Into the Wild

• 1 bottle Kona Longboard lager - home

One of the reasons I enjoyed mountain biking so much was that I was removed from the city and most everything about it. I loved riding on the trail; surrounded solely by nature. The quiet sounds of the forest, pure and organic, were comforting. My wheels returned to me the sounds of crackling twigs, the suck of mud, the grinding of dry pebble-grit, and the hush of pine needles. My chain tapping the frame and the hub bearings clicking were the only reminders from the city.

I often rode alone. I loved riding out near Mt. Rainier, where there is spectacular views and challenging singletrack. I would think about how I might be the only person out there, surrounded by not one thing that was human-made; and I liked those thoughts. Everything was natural. Returning to the car to load up after a ride, I was slowly re-introduced to humanity; the steel car, the paved road, the concrete retaining wall. And as I drove further away from Rainier and closer to Seattle, more engineering emerged; the freeways, the billboards, the malls, the skyscrapers; the explicit structure of everything. It just seemed, well, unnatural.

Watching Into The Wild tonight made me think of my riding days and how relaxing it felt being among dirt and trees and streams. I was never in search of anything deeper than a temporary escape, but Christopher McCandless was, and I thought that was cool. I think we all like to dream about doing something complete like he did. I know I do.