About

Hi, I’m Cori and welcome to Coming into Pine Tree. I am using my little corner of the internet to pass on what I have learned as a newcomer to both mountain biking and tent camping with my family, focused on trails and campsites we can drive to from our home in Red Wing, Minnesota.

I went mountain biking for the first time last year, at 40 years old. While it seemed daunting at first, the exhilaration of zooming downhill through the trees soon won me over. I’ve gone from avoiding any exercise on purpose to taking long lunches to fit in a ride. I live for flowy downhill, I don’t mind climbing as long as there is pay off, but I’m not into jumps or drops, or “rocks for no reason.” After a nasty fall last summer, I’m leery of berms, but I’m getting over it.

I’ve loved camping since I was a kid but we hadn’t gone as a family until last year. I find the opportunity to slow down and spend time away from technology (and most people) to be medicine for my soul. I am at peace in the woods; it truly is my happy place. All I need is a campfire, a Coke Zero (or a local IPA) and some yarn to crochet and I am set.

When I’m not out in the woods, I work in QA at a software company and in my free time I enjoy crocheting, cooking, baking, and avoiding housework.

About the Family

Ryan, my husband, has been biking forever. From building bmx jumps in his parents’ backyard, to mountain biking, to working at a bike shop as a mechanic in college, he is our go to for all things bike related. And he’s a good sport about hitting the green trails and slowing down to our pace as beginners. Catch him on the Thursday group rides or doing the occasional trail work at Memorial Park in Red Wing.

Camping, on the other hand, is an idea he had to come around to. He is not a fan of sleeping on the ground, but after realizing our Honda CRV couldn’t pull even the smallest pop-up tent trailer, he has resigned himself to tent camping, and I think he even enjoys it. He spends a lot of time researching gear… and then decides to buy different gear.

My son, Liam, is 10. He would rather be playing Mario or Zelda or watching Doctor Who than biking or camping, but he’s a good sport. He likes a good flow, and loathes climbing.

Maggie, my daughter, is 8. She loves to be outside and isn’t afraid to get dirty. She is our daredevil and loves rollers and berms. She thinks we too often forget that her bike is smaller and she has to pedal twice as much to keep up with us.

Coming into Pine Tree?

Why Coming into Pine Tree? One of my very favorite movies is White Christmas which takes place in Pine Tree, Vermont. There is a scene on a train where the conductor announces “Pine Tree, Coming into Pine Tree”. Click here for the clip.

Pine trees are my favorite, camping or biking. I love the bed of rust colored needles on the ground. I love the smell. Whenever we bike into a grove of pines I yell, “Pine Trees, Coming into Pine Trees!” And maybe once or twice after a tough uphill section, I might have yelled, “Climb Spree, coming into Climb Spree,” because I’m punny like that.

So while it might only make sense to me, Pine Tree was the thing that combined my two newfound loves together, and seemed like a perfect name for my little corner of the internet.