Shyla and I were cold at sunrise today. Can you tell? To my eye, the world looks cold but perhaps that's just because I know how cold it was!
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Mountain Winter
Winter is truly here. It was about 2°F when Shyla and I headed out this morning. Some of you asked how I pedal through deep snow. The answer is that I try, but sometimes I fail. Then, I hop off my bike and push it. During one of those pushing phases yesterday, I took a photo of my bike being held up by the snow alone.
Gradually, after a big snowstorm, I pack down the trails closest to home so that I can ride on them easily, and then I expand the network. I'm hopeful that others will be out using the trails this weekend which will speed up the process.
Shyla and I were cold at sunrise today. Can you tell? To my eye, the world looks cold but perhaps that's just because I know how cold it was!
It was not a morning to linger for long. Shyla kept lifting paws, as they got cold, so we played games that kept her moving while I took advantage of the sunrise light.
After warming up by running or biking around, we could stay still ever so briefly again.
Just after sunrise, the wind started howling, blowing the new snow off the trees and covering Shyla in it. Her thick luxurious coat seemed to keep her warm.
For me, the reality of a mountain winter set in today. I need to toughen up so I can enjoy it. My puppy dog sure loves it. Look at her agility and happy eyes as she romped through the snow!
Tough winters are part of the cycle of mountain life. Since I was told that I had to stop skiing due to a fragile spine, I have more trouble staying happy about extreme cold and snow. I try to focus on the gorgeous sunrise light and snowbiking with Shyla to keep me feeling upbeat through the winter. And - my new snow bike will get here fairly soon, which makes facing the predicted sub-zero temperatures and snow for the next three days easier!
Shyla and I were cold at sunrise today. Can you tell? To my eye, the world looks cold but perhaps that's just because I know how cold it was!
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The shiny coat on Shyla really is amazing in that light. It sounds like it is truly very cold there. I understand why you have issues with the cold but when you see Shyla bounding through the countryside like this well I guess a bit of cold will have to fit the bill.
ReplyDeleteThe bike is coming! Chant that 3 times!!
Cheers!
Ron and Sophie
Oh, I think I would love that snow! I have an exceptionally thick coat for a rottweiler, and I'm ALWAYS hot and thirsty. I think I could get used to that romping stuff!
ReplyDelete-Otto
she's a dreamy girl. :)
ReplyDeleteShyla is the Snow Princess!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely sunrise captures this morning....I don't know if I could handle the cold half as well as you do!!
ReplyDeleteHow do you keep your hands warm? I'm okay in the cold if I can keep moving, but my hands start hurting from the cold.
ReplyDeleteMonty and Harlow
We find the hour before sunrise to be the warmest and the most beautiful, but as soon as the sun starts hitting the skyline, it turns bitter cold here. we are light weights cause we go back inside then.
ReplyDeleteLooks cold to me and I am Canadian! Hope you had a nice fire to curl up with after.
ReplyDeleteWe love that first pic
ReplyDeleteLily & Edward
Brrrr. And that pic of your bike, that's insane!
ReplyDeleteMy god, i'm freezing just looking at that! It's beautiful, but it's something I'd have to admire from afar. 45 is freezing for us!
ReplyDeleteWe can see how cold it is!!]
ReplyDeleteBurrr,,, and Shyla just loves it,,
she glows!
It would be so fun to try to ride a bike in the snow,, oh it sounds like fun.
Just wait for your new bike!
love
tweedles
It does look cold!! Shyla is so pretty with that morning light and snow!! That's so interesting about the trails and your snow bike is really cool!! :D
ReplyDeleteWe enjoyed the WI winters and all the snow activities while the kids were young. But I must admit I'm just as glad to have only a few snowfalls each winter. Love to see Shyla in the snow.
ReplyDeleteCan't even imaging 2°F, much less being out in it...
ReplyDeleteI admire you so much. I'm sorry that you had to give up skiing --- I tried it a few times but I'm afraid I don't like sports, probably because I'm not very coordinated. :) I love the low light of winter, and I love being mostly inside keeping warm!
ReplyDeleteIt does look so beautiful, but also so very cold...
ReplyDeleteThat's got to be very hard work for you blazing those trails through the snow, KB. Have fun in your beautiful snow, Shyla!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the pic of your snow bike...I have never seen one and often wondered what sort of tires they had. Shyla's pics are evidence of just how much she loves her mountain life!! Hope you had a wonderful holiday. xo Jeanne, Chloe and LadyBug
ReplyDeleteYou are MUCH better than I at seizing the moment! If I didn't have livestock to feed and water, there are a lot of mornings when I would find little reason to force myself creaking and groaning into activity of any kind. At least, I fear that would be the case. I don't ever want to find out! Because, like you I think, once I am up and out, I feel so much more alive, regardless of pain level.
ReplyDeleteOur local park for groomed XC skiing is opening the main trail to snow bikes and they are going to have demos on Trails Day. But this is a groomed trail so it seems like it would be so much easier than the deep snow.
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley