#110: Sharing is Caring Plus Savory Pie Recipe
Sharing is Caring on the ODT and Corn, Pepper, Tomato and Sausage Pie
Well, it was bound to happen. Arrow and I had our first fall and before you ask, are you ok? I am just fine. Here’s what happened.
The Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) is a 135 mile long world class trail that walkers, trekkers, hikers, and bikers enjoy year round on the Olympic Peninsula. An access point to the West Central part of the trail is just a ten minute ride from my home. I join it there and head out another twenty minutes or so out to the Elwah River Bridge for a beautiful hour ride which I try to take daily rain or shine…although we haven’t had much in the way of rain yet for me to test out my rain pants and anorak. When I ride I keep my lights on, ring my bike bell to alert walkers that I am coming up behind them, and slow down way down to pass and say “on your left” as I do. I’ve never had a problem…until recently.
I was on my way back from the bridge and nearly to the access point when I saw six walkers ahead in two lines of three spread out nearly the full width of the trail. As a bike coming west had just past them, it appeared that there was space to pass on their left. I slowed down way down, rang my bell multiple times, and as I approached them said in my big voice…“on your left,” and began to pass. The person in the back row on the left, called out to someone in the first row on the left who proceeded to turn around to their left just in front of me. I slammed on Arrow’s brakes, and even though I wasn’t going fast, I wobbled and…down I went. They gathered around me and gave me a hand up. I asked if they had heard my bell or me saying “on your left.” “Nope.” I knew that their attention was on the conversations they were having but they told me that they don’t hear bike bells or people on the trail because of diminished hearing and that I should get an ahooga horn. Hmmmm…I told them it was doubtful that I would.
I headed home with both my seat and handlebars askew, but glad it wasn’t any worse. Once there I reviewed the ODT trail guidance page. A few things to note for ALL trail users whether on foot or bike.
Share the trail
Maintain passing room on your left
Continually watch for other trail users
Yield the right of way to those passing you from behind
It also says:
You are responsible for your own safety at all times.
So, to maintain my safety in the future, when I see a group on the trail showing no response, I will stop, get off, and walk around them.
When I told the owner at a local bike repair shop my story, he shared with me that he sings in a loud voice as he approaches walkers responsive or non. I asked him what he sings and he broke into a version of this with extemporized bike passing lyrics about him coming up on your left! “Good Morning, Good Morning, I’m coming up on your left…”
I might try that, too!
Here are some links to recent posts from a few of my favorite Substack writers.
Now for my paid subscribers here’s the Recipe for Corn, Pepper, Tomato and Sausage Pie. Along with a green salad, and a ripe pear for dessert, it’s what’s for supper tonight at my house.
Recipe: Corn, Pepper, Tomato, and Sausage Pie
From Home Cooking with Kate McDermott