When the CCC was building trail during the Great Depression, they weren't considering bicycles being in the user equation. The advent of modern "mountain biking" may be considered as the first forays onto these trails, however it was most assuredly not the first time many of these trails were attempted to be bicycled upon. The famous bicycle journey undertaken by the Buffalo Soldiers through The Heart of America lends heavily to that fact, as it was decades before the CCC even existed. Imagination, Determination, Woodcraft Skills, Mechanical Skills and Desire to explore the backcountry are most assuredly high ranking factors that have sent individuals on two wheels into the backcountry since the bicycle came to be. Historical footpaths, wagon roads, cattle trails, game trails and even large swaths of bare rock are also integral in the backcountry experience on bicycles, all of which can be ridden to certain extents framed by legality, Rider motivation and skills.
While backcountry mountain biking is understandably not for everyone, those seeking it out are becoming more infrequent, with the exception of the current bikepacker trend. The bikepackers either venture forth with preparedness, or tempt fate well beyond what casual enthusiasts face on crowded trails adjacent to metro areas experience. Yes, mountain biking is still an inherently dangerous undertaking anywhere it's performed, however the backcountry adds to this truth. Those who are intelligent enough to admit their limitations and adjust their aspirations accordingly can make day tripping into the backcountry a reality that doesn't have to be life threatening. Those who can't seem to believe anything beyond their own bullshit are seemingly tempting fate in the backcountry, especially when dependent upon electronic assistance to get there. This possibly explains the USFS exclusion of ecycles on non-motorized routes. They get enough SAR calls for service already and adding to that would be a burden they don't wish to be shouldered with. I don't blame them one little bit.
The Bliss of Backcountry riding is real for me, beginning with why I took mountain biking up to begin with. Enjoying the backcountry and the peace it provides me with is something I've always enjoyed from my first moments out there on foot as a kid. Being places and seeing things that only you and maybe a few close friends are privy to at any certain moment in time is priceless and IMO the height of truly living life. The learning experiences provided by the unpredictability of the backcountry are endless, as evidenced even yesterday when railing around a blind turn to see a loose rock as big as a medicine ball in the middle of the tread and relying on both my experienced speed (or lack thereof in this case) and bike's flickability to avoid spearing it with my front wheel. Then again, Riding In Control is essential in the backcountry and those who don't adhere to that increase their chances of becoming a SAR call for service, that is if their electronic deevice has both signal and a charge. Funny and also telling how much more important proper trail etiquette is in a backcountry setting as opposed to where Kooks Accumulate. Riders who get this often enjoy the Bliss of Backcountry for the same reasons mentioned above and also know that just about anyone encountered on a bicycle "out there" is most likely a Kindred Spirit.
