ALL TRAILS LEAD TO ICE CREAM

"Me time" is important but even the most introverted of us are feeling the strain of social distancing right now. While it is necessary, it sure doesn't seem natural.  As an educator, I seriously miss being in my classroom...it is, after all, my chosen profession.  As a son, I'm frustrated that I don't feel comfortable making the drive two hours west and visit my dad and Mary Jane.  As a father, it sucks that my son can't celebrate his 21st birthday today with his friends...like I'm sure he has envisioned for a long time.  (Selfishly, I'm glad he's spending it at home.)  And yes, the provider in me is annoyed, and increasingly concerned, that finding toilet paper for my family is like actually finding treasure on Oak Island.   Maintaining my social distance and straddling the Cumberland/Adams County line in Michaux State Forest .  - March 24, 2020 Here, in York County, Pennsylvania, even though the facilities in State Parks are close...

I was supposed to meet Chris and Ben at Rocky Ridge yesterday afternoon for a Friday afternoon happy hour ride...but Mother Nature was really not cooperating.  Being good stewards of the trials, we all agreed...even before the local park service announced on Twitter that the trails were closed...to postpone until next week.  I have to admit that I was a little disappointed (although I satisfied my addiction with a road ride).  Honestly, it wasn't the fact that the trails were closed that was the most disappointing to me...more so it was that I was looking forward to getting together with Chris and Ben for some trail time with friends.   Nature is awesome...but it is even more so with friends. Once again, I find myself looking back over the past year at those who have shared in my outdoor adventures and I was reminded how blessed I am to be surrounded by so many amazing people.  What follows is a compilation of photographs showing group therapy at its best....

The sun was out today and that made all the difference.  Sure, the cool, crisp February air still has a grip on central Pennsylvania, but yeah...the sun makes all the difference in the world.  I have a trainer...but I rarely use in.  I'd rather ride 5 miles outside in the cold, windy, overcast January and February weather than ride 30 on a trainer.  I've written on numerous occasions about my desire and need to be outside to soak in Vitamin N and reap the benefit of outside exercise...but it is during the months of January and February that those things become even more important.  The crux of the matter is that those two months are the hardest time of the year to experience those things that help keep me balanced. Just being out in the sun on an unmarked trail at Rocky Ridge County Park. -- February 1, 2020 I believe in seasonal depression.  It's real and it can be a struggle for a lot of people...including me.  The amount of time spent ind...

Life is one step in front of the other.  For those of us who mountain bike life can be described as the the continuous cranking of the pedals.  No matter if you choose to take a hike or to ride a bike...it's that sense of beauty, exhilaration, fun, and inspiration that propels us forward down the trail.  But...what about that trail that passes beneath our feet and disappears under our rolling tires?  I can't believe that I'm the only person who has ever paused to wonder who originally blazed it?  Who maintains it?  What historic figures may have traveled on it?  And...if the trail could talk...what would it say?... what stories could it tell?... and what advice would it give? Possibly something as simple as this: WALK INTO BEAUTY STAY ON YOUR PATH FIND INSPIRATION AROUND EVERY TURN TREAD LIGHTLY PACK LIFE WITH GOOD MEMORIES EVERY DAY HAS IT'S UPS AND DOWNS WATCH YOUR STEP! Enjoy! ADVICE FROM A TRAIL -- YOUR TRUE NATURE WALK I...