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We do this ride every year on our anniversary. 12 years today. 14 together. 3,700 feet of climbing in a loop that is less than 19 miles. Why? Because it works. And it's glorious. Nothing good ever came from anything easy. Happy Anniversary, Momma. You are my life.
This is NOT Walden. Find the book (you can get it at Full Cycle in Boulder). It's a great read about an intrepid, buried in debt young man who chooses a life of solitude and sincerity in a 200 square foot cabin right here in the heartland of Nederland. Great read. Kudos to R.C. - I loved it - I will buy many copes, and I learned many lessons reading the book. They are relevant lessons in that I am in a large life-transition - leaving the much (self) heralded world of advertising and moving back to some roots as it were - with an extended break in between. Like the last three weeks, plus about 40 days of complete empty bliss focusing on family, life, music, The Woods, The Acres and the quiet and solitude that this life affords. I will not fore-go income, or health insurance, or water and heat and a shitter - as R.C did. In this way I am a total sissy. But, I plan things well. I am pretty focused don making the best of all situations. This situation rocks - and I am going to fricking make the best of it.
As far as that goes - today was a great example of leveraging the time. Quinn's first day of school. We got up early and chilled and read and got ready for school. I headed to the deck to do yoga, up a tree to trim limbs and eventually (and inevitably) into the wooooooooooooods. Later, a the ned skatepark, while waiting for Rabbit (he was drinking at the pub) I had a blast. Then I came home and worked some.
Day 1. Of 40. Bring that shit in - as Zach would say.
Whatever the medium. Solo. Watching friends climb long, rugged climbs. Watching friends enjoying a great sunset here in the 'yard'. It's all lessons. All of it. I think I figured out about 25 years ago - when I put my bike together outside the Portland (Oregon) airport, and rode it to Boston - that I would figure much of this out from the seat of a bike. Not a bad spot. View. Thinking spot. Time I told that story, I guess.
I think part of the real lesson here is that these moments are always available. Easier to access now - that I have some 'space' - but they are always 'here' if we are 'here' to see and feel them.
Rather than being the renegade, this is a simple community service. And here in lies the lesson. This trail passes through a neighbors yard. I use the term yard, loosely. I drop this trail many evenings. Climb it many mornings. I ran into this neighbor the other day and he was blocking downed trees, and apologized for dropping this tree across 'my' trail that went through 'his' land. Whoaaa. So - I volunteered some labor - as in a trade for access. Got it? Rather than flip off land owners, or tell them they suck or they can't stop you from riding on THEIR land...maybe stop. Say hey. Volunteer some labor. The secret - to access - is this simple. It lasts for years.....pay it forward - barter your access - make friends with the locals...they are cool - they care - and it is their land. They could shoot you - if you were - say - endangering their livestock with your mountain bike. It's. The. Law.
Just Sayin'.
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