I added mountain biking to my fitness toolbox again this summer, and it is a great way to keep in shape without reaggravating the plantar fasciitis I’ve been getting in both feet. I’d love to be able to go ride the trails in the Pole Mountain area between Cheyenne and Laramie, but there are a couple reasons that’s not an option as often as I’d like it to be.
First of all, it’s too far to go. It would take an hour to get there, and an hour to get back. That’s two hours, not even counting the ride. If I’m going to go that far, I’d like to get three or four hours in on the bike, and I just don’t have that kind of time. And that’s just the time aspect. Gas prices are going through the roof again, and I can’t afford to drive that far to get a workout in. I’d need to own an oil company to be able to do that every day.
And then there’s the crowd issue. The Pole Mountain is a fantastic place to ride, and it is criss-crossed with hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails. But since the pandemic, it has been overrun by hundreds of people with the same idea. It’s a world-class mountain biking area, and it’s close to two population centers, so it’s going to be crowded. Especially on the weekends, when I’d be able to go.
So I am getting my runs and bike rides in my pasture. I mowed a path around the perimeter of my north pasture, and that path happens to be exactly one mile. I mowed a couple of additional trails, too, going over steep hills, to give myself some variety. It’s not as exciting as the forest would be, but it’s close, and I don’t have to worry about crowds. Just the occasional snake in the path, which will end my workout immediately. But now that I’ve mowed, I can see those snakes from a long way away.
