On The Fly

In this episode, from Pedals to Hiking Trails. Normally, today would be a day for the roadway—the gears, the cadence, the 30-mile push of a cyclist. But today I’ve stepped off the bike and descended into a creek-side trail, where the thick brush effectively erases the neighborhood’s roads. In this concealed corridor, I walk with an old neighbor, Henry David Thoreau, and his words resonate through the limpid air like a frequency I’m finally tuned in to hear: “I am convinced, both by faith and experience, that to maintain one’s self on this earth is not a hardship but a pastime, if we will live simply and wisely.” — Walden There is a specific kind of magic that reveals itself only when you are below the asphalt. By blocking out the sight of the roadways, I’ve also blocked out the noise of the social grid. Today, I once again realize that wisdom and knowledge aren’t things we collect like toys or miles. Instead, they are part of a universal energy—a living spirit that flows through the la...