Here are some random photos of nature, in no particular order.
I got “lost” and wound up out on the plains. On the horizon, there was some sort of fire. It was very still air and I enjoyed that the smoke just sat there. It must have been far away because I didn’t smell a hint of it.
Looking away from the fire, I saw the moon.
In the forest, my favorite type of trail is when it’s a smattering of pine needles or dry grass on soft dirt. The traction is great and the surface is just plain fun. It’s about as quiet anything I’ll ever drive my little bike over. (I sometimes think about an aftermarket muffler to make my lawnmower motor a bit quieter, but I’ve never found one.)
I’ve done stuff that’s more exciting and photogenic but I’m not out to impress anyone. Mostly, I like how it feels under my tires.
Here’s a porcupine happily fucking up a tree. Who knows why the bark up there was particularly tasty but he must have been there on purpose. He was munching away on the tree like a happy camper.
Depending on where you are, you can run out of land. This terrain is absolutely, completely, positively, impassible.
Reflecting on “impassible” the exception is snowmobiles. Snowmobiles, in their season, can go where a man can’t walk and no wheeled vehicle can follow. Every year starting in late October I wish I had a snowmobile. I’ve never owned one. I really want one. Even an old clapped out one would be pretty neat, but I can never swing the cost.
BTW: That terrain is much tougher than it looks. Nobody messes with it. I get out there further than most, and even I treat it like a dead zone. Some places might be dry enough to walk. Some might be ten feet of water. There isn’t really “quicksand” like you saw on TV as a kid, but some of that territory might swallow you. In winter, if you’re tough as nails, technically you might snowshoe out there. I mean, nothing’s stopping you. But nobody’s that stupid (dedicated?). Even the trappers stay where they’ve got better access. Lotta’ cool raptors out there.
Someone is thinking about Sherps; forgettaboutit. They more theory than reality. Even if I were a millionaire who could afford one of those impressive beasts, I’m not sure it’s legal to go out on Federal land just to tear shit up. (Winter is different, the ice is as tough as pavement so the land is bulletproof. You could maybe joyrider with a bulldozer without repercussion. Not that I have one to test that theory. Regardless, I’ve never seen a Sherp out there.)
Snowmobiles are special. During their season, in their preferred terrain, they can go nuts and the frozen land won’t fell it. They won’t leave a trace after the snow melts. Then again, I know there’s no snowmobile “trail” anywhere near that picture. I don’t know if the snowmobiles must stay on trails or simply do so because this is a good place to show a little caution.
Maybe it’s literally untrammeled by man for the last dozens or hundreds of years.
The place below is a little less wet. You can tell by the taller brush. Actually it might be an old dike that’s a trail now. Regardless, it’s another place it’s wise to stay on the trail (and I usually hold back until the first frost kills mosquitoes).
This is a walking trail (no motorized vehicles). I just found it. It’s so well groomed its almost a fairy tale. I didn’t have time to hike it, maybe next time. BTW: When I say “walking” it’s mostly used by hunters and that’s what I’d be doing. (I randomly did a little “hunting hike” elsewhere and wound up with soaked feet. I chose poorly.) I think you could go backpacking along that pretty trail, but I’ve never seen anyone with a backpack in the area.
If you’ve ever smelled fall leaves, you know why I enjoyed this place so much.
