Hill of Ice

A group of mountain bikers were going out this morning on the Harmony Hill trails, so I resolved to join this hardy group in 20 degree temperatures, practice my MTB skills and learn some new trails.

In order to get some extra miles in, I decided to ride the 6 or 7 miles over to the trails. The wind was howling across the fields and the cold was bitter against my face, toes and fingers. Navigating a series of unpaved back roads, I found myself at the top of a 50 foot decent that was covered in ice. A bit mesmerized by the beauty of the shimmering surface, I slowed to determine my next move. Before my brain could translate what was happening, I felt my cold body crash against the hard slippery surface. I quickly understood that the fall caused no serious physical damage, but a bit of contortion was required to release my foot from the pedal and right myself and bike on the ice. The answer was quite simple - ride in the snow on the roads narrow shoulder. My main thoughts at the time were - I wish I had my camera, and I better keep moving or I'll be late for the ride.

After another 30 minutes of uneventful, but very cold riding, I arrived at the trails, happy to see several riders preparing. The bike equipment being pulled from the vans and cars put my humble kit to shame. My water bottle was already frozen, but my slushy protein drink was drinkable. The other riders pulled out their camelbacks, and I made a mental note to bring mine next time - not long afterward, several riders were complaining about frozen camelbacks, so I'll need to bring my insulated tubing too.

I was a bit nervous, hence cautious, at the start of the ride for several reasons. The guys up front were just flying down the hill and I was the forth person, so I felt like I was holding up the rest of the group. There were plenty of ice/snow patches across the trail. I've never ridden on snow covered trails before and was unsure how my bike would respond. My general skill level is pretty low given that I rarely mountain bike.

As the ride progressed, my confidence increased when I got comfortable on the snow and my skills and balanced began to return. By the end of the ride, I felt like I could go longer, but I still had a very cold ride home, exposed on the open roads. It took almost 2 hours to go 18 miles, but that's trail riding for you.