Ice 'N' Snow

I wasn't there but DanOfSubstnace's 2nd race in his fatbike series, The Kingston Snophy took place on the weekend...and was apparently great!  There was snow, there was frozen mud, there was ice!  A fast day on the trails....congrats to all who participated...and all who spent time on the podium!  (Who is the dude on the singlespeed destroying everyone???)

Results of the race were up but now I can't seem to find them...but I do tend to misread things sometimes...

Anyways...although not at the race it was a great weekend for mtb.  Saturday...an awesome sunrise on the escarpment...

...blue sky and sunshine...had me drag Fig out on a ride.  I chose the single speed because it is very icy out my way...and it is studded.  Now it is not uncommon to see Fig bonk...but 2 hours into the ride...he experienced the mother of all bonks!  So we made a bee line for home...shortest route possible...but it still took us an hour.  Fig struggled horribly but have to hand it to him...he toughed it out.  When we pulled into my frozen driveway...he totally Figged out...laying on the driveway in -10 degree splendour for 10 minutes.

Anyways...he eventually made it into the house (I don't think he even noticed the backyard fox almost peed on him while he lay there...)...where we ate too much of the Spanish rice Lois had prepared for us.  The food helped Fig regain himself...then we drank too much of Fig's Four Fingers Inn Cider...his homemade ambrosia.  When that ran out, we drank too much of Lois' wine (Fig is gluten intolerant, so can't drink beer).  It's OK...I don't think Lois noticed...

And woke up Sunday...to NewfieSteve dragging me out to Halton/Agreement Forest for a fatbike ride with the True Grit crew...

An awesome rocky, snowy, icy Halton ride.

Some True Grit crew

I really need to get out there more...such fun, challenging trails.  The trouble is...there are so, so many trails there....and I don't know them well...and have gotten lost for hours there before.  Yes...I am a warrior...not a scout.  So I only go when I know there is someone who knows where to go...

Anyways...expecting to rest and recover on Monday...but got talked into another ride (OK...it's easy to talk me into mountain biking...).  This time with BWPaul...and Sir Dobby...starting at Dobby's in Ancaster with the intention of riding to the Dundas trails.  The Dundas trails are glare ice...so again I chose the single speed with studded tires...

And I think this spurred Dobby to say...single speed, eh....well f' you single speed...let's find some hills...so off we went through Dundas, all the way up the escarpment to Christie...some brutal, icy climbs to get there (700+m over a 3 hour ride).   But overall great fun, another great ride, and super workout to round out the 'weekend'...

Paul, Dobby, n' some goof

And now Ma Nature is going all hog wild on us again today and tomorrow...10 inches of snow predicted...then rain...then +11 on Thursday.  All the furry forest dwellers are going to be as confused as I am!!

So...what will that do to mountain bike plans??  I guess we will see...

Stay posted!