> [LLM context index](https://www.lambdalatitudinarians.org/llms.txt) ยท [Nathan Contino bio](https://www.lambdalatitudinarians.org/nathan-contino.md) # Mountain Biking is Silly [[md]](/blog/2022/06/21/mountain-biking-is-silly.md "view this page as markdown") > _June 21, 2022_ ... silly _fun_. But honestly it is a slightly ridiculous use case for a bicycle. # Settling Down Slowly but surely, we're getting used to New Hampshire. It's a big change from life in Denver and NYC, but life up here in the mountains has a lot of appeal when you basically just want to ride bikes all day and occasionally have a nice beer. [![A sign of things to come](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/01_schilling_rainbow.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/01_schilling_rainbow.webp) _A sign of things to come_ Though at some point, the number of covered bridges _does_ get to be a bit much. Still cute though. [![YACB: Yet Another Covered Bridge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/02_covered_bridge.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/02_covered_bridge.webp) _YACB: Yet Another Covered Bridge_ This weekend, we did a small "hike" with Meg's dad at the [Flume Gorge](https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/flume-gorge). A little touristy for my liking, but the combination of early season and chilly weekend worked in our favor. A very pretty natural landmark that's worth checking out if you're ever in the area. [![the flume is often mossy](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/03_mossy_flume.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/03_mossy_flume.webp) _the flume is often mossy_ [![sometimes you just have to stand on rocks](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/04_standing_rock.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/04_standing_rock.webp) _sometimes you just have to stand on rocks_ [![a determined tree](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/05_cool_tree.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/05_cool_tree.webp) _a determined tree_ We also checked out a staple of the area, Polly's Pancake Parlor, which is just as ridiculous as you'd think given the name. It is pretty neat that the servers make the pancakes themselves, though. And there's a nice nature walk out back to walk off the heavy breakfast. [![pancake walk](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/06_flowers.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/06_flowers.webp) _pancake walk_ The farmer's market here is fantastic. Two things particularly special about our farmer's market: 1. Wow, there are a lot of bernese mountain dogs in this town! 2. Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeese. [![a bernese at work](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/07_workin_berny.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/07_workin_berny.webp) _a bernese at work_ # Ranch Camp As usual, we take any excuse we can to grab a burrito for lunch over in Stowe at Ranch camp. Since we finally got our hands on some mountain bikes, this weekend we headed over for a burrito AND a bike ride. The trails turned out to be incredibly fun, and even easier than I expected. Lots of very flowy non-technical terrain and a solid balance of ups and downs so you're not stuck slogging up a hill for 30 minutes or burning out your brakes zooming down the hill for 30 minutes. And they've got great views. [![great view at the green chair](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/08_green_chair.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/08_green_chair.webp) _great view at the green chair_ # Kingdom Trails Since this was a long weekend, we also managed to fit a visit to one of the coolest mountain biking spots in the Northeast: Kingdom Trails, in Burke. It's about 40 minutes from home, and based on our experience, I suspect we'll be up there a lot more over the rest of the summer. [![kingdom trails](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/12_nate_wave.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/12_nate_wave.webp) _kingdom trails_ The trails were plain old fun: zoomy as hell, fewer rocks and roots than I'm used to at the local trails, and such a huge range of different microbiomes you never get bored. Over the course of a single ride, you'll go from riding next to a sunny field of cows, to zooming through deciduous trees that look like a classic upstate NY new-growth forest, to a stretch of cedars with no undergrowth that looks straight out of the tundra, to a mossy forest that looks like it belongs on the fringes of the Shire. Great trails, beautiful views, not too buggy, and great beers afterward. [![sunny cow field](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/10_meg_cow.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/10_meg_cow.webp) _sunny cow field_ [![upstate NY lookalike](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/11_meg_rocks.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/11_meg_rocks.webp) _upstate NY lookalike_ [![cedars](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/13_meg_tall_cedars.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/13_meg_tall_cedars.webp) _cedars_ [![moss](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/09_meg_moss.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/09_meg_moss.webp) _moss_ [![obligatory stickerbombed brewery bathroom](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/thumbnails/images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/14_bathroom.webp)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathan-contino/images/main/reasonable-images/june_21_2022_bike_trip/14_bathroom.webp) _obligatory stickerbombed brewery bathroom_