When I rode the Berryman Trail in January, I had a great time and wanted to come back right away. Well, life and the weather have not shared my enthusiasm for this. Upon hearing the forecast for the weekend, I braced myself and just said "Self, we are going to Berryman on Sunday!" And so it was. I cranked some love songs on the CD player and headed west on 44 to the promised land.
It doesn't take too long before this guy comes into view. However, the Bourbon water tower is still 20 miles from the Brazil Creek Trail Head. It's a fun 20 miles, though. Twists, turns, and some really cool views. It always has me wishing that I had a racier car.
Oh, and the ride? First off, the trail was in good condition. The surface of the trail is rocky, so 90% of it is literally unfazed by the rain or the freeze/thaw cycle that plagues the soil in the STL. Just a few mud holes, never a problem, to deal with. I was having a great time, flowing really well. But the 12 mile mark came and Jesus Christ in a rowboat, I got a puncture in my rear tire. I was devastated. But I pulled up my big boy pants, fixed it, and still ended up more than 10 minutes faster than my January ride! Yeah! I was
super excited when I rode into the parking lot upon finishing.
It took me a while to rack Blurple onto the Focus and get steered toward home. After an effort like that, I'm usually pretty knackered. It seemed like it took forever, but I finally spotted Taco Bell on the main highway. Lifesaver!
Before I rolled my bike into the garage at home, I spied the big gash in the rear tire. No hope for the sealant to work on that one. I must have hit the only sharp thing on the entire Berryman trail
