Last year I started mountain biking. I wanted to try something new, get some exercise, and have another excuse to be outdoors. Little did I know that taking up this new sport would have multiple unforeseen benefits.
Spring 2017- the first time out riding, a buddy challenged me to ride off a wooden feature with varying heights. There were four drops between 8 inches and 3 feet, leading into a soft dirt run-out below. I refused to try anything except the smallest one, and even that was terrifying. I remember telling my friend that never in a million years would I try the 3-foot-tall drop. No chance. Fast forward a few months and several lessons learned the hard way(about how to balance on a bike in mid-air), I was confidently riding features more gnarly than I could have imagined. I am well aware of my average-at-best skill level, but seeing improvement and pushing myself has impacted my life positively in other ways. When I look at a challenge, an opportunity, or a potential goal I don’t psyched-out imagining the pitfalls, time, effort, hard-work and discomfort I am signing up for. Instead I visualize the good stuff- the moments of bliss and the sense of purpose that make it all worth it.
Ripping down skinny trails, tilting the frame of the bike just enough that the tires don’t slip, gripping the handlebars, barely hearing the ambient sounds of the hub spinning and wind in your face…there is no time for a lapse in focus. At this moment nothing else matters. You are immersed in the present. Mountain biking is not the only way to achieve the type of laser-focus I am talking about here. Folks find it through art, music, social interaction, or other types of outdoor activity- a good hobby brings you into the moment.
This year I am taking up ski-touring (hiking uphill wearing skis with sticky skins on the bottom, then skiing down- no lifts, less traffic, more tranquility). Apart from finding new lines and experiencing the beauty of remote, snow-covered mountains, I am interested in ski-touring because it will allow me to push myself in new ways. Traveling in the back-country during winter brings its own set of challenges; for example, assessing snow conditions to avoid avalanche-prone areas requires a different type of risk assessment than choosing how to ride a mountain bike feature. I want to develop back-country navigation and ski-touring skills to be prepared for expeditions in the future.
A few weeks ago at the Banff Mountain Film Festival I met folks whose technical abilities and conditioning, both as athletes and filmmakers far outmatch mine. The physical and psychological challenges involved with filming in harsh conditions require anyone on the crew to be a top-tier athlete. Also, high altitudes and low temperatures are not compatible with electronics, hard drives, and cameras. It also became clear that managing technology in the back-country requires efficiency and knowledge that cannot be learned except through practice. Ski touring will allow me to develop these skills.
In closing, simply taking up a new hobby or sport does not ensure personal development and growth. Mindset determines these outcomes: if you are willing to push yourself and embrace challenges enthusiastically, then the growth will come.
Mountain biking is my personal cheat code for accessing the present. What is yours?
5-second clip from earlier today:
Kyle Huber 