Summertime

Since the weather finally broke here it seems like time has been flying by. Between work and outdoor adventuring I’m almost always up to something. However, it’s tough to write any long narrative because most trips are quick adventures crammed between a work schedule that is constantly in flux. While I would rather be writing about (and having) grander adventures I’m focusing on getting outside and making the most of what is available to me. Here are some snippets from the past few weeks.

Over Memorial Day weekend I had a chance to revisit Davis, WV and catch up with some good folks on a long bike ride. 

Otherwise my travel has been much more local. I often feel like I’m on a treasure hunt, seeking out places I’ve long been meaning to visit, like this memorial to the first purchase of state forest land in Pennsylvania. This big rock is in the middle of nowhere on dirt road you either have to really seek it out or do as I did and just stumble upon it. 

Or getting a chance to poke around the Inez Bull “museum” an odd artifact left by an even odder person. Inez Bull was obsessed with Ole Bull, a violinist from Norway who attempted to found a colony in Potter County in the 1800’s. While the colony failed Inez established her own one woman colony here and claimed to be a direct descendent of Ole Bull (a claim which his actual family denies) and built a small museum celebrating Norwegian heritage at her camp. While she has passed and the museum never went anywhere the strange collection of buildings still stand on the side of Route 44. 

I continue to chip away at the Susquehannock Trail System and it’s side trails...

 ... and also had a chance to visit some old favorites like the Fred Woods trail and it’s massive rock features.

Bike exploration has of course been important, whether I’m covering areas I envision as being parts of a longer loop trip or just finding some interesting looking roads on a map and seeing where they lead. 

So yeah there’s been a lot going on, none of it is grandiose but it’s all good. Really the most important part is that hardly a week has gone by where I haven’t spent at least one night sleeping outside. This is important since I still find that I sleep better outside on the ground than inside, oh the many ways thru hiking ruins you forever.