Gotta love Vermont in the Fall.
My wife and I rendezvoused with her family at her Dad’s cabin in East Burke, a little town known for skiing and its world-class trail system for mountain-biking. We were only there for a couple of days, but it was an awesome time. I hit the bike trails for the first time and was ejected from my vehicle only a few times and without incident. Now I know what a black diamond means when posted on a trail sign.
I don’t think I’ve exerted myself so much since high school. I was beyond ready to throw in the towel several times, my legs bursting with lactic acid from hip to toe, but my 61 year-old father-in-law kept riding—and with a smile on his face—so I couldn’t let on I was so exhausted. Before the trip I jokingly asked him if he’d packed a defibrillator. It never occurred to me that I’d be the one needing it.
I can still taste that crisp, clean mountain air. Here are a few photos: East Burke, VT – October 2009.