The full moon rises at 8:46 PM and sunset is at 7:01 PM, so we should be treated to a big ball of fire coming over the horizon Saturday night, May 9, on our ride on the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST).
Temps are going to be high during the day, falling off in the evening. Winds will be SE at 10-15 mph during the afternoon. That’ll give us a headwind on the way back, but it usually dies down after dark.
It’ll look pretty similar to this spectacular picture by David Haworth. Well, it won’t be THAT big and it won’t have trees in front of it, but you get the idea.
I was on the lake one night when the orange glow was so bright that I thought a sugar mill had caught fire.
Here’s the tentative plan
We’ll take off from Port Mayaca 6:30 ish.
We’ll ride north for as far as the group wants to go. Typical round-trip rides are 14, 28, 32 and 40-miles.
Do we want to eat?
The Office Bar & Grill closes at 8 PM, so we should be able see both the moonrise and their wonderful obscene roast beef sandwiches this trip. The next place to eat is Gizmo’s Pizza at Taylor Creek. That would be the 40-mile trip.
We’ll play it by ear. If we hear lots of tummy growling, then we’ll find a place to eat. If not, we’ll make do with munchies out of the bike bag.
Normal Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail Hints
It’s bright enough to ride without headlights unless it’s overcast. Flashers and headlights are still a good idea so that we can find each other and if we go off the trail to get something to eat. Helmets are encouraged.
Bring bug spray
Mosquitoes can be miserable for about 45 minutes around dusk. When gnats are heavy, I ride with a bandanna over my mouth and nose to keep from sucking them in. Glasses are advisable to keep them out of your eyes.
The last time we rode we were pleasantly surprised to find that the bugs weren’t bad except for a few minutes around dusk. Since we haven’t had much rain recently, we may get lucky again.
Bring along leg warmers, arm warmers or something to cover yourself if you’re on the chilly side. Extra clothing can also help keep the bugs off if you have to stop to change a flat. I’ll have a pump, but a spare tube is a good idea.
There is no drinking water nor restrooms on the LOST.
The LOST is perfect for all riding styles
If you’re with me, plan on a slow ride with stops to take pictures of wildlife along the way. On the other hand, if you are a speed demon, you’ll love the LOST because there’s no stop signs, no motorized traffic and very few other riders to slow you down.
Nobody is lost on the LOST
We may ride at different speeds and the group frequently splits up into folks who want to ride fast and folks who want to socialize, but we make sure than everyone is accounted for before the last car leaves. If someone is really struggling, a faster rider will go back for a car to pick them up at an access point.
If you want to join the group, leave a comment or email.
You can reach me on my cell phone at 561-727-9645 the night of the ride if you need last-minute directions or help.
That sounds good. If I were in your area, it sounds like a good choice for the first time ever to participate in an organized group ride.
Well, maybe it would have to be the 2nd. There was the time 15 years ago when I went on a semi-organized ride that included some Michigan militia types. (Modern militia types, not 1830s militia.)
Spokesrider, sir, if your ride with me, I can guarantee you that your semi record of not riding with organized groups would not be broken.
One of the reasons I write about tours instead of making money organizing tours is that I’m a pretty free-form kind of guy.
The editor at my first paper heard me setting up an appointment with someone one day and called me over after I had gotten off the phone.
“I heard you tell the subject that you would meet him at 3 o’clock. What are you going to do if between now and 3 o’clock there’s a triple, bloody good axe murder? NEVER give a definite time. Tell ’em you’ll be there AROUND 3.”
Lesson well learned. I existed in “ish” time from then on.
Much to my wife’s displeasure, I also learned to live according to The Ultimate Deadline. There’s the deadline and then there’s The Ultimate Deadline.
You can mess with the deadline. You can’t mess with The Ultimate Deadline.