Trails of a city
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By JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star
It can be done in a day if you’re up to the task.
Read the final Harry Potter book you ask?
No, bicycle the city’s commuter trails — all 92.4 miles of them — which I volunteered to do for this story.
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1. Murdock Trail, between 70th and 112th streets.
Why: It was my first time on it, and I was quite struck by its rural beauty. I sat on a bench at the trail’s end to soak up some of the scenery.
2. John Dietrich Trail, between 27th and 21st streets.
Why: This nifty little stretch is tree-lined and curvy, with it beginning at a park and finishing in a quiet north Lincoln neighborhood.
3. 70th Street Trail, the little stretch behind the Dog Run.
Why: A hidden, curvy trail that runs past a kids’ ball field and soccer pitch. Plus, you can stop and watch the dogs frolic inside the run.
4. Jamaica North Trail, between Van Dorn Street and Saltillo Road.
Why: Since the scenic trail runs parallel to Wilderness Park, the chances of seeing wildlife are great. I’ve encountered foxes, deer and raccoons on past rides and runs.
5. Salt Creek Levee Trail, between Haymarket Park and West A Street.
Why: Maybe delirium started to set in, but I really enjoyed riding this stretch that takes you along the levee and through the North Bottoms. I especially got a kick out of the dark, narrow tunnel that runs under the railroad tracks.
Jeff's 5 least favorite stretches
1. Superior Street Trail, between 27th and 10 streets
Why: Oh. My. Gosh. It’s pretty much uphill the entire way. I stopped at 10th Street to wipe away sweat, catch my breath and take several swigs of water.
2. Old Cheney Trail, between 14th and 70th Streets.
Why: It was the most dangerous in terms of cars coming off the side streets. There’s also a lot of stopping and starting at major intersections.
3. Rock Island Trail, between 27th Street and Nebraska 2.
Why: Too congested. I saw more people in this 3-mile stretch than I did in the other 90 miles.
4. 84th Street Trail, between Pioneers Boulevard and Adams Street.
Why: Boring. Like 70th Street and Old Cheney Road trails, there’s not much to see outside of the traffic zipping past and toward you.
5. Highway 2 Trail, between 27th and 16th streets.
Why: Needs widening and resurfacing. I felt badly for the two women I saw pushing strollers on the rough, bumpy and cracked surface.
The ride took me 11 hours and 27 minutes over two days, fueled by two cereal bars and lots and lots of water.
My trip actually was100 miles after I discovered I had no cell phone reception after finishing my journey on the Jamaica North Trail.
I had planned to call for a lift, but slowly pedaled the last seven miles back to my house in Southwest Lincoln instead. Heavy sigh.
So why do it?
I thought it would be a great way to introduce readers to Lincoln’s wonderful trails system. Many residents are familiar with parts of it, but not all of it.
I initially touched base with Ross Greathouse, founder of the Nebraska Trails Foundation, who responded with a “wow” before connecting me with Terry Genrich, natural resources and greenways manager for the Lincoln Parks and Recreation.
Genrich’s response also was “wow.” He agreed to help me map out a route.
Neither Greathouse or Genrich knew of anybody else who had ridden the whole thing. They both thought it was a great idea, especially since they weren’t doing it.
I stuck to the commuter trails and didn’t ride those within the city’s parks.
The nice thing is how far the Great Plains Trails Network has come over the years.
Only four times I had to pedal city streets to make connections, and one was because a bridge over Nebraska 2 was closed for maintenance.
There are 73 miles of commuter trails, according to Genrich. I had to double back a few times, which added the extra 19 miles to my route.
I started at 9 on a Friday morning at the Lincoln’s Children’s Zoo at about 27th and A streets and headed south on the Rock Island Trail, by far the busiest trail in the city.
Highlights and lowlights included:
* Seeing a middle-aged woman riding on some kind of weird three-wheel ski machine with handlebars on the Rock Island. I about fell off the sidewalk watching her.
* Being awestruck by the enormous, beautiful houses as well as the man-made lake on the Tierra Williamsburg Trail.
* Nearly being hit by a car entering Old Cheney Road off a side street. The driver was on a cell phone.
Later, a pickup nearly blew a red light where the MoPark Trail crosses 84th Street. Fortunately, I saw the vehicle wasn’t slowing down.
* Wishing I had room on my bike for a small watermelon from a street vendor I visited with at 48th and Old Cheney.
* Delightfully discovering a short, but interesting trail behind the Dog Run on 70th Street.
* Driving through an ATM at my bank at 48th Street and Normal Boulevard.
* Relaxing in the shade on a bench at the end of the scenic Murdock Trail.
* Finishing the first 60 miles after 7½ hours on the bike with two scoops of butter brickle ice cream from the dairy store on East Campus.
Day two events included:
* Finding two fun, winding stretches, one on the John Dietrich Trail and the other in the Highlands.
* Watching the Journal Star camera break off from the mount on my handlebars and explode on North First Street (a definite lowlight).
* Discovering a long, narrow tunnel under the railroad tracks on the Salt Creek Levee Trail. A train was on the tracks as I went into the tunnel. Quite cool.
* Making small talk with a nice middle-aged lady about the weather at the end of my ride on the scenic North Jamaica. We agreed it was hot.
When done, I felt like I did when I ran the marathon earlier this year. It was an accomplishment of sorts.
My biggest high, though, came from the trails themselves and the friendly people who use them. I felt a sense of community.
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
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