Sunday services

Fabulous Fingersicles at -25 in Talkeetna

To everyone who got up offa that thing last week and started riding the Hillside singletrack, nice job. After a stressful week, I need to attend Sunday services at the Church of Bike, and holy crap, the trails were sweet. Thanks to some extra effort by guys like my friend Carl, even some of the "secret" trails such as Sith (shown at right) were full of tight, twisty goodness

Fortunately, we’re getting more snow tonight. Unfortunately, this storm could dump another six inches just before the holiday weekend, so we’re all going to have to get out there and groom the trails all over again. I promise to do my part.



The sanest way to deal with the retail hell of “Black Friday” is to stock up several days' worth of essentials now, stuff yourself on Thursday, then hit the trails on Friday while avoiding any building that contains a cash register. (Except for bars that serve post-ride beers.)


Thanks to Queen Bee and her “training camp” crew for today’s new entry into the Fabulous Finger Gallery. They spent more than four hours riding in temps down to -25F up by Talkeetna on Saturday. Stopping for a flip-off shot in such conditions is admirable, even if they couldn’t feel their hands well enough to be sure which fingers they were using.

Check back later this week for a possible update on a Frigid Bits event that just might be brewing for Saturday night. And in the mean time, have a fun and fattening Thanksgiving.

Powder Pugs

Nearly 8 inches of snow fell in Anchorage on Saturday. And we weren't alone. Friends around the country were posting Facebook updates mentioning snow. News sites were full of stories about snow in the southern states, and a storm bearing down on New York City.

The funny thing is, most of the comments were in the form of complaints, and the news stories were somewhat alarmist. It was like snow is a bad thing. And that ain't necessarily so.

I guess we're just lucky in Alaska. The snow was dry, fluffy powder—perfect for fat tires. And then the sun came out.

So, if you're reading viewing these photos while stranded in an airport, or after a hellish drive home from work on a road littered with fender-benders ... well, sorry.

(Not really)

I'd kill for a ticket to Moab right now

Last week's big snowfall has turned the Hillside into a fat-bike-only zone, at least for now. Until the trails firm up again, it'll be torturous for anyone on skinny tires. Combined with sub-zero cold, the soft trail conditions turned Saturday night's Frigid Bits race into a social ride because everyone without Endomorphs stayed home. Come to think of it, most of the people with Endomorphs stayed home.

Grillmeister Kelly led a four-rider group on Fatbacks and Pugsleys, and Endo Rando joined us out on the swamp loop, where the temp was about 10 below zero. We were out for 90 minutes or more, which would have been enough if I hadn't convinced myself earlier in the day that I should ride round-trip from home for a good, long workout.

I left home at 5:30 in the afternoon, and rolled back in the driveway just before 11 p.m. while feelin' the pain of being out nearly five and a half hours in the dark (and cold), with damn near all of it spent turning the pedals.

That's the kind of night on a bike that makes you feel really good in a day or so ... after you've regained some energy and forgot how you spent the last couple of miles muttering to yourself, "I'm gettin' too old for this shit."

(Thanks to Steve for the frosty pic taken at the end of Speedway Singletrack.)