Climate change is real, folks!
We saw it with our own eyes today. The Aarschot trails were suffering from global softening. Never have I seen those trails as muddy as today. So much for their own unique dry soil microclimate….
So Armando, Ben, Lisa, Joe and myself zig and zagged, slipped and slid, hopped and popped, and we had a good time anyway!
For those familiar with these trails, quite a few things have changed since the last time I was there last spring. The main shock was finding that the infamous Ewok forest section had been obliterated by logging. Too bad. Also another section of forest on the far end of the loop has been fenced with a "Private" sign. Another bummer.
On the plus side of the balance sheet, there are a bunch of new winding descents that have been newly-cut into the woods near the section with the ever-changing rutted descent!
Also, we discovered an enterprising individual had opened a take away snack and wafel stand in their driveway on the edge of the forest, and we were envious of some hikers that were enjoying a snack and a warm drink. Next time we will start the ride in that general vicinity so we can enjoy some post-ride chilling (literally) instead of heading straight home. God, I can’t wait for the pub restrictions to end. 😦
Cheerio,
David
BigM 