Over on the Phred bicycle touring list we’ve been talking about gravel roads. Some tourers actually like them. I like them myself in small doses of about 2-5 percent of my riding.
On August 4 I wanted to ride around the Peter Longois reserve in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, before ending my ride for the day. On the west side the road I came to was gravel, as I knew it would be because I had ridden there in September 2006 – not knowing at the time that I was riding on the boundary of that reserve. (The reserve was part of an 1837 treaty that you can read here.)
I haven’t yet learned much about Paul Longlois or this treaty. It’s on my long list of things to do. But the reserve is one that left a mark on the landscape. It’s one of those places where the roads don’t quite match up with the section lines because they follow the reserve boundary instead. State Road 25, for example, follows section lines until it gets to the Longois Reserve, then jogs west to follow the reserve boundary, then jogs back to the east to get on a section line again.
When I got to the west side I saw that unlike two years ago, the gravel was fresh and loose this time. It would take me a long time to make my way on this mile’s worth. And my motivation wasn’t so high because it was getting late and I didn’t want to keep Myra waiting. Also, I had already ridden on this road and remembered what the scenery was like, so the only difference this time would be that I would be aware of its being on a reserve boundary rather than a section line.
It wasn’t worth it. I turned around to go back, but stopped first to take a photo of the track of my turnaround.
