Trails!

With Greg home from school I've had a little time to explore some more potential mountain biking trails. We've been running and biking a bit in the trails behind the cemetery that is near our house and they're not too bad. But a few weeks ago Greg noticed another area near our house that looked like it had good potential. I asked around and we found out that yes indeed, folks do ride these trails. In fact, the area is known as the land locked forest and like many unfortunate and much loved mountain bike areas, people are currently fighting to preserve it (I learned from the flyers put out at the entrance to the trails and the huge banner on the highway reading "Save the Landlocked Forest.")

One of the trail access points is less than a mile from our house but I didn't know this when I started out so I did a road ride of about 3 miles to get to the trails. Shortly after entering I was greeted by several deer, looking a little startled by my chain rattling presence. Its been awhile since I've run into deer in their natural habitat and I forgot what strikingly beautiful animals they are. They are reason enough to save the forest.

As I rattled my way down a gentle, twisting decent and bounced over baby heads (characteristic of NE mountain biking), I noticed another trail off to the left and planned to come back and investigate that one when the one I was on ended. Well, that never happened b/c the trail I was on just kept going and going and I passed countless other trails heading off in different directions. The place is a virtual paaahhhsta bowl of trails! I encountered lots of bridges, some passable, others destroyed. I rode down a ravine with super tight, super buff switchbacks that finished at a small rock drop onto a bridge and then switchbacked up the other side. There were some steeps with roots and rocks to navigate. There were lots of tight turns and plenty of buff trail. I couldn't ask for much better riding less than 4 minutes blur time from my front door. So I think we'll be out there lots, braving the deer ticks and mosquitos and maybe even the snow!