Confederate Sharpshooter

Blogging has taken a back seat to getting back into good condition of late. Sometimes, while the world is busy going crazy, you just need to get away from it all and take care of you. In my case, this almost always involves a bicycle of some sort. This was one of those times.

The place is New River Trail, in South West Virginia. The trail is an old rail road line, converted into a hiking/bike/equestrian trail, with camping, picnicking, and various other activities along the way. You can find out more about it here. Running from Pulaski, Va. to Galax Va. is a bit over 51 miles, with a spur line running to Fries (pronounced "Freeze" by the locals) adding 7 more miles. This day in June was perfect for riding, mild temps, low humidity, and clear skies. If the current political situation is getting your blood pressure up, I highly recommend finding a place such as this for a little R &R . Added bonus, a little exercise goes a long way to keeping you ready for difficult times, and having an additional skill such as being able to cover serious distance while packing enough gear to survive is always good. (I've been requested to do a blog entry on using a bike for survival purposes one day. I hope to do that soon.)

Yep, sometimes you just have to stop and smell the white pines and Rhododendron.