Isaac and Gideon, with the occasional help of Ezra and Malachi, have spent their free time the last several weeks raking, picking, shoveling, and hauling rock to create a mountain bike path/walking trail around the property. From an email I sent my dad and sister:
These are some photos of the new trail so far. None of these sections really repeat or overlap. So far, the boys have added 400 ft of trail for a total of 1380 ft of hand hewn singletrack. Now that Isaac has reached the old logging road, we have about 3 miles of good riding accessible from the front door. The next phase will be to go up to the bluff, requiring more advanced retaining wall skills and incorporating a couple of half sawn white oak bridges over small watershed grooves in a boulderfield. It's challenging riding with continuous climbing and some rocks and roots to add interest. When we're done we'll have several forks and options for multiple loops of short distances and high intensity riding. I'll be adding some trials elements that will incorporate logs and some very large boulders. The boys got two tree house building books from the library and are planning the style and location of their tree house/deer stand. Hopefully it will be deployed for next hunting season for some camp-out hunting trips. I can't wait for this stuff to get up and running and to have you all visit. It will be our own little mountain summer camp open year round. In addition to our own mountain biking, rock climbing, shooting, and zip and slack-lining, we are walking distance from some of the best easy creek kayaking (class III), canoing to and on the TN river, fishing, and swimming. We've got it all. And for only the low price of a couple of years of really gratifying work and $133.00 in property tax a year. Did I mention we live on about $600/month including food gas and housing expenses? Granted, there are operational expenses in time that we trade against convenience, but it gives us all chores we do together. I find the intellectual stimulation of necessity's hard won offspring and the need to become expert in such a wide range of knowledge and physical skills really satisfies my urge. Dad, you used to tell me when you dropped me off to school to "Learn it all." I took it as an axiom. Being so close to the mechanics of this kind of life, I've never taken less for granted.
2 Comments
Pete
4/12/2013 01:27:43 pm
And the people all said, Amen !!
Reply
Rick Trimble
9/21/2023 11:42:45 am
Just wondering how things are going?
Reply
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LanceLance doesn't like to publish his writing, as he reserves the right to change his mind. =P Archives
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