The over the hill gang

[no primers]

So , i just took my first late afternoon bike ride. Caught two deer in a field on one side of the road, the geese in the field on the other side of the road.
Don't know the temp , but it's muggy.

[no primers]

Took my touring bike out for a few hot laps with it's new Continental tires , that i found on line. The bike shop told me they don't make that size any more

[M700]

Ah, I found this thread. Hope that's okay with everyone. 63 years old. Semi-retired, meaning I retired from the cop job 5 years ago but have been running a very small business ever since. It pays for my shooting, hunting and fishing, which is good.

Like pretty much everybody here I've had my share of injuries & surgeries over the years, and I'm just trying to stay reasonably fit, so I can keep doing the things I love to do. My activities vary with the seasons. I winter, mostly I lift at the gym, as well as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Sometimes my bicycle buddies con me into a winter ride, but not often. I'd rather snowshoe than ride a bike in the snow. Spring I'm on the bicycle a lot. Mountain bike and road bike. I've had my mountain bike somewhere over 15 years, just an old hard-tail Trek, but I love it. And the road bike is only a couple of years old. Finally replaced the old Canondale I'd had for nearly 30 years. The stiff aluminum frame wasn't doing my neck any good at all. As summer progresses and hunting season approaches, I do more hiking, particularly on hills. I hunt some country that's kinda steep, and need to be reasonably mobile in the hills.

My hiking buddy, a good dog named Clark, died a couple of months ago and I've been kinda moping. Not as much fun hiking without Clark. Dang it.

Got a kayak last week! Oh my goodness! So doggone much fun, and a great workout too.

Have to admit that I enjoy yard work too. Some days I'll just get up early to beat the heat and spend two - four hours just trimming the trees & bushes, mowing, etc... It's not a big lot, just a lot of old landscaping that needs to be maintained or gets really out of control. I like seeing the immediate results from the yard work. Nothing manly, just trimming the bushes & such.

After reading everyone's posts, I kinda feel like I belong here. Appreciate you building this little place for us No Primers.

Thanks, Guy

[M700]

Specialized Roubaix that I bought just over two years ago. The local bike shop gave me a great deal on Memorial Day, I think 'cause I'm a veteran and I give them quite a bit of business. It's got a carbon frame and is so doggone much more comfortable than my old aluminum framed bicycle! Just took it out this morning for a 30 mile ride, and broke the two hour mark by a few minutes. Feeling pretty good about that.


My old Trek hard-tail mountain bike. Simple, sturdy, and an awful lot of fun to ride. I'll have it out again on Tuesday I think. There's a lake I'd like to reach, and only dirt roads to it. Can't get a Jeep all the way to the lake because the roads are gated. But the bike does it just fine!



I find that the biking, aside from being great fun, lets me work real hard without punishing my joints and tendons nearly as much as hiking hard or running. I pretty much gave up running a long time ago. Miss it, but my legs don't miss it.

Have been doing more hiking lately as hunting season approaches. My little town sits below some real nice hills that are open for hiking.




And... The kayak! New toy. Two great rivers next to town, and quite a few small lakes in the hills above town. I've been out in it three times in a week. Wow! So much fun, and a great workout!


I try to go do something physically challenging every day. I just feel better when I'm doing that. Oh, and I tend to take a lot of photos. Am trying to become better at wildlife photography. I'm learning.



Regards, Guy

[mikom]

Specialized Roubaix that I bought just over two years ago. The local bike shop gave me a great deal on Memorial Day, I think 'cause I'm a veteran and I give them quite a bit of business. It's got a carbon frame and is so doggone much more comfortable than my old aluminum framed bicycle! Just took it out this morning for a 30 mile ride, and broke the two hour mark by a few minutes. Feeling pretty good about that.


My old Trek hard-tail mountain bike. Simple, sturdy, and an awful lot of fun to ride. I'll have it out again on Tuesday I think. There's a lake I'd like to reach, and only dirt roads to it. Can't get a Jeep all the way to the lake because the roads are gated. But the bike does it just fine!



I find that the biking, aside from being great fun, lets me work real hard without punishing my joints and tendons nearly as much as hiking hard or running. I pretty much gave up running a long time ago. Miss it, but my legs don't miss it.

Have been doing more hiking lately as hunting season approaches. My little town sits below some real nice hills that are open for hiking.




And... The kayak! New toy. Two great rivers next to town, and quite a few small lakes in the hills above town. I've been out in it three times in a week. Wow! So much fun, and a great workout!


I try to go do something physically challenging every day. I just feel better when I'm doing that. Oh, and I tend to take a lot of photos. Am trying to become better at wildlife photography. I'm learning.



Regards, Guy

M700,I spent a couple of decades busting my butt staying in shape because I had to. Just hard to get motivated when I sound like a box of Cracker Jacks when I get out of bed. Work keeps me in shape for now,so for the time being I'll kick back in the lazyboy,have a beer and exercise vicariously thru your posts,thank you in advance!

[no primers]

Thanks Guy
Glad you didn't throw in the towel yet.
Keep going.

[shawlerbrook]

At 62 I can still do all the things I did at 40, but I start early and usually work 1/2 to 2/3 days. Work slower and smarter( my wife might disagree on the second one) and get a lot done on my 120 acres of heaven. I have been trying to get jobs done that won’t need to be redone. This week will be trail and tree stand trimming. Still have to stain a woodshed and one log wall on the house. The big pile of split firewood also still needs to be stacked in the woodshed. Still two months of work before the October 1st. hunting season begins.

[M700]

Shawlerbrook - yes - I have to plan things out a little better now - and part of that planning is to simply take more time.

An example: October 2017, opening weekend of mule deer season. Nobody could go with me. Not my sons, none of my hunting buddies. Sigh. So - I hunted hard all day, on my own and late in the afternoon scored on a decent 3x3 buck.

I walked to the buck, began the cleaning process. Had to put my headlamp on to finish the job of quartering him up. Then stuffed most of the meat in my backpack, carried the head out in one hand, rifle in the other and walked back up and over a small ridge, over a mile to the Jeep all in darkness. I remember feeling very satisified that at 61, I'd once again, done it all on my own. It was a good feeling. I hadn't been able to get all the meat, so went back the next morning, hiked in got the rest of the meat and hiked back out, but I parked closer that time. It was a good feeling. Still proud of that hunt, mostly 'cause I showed myself that I could still do it.



Just took it slow and steady, and all was well. No way could I have dragged that buck up over the ridge and to my Jeep. Quartering him, or boning him out were my only workable options.

Guy

[Ret_Eng]

I dragged the deer shown below 3/4 of a mile uphill on a 45 degree slope around numerous trees/thick brush/large rock outcroppings (very rough terrain). Once I got him on somewhat level ground, the deer was field dressed and I then proceeded to drag the buck most of the way across a more gentle upward sloped grass field. My friend who owns the land then saw me and helped to get the deer into my car trunk. I did all this with a 25-30 lb daypack on my back except when cleaning the animal. I am not in "light fighter" shape anymore--but I can still get the job done--albeit a whole lot slower--LOL!
20161113_064928.jpg

[mikom]

The best part of being 56 is working the 20 something's into the ground. It may hurt the next day,never show it though. I grew up with work or play thru it. I do love hiking the woods,scouting hunting spots or small game hunting. My knees are junk so I just park the truck closer. I do admit you buggers are giving me incentive to start doing more and hunting is coming up. Thank you!