It really helps to have a way to deal with places that you used to love, but have gotten crowded or changed in some other negative way. An outstanding example of this is southwestern Utah. I still go through the area in autumn and sometimes in spring, more for practical reasons than for love.
The all-important trick is to resist comparing it to how it used to be. I make a mental game out of pretending I am looking at it for the first time.
A second trick is break the experience into several components and imagine one or two of these components still being good. That should keep you happy for a brief visit. And that still counts as success.
For instance I re-rode a two-track trail that is still my favorite after all these years. The tourist masses haven't discovered it yet. Or maybe they just avoid it. Mountain bikers pretty much read from the same script, as written by the industry. The industry wants bikers to lust for technical single-tricks because that suits the business model of the industry.
This trail stood out like a jewel in my mind. It was worth stopping in just for this ride. Now that I got a couple packages and used the big grocery stores, it is time for Nevada again.
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| The descent on the ride, through a wide arroyo. |
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