I Love Snow

I'm not even being sarcastic. I LOVE SNOW. So many people are poo-pooing the snow, and yes, it does keep me off my bike a bit, but think of all the other opportunities it presents. This weekend, for example, I plan to head out to Whitegrass in West Virginia to try out some backcountry skiing. Talk about a workout... try skinning up a mountain.

Photo stolen from the Whitegrass web site.

All of this is preparation for another trip out to Colorado where I will attempt to summit and ski Mount Elbert (or possibly another 14er if Elbert's snowpack isn't good). Actually, I'm a bit perturbed at the lack of snow the east coast has had over the last several years. The last really good snow year I remember is winter 2002/2003. And this year, the best snow has happened when I was out of town. The December 19th storm hit when I was in Colorado where they had NO snow. It was the first time I've ever come home to colder temps and more white stuff. This last storm I was in Alabama. They had rain down there and it shut down schools and the government. I was pretty amused.

This weekend I will be here so bring it on! Show me the pow-pow!

As a side note, I recently purchased some studded tires for my cross bike. These things are great. I've only had a chance to ride them a hand full of times but when I do I look for ice and snow to ride over to test their limits. No crashes yet. I guess my point is... if you want to ride outside, you will find a way. And winter mountain biking is the best.