I was cleaning out my saddle bags this evening and found this entry in my journal from a ride that I took back in September, far to the eastern edge of the Idaho border. This is very thick forest, very thick! Many times while riding the trails, I couldn't see much of anything, occasionally the forest would open up for a moment and reveal to me what I was riding through. I will return, I promise.
.JPG)
Journal entry
Sep. 8th, 2008 Eastern Idaho
Traveling east, every passing mile takes me farther; farther aw.JPG)
ay from the complexities of the city, the din of traffic and bellicose drivers.
With every rotation of the wheels, the cars traveling in the opposite direction seem to grow a little older, the houses a little more simple; materialism begins to wane.
The highway narrows down to a two lane country road and then becomes a forest service road, and then a nameless trail.
We find our way to where we are now, deep in the forest, resting by the trail, enjoying a light lunch.
The forest doesn’t make a sound, not a whisper.
The sun is high in the sky but any direct light fails to reach through the canopy of trees.
.JPG)
Lying here on the forest floor, my jacket propped beneath my head, eyelids closed, wide awake, I listen.
I listen for anything and there is nothing.
Tomorrow when I am at work, back in the endless rush of the city, I will think of this moment here with my bike in the half-light of the forest....................and miss this.
Ride Well
E.T.
7 comments:
Thanks for the nudge to remember. You remind me to reflect on my hiking in Yellowstone in the midst us urban commuting. It wasn't a MC trip, but the wife and I were deeply touched by what you all have in the mountain zone.
Beautiful! Thanks for posting!
Great post. Reminds us of when we used to visit our grandparents who lived in the country. Brought back wonderful memories. The pictures are beautiful. Thanks so much. Those places are harder and harder to find, so you must revisit.
I've flirted with the idea of buying a KLR. Frankly, I just couldn't see myself spending much time "off road". Too many miles of pavement to be covered.
Then the reason hit me right between the eyes as I read this post.
I need to go where I can hear more of "nothing". That sums it up exactly. We could all use a lot more of that.
The beauty of where Earl lives is that he can in places like that in a relative short amount of time. With the weather getting coldrer and darker by the day I find myself wanting to hop on the ole XL and suck it up for a chilly hill ride. Thanks for the post Earl. You can place your mind in that place with your descriptive writing.
Jeffry,
There is hardly a moment that goes by, while riding through the wilderness, how much I appreciate wherre I get to live and ride.
Yellowstone is great, someday you'll have to make the trip to Glacier as well.
Lance,
Thanks, no problem.
Heinz N Frenchie,
Thanks for the kind words, I've lived out here in the Northwest for almost twenty years now and I am still finding "uncharted" territory (to me at least), still many places to explore-escape away to.
Irondad,
When I bought the KLR this spring, the intention was to used it primarily as my day to day transportation (which it has done a great job doing). I only planned on taking it into the back country once or twice a year.
As I reflect on my first year of ownership, I'm blown away by the amount of miles that I've ridden into the wilderness with it.
With the cost of ownership so low on this style of bike, I believe everyone should own a dual-sport bike at least once in their adult life.
Charlie,
You know what I'm talking about; thanks.
Ride Well
E.T.
That's a good mastery of the art you got there Thomas! Sounds like a poem! But i like. the adventure in the thick forest. Reading your posts, my afternoons are never dull!
Post a Comment