Bring it, I'm ready

Winter Storm Warning
Hazardous Weather Outlook

Tonight: A chance of rain and snow before midnight, then snow. Low around 33. Northeast wind between 8 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. 

Saturday: Snow. High near 34. North northeast wind around 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible. 

Saturday Night: Snow likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 34. North northwest wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. 

SnowDancer

We have this beautiful dog. He has no opinion on the weather. He doesn't seem to care about the coming of spring, or the NOT coming of spring as we are currently witnessing. He's a good one to consult with when spring is yet again delayed and the weather makes me crabby. When the snow gets deep, he is delighted and can't wait to go out and help me shovel the snow. Even when it's so cold he has to wear his boots, he just sits patiently ready for action. He doesn't want to hear that we are done for the day. It's not that he doesn't enjoy spring when it arrives and he gets to romp in the park climbing trees and such. He's always bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready for a barbeque or a session with a toy I would complain miserably about and want a new one. Not only a new one but a super-lightweight one made of carbon fiber or unobtainium that would make all the other dogs oooh and aaahhhh over. OK, it's true he sometimes only has one eye focused on the present, but what would you do if you had a shredded Frisbee on your head? At the end of day, he doesn't need anything fancy, he just hops in the back of the car and drops off for a nap on top of the luggage...

15 degrees, heavy snow with light winds

15 degrees, 4” already down plus heavy snow falling, light winds. Why?

Upper:

Thin base layer tank top, Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 long sleeve, with a Gore BikeWear jacket for the outer layer. This great for the conditions since riding in heavy snow with 4+ inches already on the ground is one heck of a workout

Hands:

Perl Izumi lobster ski gloves with thin wool liners. This was perfect.

Lower:

Ibex Climawool pants over wool tights over Ibex merino wool cycling shorts over wool boxers. This was perfect.

Feet:

Medium weight wool socks, thin wool liner socks with Lake Winter boots. My toes got just a little chilly on the return ride but the only change I might have made would be to have aired/dried out my feet before heading back but Whole Foods my have frowned on that...

Head:

Wore my down-hill ski helmet with medium balaclava and cycling glasses. I removed the balaclava for the return ride, again due to the extreme effort of riding through this much snow.

Riding pace:

I’m guessing around a 6 mph. pace since the whole ride was on unplowed trails with 4+ inches of snow. The hardest riding I have ever done was today through this much snow particularly on the road portions where tire tracks turn the ride into a controlled fall, controlled meaning I never fell but anyone watching would have assessed me as very nearly out of control.

Etc.:

This was an errand ride of about 7 or 8 miles. I’ll put up another post on riding in these conditions that were about as extreme from a handling perspective as I have ever ridden in. Another ride like this and I would sell my soul for a Pugsley!

Silence of the Studs

I put the studded tires on too early (as usual) due to my paranoia of hitting a patch of ice and going down. I don't mind riding them on dry pavement. In fact, when they are new it helps get the studs to fully set making them less likely to pull out as I ride through the winter. Since part of my motivation to ride is for fitness, riding on tires with a higher rolling resistance, especially those with studs, just makes for a better workout.

Eventually our first bit of snow arrives and I head out to roll over that patchwork of snow and ice. I look forward to the first snow ride of the season as it marks the end of fall and the beginning of the winter riding season. It’s one of my favorite rides of the year.

Riding studded tires on dry pavement sounds like an old 78 phonograph record with the sound turned up and no music. As I roll around the trails, I don't often need to ring my bell or to alert folks with a polite "On your left". Most pedestrians turn around to see what in the heck is coming at them and give me plenty of room. I like to think it’s to insure my safe passage but it’s just as likely they are making sure they don’t get rolled over by an errant bike. Safely past, it’s just me and my old 78 spinning along down the trail.

Until I hit a patch of snow...

Then those studs become deadly silent. No sound what so ever. Road tires on dry pavement have a certain smooth hum, a supple sound track of soft rubber gripping the pavement. Mountain bike tires sailing down a hard-packed single track sound like an old man's slippers on a sturdy wooden staircase. A syncopated, soft padded dance step.

Studded tires on snow make no sound. No sound at all.

Being accustomed to the reassuring audio cue that my tires are providing a connection to whatever surface I am rolling over, the silence is deafening. It's the same silence one hears when a pebble tossed into a well has yet to hit the water. Time suspended, waiting for the echo of that distant plop.

My late fall rides have that old 78 as a constant sound track so I anticipate it being there. My ears strain to pull it in but all I hear is the winter quiet surrounding me. It finally ends when the studs once again find direct purchase on bare pavement and the old 78 spins up again. But the sound is short-lived lasting only until I roll over the next patch of snow. Then it’s quiet again. The snow brings back the magic of winter biking and wraps me in a suspended silence.  

Confirmation

Decided we'd had enough of this
so we went to the airport.
It was snowing like crazy.
I took some pictures
that show
Monday
looking like this:
It's easy to second
guess if you are
making the right decision
but when I took this picture of
Tuesday,
I had confirmation that
we had made the right decision.

Just to make sure
we were on the right
(single) track,
I also snapped
Wednesday

So far so good,
Thursday
turned out pretty good as well
So I thought
Friday
needed to be captured too
All well and good but
the aging relative
we had gone to visit said on
Saturday
that it was cold
(but I was comfy in shorts on the patio)

But better than all this was
connecting with the
delightful old couple so
full of life
and
good humor.

Truly confirmation that life is as good as you make it.

Change of Seasons!

I just love the change of seasons, the anticipation of the coming season and the activities it brings. I took this first picture in the depths of Winter, the best winter we have had for some time. Skiing was fantastic this year with plenty of snow. Sometimes I like to capture what the season looks like so I have a reference of what it was like when it's gone. I took this first photo on my front sidewalk last winter. Sort of a classic winter scene with the ticki tacki houses all in a row but a pretty row.



Now this second picture was taken this afternoon, the first day of spring. I think it really captures the essence of spring in Minnesota and is a dramatic contrast to the Winter picture above...



...perhaps ditching the studded tires this weekend just might be a bit premature...