Parking: got in trouble...

[Miranda]

Here's the latest update after calling the phone number on my windshield note today. It's a "no go" to park there anymore.

It was the Pastor that answered the church phone and I identified myself per his note. First, I apologized and said that I meant no harm. Next, I thanked him for not towing my vehicle. I explained my route struggles and said that his church local was perfect. I told him that I understood about the liability, but maybe I could sign a letter or note etc. if willing to let me return when they deemed the lot was free. He was very cordial, but not budging on the parking. I was about to offer the $ donation next, but since it seemed to be going no where, I just didn't.

This really bums me out in more ways than one. I have gotten kinda down about my cycling lately. Been board with my routes and trying to fight the busy roads to get to the good ones. This ride gave me an uplift. I just bought my first ever bike carrier rack so I could do exactly what I did this ride. In spending the $ on the rack, I thought, this will give me the freedom to explore new places that I could not normally ride to on my own. Mixing things up was a tip I read on here before, and it does help.

Well, my only other thought is to maybe figure out a different parking place on the route. I did think about the vandalism too. I took my mt bike to a new trail place recently as well. It's very isolated. Which is part of what makes it so beautiful to mt bike in. However, a couple things scared me that I should not be out there alone.

One, when loading my mt bike up, I noticed that there was shattered glass all over. Like a broken window. Yikes. I have my purse with me for the ID etc, but cover it with something in the vehicle. So, the comment in this thread about the neighborhood made me think of this.

There was a very odd hiker in the further point from the car. It just gave me a very weird vibe about him. I cordially said hello, and rode (as limitedly fast as I could on a rooty single track) away from him. The vibe told me it was time to get out of there. Then, as I approached the parking lot (bike rack on car, kinda obviously me, mtb chick) I had an erie feeling about loading up. That makes me think about parking places.

I must say though, it was so freeing being able to load my bike up on that rack. It's like my bike and I were on a school girl field trip. Goofy, I know, but maybe I'm not alone.