Miscellaneous ramblings...

[Dirt Girl]

Hi Dirt Girl ~ Yep, I feel very lucky! However, pictures would not be very impressive, I don't think (especially now, before the leaves are on the trees here in NC) - just lots of brown tree trunks and brown leaves on the ground and a little trail running along. It's nothing like that gorgeous view you posted. It's all hardwood forest, tons of trees, no real views at all. It's going to look very different once the leaves are out and there is green everywhere!

Emily,I used to think "just lots of brown tree trunks and brown leaves on the ground" wasn't very impressive either. A long-ago art class instructor opened my eyes to the beauty and design in all seasons. Instead of thinking "plain old branches" try to see the design Mother Nature has created with them before they get covered up with leaves! Ummmm, hardwood forest and tons of trees. Sounds like heaven to me. I grew up in Cincinnati and miss the deciduous trees and forests. Especially in the autumn. Not enough to trade it in for my current low humidity, few mosquitoes and mountains, though. Brown or green, I'd love to see it both ways. Singletrack is good no matter how you slice it!

[LBTC]

Good one, dirt girl! I was thinking the same thing....both nature's design....and the design of the singletrack winding through those brown trunks and branches - both sound stunning to me!! please take a picture for us Emily?? please!!


Namaste,
~T~

[CorsairMac]

Just my .03 worth - read a journal someone wrote after following Lance Armstrong on a training ride and the two things that stuck the most with me were: Lance spends time every ride riding with no hands (is that the right term), and he rides on every type of surface including dirt/gravel. When he was asked about both quirks his answer was - anything he could do to improve his bike handling skills and his balance made him a better rider when in a race situation. (think Lance riding across the plowed field during that horrible crash in the TdF few years back)
While not a racer - it made me realize that that was an excellent premise to ride by, that way a clutch situation becomes "just another type of ride". So why not ride your road bike on the dirt road.......it could just improve your handling skills if your road bike ever ends up in dirt during a "situation".
As for buying a house to suit your riding?.....why not - it's as much an important part of your life as anything else you're using for your house buying criteria!

[emily_in_nc]

So why not ride your road bike on the dirt road.......it could just improve your handling skills if your road bike ever ends up in dirt during a "situation".

Actually, I do ride my touring bike (1.35" tires) on the gravel road, but I can't bear to ride my carbon-fiber Aegis on it with 23c tires. It's too easy to flat with all that stone, and I hear rocks hitting and pinging on my pretty frame - just can't go there!

Emily

[emily_in_nc]

I'll try to take a photo when it's light and sunny, gals - will post it when I take it. I do think it's very pretty in the woods whatever the season (am partial to spring leaves and fall color, myself; we'll have the beginnings of spring green very soon here....)

Emily

[emily_in_nc]

Okay, here they are - I took a quick ride tonight after work and snapped a few. Hope you can see the trail - I reduced the photos so they wouldn't be so huge. It will look very different in a month or so when there are green leaves everywhere! The second picture shows one of the entrances to the trail by the daffodils - our gravel road is off to the right.









Emily

[SadieKate]

Nice! I love the skeletons of the trees and the daffodils together. This looks like one of those places you want to ride every few days just to watch it change.