I would love to post up some shots of my family out for a Father's Day ride, but once I came to the realization about 5 years ago that my kids didn't really enjoy mountain biking, I stopped trying to force it. Yeah the kids would do it if I asked them to, but they have both found other things that they are as passionate about as I am about biking




Early on in Fatherhood it was my wife who put on the Father's Day festivities - the breakfast in bed made "by the kids", soon enough the kids were doing the task on their own - to some pretty funny results (and a lot to clean up in the kitchen!). We've moved beyond that point now and I'd rather have the kids sleep in while I slip out for a ride, so that was the order of the day today. I guess since I'm the one being honored its my right to choose

With the flood warnings put up yesterday I figured if I did a ride today it would be of the paved variety. I even slept in (for me that means up I didn't get up until 8:30), but when I did get up I found that it did not rain last night (stupid weather dudes!) I ate a leisurely breakfast and geared up for a ride.

I hit up Case and did a nice 3.5 hour tour, classic Jisch solo climbfest - Once you got away from the mountain itself the conditions were really pretty good, yeah a little mud where water collects, but nothing crazy.


And, yes I did push the saturation on these pics a bit, but it SO green out there.

The mountain laurel bloom is just past prime, while you can't see it very well in the pictures, its cool how the fallen blossoms create this "negative" white shadow underneath them. They have a faintly sweet smell to them as you pass.



Some nice sinewy singletrack




The low bush blueberries are jamming right now and just starting to get ripe. I got a few handfuls - very juicy, but I think they could use a little sun to push the flavor a bit.


Rivers are running strong, but not crazy, testament to the water being sucked up by all the plants.


I stopped along the banks of a nice lake and took a Scrublover-ish break thinking a bit about what fatherhood has meant to me, its highs, lows, challenges and rewards. Overall a VERY positive experience, but not without a few "what am I doing?" moments along the way - and with a sixteen year old daughter, more on the way!



Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there, hope your day was as good as mine.

John