Nice Day for a Wintry Ride

 Actually got to ride beyond the end of pavement today on Ohio Creek.
The snow scenes on the way were stark and wintry.

 There is still quite a bit less snow than last year at this time. I am not complaining.

 If it doesn't snow for 2 more weeks the road will likely dry out enough back here to go further with no mud.

Mud is not that bad, except when the temp is 20 degrees and the wind is at 5mph. Getting wet and still having to ride over an hour is not the best things to combine. This is why I opted to turn back at this point. It is good to get out and feel the cold freeze your face pedaling along, knowing it will not be long until the trails reopen.....hopefully.

Warm Winter Ride to Freezing

 It was amazing how warm the ride was the snow was disappearing right before my eyes. 
Even on the way back the road was more clear than when I went up to the edge of the dirt and back.

Yesterday, was a completely different story. The roads were clear up to Crested Butte South, but the humidity and the slight wind was torturous. My fingers and toes were nearly frostbitten. I had to wrap my hands in towels until the pain, stinging and cold went down enough to  move them freely. As I finished putting away the gear I looked out the front window and it started snowing. I love when I get to ride before it snows, it is so satisfying.

Another Great Day!

 I opted to go for a longer warm-up and it was just that. The temperature warmed as well and had to switch gloves after 45 minutes.

 The day was perfect for riding more of the technical trails. Though I still don't ride the whole thing, it is a far cry from where I started just 18 months ago.

Who would have thought we would have temperatures reaching forty in January in Gunnison?  Yeah, so I still haven't sent in my fork for repair on the Yeti. I have been getting more used to riding the 29er hardtail and doing pretty well.  

Beautiful Day

What can be wrong with sunny, blue skies in January in a place like Gunnison, CO?  Absolutely nothing!
The trails were quite and mostly dry. I would say that most of the trails are ridable. I hit kill hill again and it 
once again kicked my butt. My excuse is that it is still early season. The hamstrings took their time to recover. It even took it's toll later in the ride when going up Enchanted Forest. There was only one other time I didn't make it up this trail and that was because I tried to pass someone in a race that I hadn't trained for and lost my legs and lungs before the top.

Today I opted to rest a bit in the beginning and ride the roads to Back-In. There wasn't a sole in sight while the clear blue skies starred down and the sun warmed fast. I 29er is great on these type of trails, but not on my back. I am feeling the after affect as I sit here typing. The dirt and the crisp air made for one beautiful day.

New Years Day MTB

Wow! I cannot believe that I am riding the trails on January 1, 2012. The temperature was around 21 degrees F with the wind at 4mph when I left the house. I don't think it varied much the whole ride though climbing up the hills helped warm me up and get the circulation going. Most of the trails were dry and those weren't were still very ridable. I will bet that we still get some snow and colder temps, but I am will take these special riding days as a gift and cherish them when they are there. The road rides have definitely helped the power on the trails for little bit I have done today. I had a great ride with warm hands and feet for the first time. I tried out my glacier gloves with liners and the Diadoria Winter MTB shoes with padded ski socks. These are the most recognized issues with winter cycling and they were with me until today. I can still put more socks into the boots but the gloves are it. I don't think I could ride in much colder and still have the hands warm, especially on the road were the speeds are faster and more constant. Perhaps an outer layer over those gloves, but then bike handling issues would present most certainly.
This whole week we are supposed to have descent weather until next weekend when snow is forecasted. I will hope for a fast melt and continued winter riding.

End of Todays Ride

Took a few photos at the turn around point. The SUV's were blazing buy though few there were.
I wanted to see how far I could go, but decided that was enough for today.

The "Ruffle" Mountain looks so majestic covered in snow. The pavement was clear all the way to the dirt road. There were a few places of slush and mud and the temps were not conducive to being wet all the way back home. The temps all this week are abnormally high, but I am loving it so far.

Winter Road Ride

A few Christmas trees left here at this lot. It would be nice to have a tree again. For now I will look at the trees and appreciate them as they stand on the hillsides.

 It was chilly when I left, but soon warmed up for Gunnison standards. I had to remove the turtle fur to cool off some.

 The road was clear, the skies were solid blue and the snow capped mountains were inviting and picturesque.

 I'm not certain but from the weather outlook this might be one of the last days to ride on the road.The snow is expected and the temperatures are supposed to dip down another ten degrees for the high. It will soon be too cold to ride, but I will keep trying.

 If I had some warmer cycling shoes, I could ride longer. I hope this year we will get lucky and be able to ride more. Last year my first ride of the year was in mid-February. Took a moment to take a Cherry-Lime Roctane and wash it down with First Endurance Orange Splash. Good Stuff!

 I nearly had frost bite on some of those first rides. I have warmer gloves this year, but still the toes get numb fast in the upper teens with a slight breeze. I will run some, but my ankle will take nearly a year to heal properly and my SI joint still does not cooperate, but I run when I can.