Monday, November 1, 2010

Blue Bird Days Continue

After a good deal of rain and wind a week ago our blue bird autumn days have returned and riding the Pugsley in Elm Creek Park has been an absolute joy. Temps have dipped below freezing each night and have been in the upper 40s (F) to lower 50s (F) during the day.
This trend looks like it will continue through the rest of this week which should give the trails an opportunity to dry out.
Saturday morning I went to the park to find that they had been testing the big snow cannons and this gave me the opportunity to ride some of the white stuff. Sure it's man made and it was only about a fifty foot stretch, but hey, it was still nice to see "SNOW" on the ground. It was just enough to get me to salivate just a bit.
The Pugsley has been my ride of choice for about the last month now and I must admit that I am loving it. I can't believe I let it sit in the basement and collect dust all summer. The other fun part is all the looks and inquiries I get about the bike. People are amazed at the size of the tires and many just shake their heads disbelief.
I believe I rode just about every trail there is to ride over the past weekend, with the exception of the new single track that they are putting in. They finally posted the trail and hopefully riders will be responsible and stay off until spring.
The wind last week brought down quite few trees, but many were just minor speed bumps for the Pugsley. Of course there were several that I couldn't ride over so the bike had to be hoisted which is no small feat. Of course our friend Fair Weather Kenny, in true amigo style, found himself getting skewered by some branches on one fallen tree. Of course he had to blame it me by stating that he never would gone that way if I hadn't. I told him he should be more careful and I won't say what his response was.
Winter is just around the corner and I am getting excited to ride in the snow. That being said, I am working on planning some rides up north this winter and purchasing some new gear.
However, in the meantime I'll continue to enjoy the beautiful weather that mother nature has provided us. Cool mornings with ice covered puddles and frost on the grass. Bright sunny days that soften up the wet spots that froze over night and allow me to leave some tracks for others to follow.
The shadows will continue to get harsher and longer and the sound of the leaves will soon be silenced as the ground becomes covered with snow. I'm patiently waiting...

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Great photos, great bike, great tracks to follow!

Anonymous said...

Pugs does so well in the mud. I had to at one point stop riding my Pugs this summer because of all the stopping and talking about it. Took too long to finish the ride. (area we were riding has a specific time cars aren't allowed in and after that time it's nuts)