South Fork, CO. There is a quiet, but profound, satisfaction when using a mountain bike for "foraging" and reconnaissance, rather than mere entertainment or exercise. The more business-like camping and exercise become, the more authentic they feel. That's what makes this a job, rather than a vacation.
It's an under-rated pleasure to mountain bike on a perfect forest road; one that is smooth, graded, hard, and relentlessly, mercilessly uphill. The shade held up well, and it kept getting cooler. The forest changed into thick, overgrown spruce at 10,000 feet. Other than the shade over the road there isn't a single good thing to say about spruce forests.
Finally I got an open view of the neighborhood mountain. Alas there was probably no way to hike above tree-line from this road without bushwhacking through that disgusting spruce forest. Finding this out was why I was there.
Some automatic mechanisms clicked into place when I found the best dispersed campsite on this road. The "app" in my brain-stem started assessing angles, widths, levelness, etc.
Hey wait a minute. The forest fire that is still burning in this area reached "Biblical proportions" because of the huge buildup of beetle-killed spruce. What the media and the authorities absolutely CANNOT say is that there are three times as many trees per acre as there should be, and who do think is responsible for that?
At this particular site the trees were probably 6 feet apart -- and I've seen worse. Furthermore, only 20% of them were dead. So, by Colorado standards, this forest is in relatively good shape.
But I was not even tempted to go back there to camp, despite the cool temperatures.
It's an under-rated pleasure to mountain bike on a perfect forest road; one that is smooth, graded, hard, and relentlessly, mercilessly uphill. The shade held up well, and it kept getting cooler. The forest changed into thick, overgrown spruce at 10,000 feet. Other than the shade over the road there isn't a single good thing to say about spruce forests.
Finally I got an open view of the neighborhood mountain. Alas there was probably no way to hike above tree-line from this road without bushwhacking through that disgusting spruce forest. Finding this out was why I was there.
Some automatic mechanisms clicked into place when I found the best dispersed campsite on this road. The "app" in my brain-stem started assessing angles, widths, levelness, etc.
Hey wait a minute. The forest fire that is still burning in this area reached "Biblical proportions" because of the huge buildup of beetle-killed spruce. What the media and the authorities absolutely CANNOT say is that there are three times as many trees per acre as there should be, and who do think is responsible for that?
At this particular site the trees were probably 6 feet apart -- and I've seen worse. Furthermore, only 20% of them were dead. So, by Colorado standards, this forest is in relatively good shape.
But I was not even tempted to go back there to camp, despite the cool temperatures.
Comments
I find, similarly, that exerting the body in pursuit of a "real" and tangible accomplishment--whether planting a tree or repairing a fence--is far more satisfying than merely lifting weights or putting in time on the treadmill. The brain knows and loves the road from unambiguous purpose to its attainment--and rewards us with poise and quiet delight when we travel accordingly.
people try to claim that "Global Warming" and drought is the cause of these catastrophic fires and bugs are the cause of the die offs.
The Beetle can Only attack old or stressed trees that cannot defend themselves with sap flow against the boring beetle. Since fires were prohibited for 100+ years and over the past 50 years or so, logging has been virtually eliminated (90% reduction in Oregon!) the forests are ALL Senile. That is, ONLY old age, vulnerable trees remain.
Now, if folks would think about it... there is NO DROUGHT... there are simply too many trees.
An analogy that might get through to a few; A couple is living in an RV. Water, food, everything they need. They do pretty good. NOW... multiply the couple by a factor of 7. NOW, 14 people are living in that SAME SPACE. Same volume of water, same food supply, same everything, except now that water must support SEVEN times the timber... That food must feed not 2 but 14!
... and people WONDER why they forests are so dry and sickly? Those same people would wonder why their legs broke when they jumped off the roof!
They buy into the BS, feel good, walt disney education of precious wise bears and noble wolves defending the delicate lil bunnies, and can't use their brains for other than hat racks.
The forests are NOT going to be saved. At the current rate the forests managed into terminal wood piles by the U.S. Government, at the behest of Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and all the other Disney Educated, science fiction, fantasy worlders, will ALL burn over the next 15 to 20 years. There is no fixing it now. It would take that long to rebuild a functioning lumber industry to correct the mismanagement. Too little too late.
I'd suggest investing in the companies that manufacture SMORE's supplies.
They called them heroes, not for them, but for us, to gloss over what we have created that makes their efforts necessary. It makes us feel better and shifts the blame away from us, but the truth is that society is a mighty selfish and stupid thing.
A great tragedy on a human level, of course.
"They called them heroes, not for them, but for us..." As usual, the internet's only uber-commenter, who is entitled to his own Paypal Donation Box, makes a comment that would require an entire essay to answer.
You know, I'm not getting paid for this job, George. I work hard enough. I think you should start your own blog, in order to share the work-load!