Sunday Funday snowday riding!

It was my goal to head out to Mt. Crescent to get some snowboarding in. Spent much of Saturday night waxing my board and trying to figure out a tether system to keep my GoPro from being lost on the slope. I'm attaching the camera directly to the snowboard behind the nose, and while that isn't recommended, they suggest using a tether system "just in case". Found some camera wriststraps, got some keychain holders things from Home Depot, and i was good to go!

One handed snowbiking and taking pictures at its best!

The trail was better and easier to ride compared to Saturday

Michael M rounding the bend

Dale and Ginger out, both making tracks of their own

After an hour of packing food, clothing, and my board into my car on Sunday, I got a call from Paul. Don't go. Two hour wait at the lift ticket line. YIKES! Mt. Crescent had done a groupon and a living social deal just recently, and with fresh snow, everyone wanted to get up on the action. Thanks for the call Paul! A bunch of us will most likely be going this Sunday to Crescent if people are interested. Probably get there early to avoid the massive lines. THOR meeting on Saturday with biking and some light trail work at Manawa to follow. See THOR facebook or webpage for details.

Mike, Jorge, and Christian made it out

This is how we clear the trail. Use fatbikes!

I unpacked my car and loaded up the Muk. Time to try some more biking. Satuday was rough. Blowing snow and the snow was too wet and heavy to really get yourself rolling too well. But Sunday was better. We hit up north of Fort street where I met up with Chris P and Michael M. Before long, Christian, Jorge, and a third Mike came rolling up on fatties! It was like a fatbike gathering! Dale was also out with Ginger to test some new snowshoes that he had bought. He was loving it, but he said he was feeling his legs being put to work! I think the snowshoes are pretty hard work actually. Lots of lifting of your leg, higher and harder than you normally would. Especially if snow is on the shoe. It would be like doing high sassy kicks with 2.5lb weights strapped to the top of your feet.

Biking in the deep 4X4 tracks was almost like riding in the gutter of a bowling alley. You just kept bouncing from side to side along the walls of the snow. 

 

Now thats a fat b*tch! 4.7 inch compared to my measly 3.8!!! I almost started feeling insecure about my smaller size. Haha. Just had to throw that joke in there

Jorge on his new rig. Surly Moonlander

Six riders on fatties...it's the most I've ever seen at one time. Two white Pugs, one custom painted green Pugs, a Moonlander (4.7inch tires), my Muk2, and Christian's 9Zero7. Lots of fat toys out that day. And we were all having a blast! We finally cleared the ravine and I looked over and saw that a 4wd truck of sorts had gone through the wetlands. Made a huge loop. How it never got stuck I'm not sure. But it gave us a track to ride in. It was fun. The snow was so deep that your pedals would hit both sides of the snow while your tires just kept rolling along. I was bouncing back and forth in the track like a pinball. It was actually keeping me upright most of the time, like training wheels. I guess think of it as a gutter at the bowling alley. The ball just goes into the sides and keeps rolling.

Michael M was out just as much as I was!

Got in a good 4 something miles on Sunday. That may not sound like much, but I think snowbiking is twice as hard as regular singletrack dirt riding. The controlling of the steering, staying on the trail, and trying not to sink into the snow and doing an endo makes it a lot harder. Not only mentally but also physically. Add to that the bundles of clothing and the tons of snow sticking to the wheels and bike. Awesome workout!

Christian clearing the ravine

We were getting brave in the snow and going over the huge log crossings. After seeing everyone else try, I decided to give my first go at it. For one, the mounds of snow and ice on my pedals made it near impossible to find the pedals when you needed them. Then the fear of getting stopped at the top by the snow and then having to try to find your footing. But in the back of your mind, you know that snow is cuddly soft and that falling won't hurt. Unless your hip hits the log like mine did. Good times. Photos for now, videos eventually.

 

 Photo by Michael M photography. Besides Paul and I, we now have more paparazzi out at Tranquility!