Down here, there is no "off season", but I saw all of y'all posting on
your first season rides, I thought I'd pipe up.
There are some short but sweet trails right near my parents' house, and
I thought I'd check them out today. Y'see, we had two hurricanes that
struck in '95 within two months of each other (Erin and Opal). Both did
terrible damage, and the woods around here suffered severely. I had all
but abandoned these trails, until today. The roads leading there are
really popular with the running crowd, so there's a neat singletrack
along the road. I got to the trailhead and said, what the hell.
Well, what had happened is work. Lots of it. I had visited this trail
often in the last year, but not for six months or so (giving up on it
because of the poor condition). Someone had really worked hard. They cut
trees that had been blown down, and run a very sweet (albeit short)
loop, practically in my Mom's backyard. It works out very sweetly. I
work nights, at a place about two miles from my folks' house. I go ride,
spend some QT with Ma and Pa, then shower, then work. There's even
another bit of singletrack that I forgot to check out (more that had
been damaged; I'll bet they fixed it, too).
The downside is this : The guilt. I know we've all felt it. They work
hard, I enjoy it. Guilt sucks. I'm gonna find out who did this, and I'm
gonna find some way to help. I work 48 hours a week, and I own a
chainsaw, as well as other tools. I have no excuse.
I guess maybe because this trail is in the neighborhood in which I grew
up, it hit home. I am ashamed that I have not done more. I have made
donations to the local bike clubs, and to the local parks that have
trails, but I gotta notice that the only sweat I have poured on these
trails is from my pleasure, not my work.
Don't worry. I have no plans to commit hari kari. I do plan to help.
I'll also let you know if (or when) that other section has been worked
on.
Ron
--- Big Ted 1.0 for Wildcat/5
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