Paddling
I LEARNED A FEW IMPORTANT LESSONS on my first multiday mountain biking trip through Big Bend Ranch State Park as I weaved between spiky plants and sharp rocks. First, if you soar off the seat of your bike on a rugged downhill and land in a patch of prickly pear, you’ll still be plucking out cactus spines two weeks later. Second, every scratch will be worth it.
On that first trip 15 years ago, I whooped like a