schnauzers.ws

The Pugsly has payed back in awesome dividends! I am so glad I got cabin fever and bought it, instead of a new camera. A few more snowy rides are left in the season and I’ll probably give it a whirl or two on the sand, in Buffalo Creek.

Today I joined, Tim, Stephanie, and Bob for a great ride at Three Sisters. Conditions were perfect for any tires. Tim and Stephanie kicked my butt on their singlespeeds! I can’t wait to slow them down in Moab.

The snow was rapidly melting as the temps passed 50F, by the tacky snow and slush were no match for the pugs.

Another great thing about having the pugs, is the ability to keep contributing to my volunteer duties without having to hike. I’m not big on the snowshoe thing and I really enjoy the conversations I have with hikers, about the bike. With the lower use and fewer conflicts of the Winter users, it’s a great way to spend more time interacting and promoting the good stuff.

There’s something about green and white in winter, that hits me just as hard as blue and red in summer. Maybe it’s thinking about my school colors. Both High School and College (Ohio U), were green and white.

Tim was pushing the limits of bald tires in the snow. I think the singlespeed actually gave him an advantage or at least the perception of it.

FWIW, trails in the sun were pretty much like this:

I always tend to go in the same direction at this park. Someday, I’ll get my brain to reverse direction. I guess I’m just a counter-clockwise type guy. Maybe it’s the bike? The right side is heavier, so maybe I just lean to the right (political satire removed).

People will see the next picture and think, “that doesn’t look like fun”. SO, figure this about snow rides. When you see pictures of snow rides, they usually look like well worn tracks. Especially, if other people are in the pictures. It’s not always so rosy. It’s certainly easier to stop the bike and take a photo, in a place you can start up again. I think that’s why you rarely see the push pics. The good part is that it wasn’t that bad. After about a hundred feet, we were moving pretty well.

Tim and Stephanie make a great athletic couple. I think they like to couple their competitive energy against me. Paranoid? No, I’ve got plans to slow them down. Almost sinister plans :).

de·ter·mi·na·tion   [dih-tur-muh-ney-shuhn] noun
1. the act of coming to a decision or of fixing or settling a purpose.

Bob was very obvious about this.

I would have stayed at the top and took my usual nap, had it not been for the wind that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Southerly? Odd.

Still, we took our time and enjoyed what we could including the never-ending Jelly Belly tree. There is no way the beans could stay in the tree with all of the wind, if it wasn’t magical. Never-ending supply of beans.

Downhill was, downhill. You don’t take too many pictures when you’re plowing down the trail expending all your upper body strength on keep the bike straight. Just too much fun to stop!