Kai, it's a pleasure to read your posts -- I don't think I'm the only one who missed them while you were busy/away for a bit!
The mountain biking you describe does sound splendid. I think you might find a bit of that heaven in East Texas, if exploring the fire roads and forested streams are more to your liking. Unfortunately, it's easier for folks in Dallas and Houston to explore those areas without significant travel time. For Dallas residents, even Arkansas isn't terribly far out of reach, and offers tremendous public forest land to explore. Justin and I spent our honeymoon trip and fourth anniversary in and around Arkansas' Petit Jean State Park and the Ouachita National Forest. (Which, sadly, we mispronounced to a park ranger as "Wha-cheetah," thus making it clear we were visitors.
)
As for Government Canyon SNA, I missed an opportunity to reserve a slot for one of the guided hikes there several months ago. I still want to make a trip out there before the park officially opens to the public. With as many miles of trails as I've read it will have, it's going to be an amazing gem for San Antonio and South Texas area outdoors enthusiasts, naturalists and photographers. I think I posted here awhile ago about it (digging around...
yep, here it is), after reading a terrific article by a Texas bike club that participated in developing some of the single track there.