Lake Lavon - Here we come!
Posted by Chandra Eswaran | Tags: Cheap , Rail-Trails , Routes & Rides , Texas
My buddy Michael and I left on Saturday morning from Frisco, Texas, to head to Lake Lavon in Wylie, Texas. I had ridden to Hidden Cove Park in Frisco, Texas, the previous weekend and decided that parts of the route were not the best suited for bicycling.
So, instead of riding my bike to the starting point, this time around I had my lovely wife drop me off at the starting point. Our route included some of the paved trails in DFW. We got to enjoy the exceptionally stunning Blue Bonnets along many of the trails.
After checking-in at the Lake Lavon Park Office, we went straight to our campsite, set up our tents, and started preparing dinner.
I had my Trangia Alcohol stove and the Clickstand kit with me, while Michael had created his own alcohol stove -- an adaptation of an alcohol stove that he made out of a Heineken beer can, a copper-rich (1966) penny, and parts of a bicycle spoke. It worked like a charm!
After dinner, we walked down to the beach, which was just a few yards away from our campsite. I came across a piece of driftwood in the water that reminded me of a rhino for some reason. The designs in the rocks found on the beach were awesome, reminding me of jigsaw puzzles. Upon returning from the beach, we went to check out a couple of Geocaches. We found tons of Bullfrogs around Lake Lavon.
Upon completion of our Geocahing adventure, Michael went looking for snakes on the beach. Michael is a snake aficionado and he found this Diamondback Water snake (non-venomous) on the beach. It was not a very big snake, but it was quite mischievous. It bit my friend several times and made him bleed, but Michael did not seem to mind. Eventually, Michael and the snake decided to part ways!
After all this excitement, we sat around and talked about a wide range of topics from bicyling to world peace and eventually went to bed around midnight. I slept okay during the night and was up at 7:30. After the morning ablutions, we both prepared our respective breakfasts. I had my usual camping breakfast of oatmeal with raw almonds & apple and a cup of coffee. After breakfast, we packed up and headed back towards Garland, Texas. Michael and I said goodbye at Garland, where I hopped on DART's Blue Line, transferred to the Green Line at Pearl Street, which took me to Farmers Branch. I rode back to Irving from Farmers Branch. The ride on day 2 was quite challenging, although it was much shorter than the first day, because of the wind gusts. I think the wind was blowing at a steady 20-30 MPH from the South West, the exact direction of our return route from Lake Lavon.
Areas to improve: 1. Pack less for S24O 2. Take a chill-pill/sleep-aid at night 3. Improvise charging electronics 4. Buy a water purification system/filter.
Areas in which I did well: 1. Eat well and drink plenty 2. Sleep is critical 3. Choose a reliable riding partner.
All said and done, it was a wonderful weekend trip! Tip for this adventure: For a great view of the sunset, make sure to check out the horizon beyond Lake Lewisville. It is absolutely breathtaking.
Favorite local bike shop: Trinity Bicycles
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