tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69891806952046283432024-02-20T12:40:26.074-05:00Minuteman Bikeway Rail TrailNews, weather, and sports (walking, running, skating, cycling), along the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway.Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-71272309779084413942015-09-15T19:21:00.001-05:002015-09-15T19:21:17.188-05:00RetirementLooking for Minuteman Bikeway news? Try <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/162916187179986/">Menotomy - Musketaquid Cycling</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a>. Maybe I'll see you there.Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-25029650869102358642015-03-11T18:45:00.006-05:002015-03-11T18:45:54.089-05:00Trail Conditions<p>Last Friday, the trail was a lumpy sheet of ice. Today it's surprisingly open and unsurprisingly wet. Just step around the dog droppings. Between Water and Mill in Arlington, be aware that the plow wandered from the trail a bit. The cleared pavement goes down to as little as a foot wide.</p>
<p align=center>"Before" behind Walgreens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<p align=center>Bicycle tracks in the ice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<p align=center>East toward Drake Road today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<p align=center>Water at Fottler Ave was too deep for my sneakers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<p align=center>An empty seed case<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<p align=center>Goodbye, ice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<p>Skating today: 0.0 miles. This year: 0.0 miles.</p>
Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-36243029262521683652014-09-28T20:18:00.000-05:002014-10-10T14:29:34.961-05:00Still alive<p>I skated little and blogged even less this summer. Not to worry, I'm <a href="http://quietube6.com/v.php/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ljFaKRTrI">still alive</a> and skating vigorously through the waning days of the season.</p>
<p>Lexington and Bedford repaved parts of the trail this summer. Bedford redid pretty much their entire section, west from Wiggins Avenue to Bedford Depot Park. Lexington fixed two of their bumpier sections. One repaved area is from the Arlington line west to Fottler Avenue where the trail always filled up with sand among the tree roots during each heavy rain. The other is one of the shortest trail sections, from Woburn Street and Hayes Lane over to Fletcher Avenue. The work there included the inexplicable installation of a bumpy crosswalk warning ("<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactile_paving">tactile paving</a>") on just one side of the Fletcher Ave crossing. The newly rebuilt ramp to the roadway no longer meets the pavement properly. I hit the edge there Saturday morning and fell onto the tactile paving. No harm except for strained muscles.</p>
<p>[Update: Lexington patched the transition from road to ramp with asphalt. It's hugely improved. Also, falling onto a wrist guard leads to large and strangely shaped bruises on the chest.]</p>
<p>Since my post on <a href="http://minutemantrail.blogspot.com/2014/05/tracking-apps.html">tracking apps</a>, the publishers of <a href="http://moves-app.com/">Moves</a> have gone quiet on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/movesapp">Facebook</a>. They never responded to complaints there about Moves lumping together disparate activities with no way to separate them afterward. They didn't fix the app, either, so I've stopped using it completely. I expect a new crop of fitness tracking app features with the advent of <a href="https://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/health/">HealthKit</a> in Apple's iOS 8, but it's not quite here yet.</p>
<p>I've switched out the <a href="http://minutemantrail.blogspot.com/2013/05/mecam.html">MeCam</a> on my helmet for a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N6AWQ5I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">Mobius Pro Mini Action Camera</a>. It's superior to the MeCam in resolution and optical quality, both important if you're hoping to get the license plate of that jerk who blew through the crosswalk. The Mobius camera comes with a mount to be used with either Velcro or a standard tripod mount. I put a 1/4" x 20 bolt through the crown of my helmet to make a secure mount. Think carefully about the camera angle before you do that. You can configure the Mobius camera to overwrite the oldest video segments as it needs space for new ones, sparing you the need to manually clean up when the Micro SD card fills. A minute of 1080 HD video takes about 110 megabytes. Each five minute segment (the recommended size for endlessly rotating files) is over half a gigabyte and an 8GB Micro SD card will hold about fourteen segments, 70 minutes worth. The camera handles changing light conditions decently. Facing the sun is a problem, as it is for any camera. The boring sample below was shot eastbound, facing the morning sun, between Fottler Avenue and Bow Street in Lexington. It was shot as 1080p ("full HD") and uploaded as 720p.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dKDRxfdJzkk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-69757492220084891252014-05-27T13:20:00.000-05:002014-05-27T13:24:19.770-05:00Tracking apps<p>When I first started skating on the Minuteman, I tracked my progress with off-the-cuff estimates of distance entered on a spreadsheet. Fortunately someone soon explained the milepost markings to me and I used those with off-the-cuff estimates of fractional distances until <a href="http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/">gmap pedometer</a> appeared around 2005. I switched from a spreadsheet at home to a spreadsheet in the cloud (which wasn't yet called that) when <a href="http://docs.google.com">Google Docs</a> arose.</p>
<p>[In case you're not familiar with them, the stone mile markers along the trail are marked in modified Roman numerals. Outbound they start with no mark at Alewife, then count <b>I</b> through <b>X</b> from East Arlington to Bedford Depot Park. Oddly, Bedford Depot says <b>I</b> on the facing-inbound side. The inbound marks count up to <b>X</b> in East Arlington, with nothing at Alewife where it could have said <b>XI</b>.]</p>
<p>This year I'm modernizing with a couple of activity tracking apps: <a href="http://moves-app.com/">Moves</a> and <a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com">MapMyFitness</a>. These two have different aims, strengths, weaknesses, and bugs. I chose them with minimal research. If you read this post, you'll have done more research than I did.</p>
<p>Moves is a continuous activity tracker. You carry your phone, the phone records your location and movement, and Moves tries to figure out what you did. It's pretty good at figuring out whether you're walking, running, or riding in a car. It's not so good about bicycling, though it tries. (My ride on a <a href="http://swanboats.com/">Swan Boat</a> in the Public Garden was recorded as cycling, no matter that the map showed me moving over water.) It doesn't even try to identify many other activities, including skating. The developers say that's no problem! You can edit an activity afterwards. And they'd be right except for one horrendous misfeature. Once Moves decides that some period of time is all one activity, you can't split it up. If I drive to a trail entrance ("Transport"), skate up and down the trail ("Transport"), then drive to my office ("Transport"), Moves calls that a single event. Several users have complained about this on Moves' Facebook page and gotten no reply. (I'm one of the complainers.) I reported this as a bug with the same result.</p>
<p>Another aspect of Moves is that it's now owned by Facebook. When that was announced, Moves swore that nothing would change and users' data was private. Two weeks later <a href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/05/06/moves-app-reneges-on-privacy-promise-will-share-data-with-facebook">they changed their minds</a>: your data might be available to "affiliates". If you worry where your personal data goes, there's your deal-breaker.</p>
<p>MapMyFitness (also MapMyRun, Ride, Walk, Hike) is for logging specific exercise events. You choose your activity, tap "Start Workout", and you're off. Potentially with your friends tracking you, if you enabled live tracking. Sharing and measurement are the major themes. The app records your location, distance, time, pace, split times, elevation -- and that's before you add optional hardware for pulse, . The MapMyX folks offer an inexpensive heart monitor which tells me that generic maximum heart rate formulas aren't much use.</p>
<p>Overall, the MapMy apps collect a pile of data for you, display it a few different ways, and offer to share it with your friends. I'd personally be happier with a more focused approach. I'm not interested in a pace vs. elevation chart and I'm skeptical of the app's calorie estimates. On the other hand, I might be fitter with a broader range of exercise, so a flexible app comes in handy.</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-85997786112843815132014-05-15T05:32:00.000-05:002014-05-15T05:32:34.441-05:00AAA will tow you and your bicycle, no car required<p><a href="http://www.southernnewengland.aaa.com/">AAA of Southern New England</a>, like some other regional AAA clubs, now has <a href="http://www.southernnewengland.aaa.com/membership/membership-benefits-bike-services?zip=02474&devicecd=PC&jb=9&u=267084500&e=ephraim@vishniac.com&l=296594_HTML&referer=www.aaa.com&mid=98417&j=20554826#">roadside service for bicyclists</a> and their bicycles.</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-35388950787217825972014-05-01T08:40:00.000-05:002014-05-01T08:41:36.370-05:00Trail extension to follow Green Line Extension<p>In only six short years (at the very earliest), you can take the Minuteman Trail from Bedford to Alewife to Davis and the Somerville Community Path from Davis to Lechmere. The Minuteman exists and the Community Path exists up to Cedar Street, just short of the new Lowell Street station. From there to Lechmere will be new trail following the upcoming <a href="http://greenlineextension.eot.state.ma.us/">Green Line Extension</a>. I'll be over 60, but I'm looking forward to when I can skate from my home in Arlington to the Esplanade in Boston.</p><p>Read more about the project on the <a href="http://arlington.patch.com/">Arlington Patch</a> ("<a href="http://arlington.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/state-announces-19-mile-39-million-path-along-green-line-extension-project-arlington">State Announces 1.9 Mile, $39 Million Path Along Green Line Extension Project</a>") or in <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/">The Boston Globe</a> ("<a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/04/30/somerville-bike-path-extended-along-green-line/RmkOE91u4vRbI1K3scJlJI/story.html">Somerville bike pathway to expand</a>").</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-31641613783363289892014-04-23T12:44:00.000-05:002014-04-23T12:44:14.321-05:00Snippets<p>Sometimes chance bits of conversation make perfect sense.</p><p><i>(Two cyclists)</i> "... so I went right over the handlebars."</p><p>Sometimes you're just left wondering.</p><p><i>(Two joggers, one lagging)</i> Leader: "Don't run! Don't run! I'd rather have you in one piece. Don't run!" The laggard starts to pick up. Leader, running harder: "Don't run!"</p><p><i>(Group of cyclists)</i> One: "... improv." Another: "But they're all highly trained in, like, Elizabethan drama."</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-72975923992713693362014-04-14T18:07:00.001-05:002014-04-14T18:09:41.921-05:00What's left of the snow<p>It's ugly.</p><p align=center>Behind Walgreens, Arlington Heights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcfpgEFMxi9kml8ciFkghZdUo1h4d4OdnZ-UutBmiXMAiETTXAajZiDefq0YQRVWPAK8y4ZUjWPGsz2y5jeOl2LbFB38a_U1Ux1xfHID0j7wIaCRBFlCCUu3dHTRkpr7NUkMS3L0hpWE/s1600/IMG_0686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcfpgEFMxi9kml8ciFkghZdUo1h4d4OdnZ-UutBmiXMAiETTXAajZiDefq0YQRVWPAK8y4ZUjWPGsz2y5jeOl2LbFB38a_U1Ux1xfHID0j7wIaCRBFlCCUu3dHTRkpr7NUkMS3L0hpWE/s320/IMG_0686.jpg" /></a></div></p>The Mill Brook is a better sight, running fresh and full.<p align=center>East of Walgreens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBM9AXh4ukfDD2kPo_3VrUcP0nxmPb3uteBBpvuNfWL2Xnwge_RMznMs2qIHiUCPP4cT_nRrj0HsV5SRB8yTLb7bT7GkZQSedIj_o4hcQJRH5WHSdd-ePkftmy9YrxywLg6arUdBQa4fQ/s1600/IMG_0684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBM9AXh4ukfDD2kPo_3VrUcP0nxmPb3uteBBpvuNfWL2Xnwge_RMznMs2qIHiUCPP4cT_nRrj0HsV5SRB8yTLb7bT7GkZQSedIj_o4hcQJRH5WHSdd-ePkftmy9YrxywLg6arUdBQa4fQ/s320/IMG_0684.jpg" /></a></div></p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-29979450040415364332014-04-05T17:48:00.001-05:002014-04-05T17:48:48.761-05:00Bikeway user Counts - May 6th and 10th<p>From Joey Glushko:</p><blockquote>
Since 2007, the State planning authorities have been collecting data about the numbers of users of the local bikeways and trails. Arlington has been asked to join in collecting user numbers for the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway. On Tuesday, May 6 and on Saturday, May 10 counters will be needed to count and record user numbers from 7 AM to 7 PM; counters will be located at the plaza at Swan Place, near the Kickstand Cafe. It will be Baystate Bike Week, and your helpful participation would be be especially apropos!<br>
<br>
The Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee is coordinating these two days of counting. We are seeking volunteers for 1-2 hr. commitments of time to count the different numbers and types of users – walkers, cyclists, skaters, etc. If you can take the time, we’d appreciate your help; contact Joey Glushko in the Dept. of Planning and Community Development (781-316-3093; or e-mail jglushko@town.arlington.ma.us ) with your name, contact information, and the date/time(s) that you can volunteer. We will provide the forms and pens and clipboard for ready and easy use; you only need dress comfortably for the weather, and you might like to have sunglasses and sunscreen for a sunny day!<br><br>
An example of the counting form is attached; you'll see that it is an easy task. The counting day will take place even in inclement weather – though heavy rain will cancel the day’s counting.<br><br>
Contact me if you have questions. We'd appreciate your participation for this annual project.<br>
Joey Glushko, Planner<br>
Planning and Comm. Devel.<br>
Arlington, MA 02476<br></blockquote><p align=center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZvffayboqtYeeTWh0rPcB9rYjpUks6vTmpEoBa1FIJ37icn6E5TZ2PHcCqyCCA8DR413EQwGGVv5nF_U073ogqDYluzn0JONpfadG1XUqIL4NiL5RZUdd51L07YycZLnzo7scSyzSSM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-05+at+6.46.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZvffayboqtYeeTWh0rPcB9rYjpUks6vTmpEoBa1FIJ37icn6E5TZ2PHcCqyCCA8DR413EQwGGVv5nF_U073ogqDYluzn0JONpfadG1XUqIL4NiL5RZUdd51L07YycZLnzo7scSyzSSM/s320/Screen+Shot+2014-04-05+at+6.46.13+PM.png" /></a></div></p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-18612752542805096162014-02-20T11:43:00.001-05:002014-02-20T11:46:10.947-05:00Changeable<p>Icy as it was this morning, I expect it'll be mostly wet this afternoon.</p><p align=center>Near Mill Street, Arlington<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXgkLB2arY763hTm7hapxlHepF4q75w_yImgl4nEGjf2ebyYYEbelDUVjp7Uqi7A2phEdzc74pHc3cg5eZv95Hk8o6VWUthyphenhyphenuiVmuOeDL2WfsZczi2ur5D6cIkN-dpKkP_Aw2zir1qi4/s640/blogger-image--2034652724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXgkLB2arY763hTm7hapxlHepF4q75w_yImgl4nEGjf2ebyYYEbelDUVjp7Uqi7A2phEdzc74pHc3cg5eZv95Hk8o6VWUthyphenhyphenuiVmuOeDL2WfsZczi2ur5D6cIkN-dpKkP_Aw2zir1qi4/s640/blogger-image--2034652724.jpg"></a></p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-85130086563576016632014-02-14T18:29:00.001-05:002014-02-14T18:29:47.278-05:00Trail Conditions: Wear Your WelliesPlowing clears the snow, not the water.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsplVPkdOxvIT7mBRPDbPw8BitA54fprUXcIBDsHUGdqQ7fXsAlrcTzjK6xXt4HVaNZVGwrjXTRuuJtt21NHVd-KZkgMNCz1CYvZFc26WzOSGWDqbUeol6hTEdgOjMKUKxeyDSSDCMj8E/s640/blogger-image-1492742734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsplVPkdOxvIT7mBRPDbPw8BitA54fprUXcIBDsHUGdqQ7fXsAlrcTzjK6xXt4HVaNZVGwrjXTRuuJtt21NHVd-KZkgMNCz1CYvZFc26WzOSGWDqbUeol6hTEdgOjMKUKxeyDSSDCMj8E/s640/blogger-image-1492742734.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-75351525186715643482014-02-02T11:55:00.001-05:002014-02-02T11:55:12.428-05:00SaltedThe Somerville path isn't just cleared, it's heavily salted and sanded.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9D6a9s84pZafvsdeyw_GfCfT5tbXuJ-BbEtftRM-T63sH_yjpCdRautDjHY55xLJ743qUxQtk48nOamF0YtxOkIWSDRoW1jf7dQ88cwMXxVsbsn0JWoSjUyV79H7o82luo6hyfLwCPA/s640/blogger-image-448929794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9D6a9s84pZafvsdeyw_GfCfT5tbXuJ-BbEtftRM-T63sH_yjpCdRautDjHY55xLJ743qUxQtk48nOamF0YtxOkIWSDRoW1jf7dQ88cwMXxVsbsn0JWoSjUyV79H7o82luo6hyfLwCPA/s640/blogger-image-448929794.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-35124798627847169532014-01-06T18:21:00.001-05:002014-01-06T18:21:53.248-05:00Foggy<p align=center>By Hurd Field, Arlington<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoVFD4e0Wo7lh-vKuqI2Z2d3ZhSWXxgfHqyl9zsdaq4f475LVgWGTXTsLUdPg7PvkH7F6El15rN465f5udL9-uzfHNTgTJ3gq-Yl1VykBHR_498OaF-vL1gpKK5J4bLkZzcpVgLvRWUU/s1600/IMG_0221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoVFD4e0Wo7lh-vKuqI2Z2d3ZhSWXxgfHqyl9zsdaq4f475LVgWGTXTsLUdPg7PvkH7F6El15rN465f5udL9-uzfHNTgTJ3gq-Yl1VykBHR_498OaF-vL1gpKK5J4bLkZzcpVgLvRWUU/s320/IMG_0221.jpg" /></a></div></p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-12107729151040912082014-01-05T16:13:00.000-05:002014-01-05T16:13:47.478-05:00Backfill<p>I took a few pictures while I was busy not posting last year.</p><p>There's a modern concrete tie at the top of the ramp behind Sunrise Assisted Living in Arlington Heights. I can only imagine it was set aside during track maintenance and left behind when the rails were removed.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwY4WinE-VxxHfPDTYGZ71Ajcbbm4TQ8vij_z8y9BHtrr1FzTkx60jsAFG5sxx3ycIfNH1ADXnUhwZJvW-fL3PygmRPxly8MCMa4OpMuIM1bDFHK2w_aC2WzLUcdKzd-ygibEOb6qC8UI/s1600/DSCN2223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwY4WinE-VxxHfPDTYGZ71Ajcbbm4TQ8vij_z8y9BHtrr1FzTkx60jsAFG5sxx3ycIfNH1ADXnUhwZJvW-fL3PygmRPxly8MCMa4OpMuIM1bDFHK2w_aC2WzLUcdKzd-ygibEOb6qC8UI/s320/DSCN2223.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh910uPWeuj9osDpgjucxma-yvrP4g_WnLHvMSr2lhXxLby3SJ-LXZuiD3obpm6Fxw36TDpFIPxcpcNjzgb_LLNyWEmhbNhAUSduIYxiVgaI-Yv8wnXO9RwWhEW887Hdwt_26zZ9WzgH5s/s1600/DSCN2228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh910uPWeuj9osDpgjucxma-yvrP4g_WnLHvMSr2lhXxLby3SJ-LXZuiD3obpm6Fxw36TDpFIPxcpcNjzgb_LLNyWEmhbNhAUSduIYxiVgaI-Yv8wnXO9RwWhEW887Hdwt_26zZ9WzgH5s/s320/DSCN2228.jpg" /></a></div></p>
<p>There's a cluster of B&M signs and equipment at Mystic Street in Arlington Center.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSy2hz3uXTOk8TzDcwv4dRW_7klRf_C8oKwDVJgIKGHLWPw9VbGZJzrTW-_ptxdEHcrYcIGHegwQM2HO9L16DL2xAbjXmcfBC0WQlqnZOU3drze1IKSuQPYEfAPRnM9CJ3PAxP95h5Oc/s1600/DSCN2376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSy2hz3uXTOk8TzDcwv4dRW_7klRf_C8oKwDVJgIKGHLWPw9VbGZJzrTW-_ptxdEHcrYcIGHegwQM2HO9L16DL2xAbjXmcfBC0WQlqnZOU3drze1IKSuQPYEfAPRnM9CJ3PAxP95h5Oc/s320/DSCN2376.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BMH3aZPHPcHKgesbij8YK6XV9_WPxvGH8pmw5eOB7DzBsa_j0xMpQDyhrk35WMvJ0baMZQl-y11-t4FLebudy4WggfB2Zb6wnQZnjF5y7TumwVJgtmyF8zWgnOdHIW3B5i9H1QKxv3k/s1600/DSCN2378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BMH3aZPHPcHKgesbij8YK6XV9_WPxvGH8pmw5eOB7DzBsa_j0xMpQDyhrk35WMvJ0baMZQl-y11-t4FLebudy4WggfB2Zb6wnQZnjF5y7TumwVJgtmyF8zWgnOdHIW3B5i9H1QKxv3k/s320/DSCN2378.jpg" /></a></div></p>
<p>A young girl walked by with her father as I was photographing these stops on a siding near Water Street. She told me there used to be a railroad here. She stage-whispered to her father as they walked away, "He didn't know that."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiARpQh7LM3oIYX8xG1VxTU8IAbAlRG5VukbVMJ7bVc8nZmiX431wZDuQVmsR32OdtKnO1QprIKa4ifp54B_sPmJiREqs7IwxmqoHSoCupAmINYQsVwVk-TUm5u8k_BRSGrcubSzNauxM/s1600/DSCN2390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiARpQh7LM3oIYX8xG1VxTU8IAbAlRG5VukbVMJ7bVc8nZmiX431wZDuQVmsR32OdtKnO1QprIKa4ifp54B_sPmJiREqs7IwxmqoHSoCupAmINYQsVwVk-TUm5u8k_BRSGrcubSzNauxM/s320/DSCN2390.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RLGrF-VFMEjcX9VwleeUAQKHVchremW4pomXAFNBDcxjREOfqBh8a3ZbS_dao9VjUZmy1k4CE4_sjd2ubUM1NPoNGfpj-O7sP2k0VDjtUl5nFsVZ_WJD0YPaOxc2khNEf3JNb3e-db8/s1600/DSCN2391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RLGrF-VFMEjcX9VwleeUAQKHVchremW4pomXAFNBDcxjREOfqBh8a3ZbS_dao9VjUZmy1k4CE4_sjd2ubUM1NPoNGfpj-O7sP2k0VDjtUl5nFsVZ_WJD0YPaOxc2khNEf3JNb3e-db8/s320/DSCN2391.jpg" /></a></div></p>
<p>The Mill Brook runs in a culvert under Arlington High School's playing fields and emerges just below Mill Street.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_3XrG5thyFFIel1IY-1dF1TpyE3YU9l-qZNe5htf4w2nOx1iwSiVo9WpquLHglnEf7s0FKC72lRwP8rqJ_iWG3EOQNvN12zz57qDYsb2RlQa5QDOJ8j8N-e_EmN001GUi38SNq1giIs/s1600/DSCN2394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_3XrG5thyFFIel1IY-1dF1TpyE3YU9l-qZNe5htf4w2nOx1iwSiVo9WpquLHglnEf7s0FKC72lRwP8rqJ_iWG3EOQNvN12zz57qDYsb2RlQa5QDOJ8j8N-e_EmN001GUi38SNq1giIs/s320/DSCN2394.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxl_PFqrH8Kx14S3nQtllmyKdgnK3vdhRW4Vbhe6g3klfxqYy-VLdy67gxoreGBdOqrApQnuWe-N_P9OorJrOV5vzTpPUN3jCrWRQOM5Cfq0bCbjp1OMGgne0J6FwYKM9YgXPja3FYOuc/s1600/DSCN2396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxl_PFqrH8Kx14S3nQtllmyKdgnK3vdhRW4Vbhe6g3klfxqYy-VLdy67gxoreGBdOqrApQnuWe-N_P9OorJrOV5vzTpPUN3jCrWRQOM5Cfq0bCbjp1OMGgne0J6FwYKM9YgXPja3FYOuc/s320/DSCN2396.jpg" /></a></div></p>
<p>I met Big Bird walking on the Somerville Community Path a couple of blocks from Davis Square.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrqScchmElfdOaLB9bfa7Rl4NyDU2WgvcBY_E6_JYfADmjZSMjGv_GUCijNWGav6mPg2GXVDEnp9S9vIg5FsjLI-ueWoXJKu7TYJ83hA1Zae_HmJVq2iTNaSvUUG-RscsvNyjLN50RZQ/s1600/DSCN2424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrqScchmElfdOaLB9bfa7Rl4NyDU2WgvcBY_E6_JYfADmjZSMjGv_GUCijNWGav6mPg2GXVDEnp9S9vIg5FsjLI-ueWoXJKu7TYJ83hA1Zae_HmJVq2iTNaSvUUG-RscsvNyjLN50RZQ/s320/DSCN2424.jpg" /></a></div></p>
<p>The picturesque atmosphere wasn't fog, but dust stirred by maintenance at Hurd Field.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnLmD0F77HK0pkbVld5L_hjUqtZmFz8wOpAjUTI4WuGlYEWrwCfGg3NzeVxRz0ZDQ5gha6RlqVZG_hCC5rFTO_DQYJViTZgQX7Imntjp4nz2jzPnMNlLr_-ySCBkfQ9hJ50U3PpK-cFU/s1600/DSCN2592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnLmD0F77HK0pkbVld5L_hjUqtZmFz8wOpAjUTI4WuGlYEWrwCfGg3NzeVxRz0ZDQ5gha6RlqVZG_hCC5rFTO_DQYJViTZgQX7Imntjp4nz2jzPnMNlLr_-ySCBkfQ9hJ50U3PpK-cFU/s320/DSCN2592.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bh2K0983zNSQX6fhtnPhSG72gEC-xlVuwevJ9qMn4JUgFdYObs61ZbOnLttVBoYiggGPZp0m4yLySZ6EiQvFyZVgNWhjl_vSvxAaoV3vHRmtAZJroknQOJHcU67Jc0GmdA06MLgeOxE/s1600/DSCN2595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bh2K0983zNSQX6fhtnPhSG72gEC-xlVuwevJ9qMn4JUgFdYObs61ZbOnLttVBoYiggGPZp0m4yLySZ6EiQvFyZVgNWhjl_vSvxAaoV3vHRmtAZJroknQOJHcU67Jc0GmdA06MLgeOxE/s320/DSCN2595.jpg" /></a></div></p>
<p>Atop the stairs behind Trader Joe's in Arlington Heights.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjCa4r4Fm3tuRD6Kcts8YHR5ymyWe-B7aXm9CjptvhBfpV2J5a6aygD1tfOvPcjvgoMpi_3WTrgV9Nz_nQ_6Zsw0TtnmHYyjNGLfGf4Yo1NqeWRucOOC1dVejQj06K-9o3RjyUZ68UxE/s1600/DSCN2969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjCa4r4Fm3tuRD6Kcts8YHR5ymyWe-B7aXm9CjptvhBfpV2J5a6aygD1tfOvPcjvgoMpi_3WTrgV9Nz_nQ_6Zsw0TtnmHYyjNGLfGf4Yo1NqeWRucOOC1dVejQj06K-9o3RjyUZ68UxE/s320/DSCN2969.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS3LZeCQU0XoLo5KPH_4E67krari-rMLxae3g3e7vCAsTOewoHwGAEiPp-UTmU1GavwY7vI_4ExZ1bRo1H8I1iSoqi9HVQ0lnUVRpDFBhIcBI1PK9VfvO3KP5zXyrD-O9qchv2wDif-g/s1600/DSCN2971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS3LZeCQU0XoLo5KPH_4E67krari-rMLxae3g3e7vCAsTOewoHwGAEiPp-UTmU1GavwY7vI_4ExZ1bRo1H8I1iSoqi9HVQ0lnUVRpDFBhIcBI1PK9VfvO3KP5zXyrD-O9qchv2wDif-g/s320/DSCN2971.jpg" /></a></div></p>
<p>Betty Boop was one of four classic cartoon characters posted along the trail west of Lexington Center last summer.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPa_mASTcmswjyr51lT9qqMRkYpXCVyVyoOwiAEbz534Y0mdBTArLmr4Mj3Vur3r-v-C2FQivCYGe9vqmp1Vl398DbyCgcO5oSAnVvbbbN1G5m2wtcwGZUdIdhr4YJ7fIe61N6FxpRUM/s1600/DSCN3208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPa_mASTcmswjyr51lT9qqMRkYpXCVyVyoOwiAEbz534Y0mdBTArLmr4Mj3Vur3r-v-C2FQivCYGe9vqmp1Vl398DbyCgcO5oSAnVvbbbN1G5m2wtcwGZUdIdhr4YJ7fIe61N6FxpRUM/s320/DSCN3208.jpg" /></a></div></p>
<p>Not skating or running leaves time to look at smaller details along the way.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mIwVL6xBhRFGZCiNzT8PWe0KD5ZMHjbab1kRY0NVPYUhBrvaBjidKYlI_kJgrb9CvEiVCqXmMUsmdnD-p6BfTWAJ6O3fYvifFHWz29LzQDF3WXLFv7JNItk0O-8ggUHJKXCoRA3y_3M/s1600/DSCN2241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mIwVL6xBhRFGZCiNzT8PWe0KD5ZMHjbab1kRY0NVPYUhBrvaBjidKYlI_kJgrb9CvEiVCqXmMUsmdnD-p6BfTWAJ6O3fYvifFHWz29LzQDF3WXLFv7JNItk0O-8ggUHJKXCoRA3y_3M/s320/DSCN2241.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisRBJx89kN3Q9D_xEaX45QZy1b8Nw8rjSgfo1sbWyJFZ7U1q249iJMXioMdENJD9gZ9RnW2f58E6wI7Py4tkN7pgSOQyNFH3td2hpLD-Nwra2s6f84jWzCSFrEhaGDCJscMsUyDf4GLg/s1600/DSCN2250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisRBJx89kN3Q9D_xEaX45QZy1b8Nw8rjSgfo1sbWyJFZ7U1q249iJMXioMdENJD9gZ9RnW2f58E6wI7Py4tkN7pgSOQyNFH3td2hpLD-Nwra2s6f84jWzCSFrEhaGDCJscMsUyDf4GLg/s320/DSCN2250.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaU8xKF7xOlgrcCs42fVExUhwC0vkaxWZ7rXiNCib-bNk0FzRPdOdNFC6IBNlijkXyS8pnKw226qJgI6IJARO2H8bCFO7znRd1NEoHB_SUbhj4adKEmXaF_bam5CGTsT7cXg69YNeZuM/s1600/DSCN2252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaU8xKF7xOlgrcCs42fVExUhwC0vkaxWZ7rXiNCib-bNk0FzRPdOdNFC6IBNlijkXyS8pnKw226qJgI6IJARO2H8bCFO7znRd1NEoHB_SUbhj4adKEmXaF_bam5CGTsT7cXg69YNeZuM/s320/DSCN2252.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoInYgZIQU0abdP_S6EbC2yAuzMZbxpjl7F7hKIv6-5gWuIfG1qS_Gcbk4hoHzdUBnlyBmgAtY39_EjQfSWRtwF5xRSsGwexBJg13hKrDpR99NsTV_GoVxVvTit7ho_4MZ0raRm2u3yqM/s1600/DSCN2263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoInYgZIQU0abdP_S6EbC2yAuzMZbxpjl7F7hKIv6-5gWuIfG1qS_Gcbk4hoHzdUBnlyBmgAtY39_EjQfSWRtwF5xRSsGwexBJg13hKrDpR99NsTV_GoVxVvTit7ho_4MZ0raRm2u3yqM/s320/DSCN2263.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUGZAbo98YQZBxzZ6_say9sbaWT_kM-jVi84f2nHE5MJuaYPTHvyiVSTOePp84TeBS93lA7goBjBjuIW4hBm6fr-DgC3TzNBYjjpCiUZEHLUq8JxXa8AODRgsuyAZKEm1ozEq824Hqx4/s1600/DSCN2264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUGZAbo98YQZBxzZ6_say9sbaWT_kM-jVi84f2nHE5MJuaYPTHvyiVSTOePp84TeBS93lA7goBjBjuIW4hBm6fr-DgC3TzNBYjjpCiUZEHLUq8JxXa8AODRgsuyAZKEm1ozEq824Hqx4/s320/DSCN2264.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyi7OSAeo8pMNTetCWPB4r6EgZ8EvVk_zUeOA6sdGc4HUS96LTMt0gSrnuV8_3TkiJdjfvt3dIFrxUG5af_UTtI1ccapnpDVOTTE-JnA8WMsqH_CRTuEAHETk27os0xQsyU8cm1vkhyphenhyphenU4/s1600/DSCN2269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_lCqLboJSBhzIx1y8sJdjxC0vrFRc2gwhzvYvwlQKOxfu8y7ImBF9ha695Agse4BkN1-BkYAklkkLi9U2UPPGRgh_mvZcIBsgEWJkupKQ5tDXqb4GBwtaBckSd-QAdpIUDpsTGXkeLY/s320/DSCN2399.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Wfjivxe8T_qNq-RWwWQb6NzuAZN-_FnQ1Piai5Bz5a8NlvEJPDiJJfTZMpv1yt9CPja298tq8QcOa01Z3amH3ty141NVYqzY0NFYuFaaN2RWofEnbkSKBBRqlkNcny9Bvi8ReWsuAlo/s1600/DSCN2513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Wfjivxe8T_qNq-RWwWQb6NzuAZN-_FnQ1Piai5Bz5a8NlvEJPDiJJfTZMpv1yt9CPja298tq8QcOa01Z3amH3ty141NVYqzY0NFYuFaaN2RWofEnbkSKBBRqlkNcny9Bvi8ReWsuAlo/s320/DSCN2513.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFA19xzLbHyYXnzTyWs2z2jOq25G5V_NF46Es1UM_i8iEyeqklkbV41TndOt9vrnQZReVF2FtrcoHikt4R18T44-zYwRm8gkdeyIC5sus6MXuE4rvmCbfiBG2q3NcxUAO6j5akLfRs_BA/s1600/DSCN2517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghodNJTmPizgeZqFgsB42QGyw2Nc7GBd9HMLSdtEKz7zxcs4jOjJ776gQDQVvUsTjNkEGgymdtLAkfrCwpPNNaq9Xb0g7cccDqNL_A_uu-qS_SzpZKo-nqGoPQI4OP2_TaIZqS0cZyyho/s320/DSCN2805.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnFdm_r-JiaaVNbKCQj06OJniQHEZFf7twM_9pgoZ9cRWZsS9OU1rueVcyehv1FR9dnv1NFX_wDdF8DXjGpM_eyqdTZtutcl22xoBOtFlrkmrCDwcF8jmZSkt0L3ElqdlwT-i340bXzs/s1600/DSCN3062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnFdm_r-JiaaVNbKCQj06OJniQHEZFf7twM_9pgoZ9cRWZsS9OU1rueVcyehv1FR9dnv1NFX_wDdF8DXjGpM_eyqdTZtutcl22xoBOtFlrkmrCDwcF8jmZSkt0L3ElqdlwT-i340bXzs/s320/DSCN3062.jpg" /></a></div></p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-63604309632264128262013-12-31T13:49:00.001-05:002014-01-01T05:47:29.109-05:00Clear and cold<p>The trail is beautifully clear, at least through Arlington Heights, and the ramps are not.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ASqjARLTvAVJ0y9NWkNAoYPejtMuQR6DXJ-5sp2nlVx6_po03eYe54U5HDJZlN88CCOIPV3mH3Cp-1WqRKZH9XzF2Qn-aht8tC50QhC0rp7Duxf43nlTQj9rgkDfDchRvr0TeL37D-U/s1600/blogger-image--591830512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ASqjARLTvAVJ0y9NWkNAoYPejtMuQR6DXJ-5sp2nlVx6_po03eYe54U5HDJZlN88CCOIPV3mH3Cp-1WqRKZH9XzF2Qn-aht8tC50QhC0rp7Duxf43nlTQj9rgkDfDchRvr0TeL37D-U/s320/blogger-image--591830512.jpg" /></a></div>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-49079364847200006192013-12-26T10:18:00.001-05:002013-12-26T10:18:24.844-05:00Out with the old<p>All the links on the right here are tested and working. I can't find Clear The Trail anywhere and I don't know what's happened to winter trail-clearing in Arlington. <a href="http://www.folb.net/">Friends of Lexington Bikeways</a> look active on their main site, so I'm linking to that instead of their four-years-stale blog. I updated the links for <a href="http://www.walkinginarlington.com/">Walking in Arlington</a> and the <a href="http://www.skatefaq.com/">Skate FAQ</a>. The latter has some timeless content about learning, technique, and skills, which is fortunate because their front page describes the 2006 Disney Skate Expo/Marathon as "coming up". Dilatory as I've been lately, I'm timelier than that.</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-50106282818963692112013-06-05T16:13:00.000-05:002013-06-05T16:13:17.053-05:00Pretty Pictures<p>It was just insanely nice this morning. So no skating, no running, only strolling and taking pictures.</p><p align=center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJl24jDHemDFrfppCffjT0FviY0FvkmlYIHlyiBRCeXFYn9v2kvbj2MK8q8V4wmOZFjV7iUSlARxMfLSAiP3Lg7t5RXlfpGC8mz7x92Yxa2G69OgbRvafldbkQYwK8VrVvUVATLMTDNI/s1600/DSCN2089.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJl24jDHemDFrfppCffjT0FviY0FvkmlYIHlyiBRCeXFYn9v2kvbj2MK8q8V4wmOZFjV7iUSlARxMfLSAiP3Lg7t5RXlfpGC8mz7x92Yxa2G69OgbRvafldbkQYwK8VrVvUVATLMTDNI/s320/DSCN2089.jpg" /></a></p><p align=center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgoUTiiRPd0HwPe0IDwgctGaIMRsdwOftKfHxJzxjVga1vik3X7LHtfDlSpdK67nGwpFXht7pw7auD6pzvNrDAx8qFzAXgSjlrjHpr4nYhWLY3ICXCkwx6Tz2lNwPsLo4U_jmiWRPbyY/s1600/DSCN2095.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgoUTiiRPd0HwPe0IDwgctGaIMRsdwOftKfHxJzxjVga1vik3X7LHtfDlSpdK67nGwpFXht7pw7auD6pzvNrDAx8qFzAXgSjlrjHpr4nYhWLY3ICXCkwx6Tz2lNwPsLo4U_jmiWRPbyY/s320/DSCN2095.jpg" /></a></p><p align=center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUaW09r_CT_jie-T5ATzs1HBCQXcMghJuK726GhsAu5dzaghQTcdcg2MvGK6_S6dxFJ6kahOuyllJXmOq3xmcCSH13VTZYQRYTg81I-5ZIlpiKO2WR3MgAnqvzug2m-EKoc-TeJK5v2w/s1600/DSCN2105.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUaW09r_CT_jie-T5ATzs1HBCQXcMghJuK726GhsAu5dzaghQTcdcg2MvGK6_S6dxFJ6kahOuyllJXmOq3xmcCSH13VTZYQRYTg81I-5ZIlpiKO2WR3MgAnqvzug2m-EKoc-TeJK5v2w/s320/DSCN2105.jpg" /></a></p><p align=center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jTqA_EXMheRuYBx7C1rHyGdskN7UZxqS9tJbShX-00S8xqWldMrsNA97w5mpWZw-RsaNxSS4pNZsQ2NTswCJg_NvRFOwsUdUZ46llY6jBsDMh752eekYBxZqu0XCPV5CGFr7JKOPEsA/s1600/DSCN2110.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jTqA_EXMheRuYBx7C1rHyGdskN7UZxqS9tJbShX-00S8xqWldMrsNA97w5mpWZw-RsaNxSS4pNZsQ2NTswCJg_NvRFOwsUdUZ46llY6jBsDMh752eekYBxZqu0XCPV5CGFr7JKOPEsA/s320/DSCN2110.jpg" /></a></p><p align=center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-DIFLUB-ej6zicyrAwDkp2lx6k6XflAHPTo5SqVV24oS0N5XJRU5w9iZq6iIRY-Wp32dg5oKyfftbz7sho2JJsfNVblyVNmAyNYkFH9NX6-ZG1ulYBPR-ugepOAKNfMB04ncrfMRgW0/s1600/DSCN2115.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-DIFLUB-ej6zicyrAwDkp2lx6k6XflAHPTo5SqVV24oS0N5XJRU5w9iZq6iIRY-Wp32dg5oKyfftbz7sho2JJsfNVblyVNmAyNYkFH9NX6-ZG1ulYBPR-ugepOAKNfMB04ncrfMRgW0/s320/DSCN2115.jpg" /></a></p><p align=center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZzKVv6GLPfhi6PCj7-d1yyEG2_cnYrHAZ7_ETQUGMDG53RsLd7yj7bgh-T2bIOrgNzkOGglV1agi5zuM8ZJ3aU_pu-dAQKTilQHkxRst4NuTv9RY_3oHuRukO3Ya0cOEcaVNUalVFx0/s1600/DSCN2127.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZzKVv6GLPfhi6PCj7-d1yyEG2_cnYrHAZ7_ETQUGMDG53RsLd7yj7bgh-T2bIOrgNzkOGglV1agi5zuM8ZJ3aU_pu-dAQKTilQHkxRst4NuTv9RY_3oHuRukO3Ya0cOEcaVNUalVFx0/s320/DSCN2127.jpg" /></a></p><p align=center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilV2FNxYwxqAKfdQbqLdLtJ6ic4n_uTTgR_qABMclJZUcL5QPH3apMxFCbkHns8Nxzk78zBiWnuWH1ore0zh1z414m5pDYBgjd1WR_vlfhKD7nUlxq1FYgWkGtEGhRHia2sJxYMTMA5gw/s1600/DSCN2129.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilV2FNxYwxqAKfdQbqLdLtJ6ic4n_uTTgR_qABMclJZUcL5QPH3apMxFCbkHns8Nxzk78zBiWnuWH1ore0zh1z414m5pDYBgjd1WR_vlfhKD7nUlxq1FYgWkGtEGhRHia2sJxYMTMA5gw/s320/DSCN2129.jpg" /></a></p><p align=center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7l7VMaz9TYfC2EsTFoEcVQI811YP2KjnX9AiEAB4yYxhp38-5poRx9Sznu0zqsJPp0s12RXQkfzHTBM57xHZtZIBKdfvislg7Sh3ulXLjnax9K323xrXvU9Ack_BrKIdcP7TROz7r9rI/s1600/DSCN2130.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7l7VMaz9TYfC2EsTFoEcVQI811YP2KjnX9AiEAB4yYxhp38-5poRx9Sznu0zqsJPp0s12RXQkfzHTBM57xHZtZIBKdfvislg7Sh3ulXLjnax9K323xrXvU9Ack_BrKIdcP7TROz7r9rI/s320/DSCN2130.jpg" /></a></p><p align=center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCo-bEHf3NUE3KwNP5apdWO1JwCd7p7EJRD1_l_iuOI19yMJCOpPRAEC0vabA3lTdgVpzrMyQQXuXA6NFPuosXmruvEwnjSt0AwEnGL7lb19_87ng5FvtwWg0HMf2-pM4KH_AzrYX3Lk/s1600/DSCN2136.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCo-bEHf3NUE3KwNP5apdWO1JwCd7p7EJRD1_l_iuOI19yMJCOpPRAEC0vabA3lTdgVpzrMyQQXuXA6NFPuosXmruvEwnjSt0AwEnGL7lb19_87ng5FvtwWg0HMf2-pM4KH_AzrYX3Lk/s320/DSCN2136.jpg" /></a></p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-18207469939017163072013-06-04T13:42:00.001-05:002013-06-04T13:42:33.735-05:00No Hurd Field Parking Monday June 10th<p>From the Town of Arlington Notices:<blockquote>On Monday June 10th the parking lot at Hurd Field will be closed to allow the Town to perform required bi-annual maintenance of the lot. Work will be performed between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. To ensure that the lot is free of vehicles the lot will be closed at dusk on Sunday June 9th and will be re-opened as soon as the maintenance is completed.</blockquote></p><p>Today: 2.4 miles (running). This year: 177.5 miles (skating, running, walking).</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-79853462674901802352013-06-02T19:36:00.001-05:002013-06-02T19:36:33.781-05:00Flex Brake on Kickstarter<p>A friend pointed out the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/flexbrake/flex-brake-speed-control-for-your-inline-skates">Flex Brake</a> project on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/">Kickstarter</a>, pointed out to him by an <a href="http://www.icbskates.org/">Inline Club of Boston</a> announcement. The product is an add-on braking system usable on most four- or five-wheel inline skates. It can be installed on one skate or both and is activated by pulling on a strap. If you're comfortable crouching over your skates, the minimal version's strap passes over your laces. For the less flexible skater, there's a leash you can clip near your waist and pull while standing.</p><p>Do I want this? I'm not sure. I'm usually skating on a good surface where the standard heel brake works well. Crouching to pull the brake strap might be awkward and the leash might look dorky. On the other hand, better brakes could give me more confidence in the occasional tricky situation.</p><p>Watch the videos, read the blurb, and make your own decision.</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-46693601101548352392013-05-17T20:44:00.000-05:002013-06-03T05:11:38.707-05:00MeCam (Updated)<p>I've had a few bad encounters with motorists in fifteen or so years of skating on the Minuteman Bikeway. I reported one scofflaw to her employer. I've filed the RMV's <a href="http://www.cityofboston.gov/Images_Documents/Registry%20of%20Motor%20Vehicles%20Complaint%20of%20Improper%20Operation%20Form_tcm3-27877.pdf">Complaint of Improper Operation form</a> (PDF link) three times and gone to two RMV hearings. I complained to the Lexington police about a driver who threatened to kill me, both by his bad driving and in a crazy outburst. The problem with these efforts is that the driver only has to lie to get away clean. The nut job told police that I misheard him, that he didn't really scream "I'll run you over, you fucking weirdo!" The RMV never tells complainants about outcomes. And the delivery driver's employer promised to look into it, but wasn't sure which of their drivers might have been where I saw her. It's hard to make a complaint stick.</p><p>For drivers, a dashcam is the modern witness to accidents and incidents. For cyclists there are helmet cams. I wanted something smaller, lighter, and cheaper, so I bought a <a href="http://www.mecam.me/">MeCam</a>.</p><p>The MeCam is minimal video camera in a flat, round case about the size of a several dollar coins stacked. (I mean Eisenhower dollars, not Sacajawea.) The built-in battery charges via USB. For $50, $60, or $70, your MeCam comes with a 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB MicroSD card in your choice of color. Those memory cards will hold about 1, 2, or 4 hours of video. No matter which one you get, the battery only promises 80 minutes of recording. My hopes were that a MeCam would shoot adequate witness video, the battery would last through a typical outing, and the controls wouldn't be too frustrating.</p><p>The clip below demonstrates MeCam's cellphone-like video quality. That's no surprise -- it certainly has a cellphone camera inside. You can see the traffic lights, the walk lights, the traffic flow, and every twitch of my head in the sample. (The camera is stuck to my helmet with Velcro.) Leaving the camera to run itself out, I got about 78 minutes of video before it quit. That's enough for my purpose and pretty close to the advertised 80 minutes.</p><p>The controls are MeCam's worst feature. These are three tiny buttons set unfortunately close together on one side of the case. Turning the camera on or off or starting video recording requires holding a button for several seconds and watching for feedback from an led set into the top of the case. Bobbling the controls means accidentally taking a still photo or a useless video fragment. One incident corrupted the memory card and annoyed my Linux desktop. Another incident left a corrupt video fragment that freaked out iPhoto. If you're not comfortable poking into the memory card's file system, these could be big problems.</p><p>The brief instructions supplied with MeCam weren't written by a native speaker of English. They mention some way of timestamping video which I don't understand. They don't mention how to set the camera's clock: all my videos show file dates in 2007. [Update: see below, after the video.] Despite these minor problems, I think it was a good choice.</p><p align=center>Crossing Bedford Street<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7i6s4-JaqVE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p>Update: What I misunderstood as instructions for adding a timestamp were really explaining (or trying to explain) how to set the camera's time. Write a plain text file named <code>time.txt</code> with contents such as <code>2013-06-03 13:12:00</code> into the root (top-level folder) of the camera's file system. Shoot a video. The file will disappear and the camera's clock will be set.</p><p>Today: 13 miles. This year: 159.4 miles.</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-44538934381663013532013-05-16T08:38:00.002-05:002013-05-16T08:38:29.184-05:00Detour Deluxe<p>I've avoided the detoured portion of the trail between Woburn Street and Seasons Four this week, expecting that the detour consists of being dumped out on Mass. Ave. Not the case. Well, sort of the case, except that a lane's worth of Mass. Ave. on the north side has been marked off with construction barrels to keep the cars out and make the detour reasonably safe. It's way better than I thought.</p><p>Today: 8.4 miles. This year: 146.4 miles.</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-52729554015031200722013-05-07T20:19:00.001-05:002013-05-14T08:59:14.327-05:00Burn Rate<p>I've searched a few times to learn how many calories per hour a person uses for inline skating versus other exercises and I've found various answers. Last week it occurred to me that calories per mile might be a better measure. Googling that instead brought me to Phil Lenihan's <a href="http://www.lenihan.org/sk8_calories.htm">In-line skating Calorie Usage Chart</a>, which gives calories per hour for various body weights and paces. Phil credits "Rollerblade / University of Massachusetts Fitness Study" for the original data.</p><p>Plotting Phil's numbers made me think that Phil made some transcription or arithmetic errors. I haven't found the study he cites, so I reverse-engineered his numbers into a formula for <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0Aifop_cGMIukdE41Yk5RYVFvNUM3NHptbzVSVHNMRFE&single=true&gid=0&output=html">my own spreadsheet</a>. For example, if I weigh 140 pounds and skate 10 miles per hour (both of which were true today), I use about 500 calories per hour. I don't expect these numbers to be very accurate, just to be a general guide.</p><p align=center><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0Aifop_cGMIukdE41Yk5RYVFvNUM3NHptbzVSVHNMRFE&single=true&gid=0&output=html" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHHu79bQdmxrVIWzA0WHhKUN9DxQX_wsCEP2x2O5lfrDEzaDWN7rQ2U5oBtS11uPkcWNukKVGvrbVGMibpzM2-Wfrzmni2xjFy41_UhuHRttuBj-WrKo7TuNE0wSwgUszSirZBY1mpXY/s320/skating+burn+rates.png" /></a></p><p>Today: 13 miles. This year: 118.7 miles.</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-21597358927597085472013-05-07T09:20:00.002-05:002013-05-07T14:57:12.906-05:00Detour starting May 13th<p>The trail will be closed between Seasons Four and Woburn Street in Lexington starting May 13th for replacement of a failed culvert. Go around via Mass. Ave. instead. Work is expected to take several weeks. See <a href="http://ci.lexington.ma.us/dpw/constructionprojects.cfm">Lexington DPW Contract #13-56</a> for details.</p><p align=center>Time for new wheels<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1z8_9gEsN_LEJd5Iuwwpd0-xREZj0Lc2e-BEZode0dGZNNrsx6EoLE0cpUPf4CGKCu4yw2QoQVLVlssLqQZIzVpobfCDE9QawbXx_rJXC2NE_DIKSdGB-hDpnH6UM2fRkWnatDFDq0M/s1600/DSCN1816.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1z8_9gEsN_LEJd5Iuwwpd0-xREZj0Lc2e-BEZode0dGZNNrsx6EoLE0cpUPf4CGKCu4yw2QoQVLVlssLqQZIzVpobfCDE9QawbXx_rJXC2NE_DIKSdGB-hDpnH6UM2fRkWnatDFDq0M/s320/DSCN1816.JPG" /></a></p><p>Today: 13 miles. This year 118.7 miles.</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-22506932026068412202013-04-25T09:41:00.000-05:002013-04-25T15:30:06.393-05:00Count or be counted<p>Once again, the <a href="http://www.ctps.org/Drupal/">Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization</a> has asked the <a href="http://www.abac.arlington.ma.us/">Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee</a> to survey Minuteman Commuter Bikeway use. ABAC will count trail users from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Saturday May 11th and Tuesday May 14th. Volunteer counters are needed for one or two hour commitments. To volunteer for counting in Arlington Center, contact Joey Glushko in the Dept. of Planning and Community Development (781-316-3093; or e-mail <a href="mailto:jglushko@town.arlington.ma.us">jglushko@town.arlington.ma.us</a>) with your name, contact information, and the dates and time that you're available. To count in East Arlington near Thorndike Field, contact <a href="http://ealscoalition.org/">EALS (East Arlington Livable Streets)</a> coordinator Chad Gibson at <a href="mailto:chdgibson@yahoo.com">chdgibson@yahoo.com</a>.</p><p>Today: 12.0 miles. This year: 90.0 miles.</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6989180695204628343.post-56696402801633107272013-04-24T14:44:00.001-05:002013-04-24T14:44:03.770-05:00Bikeway Cleanup April 27thFrom the Arlington Town Notices mailing list: "Please join the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee in a spring cleanup of the Minuteman Bikeway in Arlington. The cleanup will take place on Saturday, April 27th from 9:30am to 1:00pm. The rain date is Sunday, April 28th. For more information please visit <a href="http://www.arlingtonma.gov/abac">arlingtonma.gov/abac</a>."<p>Today: 7.4 miles. This year: 78.0 miles.</p>Trail Skaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04268705236842731357noreply@blogger.com0