blacktop celebration

I was one of the first cyclists to ride on the newly repaved southeast section of Green Lake Drive. It's gloriously smooth! There's a section that I'd been avoiding for years by riding through a parking lot because it was so rough, but no more. And thanks to the ongoing road work and restricted traffic, I didn't have any cars alongside me.

Note that they're only about 3/8 done with the north and east sides of Green Lake. For one more week driving around the lake is still going to be a misery of waiting. The best option for us bikers is to ride on the outer trail, which has the felicitous aspects of cherry blossoms directly overhead, not dodging small obstructions or popping tubes on the ground-up street, and being "grade-separated" from the murder machines cars.

Yes, I have just written an entire journal entry about the joy that is new asphalt. I make no apologies.