Training Log Archive: CleverSky

With Nancy, on a snowmobile trail that had had no snowmobile traffic, then on some roads she was missing. Cold.

In The Dark. Kinda cold (high single digits), but I was bundled up pretty good. Nice bright moon obviated the need to have my headlamp on.

Around the block, because I felt like doing something different. Got out while it was still light out, and before the frigid winds that are forecast for tonight, though a chilly breeze was starting to pick up. Cold and clumsy, and I spent almost as much time restarting after dismounts as I did actually riding.

Snow dealings, round 4. Starting midday yesterday we got 4" of fluffy stuff piled up on the driveway. Snowblower while Nancy was out at the dentist, the whole driveway plus the mailbox, about a half hour, easy peasy.

Across the street, In The Dark. Mostly packed down by snowmobiles, some areas just with foot traffic, and a section that just had one set of ski tracks.

Hickory Hills, crisp morning, 19 F. I think the deal with feeling rusty has to do with either being out early in the morning, or being out when it's colder, because I felt pretty good yesterday but today I felt rusty again. Among other things, my ankles hurt. Not hurt as in bones or muscles, but hurt as in the top of the shoe against my skin. Maybe the leather is too stiff when it's really cold.

Most of this was just cruising around, but I did try a couple of runs on the nicest part of the ice at a fairly serious effort, to see how fast I could go. 16.7 mph is the max from the GPS graph. Not awful, but I think with decent wind I can go much faster using the sail.

The part of the lake that was open last night looks like it skimmed over, which means that the snow forecast for today will be falling on ice instead of water as I had hoped (meaning that maybe it could freeze solid later). but it's above freezing now (36 F), so maybe that part will melt again and there will still be hope. And maybe the snow will drift off the ice later anyway.

Hickory Hills, In The Dim. I stared out just skating, to survey the situation. Some of the ice was the stuff dreams are made of. I was hoping that the last few cold nights would have frozen the main part of the lake, but in fact there was more open water than there had been a few days ago, it's now almost entirely open. The west part was still good, although it was making the noises that it makes when it's freezing that would be terrifying to those unfamiliar with them. Some sound like it's cracking under your weight, but you look down and you can see that it's a good 10 cm thick.

C • Boom crack 5

And then out with the sail. There was very little wind, and I wondered if I'd just be skating around pulling a big piece of dacron with me, but it picked up a little and I was able to get cruising a couple of times, up over 14 mph briefly. So not too bad. It was windier earlier, but I had to work (and it was cold in the morning).

And another bit of skating to finish up, partly to get my hands warmed up (reminder to self: use the warmest available gloves/mittens with the sail).

Nancy was planning to pick up a few streets down near Shirley Reservoir that she didn't have, and that I didn't have either, so I said I'd join her there, picking up a couple more on the way. Pretty chilly with some substantial wind, so I was dressed more warmly than usual. Nothing hurt very much, glad I wore the cushier shoes.