Snow

I woke up in the middle of the night and looked out the window. Snow. Sticking to everything but the roads. I figured it would be a good day to take the Siren on my work commute and ride the dirt up and over the ridge. The snow was only a dusting so it should be pretty.

With the temps around 24 degrees, I was actually warm for once. I had splurged and bought some waterproof/breathable cycling gloves. These things are lightweight and warm, and kept my hands warm. That was nice for a change.

I rode cautiously down the parkway. There were thin sheets of ice spread all over the place. The ice was thin enough that I had traction, I just did not want to have to hit the brakes. As I made my way through the Swannanoa Valley, I came to a steep hill down by the river. This area is right next to the river, and the road was a solid sheet of ice. I had to ride on the shoulder in order to safely navigate the stretch of road.

Once I hit the dirt climb up the ridge, I was really excited. A slight dusting of snow on the ground, the cold wind blowing through the naked trees, my Siren 55 SL climbing like a goat. It was a good morning.

It has been a while since I have been up on that ridge, and once I connected with Rockmont property, I was littl bit disoriented. After sorting out which way I wanted to go, I bombed down the mountain to the office.

Something I am doing differently this year is wearing a balaclava. I have had on in my drawer for years but never used it. Now, I can't go without it. It is better for on the road though, when I am climbing through the woods, I get overheated quickly. But on the pavement sections of my ride, it is really nice to have. This past weekend I spotted a wool balaclava at REI. Hmmm, gotta save up for one of those!!

The trip home was basically a reversal of the trip to work. Less icy, but fun. Got home after dark, due to the thick gray clouds covering the sky!!

Have a great day!