Thanksgiving Ride.

I did not need studded tires yesterday, not one bit.  I guess it provided me with some resistance training and needless wearing out of the studs and tires.
The wind was described as "light and variable", so I took the fastest way out of town and city streets, to the East.  I rolled into Santiago and headed back South to county road 16 where I continued East into Orrock.  I essentially did the perimeter of the Sherburne Wildlife Refuge.  On the North East edge I continued on straight North.  By now the sun was up, not visible, and a heavy fog had replaced the clear air of the early morning.  Slowly everything started to become wet from the moisture in the air.
I knew where I was but because of the earlier darkness and then the fog I wasn't 100% sure where I was.  I came across a county road sign that let me know I was in Mille Lacs County.  Not wanting to hit Milaca or Highway 23 I headed back East some before making a longer push North.

I flipped the Garmin from the map page to the stats page and realized I needed to make my way for home.  Instead of taking county road 5 into Gillman I decided to go North till the next intersection, cut over and cut back South.  Well I didn't hit a paved road for what seemed like an eternity.  The gravel roads are all but impassible right now.  They are sloppy and the packed snow on them is falling apart and no longer able to hold the tire up.  Makes for a miserable slog.

I finally made the turn South to county road 4.  This brought me into Foley and across Highways 25 and 23.  I took 4 East for a long time till I hit Town Hall Road which brings me into Sauk Rapids and home.

I ended with 100.4 miles in a tad over 6 hours.  Funny how that just worked out.  Not the plan at all.  More or less it's because I wasn't paying attention to my location due to the darkness and then fog.

I got a message that Jen and the girls just got to the sledding hill.  I jumped into other clothing and headed over.  Despite being in the mid 30's I was freezing from being wet on the ride.
Luckily it was a short outing.
We eventually made it over to my folk's place for Thanksgiving.

I work Saturday and Sunday so off today as well.  Pretty chill thus far.  Jen and the girls are heading to Jen's parents later today.  I will get out for a ride of some sort then, without studded tire this time!