showdown

We spent many, many hours on the Boise Greenbelt during our tenure in the city. Kenn did most of his marathon training and took hundreds of other runs and rides along the entire length of the trail from Discovery Park at Lucky Peak Reservoir to where it crosses beneath Eagle Road. Tina likewise walked and jogged the Greenbelt many times. While it's a convenient site for community members to exercise they may take for granted to beauty of the strip of urban park that is the Greenbelt and the River itself.

We must admit we did exactly that. We extracted two of our five bikes from their basement prison and took our first ride on the Schuylkill River Trail and Perkiomen River Trail this afternoon, taking advantage of the continued excellent weather to get a little outdoor exercise. We'd read and been told about the paved trail beside the Schuylkill (skoo-kull) River and looked forward to making use of it ourselves.

The SRT is a paved path, two auto lanes wide, following the River as it arcs northwest from the western edge of downtown Philadelphia. The Perkiomen River Trail intersects the SRT near Phoenixville, northeast of our house and adjacent to a fenced dog park to which we take Karma and Bailey. We rode on the SRT north from the dog park then followed the PRT north another few miles to a convenient turn-around.

While both Trails are surely convenient for runners, walkers and cyclists (although in our opinion not an appropriate substitute for roads for the hard-core cyclist because of the density of other users) the main drawback to us was the state of the Schuylkill River itself. The muddy banks are choked with underbrush in which trash hangs; myriad dead trees litter the banks and channel; the water appears thick, brown and sluggish, with streams of white bubbles swirling downstream. Not a body of water in which I'd be inclined to let my dogs cavort, much less that I'd want to kayak or from which I'd eat a fish.

More or less what the PRT looks like, at least for the moment

In sharp contrast we've had the pleasure of doing all three of the above in the Boise River.

While perhaps a technicality - our disappointment is with the River, not the Trail itself - round one must go the to Boise Greenbelt.

How we remember the Greenbelt...

Spring Is Here (we hope)

The Taters moved to PA in the fall - in our opinion, the most beautiful time of year Idaho. October turned out not to disappoint in Pennsylvania either, but by Thanksgiving the woods around our house were literally a stark reminder of winter's thrall.

Like most of the rest of the US (including Idaho), Pennsylvania's been spared a harsh winter, granting us one small favor in our adjustment to the east coast. And, as of the past few days, it appears as though spring has arrived in earnest, if not on the calendar (it officially starts March 20th) at least in temperatures and, perhaps, temperament.

We heralded the season with last weekend's visit to Longwood Gardens in nearby Kennett Square. In the early years of the last century Pierre S. DuPont, great-grandson of the founder of the eponymous company, bought a farm on the site and created most of the extensive horticultural center that exists today. The place is like a Smithsonian for plant and flower lovers; every imaginable variety is on display in a gargantuan, rambling greenhouse and in various formations around the vast grounds of the estate. Even on a crowded spring weekend it was hard not to find it impressive and charming.

This past week brought consistently warmer temperatures until today, when we noticed the farmland and trees around us greening quickly and enjoyed sitting on what passes for our front veranda. Crocus, daffodils and other greenery are bursting through the brown grass and dead leaves in the yard, and the merest hint of leaves tips most of the trees that are no doubt enjoying the warmth as much as we. So warm was it today that the dogs even took themselves out of the game (of fetch) at the local dog park, lying in the shade panting. 

We're not foolish enough to believe without reservation that the potential for wintry temperatures and precipitation is behind us. Anyone who's lived in Idaho knows that the key to successfully surviving the "shoulder months" is to dress in layers and keep the umbrella handy. But the probability of a nasty surprise is diminishing daily and we're very much looking forward to cycling, hiking, fly-fishing and otherwise experiencing the outdoor life in this part of the country.