Mountain Biking around Eklutna Lake

I can now officially say that I have mountain biked. We had a free morning on Monday before our evening flight out of Anchorage, so we spent it on our bikes in the Chugach State Forest. We drove to Eklutna Lake and biked 14 km around the lake to a campground, for a round-trip of 28 km, roughly 17.5 miles. I suppose it was a legit bike trip because I had one small "crash-and-burn" experience. Seriously, where is the video camera when needed? Luckily I had a handsome husband come pick me up after I fell and did a somersault, too tangled and shaken up to do it myself! He held me on his lap on a fallen down tree for about 10 minutes as I regained composure and confidence. "Growing pains hurt," I said as I laughed through the tears. Trying new things is not always easy, but the results are so worth it! This bike ride really pushed me beyond my comfort zone, but I really feel like I can tackle more mountain bike trails in the future! The second half of the ride was a lot better, mainly because I had a couple of hours of biking under my belt.

Sorry for the lack in quality of the photos. I didn't take my nice camera, so we resorted to my smartphone. It gets the job done :).

There were so many times we just had to stop riding and take in the beautiful scenery. It was breath-taking. The water was so blue and calm. Mmmm. I love it here.

Being able to spend a morning in the mountains is a blessing. I am so grateful for a healthy body and a husband who loves to do these kinds of activities with me. It sure beats shopping, TV, or sleeping in!

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