Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Excursions Into the Wild of Suburbia


When I initially moved back to the northwest burbs of Chicago, I was actually kind of worried that I wouldn't have access to all of the wooded areas and land ripe with nature that I had gotten so accustomed to in DeKalb. I know I've spent most of my life in this area, so I should have known what to expect, but I guess when I lived out here before, I wasn't really a "cyclist". I rode bikes, but I was more interested in discovering a new skatepark in a nearby town, or checking out the raddest ledges or stair sets. Currently, I'd prefer to wander through the woods, or tear up some singletrack on my cross bike (or 29er), and so I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that here in Chicago-Land, I am literally surrounded by relatively dense wooded areas. There are forest preserves everywhere, the DesPlaines River Trail is very near, and I've seen more wildlife in the last couple weeks of being here than I probably ever did in the many years I spent living in DeKalb. The only downside really, is that you pretty much have to get in a car and drive to get to any of these fun places. This may be one of the least bike-friendly areas I've witnessed, and commuting by bike is pretty damn hard. Oh well, here are some photos from a few of my latest excursions into the wild of suburbia:

Lakeside chillin' with da Boy.

Many deer.

Green

Swampy

They really don't fear people. This guy came right up to me.

Found some singletrack and did a bit of #casualcross. I shoulda bunny hopped that.

Hey bro.

The Nature Boy in it's natural habitat.

No comments: