It’s always amazing how much more you can’t see on a mountain bike 🚵

That was my thought or maybe counter thought as I was riding through the Conifer-Emporium  Timber Easement and Horseshoe Wild Forest, exploring gated woods roads, ticking the miles off like they were nothing.

Bikes get you a lot farther and in less time than walking. But you see less up close, really the only time you see detail is when you stop. You might get epic views from a distant location and it’s wonderful how they extend your non-motorized range but you still miss a lot.

Before I got a bike back on the road, I missed exploring a lot of the neighborhood parks and preserves. Too close to be worthwhile to drive to but too far to walk to. I hate short drives – such a waste of fuel and unnecessary pollution in the city – but don’t think twice about driving two hours for a weekend in the wilderness.