butt (and mine is a big enough one), as the saying goes: "make hay while the sun shines", which essentially translates to, if there is snow, ski it -- if there is no snow, bike it.
of course, where there is snow there are also potential objects in ones path, the most common being trees that blow over in the wind. my middle name being safe-t, i took the silky big boy on a couple of hikes on local ski trails: on the snowday a week ago monday, i cruised the 'fire road' on cardigan; on snowy friday that week, i went over and hiked a loop in the shaker wildlife management area.
there are enough of us skiers hiking cardigan fairly frequently that the 'fire road' or ski trail, is kept rather clear of obstacles, both large and small. i cut only one tree bigger than my arm which left plenty of time to contemplate and look at seeds.
the large pods on the left are beech, with one 'nut' fallen out. the tiny seeds looking like jet planes are from birch trees. i think there are two different species of those. the 'drope' to the far upper right, is likely a cherry, possibly a hackberry though i have never identified one around here. the 'samaras' are maple to the right, and your guess is as good as mine on the middle one. the larger seed in the middle looks like a 'achenes' from some sort of pine.
strolling along, it seemed almost calm in the woods. i put on my creepers at 'turn around rock' thinking that it would be blown off and icy above. cardigan, at only 3,155', had a major fire in 1855 which established it's bald top with a 'false' treeline. as i approached the summit, the wind still felt unusually light, given the cloud movement above and the storm going through.
a hundred feet from the top, a good strong blast of wind scored a direct hit in my face. that was the end of calm. when the wind is out of the north, the west and south ridge approaches are well protected until the very end. i actually stumbled into the bottom of the tower when entered the sheltered zone. i got out the camera, bundled up, and went back out and snapped shots looking east, north, and west.
on my way down, the wind died down as soon as i dropped below the summit again. i was able to unzip the jacket and loose the hood. by the time i got into the trees, i actually stuffed it into the pack. the snow depth was very encouraging and i made a mental note to call skip and suggest a go at it over the weekend.
on friday, with saw in hand, it was the shaker trails under foot. as i looped counter clockwise around the green trail, it started to snow. there was a fair amount to cut out, even a couple of bigger blowdowns that i left for another session with a chainsaw.
the picture on the left is looking down what skip and i call the little sherbie -- you may remember from previous years. it's a beautiful mile long descent, with some steep to it. multiple, bulldozed water-bars make for some excitement for those who want it as well.
where the trees were more open above, the snow piled a little deeper. as i worked my way toward the bottom, the snow kept coming, periodically in really large flakes. this was very promising. again, i made a mental note to call skip and see if he wanted to ski in the morning.
i got ahold of skip and convinced him of an early start--on skis and headed up before 8:00a. it had been a cold night and the snow's fluff was fairly deep for early december. even though we found a rock now and again we continued up, encouraged.
cold conditions like make it fast pointed downhill. so at a certain point, finding more rocks, the trail narrowing, and our first run of the year, i suggested we turn around and buckle up. that sounded good to skip. i locked down my toes, jumped into the fall-line, made a few soft buttery turns, and set up for a photo shoot. skip went up to a higher access point and turned in--after donning his helmet!
it was all fun and games after that--at least for me. i did hit a couple of rocks a bit harder than i would have wished, but the snow was so soft that even at well over a foot deep, it was skiing 'thin~ish'! we yo-yoed past each other several times, until i had to bail into the woods after a particularly large "kchkchkch". while i was finding my way back, i heard an even bigger "kchkchkchkchkch", with a shout and a thwump attached.
skip doesn't fall all that often, but when he goes down, it can be fairly dramatic. one, he wears glasses. and this was a face plant, read it was going to be a while cleaning up just to be able to see. two, falling like that right at the top of one of the steeper sections does not build confidence. and three, back upright, dusted off, and sliding again, the glasses started fogging up just in time for our favorite little drop. at least this grounding didn't involve a face washing. he looks happy sitting in that spot of sun knowing he avoided hitting the tree in front of him. i climbed back up to capture his beautiful smile!
we made it the rest of the way without incident--at least as far as i was concerned. yes, just so he could tell eben, "i fell more today than i did all last year!" he tumbled off the plowed hump, into the road. i missed the actual event, but he reported it wasn't pretty.
like we expected, it was early. but, with no big injuries and silkie smooth powder, we were both wearing smiles stowing gear in the truck. back at skip's, we had a bite to eat with eb and lamented the forecast for a warm front to blow through on monday into tuesday. it was predicted to drop close to an inch of rain. that would not be good for skiing.
still, if all the snow melted and it got cold again, maybe there would be skating. if nothing else, i could ride the bike. sure enough, by tuesday it was almost in the 50s and there was .65" of water in my rain gauge. by wednesday morning, the temp had dropped back into the teens, but any snow out in the open had pretty much gone.
thursday, i thought, "what the heck. get the bike out and go over to the shaker trails and loop the ones i hadn't done yet." not a bad thought, save for the temp down around 10~ish°F--i waited for noon when it got up to 20~ish. i put on a few extra layers and pedaled away. i had to pull my buff down to say hi to the neighbor. i am guessing he thought i was a bit zealous about bike riding.
when i got down on the rail trail, i hadn't figured that it would be solid ice in the shady spots, which was a bit freaky for my back wheel. but sadie had the truck so i was committed.
sticking to the snow on the edges, i could avoid most of the slipping and sliding. when i stopped to get a picture of the trail, i was amazed at the river next to the mill. i had been watching the trail so intently to stay upright, i hadn't noticed it was frozen solid.
the dam on the left edge of the image, was roaring really loudly, spilling all that extra water from monday's and tuesday's rain. while the river ice was probably not safe yet, even here where the water slowed, i was thinking mascoma lake could be sweet. i would know in a mile or so.
and indeed it looked glassy, at least from the causeway. the cloudy ice on the left was forming where the current is restricted as it flows under the bridge. that usually makes for a lot of air in the water as it freezes, thaws, and refreezes. the rest of the lake was prime to add thickness tonight, when it drops down into the single numbers.
i made it over to drummond's to chat with brother cory and do my weekly sweeping. ok, and to thaw out some before heading across the road to try the trails. when i got over and into the woods, i was expecting some icy spots as it is even shadier than the rail trail. at what we call 'grand junction, where trails divide, i stopped to picture the split.
snow to the left of me, leaves to the right, here i was stuck in the middle, remembering "two roads diverged in a wood" frost's poem the road not taken.
...
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
i am not sure which path had actually been less traveled, but i went right thinking, it might make all the difference. a couple hundred yards up, the bike slid right out from under me and i went down, not hard, definitely awkwardly. still, i thought that wasn't too bad, so i kept climbing. a slip here and a slide there, i finally gave it up, spun around, and headed back. i wanted to make it past the rail trail before it got dark.
i did fine time wise getting home, but i took a couple of diggers that probably would have won some award for icy fails if caught on video. the second one, actually hurt when i bounced my ribs off a bridge before whacking my elbow on the ice. i am hoping it didn't undo the wonderful work sue just did adjusting my back. life goes on and i suspect i will heal. what's not to love about a chance go outside and play!
ps--in case you caught my dropping the possibility of skating, i will be careful if i do go out on the ice!
of course, where there is snow there are also potential objects in ones path, the most common being trees that blow over in the wind. my middle name being safe-t, i took the silky big boy on a couple of hikes on local ski trails: on the snowday a week ago monday, i cruised the 'fire road' on cardigan; on snowy friday that week, i went over and hiked a loop in the shaker wildlife management area.
there are enough of us skiers hiking cardigan fairly frequently that the 'fire road' or ski trail, is kept rather clear of obstacles, both large and small. i cut only one tree bigger than my arm which left plenty of time to contemplate and look at seeds.
the large pods on the left are beech, with one 'nut' fallen out. the tiny seeds looking like jet planes are from birch trees. i think there are two different species of those. the 'drope' to the far upper right, is likely a cherry, possibly a hackberry though i have never identified one around here. the 'samaras' are maple to the right, and your guess is as good as mine on the middle one. the larger seed in the middle looks like a 'achenes' from some sort of pine.
strolling along, it seemed almost calm in the woods. i put on my creepers at 'turn around rock' thinking that it would be blown off and icy above. cardigan, at only 3,155', had a major fire in 1855 which established it's bald top with a 'false' treeline. as i approached the summit, the wind still felt unusually light, given the cloud movement above and the storm going through.
a hundred feet from the top, a good strong blast of wind scored a direct hit in my face. that was the end of calm. when the wind is out of the north, the west and south ridge approaches are well protected until the very end. i actually stumbled into the bottom of the tower when entered the sheltered zone. i got out the camera, bundled up, and went back out and snapped shots looking east, north, and west.
on my way down, the wind died down as soon as i dropped below the summit again. i was able to unzip the jacket and loose the hood. by the time i got into the trees, i actually stuffed it into the pack. the snow depth was very encouraging and i made a mental note to call skip and suggest a go at it over the weekend.
on friday, with saw in hand, it was the shaker trails under foot. as i looped counter clockwise around the green trail, it started to snow. there was a fair amount to cut out, even a couple of bigger blowdowns that i left for another session with a chainsaw.
the picture on the left is looking down what skip and i call the little sherbie -- you may remember from previous years. it's a beautiful mile long descent, with some steep to it. multiple, bulldozed water-bars make for some excitement for those who want it as well.
where the trees were more open above, the snow piled a little deeper. as i worked my way toward the bottom, the snow kept coming, periodically in really large flakes. this was very promising. again, i made a mental note to call skip and see if he wanted to ski in the morning.
i got ahold of skip and convinced him of an early start--on skis and headed up before 8:00a. it had been a cold night and the snow's fluff was fairly deep for early december. even though we found a rock now and again we continued up, encouraged. cold conditions like make it fast pointed downhill. so at a certain point, finding more rocks, the trail narrowing, and our first run of the year, i suggested we turn around and buckle up. that sounded good to skip. i locked down my toes, jumped into the fall-line, made a few soft buttery turns, and set up for a photo shoot. skip went up to a higher access point and turned in--after donning his helmet!
it was all fun and games after that--at least for me. i did hit a couple of rocks a bit harder than i would have wished, but the snow was so soft that even at well over a foot deep, it was skiing 'thin~ish'! we yo-yoed past each other several times, until i had to bail into the woods after a particularly large "kchkchkch". while i was finding my way back, i heard an even bigger "kchkchkchkchkch", with a shout and a thwump attached.
skip doesn't fall all that often, but when he goes down, it can be fairly dramatic. one, he wears glasses. and this was a face plant, read it was going to be a while cleaning up just to be able to see. two, falling like that right at the top of one of the steeper sections does not build confidence. and three, back upright, dusted off, and sliding again, the glasses started fogging up just in time for our favorite little drop. at least this grounding didn't involve a face washing. he looks happy sitting in that spot of sun knowing he avoided hitting the tree in front of him. i climbed back up to capture his beautiful smile!
we made it the rest of the way without incident--at least as far as i was concerned. yes, just so he could tell eben, "i fell more today than i did all last year!" he tumbled off the plowed hump, into the road. i missed the actual event, but he reported it wasn't pretty.
like we expected, it was early. but, with no big injuries and silkie smooth powder, we were both wearing smiles stowing gear in the truck. back at skip's, we had a bite to eat with eb and lamented the forecast for a warm front to blow through on monday into tuesday. it was predicted to drop close to an inch of rain. that would not be good for skiing.
still, if all the snow melted and it got cold again, maybe there would be skating. if nothing else, i could ride the bike. sure enough, by tuesday it was almost in the 50s and there was .65" of water in my rain gauge. by wednesday morning, the temp had dropped back into the teens, but any snow out in the open had pretty much gone.
thursday, i thought, "what the heck. get the bike out and go over to the shaker trails and loop the ones i hadn't done yet." not a bad thought, save for the temp down around 10~ish°F--i waited for noon when it got up to 20~ish. i put on a few extra layers and pedaled away. i had to pull my buff down to say hi to the neighbor. i am guessing he thought i was a bit zealous about bike riding.
when i got down on the rail trail, i hadn't figured that it would be solid ice in the shady spots, which was a bit freaky for my back wheel. but sadie had the truck so i was committed.
sticking to the snow on the edges, i could avoid most of the slipping and sliding. when i stopped to get a picture of the trail, i was amazed at the river next to the mill. i had been watching the trail so intently to stay upright, i hadn't noticed it was frozen solid.
the dam on the left edge of the image, was roaring really loudly, spilling all that extra water from monday's and tuesday's rain. while the river ice was probably not safe yet, even here where the water slowed, i was thinking mascoma lake could be sweet. i would know in a mile or so.
and indeed it looked glassy, at least from the causeway. the cloudy ice on the left was forming where the current is restricted as it flows under the bridge. that usually makes for a lot of air in the water as it freezes, thaws, and refreezes. the rest of the lake was prime to add thickness tonight, when it drops down into the single numbers.
i made it over to drummond's to chat with brother cory and do my weekly sweeping. ok, and to thaw out some before heading across the road to try the trails. when i got over and into the woods, i was expecting some icy spots as it is even shadier than the rail trail. at what we call 'grand junction, where trails divide, i stopped to picture the split.
snow to the left of me, leaves to the right, here i was stuck in the middle, remembering "two roads diverged in a wood" frost's poem the road not taken.
...
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
i am not sure which path had actually been less traveled, but i went right thinking, it might make all the difference. a couple hundred yards up, the bike slid right out from under me and i went down, not hard, definitely awkwardly. still, i thought that wasn't too bad, so i kept climbing. a slip here and a slide there, i finally gave it up, spun around, and headed back. i wanted to make it past the rail trail before it got dark.
i did fine time wise getting home, but i took a couple of diggers that probably would have won some award for icy fails if caught on video. the second one, actually hurt when i bounced my ribs off a bridge before whacking my elbow on the ice. i am hoping it didn't undo the wonderful work sue just did adjusting my back. life goes on and i suspect i will heal. what's not to love about a chance go outside and play!
ps--in case you caught my dropping the possibility of skating, i will be careful if i do go out on the ice!
And, if there is ice, skate it.
ReplyDelete