With frigid winter weather keeping us indoors, I thought it might be uplifting to start making plans for some fair-weather activities. The Roanoke Region in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains is the place to visit if you love the outdoors. The area offers more than 700 miles of trails for hikers and bikers, including the Appalachian Trail. Outdoor adventure lures folks to Roanoke for everything from an easy stroll in the woods to challenging climbs in the mountains. Visit www.visitroanokeva.com for a complete list of area trails.
A relaxing stroll in the woods is my favorite, but I have friends who have conquered the climb to McAfee Knob or hiked Sharp Top Mountain at Peaks of Otter to experience the incredible views and exhilaration of standing on top of the world.
One such friend is in my writers group. An avid hiker and biker, he tells stories of his conquests on his blog, www.outdoorsinspired.org, and he has shared some with me. One such story deserves to be preserved in poetry form.
A Hare-Racing Experience
by Dee Bowlin
While biking up a mountain path
beneath the forest canopy,
I let the scent of dampened moss
and fragrant pines wash over me.
Now, halfway up the taxing trail,
I thought I saw the bushes part.
So suddenly did he appear,
Sir Rabbit gave me quite a start.
At first, he hopped beside my bike.
He looked at me, then upped the pace.
I pedaled hard to bridge the gap,
but I could see who’d win this race.
He took the lead so easily,
white tail a-bobbing with each hop.
Way out ahead, he disappeared.
Alone, I rode on to the top.
I took a rest, admired the view,
then turned around to head back down.
My speed was fast on the descent.
So, where’s that clever bunny now?
’Bout halfway down, to my delight,
my rabbit jumped out from the brush.
Again, he hopped along with me.
I held my own. Felt quite a rush.
Then, when he kicked it up a gear,
his tail was bouncing in my face.
He left me trailing far behind.
He beat me home, but what a race!
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