Great ride this morning. It was snowing when I went to bed, but there was only a light dusting on the ground when I got up. I met up with a couple of friends at Washington Valley Park . We were a bit concerned that the recent rains and new snow would create for very wet and muddy conditions, but with temps flirting with the freezing mark, we decided to ride, but to stay away from the areas that stay wet. No sense tearing up the trail and making more work for ourselves on trail maintenance days next year!
As we headed out, we noticed that there was no wind, and the dark overcast skies left the woods very quiet and peaceful. At the end of one loop we stopped and looked out over the reservoir, and admired the stillness. We looked at each other and just smiled. Life is good when you can get out and be the 1st to break through the snow on the trails!
The sections we rode were pretty dry, with just a few mud holes. Most of the damp areas were lightly frozen. The rocks and roots were pretty slippery, so it was slow going but we had a good solid ride. Nobody fell, though there were a few close calls. Just about 6 1/2 miles and 1:13 riding time.
Just as we got back to the cars, the sun started shining through and the snow started melting. Glad we got the ride done before it got really sloppy.