There are few things in life simpler and more fulfilling than a crisp Sunday in the woods with no sounds but the rustle of fallen leaves, the jingle of dog tags, and the buzz of my rear hub.
Of course, I’d largely forgotten this for most of the day as I languished on the couch, working and trying to overcome the powerful urge to call the cable company and get channels for my television. Yesterday was an epic fall day, 65 degrees, bright sun, and I very nearly fell victim to the temptation to begin the descent into winter torpor. Finally, around 3, I roused myself. Sophie (who’d been waiting all day for this) and I piled into the car and headed up to the forestry lot. I was still feeling like the tank was a bit empty and wasn’t sure how the initial roll up Laurel Run Rd was going to go. We climbed up to the top, turned down Little Shingletown Trail, then descended Sand Spring. I was a little shaky on the descent, but held it together and hit the climb back up the other side of Laurel Run with a bit more energy. Then up to the firetower and down Old Boalsburg. Over 3-bridges and on to Lonberger I finally started to feel good again. I didn’t feel fast, but my cadence was high and there is really no hiding on a singlespeed. On Upper Lonberger I was disappointed to find that someone had been doing some trail re-routing. At first I thought it was just some fallen trees or something in the last 5 weeks since I’d been here, but the built up rock approaches to some of the bigger log features had been removed, which must have been deliberate. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the work of a scorned hiker since Lonberger is one of the more heavily trafficked hiking and biking trails. We hit the Ridge and rolled along the through the open burned areas with the late afternoon sun casting a beautiful orange glow over the new vegetation and skeleton trees.
Sophie and I returned home and made the fall vegetable stew that I’d cooked up in my head along the ride. As darkness fell, Nita, Sophie, Bo, and I all faded as well, bellies full to fight off the first frost of the year.
