I've been a bit delinquent with blogging this week...get over it, I'm busy. Ha!
Anyway, I did get out skiing on Tuesday and had a pretty good time. The conditions of the trails had me in a bit of a tizzy but I was able to vent elsewhere and not in a public forum. The trails have since been improved. Thanks.
Wednesday I had morning kid duty so it was the rowing machine and weights at the gym. After the kids were in bed I planned to go pack down Plumb Creek some more but something more important came up...a sauna! We sacrificed a pig (potato sausage)and roasted it over the hot coals (sauna heater) in attempts to appease the snow gods. Well I think the sausage had too much potato and not enough meat. We got squat for snow. Next time.
Thursday I had off from work, yeah the "whole" day! This was a planned/asked for day off. I need to get some big hours on the Pugsley in preparation for the Arrowhead 135. Weekends are not the best time to be riding on snowmobile trails, as there are, well, too many snowmobiles.
I headed out around 8:30 down County Road 8. Took a left on 16 to Briggs Lake/Palmer. There I jumped on my first section of snowmobile trail. The trail was slow but rideable (is this a word?). Spots were soft but it had been groomed my some big snow machine pulling an even bigger metal drag/sled, I saw it in action. Why do they groom snowmobile trails? So the groomed spots were solid, groom away boys. Crossing open fields was a crap shoot. If it was wind blown, great. If drifts occurred and have been ridden over, I just sunk and spun. Walking time. Eventually I was doing more walking then riding so I jumped back on the roads after about 45 minutes of trail. I hit the trails a few more times but overall they are just a bit too soft. More time and use and they will be good to go. It's still early.
I then buzzed Foley, passed through Gillman, avoided Royalton, skirted Rice, then back home. Tons of gravel. Finished with 6 hours 10 minutes. The Pugsley is slow, only 70 or so miles.
I am overall happy with how things went. I would have been happier to have been able to ride more of the trails, but not bummed either. Compression socks covered with wool socks is the ticket for my feet. While it wasn't cold, my feet never once got cold. I was hungry a lot of the time. Not sure if this was out of some boredom, the cold, or I was just hungry. Chamois butt'r would have been a good idea. Hands fall asleep a lot then get cold, but worked through it. I did come to the conclusion that the Arrowhead is going to be tough. Slow and steady, aka the turtle, will be my goal.
Anyway, I did get out skiing on Tuesday and had a pretty good time. The conditions of the trails had me in a bit of a tizzy but I was able to vent elsewhere and not in a public forum. The trails have since been improved. Thanks.
Wednesday I had morning kid duty so it was the rowing machine and weights at the gym. After the kids were in bed I planned to go pack down Plumb Creek some more but something more important came up...a sauna! We sacrificed a pig (potato sausage)and roasted it over the hot coals (sauna heater) in attempts to appease the snow gods. Well I think the sausage had too much potato and not enough meat. We got squat for snow. Next time.
Thursday I had off from work, yeah the "whole" day! This was a planned/asked for day off. I need to get some big hours on the Pugsley in preparation for the Arrowhead 135. Weekends are not the best time to be riding on snowmobile trails, as there are, well, too many snowmobiles.
I headed out around 8:30 down County Road 8. Took a left on 16 to Briggs Lake/Palmer. There I jumped on my first section of snowmobile trail. The trail was slow but rideable (is this a word?). Spots were soft but it had been groomed my some big snow machine pulling an even bigger metal drag/sled, I saw it in action. Why do they groom snowmobile trails? So the groomed spots were solid, groom away boys. Crossing open fields was a crap shoot. If it was wind blown, great. If drifts occurred and have been ridden over, I just sunk and spun. Walking time. Eventually I was doing more walking then riding so I jumped back on the roads after about 45 minutes of trail. I hit the trails a few more times but overall they are just a bit too soft. More time and use and they will be good to go. It's still early.
I then buzzed Foley, passed through Gillman, avoided Royalton, skirted Rice, then back home. Tons of gravel. Finished with 6 hours 10 minutes. The Pugsley is slow, only 70 or so miles.
I am overall happy with how things went. I would have been happier to have been able to ride more of the trails, but not bummed either. Compression socks covered with wool socks is the ticket for my feet. While it wasn't cold, my feet never once got cold. I was hungry a lot of the time. Not sure if this was out of some boredom, the cold, or I was just hungry. Chamois butt'r would have been a good idea. Hands fall asleep a lot then get cold, but worked through it. I did come to the conclusion that the Arrowhead is going to be tough. Slow and steady, aka the turtle, will be my goal.
Not near any roads I spotted these beauties. The Pugsley looks HUGE!
Later.
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