ALL TRAILS LEAD TO ICE CREAM

There are moments in our lives when each of us makes life altering decisions.  We come to that proverbial fork in the road and choices are spread out before us.  I know this is true because I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person to wonder "what would have happened if would have _____ instead of _____."   I'm guessing that each of us can pinpoint at least five or six crucial moments when we made one of those decisions that set the course of our lives and would ultimately shape us into the person we would become. Bedford, Pennsylvania.  Photo taken from the hilltop above Cumberland Road just west of town--2015 For me, one of those moments came in 1995 when I made the decision to leave my hometown of Bedford, Pennsylvania and accepted a teaching job at Northeastern School District in York County ...one hundred miles to the east.  I made a conscious decision to move (I had been offered opportunities in Bedford) because I wanted (and needed) a fresh start....

Close your eyes.  Just for a a few seconds.  What images did you see?  Faces?  Places?  I see darkness...with flashes of light...mixed with images from the past.  Often I see images of my wife, my family, my mother (who we lost almost thirteen years ago)...but it is always the past...and never in color.  My mind has the uncanny ability to transport me to places I've been 5, 10, even 30 years ago.  It might be because I religiously take photographs and have them meticulously categorized on my computer.  It might be because those same pictures are set as the screen saver on my computer...endlessly recycling and taking me on random journey of my past.  Robin says that I'm her historian...keeping a record of our life together.    With my eyes closed...I can see the summer sun shining through the dense foliage in Michaux State Forest . If you let it, your mind can be a dangerous place.  Often, it will dwell on things th...

The decision to have surgery on my back was not an easy one and not one that I took lightly.  Ultimately, I knew that, if I ever wanted to walk comfortably without pain again, I would have to have it done.  Over the course of the last year it had become difficult, if not sometimes impossible, for me do some simple things that I had always taken for granted...things like taking an evening walk around the block with my wife, Robin.  I think the hardest part of my decision was coming to terms with the fact that I would have put, not only my biking, but pretty much all physical activities, on hold for a while. My wife will probably be upset with me for posting this pic...but this was the first "pain-free" walk that I was able to take with her for quite some time.  It meant so much to me -- March 16, 2016 I will admit that, in my head, I had set (what I found out was) some pretty unrealistic recovery goals:  I'd be walking around the block within a few days.....

I once told someone my biggest fear was that I would break a leg and not be able to ride my bike.  The thought of being on a couch (especially during spring or summer) would be enough to drive me insane.  To be completely fair...if I were confined to a couch for an extended period of time...my wife would be the one going insane.  I'm not necessarily the best patient.  Well...I guess both she, and I, are going to find out.   Soaking in as much as I can on what would, more than likely, be my last ride for a few months -- March 13, 2016 In the back of my head, I've always known that, considering how active I am, my body would someday, somehow, give out.  According to my doctor, the problems with my back aren't a result of anything I've done.   He just said, "Sometimes, life happens."  Life is funny like that...one day you are buying a new mountain bike and the next day you are getting ready to have back surgery.  I think the hardest par...

 I picked up my new mountain bike at Gung Ho on Thursday evening.  I had been anxiously waiting to get it for a while.  I really got my money's worth out of my 2011 Stumpjumper...the bike served me well...but after five seasons of hard riding, it was time to send it off to retirement. My new bike, a Specialized Stumpjumper Comp Carbon 29 World Cup  , took it's maiden voyage today at Swatara Gap State Park .   Mark and I headed up there this morning, figuring that after all the rain and snow the past few weeks, it would be the best place to ride.   Picking up my new bike at Gung Ho -- March 3, 2016 Swatara never disappoints.  With 3,520 acres of forest and rolling hills in the middle of Swatara Valley, the park houses a series of multiple trails that loop and intertwine  allowing you to turn pedals the entire ride.  Recently, DCNR created a new trail head and parking area at Swatara...which is a significant upgrade over the prev...

In high school , I was part of the track team.  To this day, I'm not quite sure why I went out for track in ninth grade.  I sure as hell didn't like to run and, to the best of my knowledge, no one in my family ever ran track.  But there I was...an out of shape, 14 year old, mullet clad freshman at the first day of track practice.  I can only imagine the amount of eye rolling the coach, Mr. Bob Shank, must of been doing.  I wasn't motivated to be there in any way, shape, or form.  At one point, I must have told coach Shank that I wanted to try to throw the javelin...he acquiesced, no doubt to get me out of sight and out of the way.   A 15 year old me competing in the District V Track & Field Championship -- May 1989 I would like to say that I picked up the javelin, instantly became a star, and gained the admiration of coach Shank...but life doesn't work that way.  I sucked...and there's no other way to put it.  I'm pretty sure t...