A recent ride... much needed again...

 Sometimes it is outright disturbing... there´s so much going on and on, and work to do in a shitty job and messy voluntary work and stuff and a bike that keeps constantly falling apart that I just seem to be unable to get a regular ride in. But the other day I had fixed the old steed so that it worked quite sweetly and I rode to work and back on a detour.

 And as always, the soothing effect of the forest happened in an instant. That moment I left the road and set my tires in the dirt. That moment when the noise and ruckus subsides. That moment, when the singing of the songbirds and the croaking of crow and raven, and the eerie, faraway cry of the buzzard fills the air... That moment when all your fears of foul weather and the petty sorrows that ride high upon our backs simply dissolve into nothing. That moment when you realize that life is all the more complicated and all the more simple than you could ever know, and that it´s simply right that way, or rather, it is neither right or wrong, but simply is. That moment when you could laugh your head off when you look at yourself and all your little distractions that you deemed so important.

 That moment, when you look over darkening hills in not exactly nice weather, and you feel cozy despite the fact that you´re soaked through. And you sit on a stump, and you rode down a trail, and that is all that matters.

 Yes, I rode some gnarly trails through the thicket, over hill and dale, and it all passed as if in a frenzy.

 As if in a fancy, in a dream, I sat down in the underbrush, stashing my bike away, and just breathed for a while.

Then I got back on the trail and rode over the heath...

 To that oak that had welcomed me ever since I was a child and still offers me its serene hospitality...

 I sat down there and had a flask of tea and played around a bit with my new #Iämpedahler waldmetz.

 ...in my true living room...

What more do I need? Time is running short for man. I´d rather spend it with things that matter, at least for me...

A much-needed solitary ride through the highlands

I had quite a stressy time again. At work and at the ironforge were a lot of things that - while not all being bad - required a lot of time and energy. So, what to do? I am so glad I cannot even begin to tell that I have managed to get on my bike again in cases like this, for I had lost the need a bit, or better, the impetus to fulfil it. So, off into the woods, following the lane out into some real hills. To the real foothills of the Sauerland I rode, and when I got there, I followed a trail just for the adventure of it. I had not ridden it before-or so I thought. It was granny gear from the beginning on, and huffing and puffing at that, and the hill got steeper still, and more technical, with roots and rocks and sticks and stone, and it seemed to go on forever. Maybe you know the likes: A trail that it so demanding and challenging that you at the same time beg for the ordeal to end as well as wishing it will go on forever. For in your exhaustion you can sense something that is lost to mankind these days. A honest sweat, but that´s not all of it. It is like to a battle with sword and shield (and trust me, I know how that feels, too), but out of your free will. You COULD give in to your exhaustion. But you don´t. You move the pedals, and each revolution is an ordeal, and a victory.

The forests all the while were radiant with the light of a sunny spring day, full of scents of herbs and flowers, and I took it in with every heavy breath. My heart was pounding in my chest. In moments like these I feel that it´s not that healthy anymore... but then in moments like these there is an extreme amount of work that my poor heart has to do... and pardon my praising myself when I say that that uphill was not for everyone... so I was quite content with my body even working the way it did. I know people half my age that are well-trained that would not even consider riding up monsters like this... ;-) It´s not that I want to say that I am any better than them. But maybe there is a different mindset involved. I tend to welcome challenges like this more than I´d put emphasis on the ordeal and I remember that I braved difficult situations before. This in turn helps me to stay positive in a life that´s not exactly easy at times. If I rode up trails like this (and worse) or down trails like Dalco (which was a right nightmare to ride with a bike from 1994), then I´ll be able to withstand what life throws into my face. Even more so, the so-called "normal" people who insist on me changing my life according to their design would not even dare to put themselves in situations like this. Those who tell us they live according to the "ad baculum" canon, are not necessarily the strongest. Might may make right, but there is a limit to what "they" (also read: us) can control. The birds were still singing wildly. The sun was still shining, and still I ride up hills for the fun of it. 

What for, do you ask, and you do righteously ask. Why even bother? Why put energy into fighting gravity? What will be the outcome?

I should say this picture answers best your question. For the sake of the feeling when you round that bend and look into a tiny dale where time seems to stand still. When the incline stops or gets less extreme and you feel the wind in your helmet. When you come to a crossing and find flowers, lovingly set into a surrounding stone wall, not even on the property, but just for the sake of beauty...

And then you look back, and you grin at the ordeal and rejoice in the fact that you did it.

No, you will not gain riches by fighting up that hill. All you might gain is a bit like the proverbial fairy gold. You cannot buy anything by it, but light on the leaves will pay off far more. It´s just the same with scenic vistas. It is a bit difficult to comprehend, and you can just get the gist if you exclude something: You are not capable of seeing scenic vistas without an uphill. There´s no easy way. ;-)

Over these old hills, over the ridge I rolled with a smile.

Oh, and there´s the big picture...

But also a small flower by the roadside...

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Rolling on, with hill and dale, I went on my merry way, on and on.

Then, trails again, into a nature preservation site.

There was an education site for kids by the trail.

I really loved this wood spirit standing guard at the trailhead.

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..and the carving of the owl.

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Yeah, that is the reason I love these rides. I love my bike for it provides me with an ability to see places like this. For the flow of flying down technical trails, for the vistas and the things that I see.

For small trails through the thicket...

And the shortcuts to places far off that are not that far off when your imagination is not far off. The chimney in the distance is a power plant site near Werdohl.

Trail followed trail and technical chutes changed to gentle slopes, steep and brutal inclines changed with gentle rolling, flowing fireroads.

I rode a secret trail through the thicket I had not ridden for ages...

...and there, on the top of things, I had a sit down...

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...and a cuppa tree;-).

Then I was on my way down the valley on a very challenging and seldom ridden trail...

It was a very long ride, but it went all too soon.

A ride with Natalie-it´ll be dry she said...

Natalie wrote me an SMS. Fancy a ride, she said. It´ll be dry, she said. ;-) Now dry it wasn´t, but fancy one ride I did. And I thought, well, get an early start, drop by the Deele café and have some lunch and do some foraging beforehand, and this I did. Had some delicious bun with homemade meatballs and a big mug of coffee at the café and then I was off to the hills. Got some blackthorn (prunus spinosa, in German: Schwarzdorn) for mead spicing and syrup...

An was on my merry way over old hills and far away for the rendezvous at the lake.

It wasn´t raining cats and dogs exactly, but I still got wet a tiny bit... Let´s ride, she said. IT`LL BE DRY, SHE SAID!!!! ;-) Anyway, I actually liked the drizzle and the calm atmosphere. I met no one out there, which was cool.

The forests lay dark and enchanted and were singing their rustling song in a gentle breeze.

I stuck to the fireroads, just toodling along and smelling the spring air.

Then I came across some sweet woodruff (galium odoratum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galium_odoratum, in German: Waldmeister) for syrup and mead spice and stuffed it into my bag, too.

Don´t take them when in flower, because they become mildly toxic and you end up having headaches.

Then, some singletrails later, I met with Natalie at the trailhead and made fun out of her weather forecast, and we started our ride along some swampy trails.

Like this, see? ;-)

It was simply cool to see everything in blossom... and the weather even got better, mind you... ! ;-)

We rode a load of forest trails, single- and doubletracks, sometimes pausing to chat or just to smell the roses.

Lots of scenic vistas, and for a rookie, Natalie deserves a lot of respect, for she mastered the sometimes challenging trails and had fun in the process!

There were rolling hills and ups and downs through dense forests and fine clearings.

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Through the Ennepe valley we rode towards the small village of Rüggeberg, situated on a hilltop.

The singletrails were often flowy and a lot of fun!

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Near Rüggeberg we came across an old site of a fortification, which marked the border of two countries. We used the old ramparts as launch sites and caught some air. There´s a message hidden somewhere here... forgot where I put it... can you find it? ;-)

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Along the ridge of the hills...

... and still more fun trails to ride.

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Even if it started to RAIN AGAIN!!!! ;-) On the ridge my bike collapsed again for a change and I fixed it under the driving gusts of stormwind.

I have to thank Natalie a lot, because she kicked my lame butt to go out riding, and is just a fun person to have around-it is very motivating to have someone like her kicking you out to ride. And the best part: The virus is spreading, and we get more in number!