Adventures Above the Treeline
How many times have you looked up a canyon, with deep timbers and tall aspens, wondering what it's like to be standing at the top? We had the opportunity to experience this fantasy when one of our close friends invited us up to their cabin. This cabin isn't in a typical location, or even remotely close to any signs of other people. The cabin is powered with a blend of a self built turbine powered by a close by mountain spring and a solar panel. This off grid cabin is located above 10,000 feet, high over the surrounding treeline.
It is no small task to get to the cabin. The road is not suited for a standard car and a hike in would take all day. The only viable ways to get to the top is by bicycle or a very long and bumpy ride in a truck with a pretty real risk of getting flats along the way. The views along the way are spectacular though, the more you ascend the more breathtaking the scenery. I knew that there had to be a better and more fun way to access this cabin; and then it dawned on me; my eBike.
At the bottom of the trail, below 7,000 feet we started our day by unloading our eBikes and began the winding journey to the top. Breathing in the fresh mountain air, while moving steadily through my lush surroundings was something I needed in this world full of deadlines, priorities and stresses. Every corner we turned on the trail provided views of lakes, rivers, canyons and far distant towns and cities. On one side of the ridge we could see the Wasatch Back, which included Park City, Kamas and Heber, and on the other side the Wasatch Front including a view of Utah Lake.
Moving through the mountains on an eBike provides a new appreciation for the area. On a bike with an electric motor, as opposed to a gas powered ATV or dirtbike, you move virtually silently. This allows the ability to see the wildlife without disturbing it on the way in. And the pace of the machine is perfect. You have the time to take in the views but, at least for someone like me, it’s not so slow that you find the long meandering trip up becoming dull.
Peaking around the last incline and corner that we had, our friend asked us if we could see the cabin yet... all we could see was that we were above the treeline, the air was thin, with a few small patches of pine pockets. We pulled out our binoculars, and there it was… with a stream flowing towards it, near the peak at almost 11,000 feet, this perfectly built cabin, that has been in the family for multiple decades, was tucked neatly away in a pocket of trees.
As we came up to the door of this beautiful and rustic cabin we knew we accomplished something incredible with our eBikes. We climbed over 3,000 feet in elevation, experienced multitudes of wildlife, and didn't even have to break a sweat. EBikes, we were all realizing, are a great way to experience the outdoors like we haven't done before. It's great for our mental health, and overall physical fitness, without the need to exhaust ourselves.
Get outside and find ways to get to a higher view, so that you can experience the reset in your mind, body and spirit that comes from accessing remote and beautiful places. Moving through nature and disconnecting from our daily stresses is a healthy way to decompress. It’s especially worthwhile when it can be done with good friends and family. For us, our eBikes are the ultimate way to reach that potential, to connect with the outdoors, with the people who matter most to us, and even to ourselves in a deeper way.