I didn’t think I could fall in love with any other season after this year’s autumn. It was so gorgeous. I was even unrequited, as I didn’t get out nearly enough.
But then along comes November and my heart breaks again.
It’s the light in the forest.
The leaves are down.
It’s chilly and the sun was out.
I was making trails in a nearby forest. Every time I looked up it was like I was in heaven…with the sun streaming down through the trees and lighting up the forest floor.
The trees are mostly grey now, but the sun is doing a gangbuster job of providing the color — warm, soaking light.
It’s neat seeing so much farther now thru the woods.
And there’s still a colorshow in the trees. It’s subtler but still rockin’ strong.
It’s the beeches.
And the oaks.
They’re doing their thing.
The beech leaves are lime green, yellow and copper against those majestic silver trunks, so perfectly formed and symmetric.
I laid out all my trails to key off of beech trees on ridgetops. Ah, bliss.
Then there’s the making of the trails. Again, I’m in heaven. It’s so much fun to add so much value without taking anything away.
My trail-building technique is to uncover the trail that’s already there. I look at the land and find the best flow, then I look for where to take the trail. The forest is full, near to solid with blowdowns. Yet when I stand awhile, I see the way thru…while still getting my perfect flow!
Around here I look for maximum gradient, the longest uphill, the best downhill with the sweetest run-out. I’m adding expert loops.
I suppose I’m building mostly for XC skiing, but running and mtbiking will work, too. I doubt that I do enough twisty stuff for the mtbikers or even the runners. Who knows. I go for views, too. I get it ALL.
I just wade into the morass and toss the dead branches, logs and sticks out of the way…and leave the trail flowing out behind me. I head for the punky blowdowns, not the one-ton fresh stuff, then I just heave em. I pull up some tiny black cherry weeds and some wild rose prickers.
I made a quarter mile today in 2 hours.
Oh yeah!
Finished another quarter mile yesterday.
I’m half done for the overall project. I first made these routes 15 years ago. It’s been great fun revisiting them. I let them go when we first had kids. It feels like a time-travel machine. I love these woods.
