Do you get out and use the trails? I do… well, I used to. You see, I’m a long distance runner and use the trails all the time when I train. So what happened? Well, I tore some cartilage in my knee while running the Quality of Life run (yes, it is ironic that a long distance runner is injured in a 5 mile race). So now, I’m more of a spectator while trying to find physical activities to fill the void of running. I thought maybe I could bike, but my knee is not real happy with that either, so I’m holding off until I visit the Orthopedist and see exactly what is wrong and what comes next.

Why do I bring this up? Not being out on the trails has made me think about how much I enjoy using them. Not just the physical activity part, but also the observational part. I guess since I’m on the BikeNet Board I may have a more keen interest than the normal trail user, but I really enjoy the people-watching part of using the trails. I try to make mental notes of the about the users like: are they walkers, runners, bikers, skateboarders? how many vehicles are at the trailheads and where are they from? You get the idea.

I know from my own observations and the trail census numbers that trail use is increasing, which is a great thing. We all should get out and enjoy the trails and explore that segment of trail that you haven’t used before!- Jeff Bollman, President of the Board of Directors