Marsh Creek Ride

Got an opportunity to hit Marsh Creek for some playing around in the Bonus Loop on the eastern side of the park. I really don't get over to that side of the park much because, to be quite honest, my XL-sized full-squish 29er feels like a Kenworth there. The trails are sweet but tighter and twistier than most of the stuff on the western side of MC. I used my Blackberry Dingleberry to snap a few pix so you'll have to suffer with some low-res photos. Actually you're not missing much because I didn't take any real trail shots... I guess I was too preoccupied with staying upright on the snow-covered trails. Plus it wasn't exactly the balmy, picture-taking kind of day... temps in the upper teens and a good breeze were a constant reminder that summer is but a concept at this point. Speaking of snow, the trails were in pretty good shape. If you stayed on the packed snow, there was sufficient traction. Stray from that, however, and you were on your own. With a couple inches of loose snow over leaves, it was easy to see where others had lost the traction versus gravity battle and done a little impromptu body surfing on the snow. There'd always be the fanned stripe effect from a sliding knobby tire, then the chaotic clearing of snow as arms and legs must've flopped to the ground. Yeah, I was grinning every time I saw one of those brown leafy wipe-out spots until I made one of my own. Heck, it was only a little log I was approaching, and I slowed down to check out the other side... well I never saw the stick in the snow which chocked my front wheel on the other side of the log. And naturally my clip hung for an extra second in the pedal, and down I went. Of course the pedal unclipped just in time to clock my shin, but I earned it I suppose. Well enough of that - here are the crappy pix:

It's finally been cold enough to freeze the lake.

Saw some bike tire tracks on the lake but this was as far as I dared to venture onto the ice. In the good old days I never would've let common sense stop me from enjoying a little ride on the ice, but today... nah. Good old terra firma provides enough challenges.

Easy section of trail. From here it starts to get more interesting as you work your way toward the bridges near the horse farm and then enter the woods on the new lakeside trail that I helped cut in almost a year ago.

That was quick - I'm back. Told ya I didn't take any pictures of the good parts of the trail. Maybe next time. This is near the boat ramp on the south side of the lake.

Time for some hardware / documentary shots. This is my 2.55" WTB Weirwolf I was running on my front rim. I was using it to help "float" on the snow, but it was lacking in edge grip - no manly knobs on the side. Good in a straight line, not so good turning. Next time I'll put a Kenda Nevegal on the front - a little less float, a lot more bite. In theory.

...and here's the rear tire. At about 25-30 psi, it was doing a kick-butt job in the snow. Climbing traction was not a problem, and cornering was predictable - which is all you can ask for in this stuff. There was not one single hill where the tire let me down. As the center knobs have ramps on one side, the tire is mounted for max forward traction, not braking traction.

Parting shot. Yes, the once-hot water in the bottle was now freezing.

AAaaaahhhh! Geezis, that's scary. Hey, I told you it was cold, didn't I?