Metro to Mountain Journal

Last Sunday was a perfect day in Nashville. Just three days before, schools were closed due to snow; but on Sunday it was sunny and warm.

My friend, Jon and I went to one of the Nashville Metro Parks for a little bicycle ride. Jon had never ridden the Harpeth River Greenway. We left the house by mid-morning and were able to find a place to park at the Warner Parks Nature Center. The parking areas were filling fast.

On the Greenway, the first mile was filled with people enjoying the outdoors. It was as busy as a downtown sidewalk at lunch. Yet, these folks were not working, they were having fun with their families outdoors.

We rode along the Little Harpeth and Harpeth Rivers, under Highway 100 , and on to the Bellevue Exchange Club Sports Fields. After inspecting the empty ball fields, we returned to the Warner Parks. We did not reverse our path; but instead left the Greenway and rode to the Vaughn Road entrance. After touring a loop along the river, we climbed the road (no vehicles) through the fields of Ridgefield to the Old Roadway.

Sections of the Old Roadway were still damaged and even closed from the May 2010 Flood. We toured the park and returned to the trailhead. It was a good day for a ride. We hope you were outside to enjoy it also.

A few path notes ...

• Not many others were riding bicyles in the Park, everyone was walking.
• We probably never got above 10 mph on our bicycles, due to the numbers of people using the roadways and the greenway.
• One child was driving his electric SUV toy on the greenway. Okay, it is a toy and I love to see kids having fun; but... it does not promote heath or fitness. Unless the child needed special assistance, it would have probably been better for the child to have been pushing, pedaling, walking, running, etc. We probably have enough big SUVs on the roads as it is!
• Jon said the water from the flood crested near the top of the roadway of the Highway 100 bridge. The water was very high.
• Damage on the Old Roadway in Edwin Warner Park included washouts, road buckles, and slides. The slides were devastating.
• We met a couple who were walking the Old Roadway Main Loop. The man was carrying a backpack with a small dog inside. The dog barked at us as we passed. I returned to talk to them for a minute. The dog's back legs were paralyzed and so they carried her on the hikes. It was great talking to them about the dog.
• They also asked if I had seen the electric bikes at Cumberland Transit? I muddled through some kind of answer. I then wondered if they thought I needed an electric bike? Personally, I thought I was doing just fine riding my Panther (single speed cruiser). I do have to stand up to ride the hills, though.
• Returning to the trailhead, the parking was crazy. People were parking everywhere. We were glad we arrived early.

Happy sunny day trails