out on the bikes in march

the days: march 18th, 25th, and 26th. the 18th was by far the warmest, up in the 50s, and the windiest, with a steady blow of around 20mph. it was also sunny. the 25th & 26th were both somewhere in the 40s, not too windy, nor all that sunny. i'm pretty sure i felt a couple of drops today, the 26th, but rain was at best, a low risk.

the adventures: on a bike! and except for one time today, going out to rt 4 on the dirt half of our road, riding pavement in canaan and enfield. if you are a map nerd, we snuck into lebanon for about a mile.

the memories: fridays are my 'sweep the shop' days over at drummond custom cycles. the last two were pleasant enough to ride over. after the recent rains washed most of the salt off the roads, and the warm~ish weather has melted most of the snow, my thought was basically, get the bikes out pump up the tires, and start pedaling.

today's ride was a bit longer, with a couple of good hills thrown in for good measure. skip and tom were also game to come along. i rode over to meet them at tom's and we took off. about an hour and two good hills later, we went by laura's house and saw her out burning brush. we took a bit of a break before looping back around mascoma lake, at least the half of it with the paved road.

my first three rides of the season! may they all be at least that good. 

notes:

• be prepared for it feeling really cold with a strong wind blows off a frozen lake
• if your bike is tuned up at the end of last season, it rides really nicely in the beginning of this one
• riding in a group offers 'drafting' opportunities--take advantage of them
• start remembering to keep a camera in the frame bag

go outside and play!

playing the edges, before it got sticky

the day: march 14, early~ish . getting sunny with temps rising through the 20s heading toward 40°F --warm, too warm for still being winter. no wind. and a big flake snow drifting down for the last couple hours, as blue sky pushed out the clouds.  6-8" of fluffy snow on the trail, except where yesterday's sun and last night's cold combined to leave a bit of crust 2 inches down.

the adventure: skip picked me up around 8:30 and we headed up to moose mtn and our secret stash. since nobody else goes there--yet--i figured it would be in really good shape for a couple of morning runs--before today's sun got on it and made it sticky.

the memories: and in fine shape it was! even better than what i thought it would be!! skinning up through a fresh couple of inches, plus friday's storm below that, was like heaven. at least such fluff under the skis is how i envision terrain behind the pearly gates. as we gained elevation the coverage got even better and i started eyeing some of the special features along the edges, a couple of big rocks to launch off, a few small hemlocks to scoot around... we hit it right.

notes:

-  skip got us going in plenty of time for two runs (before i had to get to an 11:30 mtg)
-  it was warm enough to keep skip's hands warm but not so warm that our skis were clumping (until the very end heading back to the truck)
-  the whole day made skip smile (not unusual. always fun.)

go outside and play!

enjoying whatever we get!

the day: march 13. mostly sunny with temps rising through the 20s °F --warm, as long as you were out of the stiff wind. not blowing as hard as yesterday, but still strong. the snow storm left 4-6" of new fluff on top of the slim-to-none coverage existing after another annoying mid winter warm up.

the adventure: up, around, over, and down, town hill--another out the dooryard adventure!

the memories: pam was headed out for a walk, so i suggested if she was up for looping town hill, i would ski along. she was. i did. it was the proverbial winter wonderland in the woods. since the snow originally started as rain, a significant amount stuck onto branches.

notes:

-  it's amazing how little snow you need
-  ... for beauty
-  ... to play in
-  ... to make one smile

go outside and play!

friends, with benefits

the days: march 8 & 11. tuesday was mostly sunny but cold~ish in the teens °F with a very stiff wind: ~20mph above treeline with gusts towards the 40s. the rain on sunday made for a solid, often icy trail. friday, mostly overcast but much milder in the mid forties °F with barely a breeze blowing. the trail was about 70/30, bare/softening ice.

the adventures: d1: up cardigan, via the west ridge trail, down mostly on the ski trail. d2: up the AT, leading to smart's mtn, down the same, leading to the truck.

the memories: d1: billy and tracey were up at billy's brother's house in new london. billy, an old amc pinkham friend, always likes to get out and hike, preferably up above treeline if possible. tracey is always game for adventure--if she has the proper kit. tuesday, on cardigan, she was all set for comfort at low temps and high winds, but the creepers she borrowed did not inspire much confidence under foot. 

d2: billy and tracey came back on friday for a second trek up a section of the AT with a fantastic outlook a bit more than a mile up. with much softer and far less ice--plus a better set of microspikes under tracey's feet--the trail was far more hiker friendly. the mild temps also allowed for many few layers at times.

notes:

• good creepers/microspikes are your friend 
• such bare trails in early march are not so friendly to lovers of winter
• friends who hike together smile together--especially for selfies of a wee coorie at the summit

go outside and play!

snow today--rain tomorrow

the day: march 5. beautiful sunny day, somewhere in the 20s, but feeling much warmer because of that sun. a bit of wind when it can get down through the treetops, but not at all uncomfortable. the ground and most obstacles--ie stones--covered, with about 4~ish inches of fresh stuff on top. all around, pretty perfect to celebrate WORLD TELEMARK DAY!

the adventure: up and over town hill, all the way to the marsh, and back.

the memories: all around a very pleasant day, enough coverage to avoid major ski bottom damage and sticky enough that i didn't need skins, even on the steepest parts. going to the marsh with pam is always fun--and sometimes funny. like when she stops to check her stocks. i usually end up skiing away, glad to not have a phone.

notes:

• when the snow is good, go outside and play! -- before it rains
• a little paraffin can go a long way--backwards if you aren't careful
• people who get outside together, smile together

go outside and smile!