Introductions - Mike On A Bike

Hi All,
My name is Mike Anderson and I've been riding, off and on, since I was a kid in the 50's (yes, I'm old as dirt). I retired from the US Army about 20 years ago and retired, again, from the Federal Technology Service (part of the General Services Administration of the US Government) just last year.

Currently I ride as many days a week as my ability to sneak out of the house allows (seven kids and 13 grand-kids have a tendency to keep you occupied). I have a Rans Stratus XP LWB recumbent and I really like the thing.

I volunteer as a Bike Ranger for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and my patrol route is the Western Maryland Rail Trail (which starts near Ft. Frederick, MD and runs through the town of Hancock then West towards Cumberland) - no pay but great fun. The uniform they give us has bright yellow shirts that stand out for quite a distance -- If you're on the trail and see something that looks like Big Bird coming at you, at speed, give a wave, it's probably me!:D

Haha. That's so great with all of your history and such that you can still ride a bike. It's a pleasure to have you here. Keep on riding.

Welcome, Mike! As I'm sure you can tell by his post, FitRider921 is not as old as dirt. :D I'm somewhere in between, myself. Hope to see more posts from you. Something tells me you're going to have a lot to contribute in more than one of the forums here. :)

Hello Mike--that's pretty cool, being a Bike Ranger! It's a great excuse to get out on the bike every day, for one thing. How long is the route you cover? Ever have any interesting happenings?

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

Hello Mike--that's pretty cool, being a Bike Ranger! It's a great excuse to get out on the bike every day, for one thing. How long is the route you cover? Ever have any interesting happenings?

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

Right now the route is a little over 44 miles (round trip) and we are hoping to get another 5 miles + added in the near future (funding has been approved) --- It's paved with no vehicle traffic (other than Bikes!) and goes through some beautiful forested areas --- we don't get a lot of "excitement" but there is always interesting people out and every now and again we get some strange "critters" (snakes, birds, large mammals of various types and such)

Photos are necessary! Or at least, what kind of fauna are you seeing?

East Hill

We get a little of everything -- right now there seems to be an overabundance of Turtles (they bask in large groups in the two large "Pool" areas off of the trail) chipmunks, deer and birds ranging from Pilated Woodpeckers (we've got quite a few) to Eagles-- I've also been seeing some members of what appear to be in the weasal family (maybe fishers) but haven't got close enough to make a positive ID. -- We've heard about sightings of black bears crossing the trail but I've yet to see one

I've never seen a turtle on any of my trails! We don't seem to have chipmunks, either--not locally. Deer, yes. Coyotes, yes. Pileated Woodpeckers, yes. Bald Eagles, yes. Black bears, just down the road.

Could your 'fishers' be otters? Fishers are arboreal, and although they exist in Maryland (they were extirpated, but re-introduced), I don't think they are common in your county. Otters, on the other hand, are said to be fairly common in your area. If you are seeing fishers, I would like to know so that I can come for a visit to see one! I've never seen one in the wild...:D .

East Hill

Currently I ride as many days a week as my ability to sneak out of the house allows (seven kids and 13 grand-kids have a tendency to keep you occupied).

Hi Mike. It's a wonder that you have ANY time to ride. I'm glad to see that you've found a way to make some time for 2-wheels. Welcome!

... Brad