ride after some rain

I had a shy group today

I'd put in to list a ride with a stop at the Blawenburg Bistro, and then planned to cross the Griggstown Causeway on the way back to the start at the Claremont School. The rain yesterday meant that there was a risk that the causeway would be flooded at the time I wanted to cross, but I checked the level online this morning, and it looked like high water had crested at about seven feet. The level of "action" (which I take to mean closing the causeway) is 9.5 feet, so it looked like we'd get across with no problem, but I resolved to check the level when we got to the break, just to be sure.

I had (holy bananas!) seventeen registrants.

(I'd posted in the listing that I'd been a mess recently and could use the company. One rider mentioned that; others may have seen it and decided to come along. I was glad to have so many.)

It was grey and cold, but not as bad as the pictures make it look. We went out from Claremont and kept to a C+ pace. 

Along the way, we passed a group that included past club president Ira S, past VP Andy C, and some others I recognized.

Near the Veteran's Park:

We stopped at that Blawenburg Bistro that The Excellent Wife (TEW) and I like.

And another group with some members showed up while we were at the Bistro. So despite the weather, a number of folks went out today.

But I checked the water level at Griggstown while we were at the stop... and the crest had NOT occurred overnight. Water had continued to rise. I was afraid the causeway would be closed, and we might need pontoons and outboard motors to get across. I offered the group either going straight back over 518, or the unpleasant hill on Opossum. One voice RESOLUTELY vetoed the hill on Opossum, so we came back on 518 with the plan of turning up Canal Road.

When we got to Canal Road, we passed a "road closed" sign. I've been through flooding on Canal Road, and was concerned about that; my speed went up as I raced up to see if there was water across the road... and the group mostly kept up with me!

But on the way, we passed the group from our cub again, who had obviously gone over the section of road I was worried about. And when we got the the causeway, it was still open.

Oh, well. I make the best decision I can, with the information I have at the time.

We got back to the start, and nobody was complaining about the route change (it's rare that anybody else treats me as badly as I treat myself). One rider mentioned he'd had a great time coming up Canal Road with no traffic behind!

I need to find a way to take credit for decisions that I see as mistakes.