Just Get Out There...

I've been really enjoying my local trails lately. It's easier for me to do that than it might be for some others, living as I do in the Highlands, but even so, I've been enjoying riding locally more than I ever have before.
It's easy to get into a rut on your local trails, riding the same old routes. You get to the stage where you can ride around with your eyes shut... that log there, that stream, that hill, oh look, I'm home.
Lately though, I've become an explorer. To get the most from the trails closest to you you have to be adventerous.
We spend so much time and money traveling around the country in search of great riding. Glentress, Golspie, Fort William... A little bit of thought can bring you great rides like these so much closer to home.
I've recently found some amazing trails in my local woods that have been made by the logging machines. The chaotic trail left by these machines is as technical as half the stuff you find at a distant trail centre, it goes on for miles and it's right on the door step. Best of all, if I get bored of any one of these tracks there's always another just around the bend.
And why stick to the trails anyway? If SnowBoarders have the most fun going off piste why can't we? try going off the trail and down through the trees. As long as you have the right equipment, with a bit of care for yourself and the environment you can have a total blast. Isn't that what freeride is all about?