Mountain Bikes, Bass Guitar, and other stuff I like

Renee and I went to Garland Mountain for a run today, a place where we had ran a few times before, and also had done a few races.  This trail is primarily used for horseback riding but the Parks Department has agreed to allow hikers and by proxy, runners, to use this beautiful gem of a trail-system. Welp, it turns out that it is now illegal to run there, as of January 2015. Yes, one can hike on the trail but running? Nyet!  They literally have posted on their sign, "No running." We were made aware of this fact by two people who were doing some trail maintenance (which is always appreciated.) "You know that you can't run here right?" This was how the woman greeted us.  I guess I looked like a runner and not a hiker?  It mus have been the purple socks and multi-colored shoes.  Hmmmm? "You runners have all kinds of places to run and we only have this one place to ride horses." she continued.  Renee was pretty upset at this point and I was too but trie...

Went for a 2-nighter down near Columbus with Renee for our anniversary.  Backpacked at Providence Canyon park. This was a neat place with some beautiful canyons, which were formed as a result of poor agricultural practices in the 1800s. The hike out was just under 3 miles but there were considerable hills. We had to hike back to the visitor's center to refill our water supply once.  Total miles hiking was approximately 15. Thoughts from the trail: No matter how in-shape one is, backpacking is still a fitness tester  Showers are overrated Always bring extra water (absolutely no water sources at all in the park)  A crystal clear, starry night away from light pollution where one can see the Milky Way is worth the price of admission There is nothing quite like daybreak at camp There is nothing quite like dusk at camp A campfire is the perfect way to end the day Re-hydrated food is convenient and relatively tasty but we also to brought along "junk," such as be...

Ventured out on my first backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail, or AT as its known in the hiking community.  I hadn't been backpacking since I was in the Scouts, when we did a 10-miler at Kennesaw Mountain. My wife Renee had never been backpacking although we had both been primitive car-camping before and we each share a love of the outdoors.  This trip had been in the making for a few years with us sharing a "Wouldn't that be awesome," conversation or two.  I also recall my dad saying how neat it would be to hike the entire AT when I was a kid, a lofty goal to be sure. Renee and I are both in pretty good shape from running and bicycling so we figured that a 2-night trip on the AT would be feasible.  We were right...mostly. We purchased our backpacking and camping gear the week before and took a practice hike at a local trail. We did a trial run at Sutallee Trace in Canton to test the waters and get the packs dialed in.  I felt some new muscles being wor...