Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify

Topography coming from Walden Pond (left to right)

Distance: 27.03 miles
Time: 2 hrs 36 mins 59 sec
Average: 10.3 mph
Calories: 1,765
Miles in 2011: 160.98
Total Miles: 1,010.01

Walden Pond, Concord, MA 2011

Today is a very special day. I knew that the next place I would bike to, I would pass the 1,000 miles mark and thus it had to be a very special voyage. I figure the most appropriate place was to visit Walden Pond, in Concord MA a place I dreamed of biking way before I bought my bike. I have been pushing and pushing this trip, but it finally came true. I have previously visited Walden Pond, but I cheated a little bit (one year ago tomorrow). Today the total miles was 27.03 which, also makes it the longest I have biked!
The bike ride was difficult in some parts. I still have a mild chest congestion that made it difficult at the beginning to ride. I was coughing all the time, but after 2 miles of riding, it magically disappeared. The road to Walden Pond has many small hills which never ends. Also, it is basically uphill (see topography above reading it from right to left after the huge hill in the middle). But, I persevered and arrived at my destination. It was as beautiful as I remembered it to be. This time I even managed to walk the 1.5 mile loop around Walden Pond and I visited the site of Thoreau's house (see pictures below). The water was very tempting and the weather was in the low 80s. I didn't bring a bathing suit, but I took my t-shirt and shorts off, and in bra/panties went into the water. The cool thing about Walden is that you can go in the water along the pond, not necessarily at the beach. Thus, I had a special secluded part all for me. I sat in the water and meditated on the lovely view. The little fish that inhabit the pond made an arc around me and just stared at me. It was a funny spectacle. I don't know what they were waiting for me to do. I left their house (I felt like an intruder) and sat on a rock and just took everything in. After that I finished the loop around the Pond and went to the parking lot to buy a hot dog and a soda. I ate that (the best hot dog in the world... and yes, I am a quasi-vegetarian like Thoreau) and some other stuff I brought from home. As I looked at the beach and people enjoying themselves, I was getting worry about my trip back home. I was tired. I didn't think I had it in me. However, when I was going to Walden Pond, I didn't realized I was going up hill all the time, so going back home, was down hill! It wasn't as difficult as I thought, and the Concord, Lincoln, Wayland section went fast. I got home a minute faster than going to Walden Pond. In all, I am extremely happy that I went there again, and also, broke the 1,000 miles mark. Here is to 1,000 miles more!

Wayland Library, Wayland MA

Route to Concord, MA. It was very scenic and calm.

Walden Pond, Concord MA. The water is VERY inviting! It turns from green to blue.

Walden (bike) in front of Walden Pond! It was exactly 13.52 miles from my house. Took me 1hr and 18 minutes.
The site of Henry David Thoreau's house where he wrote Walden; or, Life in the Woods.Beneath these stones lies the Chimney Foundation of Thoreau's Cabin 1845-1847. "Go tho, my incense upward from this hearth"

Site of Thoreau's house... very small! 10 x 15 ft.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life. And see if I could not learn what it had to teach and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. - Thoreau

This picture is from the POV of Thoreau's house. This is what he would have seen when he left his house.

the track around Walden Pond (1.5 miles) is VERY well maintained and easy to navigate.

People made stones pyramids and left notes. This is right next to the house.

Walden Pond Beach

Walden Pond

All round Walden Pond are these cute little fishes.

This is in Wayland, MA going back home. A couple of weeks ago a girl was killed by her abusive/obsessive ex-boyfriend. It was the first homicide in more than 25 years in the town of Wayland. This pink ribbon was in many of the street signs and mailboxes in the town in remembrance. Very tragic.

As a biker I have seen my few share of road killed. RIP little guy.