Love is a mountain bike trail

It was a beautiful Sunday, sunny and 78 degrees. My mind wanted to keep me indoors. But I made myself get out and get busy. I have always found peace of mind in the woods so I decided to take the mountain bike out for a spin. Now it’s been almost 3 years since I had my bike on any serious trails. I had taken a horrible spill that left my collar bone with a plate and 7 screws in it. Needless to say, since then, I haven’t been eager to get back on the bike. But for me the bike creates the right mixture of nature and sweat inducing activity. I headed out to the old Virginia Power Canal path. I had been told that the trail leads up to the vista point with a Shoney’s billboard overlooking the river, a quarry and interstate 95. I have seen the sign hundreds of times from the road and wondered how to get there. This is the way. The trail started easy enough – wide with lots of space. It was easy and fun. I was overly cautious because I had fallen before. I was very aware that even the little bit of gravel and sand on the trail could make this ride end badly. After some distance the trail thinned out. Walkers and families became fewer and it was just me and the trail. Still passable with very little effort, I was enjoying it. I had all the tools I needed. I had to learn to trust myself and the bike, to become one with it and use all its features, paying close attention to my abilities and of course the trail. Getting to the quarry was relatively easy. I was feeling much more comfortable on my bike and actually having fun. The fear of my fateful fall from before was gone. The quarry is a beautiful spot. It’s about an acre around with clear green water. Sheer rock sides and sunshine accentuated its beauty. The river was to the right and the billboards high above in plain view. It was at this point I had a decision to make. I could stop turn around and let this be extent of the ride or I could go further. The trail gets even narrower from here turning into what mountain bikers call ‘single track’. It had been fun getting to this point. I wasn’t putting pressure on myself. A slow and steady pace had allowed the trail to present itself to me slowly and kept me feeling comfortable. I decided to press on. I was nervous but felt I could make an assessment of my abilities along the way and if need be, pause, walk or just plain turn around. The trail began gaining elevation. This territory scares many away because there are lots of obstacles. I overcame the roots, was painfully aware of drop-offs and walked the bike across felled trees. Each root, bump or tree that I overcame gave me that much more confidence to continue. Reaching the billboards was not without trials. It was clear I needed more practice, but the pain, emotional feelings, and bumps from the trail disappeared once I got there. I could see the river through the trees, the quarry directly below and of course 95. I could clearly see the spot from which I decided to start my ascent. The effort to get from there to this point was absolutely worth it. I had a feeling of accomplishment. The view was what I needed it to be and I wanted to stay here. I had to leave long before I was ready. Biking up is hard, but biking down is harder. The trip up to the vista was exhilarating, and the trip down much slower and longer. You ride in the woods not for the highs and lows but for the personal challenge, the experience of sharing in nature and the eventual peace it brings. ‘Love’ is a mountain bike trail.