First Snow

Usually our first snow only lasts a day or so then is melted by warm weather right away.  This year our first snow has hung out for awhile.  I'm getting better at dressing for the cold, and have been getting some good rides in. Some rides I wonder if its worth the frozen toes, other rides I wonder why I used to put my bikes away in the winter!

This ride I took up to Sharon, WI where they have bike routes posted with arrows at intersections. There are 4 routes each around 20 miles, some shorter some longer.  This day I took the route to Darien, WI  then hopped on the route to Fontana, WI before heading back home. It was a nice Christmas Eve ride.

This ride I was feeling like a hero heading down this gravel road heading south with a hard wind pushing me along but when I turned around to head home it was much colder than I thought.

Kettle Moraine is AWESOME right now, the snow is so packed down that I don't have any trouble on my regular mountain bike.  My fastest time around the blue loop is 48 minutes and I made it around in the snow in just over an hour.  Half that loop was ridden after sunset with lights, so the snow really didn't slow me down to bad at all.  If the trails stay this nice I will have no problem keeping the bike rides going through the winter months.  The woods are warmer than the road with the slower speeds, less wind, and more ups and downs.  That makes dressing for it and staying out in it longer much easier.

Hells Kitchen has frozen over!

-David