Adventure by Bike

I ventured north this past weekend to visit with my parents and help them out with their yard work, chores around the house, and taking my mother out on errands to the grocery store and pharmacy. It's been difficult watching them get old and my father's health and the care involved is beginning to wear on my mom.

However, I was also fortunate enough to find time to venture out on the bike and log some fine miles through the forests north of town. It's amazing to me that a cyclist can venture out on these forest roads and often times ride for miles without encountering a vehicle or another person. I have yet to run into another cyclist on these sojourns into the forest. If I do meet people they are out walking their dog, in a vehicle, or riding on an ATV. Most of the time I get a surprised look, a smile, and a wave or thumbs up.

There are so many places that two wheels will take you. No motors, no noise, no exhaust, just the sights and sounds that nature provides. I feel sorry for those that only know of motorized means of getting around through the woods.

I tend to not worry about miles, elevation gain, intervals, speed, and things that would be considered "training" in many cyclists minds. It's the "ride" pure and simple, along with the sights and sounds you see and hear along the way.

Sadly enough it's not all beautiful scenery. It seems that lately on ventures into the northwoods this is becoming a much more common sight. Many of the woods I've known since childhood are looking more and more like the photo above. The arguments for and against it abound, but all I can say is that it's unsightly. Whether or not it is healthy for the forest and wildlife is not for me to decide. That's up to the experts, then again, I often think that it is the so called experts that have screwed things up to begin with.

I'm fortunate to have grown up in such a beautiful place and even more fortunate to still have the opportunity to travel north and enjoy it on two wheels.

I think this pretty much says it all :)