If hiking and cycling interest you, have you considered mountain biking? Do you live in an area where trying out mtb might be a possibility?

It’s difficult to see from the picture provide what you might mean by “kinda open”. Can you provide a picture or may be an example of what is fastened to the valve body opposite the pipe? If you can’t, is what’s depicted in this link what you see? https://www.mcmaster.com/mvC/Library/20210709/7CBF13E4/4627K333_Medium-Pressure Iron Pipe Fitting.PDF

Is that a plug i see there on the end? Have you considered removing it and opening the valve a little to see what comes out?