Pumping along a trail on a bike is a breeze-on-your-cheeks, sweaty-dirty sport that's exhilarating, challenging and outside, where you can hear birds chirp and breathe in the earthy scent of the forest.
Most who ride mountain bikes think it's as wholesome as apple pie and baseball, as healthy as fresh fruit and veggies and way more entertaining than sitting in front of a screen, be it a TV or PC.
But you can't pedal on any trail close to home without a twinge of doubt riding along with you and a faint feeling of apprehension lurking under your helmet.
That's because almost every place where mountain bikers spin their wheels within 40 minutes of Seattle is at risk of being closed to riding.
"Mountain bikers get a bad reputation," says Glen Bradburn of Seattle, whom we found riding one of the fine bike trails at St. Edward State Park near Kenmore on a recent Sunday afternoon. "We care about nature. That's why we're out here. But we get a bad rap that we destroy it. It's no worse than horse riding."
Mountain bicycling is as fraught with issues as G.W. Bush's environmental agenda.
"I get a lot of complaints," says Jeff Eischstedt, who operates Finn Hill Bikes just across Juanita Drive from St. Edward. "I'm the funnel for all complaints here on the hill: bikers who have issues, people who walk their selling the bikes tearing up the trails.' "
There are a few terrific areas open to trail riding in the greater Seattle area where you can get in a nice after-work workout, or take a weekend spin while waiting for higher trails to melt out and firm up. But they are so few and so popular that it behooves riders to pedal conscientiously, or risk seeing mountain biking halted.
Although mountain-bike proponents say their wheels do not cause significantly more damage to trails than feet do, local trails can get shredded by so many riders that they often turn into quagmires during wet weather. Plus, walkers don't especially enjoy having to constantly watch for -- and occasionally dodge -- bikers. Bird-watchers and wildlife lovers fear that bicyclists scare the critters away.
"It's just that mountain biking has probably increased in popularity exponentially in the last few years,'" says Brian Jones, president of the local Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club (BBTC). "It's just gone wild and there are so few places within 30 to 40 minutes of the Seattle area to ride. We ride on private property as well as public property, but all the landowner (or land A classic example is near Phillip Arnold Park in Renton, where city land and an adjacent area of power lines have long been popular among mountain bikers. The trails there -- known as The Tapeworm and Towers of Power -- apparently were created without permission by riders over the years. The area is now officially closed.
"It was never open, in fact," says Leslie Betlach, Renton parks director. "The Towers of Power trail is in our Cedar River natural zone. We do have police officers that patrol that area."
So what is a rider to do?
First, get involved.
Betlach says Renton is updating its parks master plan, and if riders want a say, they had better start tooting their horns.
You can also volunteer to do trail work.
The BBTC mounts regular work parties at popular areas such as St. Edward and King County's adjacent Big Finn Hill Park, as well as Tiger Mountain State Forest near Issaquah and Tolt-MacDonald Memorial Park near Carnation. Eischstedt and a couple of friends spend a lot of time with the BBTC and on their own repairing the trails near his shop, with the cooperation of park managers.
"The club has been intimately involved in helping educate the bicyclists and they've been working with us directly in maintaining trails open to bicycling and even trails that aren't," says Joel Pillars, the ranger at St. Edward.
The club also sponsors regular rides and a Mountain Bike Boot Camp, which teaches newcomers riding basics and ethic.
"We stress common-sense things like riding in control," Jones says. "There's a perception by hikers that mountain bikers are wild. We stress being friendly and stopping and talking to hikers."
It is also important for riders to always think about minimizing their impact on the trail. There might be places appropriate for mountain-bike maniacs, but these close-in trails are not. Don't short-cut trails and create new ones. After a hard rain, refrain from riding. And rarely do you need to come to a screeching, dirt-spraying stop, so avoid skidding.
Many riding areas are crowded at peak times, and such situations demand that riders be cool with fellow spoke-spinners.
By giving back a little to the sport, that twinge of guilt won't be a burden as you pedal up some hillside hairpin.
That said, here are three top nearby spots where your tread can meet the trail.
St. Edward/Big Finn
About 15 miles of twisty, turning trails, most mellow but some challenging, all in forest of large second-growth trees surrounded by salal and salmon berries, make these parks extremely popular - and fun.
Be careful at St. Ed's, a 316-acre park that protects some of the last undeveloped shoreline on Lake Washington and is extremely popular for hikers and walkers. Only a couple miles of its well-marked trails are open to riding.
The open trails are mostly those in flatter areas adjacent to Juanita Drive, which do connect with the larger network of bicycling trails at Big Finn just to the south.
The Big Finn trails host fewer walkers and in general are a bit faster. They include some technical log jumps and obstacles and one steep gully called The Elevator that inexperienced riders should not attempt.
"We're here two to three times a month," says Bradburn, who we found riding a section at St. Ed that had just been restored by a BBTC work party. "It's close to home, they're nice trails, good terrain and you can get in a nice little workout. Hikers and bikers seem to be real nice to each other out here."
Tiger Mountain
Three trails built by the BBTC can be linked with gravel roads (closed to the motorized public) that make for a fun day's ride in mostly second-growth forest. But the most popular route first involves a three-mile uphill pedal on the gravel Tiger Mountain Road that puts many people off.
The three routes of singletrack (that's what bikers call narrow trails) are the 3.7-mile Preston Railroad Trail, the 2.6-mile Northwest Timber Trail and the 1.9-mile Iverson Railroad or "Fat Hand" Trail.
The Timber Trail is the best for beginners, being on mostly easy grades. It is also the most scenic, in deep-green forest with several creek crossings.
The difficult Preston Railroad trail is, in parts, rolling, winding, rooty-rocky, and is most challenging on its downhill end.
"It can hammer you if you're not a good rider, but riders love it," says John Zilly, local mountain-biking guidebook author.
The Iverson trail also is fairly technical with several hectic climbs.
Combining gravel roads, any number of loops can be done on Tiger. Think you're a tough-guy/tough-grrl rider? Do all three in one trip.
There is a map on a signboard at the main Tiger trailhead off state Route 18 south of Interstate 90, but unless you're with friends who know the routes, expect a difficult time finding your way around. See the accompanying list of books and Web site for help.
Tolt-MacDonald Park
About 10 miles of mostly tight, windy, singletrack with plenty of roots and logs for hopping squirrel through a wooded plateau above the Snoqualmie River. There is a fairly steep, technical climb from the main park area along the river, but once on top, you've got some nice views of the valley and fairly smooth riding.
To find it, head west off state Route 203 just south of Carnation, immediately north of the Tolt River Bridge. From the parking area, walk your bike across the swinging footbridge over the river and head uphill on the gravel road.
Park managers ask that you walk you bike on the bridge, since there have been problems by those riding off the approaches on either side.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
"Kissing the Trail; Greater Seattle Mountain Bike Adventures," by John Zilly (Adventure Press, 208 pages, $14.95) or
"Mountain Bike! Washington" by Alan Bennett and Chris and Laurie Leman (Menasha Ridge Press, 413 pages, $15.95).
Both are solid guides with a sensitive treatment of the activity.
For reviews by riders of these trails and others in Washington, see the MTB Review Web site at: www.mtbr.com/trails
For Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club activities, call the ride hot line at 206-283-2995 or see their Web site at: www.bbtc.org