Training Log Archive: Swampfox

I got out for some biking in the early afternoon, and did find enough bare pavement that wasn't too water logged. It also felt chillier on the outskirts of town than I had imagined it would, despite full sun. This due to some breeze coming across the valley, and virtually everywhere the prairie is still covered in snow, so it was a case of natural air conditioning.

In late afternoon I went up in hopes the ski trails had received some attention, which they had. However, the groomer had left the trails in bad shape for the circumstances. A set of trails had been first packed, and then rolled, and it was obvious the rolling had taken place when the snow was warm and moist. And everything was very uneven to begin with, due to uneven settling and packing over the deep new snow. By mid-afternoon things were re-freezing, and the alternating grooves and ridges left by the rollers made for perilous skiing. Better than nothing, but unexplainable was why additional grooming wasn't done as things were re-freezing to reduce the ruts to something manageable.

C • Cowboys Moving East 4

When you go to the grocery store and the highways have been closed for 3 1/2 days, it's easy to see what's not popular. For instance, in the bread aisle, if it's still there now, that item should probably be discontinued.

Lots of empty shelves. It's almost like the good old days, back early in the pandemic!

Continued whittling away at the snow and now have only one stretch of sidewalk left to cut through--though that's somewhat like the captain of the Titanic saying "except for the iceberg we just struck, we're doing okay." The sun was out for the last half of the day, which helped, but it wasn't warm enough for any vigorous melting action; tomorrow looks more promising.

I drove up top to check on things, hoping to be able to ski, but not really expecting much. The Happy Jack Highway was open and clear despite advisories down in Laramie that the road was closed. And the Tie City parking lot had been plowed. But there was zero sign that any attempt had been made at grooming, so (skate) skiing was out of the question. As was running, with no packed trails. So I came back home, and did Brooke's Mountain Bike Loop (aka the Jacobi Ridge Trail) as part of an hour long run.

Doesn't look like I-80 is going to be opening today, and that means no skiing--the irony!

Did some indoor cycling to complement all the hefty outdoor snow removal work.

Exercise today consisted entirely of snow shoveling. And after diligently working away a number of hours yesterday and today, by the end of the day today I had successfully opened a lane across 1/2 of my driveway, enough so that I could get one vehicle out of the garage. Not that I needed to drive anywhere today or that there was anywhere to drive to. It just seemed like a good idea--you never know when you might need to make an unexpected, routine stop over at the ER.

I celebrated by taking a short walk around the neighborhood at the end of the day, admiring some of the giant snow dunes in peoples' yards and driveways, and super giant newly formed snow berm along the edge of the road running along the north edge of town a few blocks from me.

The interstate was closed all day, of course.

As I was finishing up skiing yesterday, I met an acquaintance in the parking lot. There was a little snow in the air and the wind was blowing good, but it wasn't bad--at least not after you've been through winter and are a little hardened to it. We were both wondering where the storm was that was supposed to be drabbing the area. Then I went running for an hour or so before heading home. Ski conditions had been really good and the running was good, too, and yet the place had been all but deserted all afternoon, with little traffic on the interstate as well.

Once it got dark though, and maybe at around 7 pm, the storm blew in and it blew in good and raged all night. No way to know how much it has snowed so far (because of the wind moving things around), but it already qualifies as fairly epic in terms of the wind and snow drifts. Things are taking a break in the early afternoon, but from the looks of the weather radar we are far from done--all depending on how quickly the low pressure center moves off, or doesn't.

I can only imagine what it might look like up top, and there is bound to be a whole new crop of fallen pine trees.

C • Snow 9

Skied and ran. An oncoming storm's expected arrival time keeps getting pushed back and not only did it not arrive today, it wasn't even windy. It is probably feeling unloved and wanted. It wouldn't surprise me if it doesn't change its mind at this rate and goes off to find a new suitor--possibly Oklahoma or even Alabama.