Huh, it's been  a while. Again. I'm not going  to apologize for my
absence, since this is likely going to be the norm. I have nothing
against gopher,  but this  is a  personal escape  for me  from the
distractions of the modern world, the virtual Vegas, with all it's
flashing lights, blaring klaxons, and infinite distractions. Amber
or green on a black screen, providing clarity, focus and purpose.

But there's more  than one way to  skin a cat (to use  a figure of
speech -- nothing  but love for the Felis genus).  Warm weather is
here;  the outside  beckons. May  is a  cyclebration, transforming
rational human  beings into sprocket-obsessed bicycle  fiends. But
I'm getting ahead of myself.

May  is   National  Bike   Month  here  in   the  US.   Our  local
transportation  management association  (TMA)  decided to  promote
this a  little over a decade  ago with a simple  goal: one million
miles bicycled in May. As it caught on, we surpassed that goal but
two million  remains elusive. According  to the website  [1], this
May logged a little over 1.3 million miles.

Regardless,  it's been  a successful  May. Our  team achieved  our
goals and we  had a great time.  I managed to ride  over 650 miles
(1050km) -- not my personal best  but definitely one of the better
years.  A large  part of  our  achievement was  an unusually  mild
month. It never once exceeded 100*F.

All that time in the saddle left me with some solid impressions on
my new bike. First, I do  understand the trend of gravel bikes and
I'm loving the ride qualities. The geometry is more relaxed than a
road race bike which lends  itself to commuting, touring, or other
long rides. Second, I'm back in love with mountain bike riding.

We're fortunate enough to be near two lakes with road and mountain
bike trails  surrounding them. All  that singletrack affords  me a
more interesting way  to commute, run errands and  just be outside
having fun. The  fast, rigid bike on those flowing  paths with the
wind in my face reminds me of  the simpler times when I used to XC
race before technology made cycling  a point and shoot affair. You
chose skinny tires to go faster, sacrificed traction for speed and
had to  pick your line instead  of letting the machine  do all the
work. It's  exhilarating and yet  you feel connected to  the bike.
Jinba ittai.

The  connection doesn't  end  there.  The sound  of  gravel as  it
squirms underneath rolling tires and  the firmness and traction of
the soil,  communicated with exquisite detail  through the pedals:
Newton's third law in action. As I push down, the ground pushes me
up. Embrace the earth, and the Earth embraces back.

The north trail of the lake has been closed for a year and a half.
Multiple landslides blocked the trail after heavy rains which also
wiped out a culvert. This area  has become my new favorite cycling
route. Making your  way past the blockade and  observing the power
of nature firsthand is part of the allure, but the peacefulness is
the  main  attraction. The  desolation  leaves  me alone  with  my
thoughts so I can accept them.  The trail itself is deserted since
it no  longer is a continuous  path and is instead  two dead ends.
Nature is already  laying claim to the trail  -- weeds overgrowing
the  edges and  stretching  towards the  center.  Deer, foxes  and
rabbits wander mindfully but unalarmed.