Virgins Know...

Managed to throw down a few miles last Sunday at Wakefield, pedaling through the white oblivion with DT, Gary, and a low-slung, four-legged trailblazing beast named Buster. We were the first ones to lay down tracks in the fluff that spilled from the skies
beginning Saturday afternoon and continuing on through Sunday morning. It was the first significant snowstorm of the new year in the DC Metro area, and we sure as hell weren't going to let it slip away in the coming high temps. At least not before we could etch a little two-wheeled graffiti in the soft medium.

It was a virgin ride on two counts for Gary's new-to-him Karate Monkey: one, this was its first offroad ride (been a wet winter here in the northeast Yoo Ess), and two, this was the first time, as far as anyone knows, that it has had the opportunity to dip its knobs in the snow, so to speak. And as you can see from the accompanying pic, it wasn't alone in the experience.

Snow was just a bit wetter than we would have preferred it, thanks to temps that hovered right around the freezing mark, but no one was complaining. Aside from a little mystery drag that had developed in DT's King hub (the best headset maker, bar none, but when it comes to hubs...), we had a blast carving fresh ruts in the cold. Stuck mostly to the flat sections; the uphills were all but impossible to conquer in the thick stuff and we all had plans for later on in the afternoon, so this was going to be a short one from the outset. If I could have convinced Gary that a few pix of us riding would be well worth the risk of damaging his high-end camera/lens, you'd be staring at masterpieces of what Baudrillard calls "l'ecriture de la lumiere" right now instead of my amateur renderings. I tried, but apparently Gary knows sophistry when he hears it.

Snow rides are one of the few cycling experiences that require the simultaneous deployment of finesse and muscle (another being steep technical climbs), a combination that leaves you spent and ready for a beer and a meal.

The Path Not (Yet) Taken

Balancing Act

Chasing the Beast

Lovely Day for a Hike in the Woods

DT Carving Out His Own Space

The Case For Disc Brakes

Wishin' the Monkey was a Husky: Gary Plows Thru

After the ride, I was fortunate enough to get in some snowshoeing with my girl at the Difficult Run end of Great Falls, Virginia.

Snow and Stream

Not the Eponymous Falls

MhBs (Mid-hike Beers)