Fat Bikes

I guess it is better to have the bike get fat as opposed to me and I'm lucky enough to have a husband who likes biking enough to see that happen.  For years Bryant, the avid biker, has watched the "fat bike" trend, but was reluctant to pull the plug and buy one. I never really wanted to pay the price of a fat bike so I put it out of my mind as running, skiing or swimming indoors are all valid attempts I've made through the winters to keep the pounds from adding up and keep my summer fitness in place.  But seeing as we sold the boat in Mexico, the long Alaskan winters, and Bryant's latest job promotion, he put two winter bikes on his short list and I got my Christmas present early.  This weekend, we tried out our fat bikes.     

The tires are oversized and that allows for floatation on snow and sand.  Since we do live in a climate of 5 months of snow and right out our backdoor is twenty miles of river with glacial rock, sand, and silt, we are in a good position to enjoy what a fat bike has to offer.  This weekend, Bryant and I headed out to explore the Knik River bottom on bike.  While we didn't set any new speed records, we learned that the bikes will plow through just about anything - creek crossings, deep gravel, and sand. All things our mountain bikes would not have liked. 

Riding on the fat bike this weekend brought me back to my college days in 1988 when I finally splurged to buy my first mountain bike, a Trek 830.  Money I knew I could hardly afford, but suspected it was well spent.  I used that Trek for the next three years both winter and summer as I made my way sliding and speeding to campus and on the occasional trail in and around Marquette, MI.  After riding around this weekend, I feel like possibilities where once again opened up.  Along with the river riding around the house, every snowmachine trail that I rode around the property are now potential bike loops. In my brain, I created all sorts of loops and time frames in which they should be complete.  I have even gone so far as to find out when the winter bike races are in Anchorage are so I have a goal to keep me going as the days grow darker.  I am quite convinced that I have joined the group of crazies who are bundled up from head to toe riding fat bikes in the middle of winter.       

Cloudy, Windy, and Warm

 

I thought I saw the last of the fifty degree temperatures, but the strong winds must be bringing in some warmer than normal temperatures and keeping the snow away.  I'm not complaining. I learned long ago that one doesn't wish for snow, because Jack Frost doesn't forget to come even if he is a little late. This mini-weather pattern we are in is unusual though. By this time of year, most everything green has either died from multiple frosts or is covered in snow. Even my neglected flower pot is thriving.  The annual pansies that act like perennials usually flower in mid-July, but seeing as all of our rain fell in August and September, their life-cycle is delayed and they are continuing to bloom.

 

Another Weekend Over Already

After a lazy Saturday morning around the house, Bryant and I packed our bikes and bags and headed toward the property.  We biked at the Kepler Bradley/Matanuska Lakes/Crevasse Moraine trails to enjoy the last of the fall colors.

Biking on the Matanuska Greenbelt Trails

The trails in this system remind me of silly string as they are tangled, woven, and crisscrossed in every direction.  I generally know where I am, but if I enter from a different trailhead, I often take a wrong turn and find myself momentarily confused.  The good thing is that none of the trails are too long, and eventually I pop back into a familiar intersection.  So was the case on Saturday. We ended up creating a fun figure eight type loop mixing up some single track and the double track in the farm fields.

Railroad construction looking south

Once again, the railroad project going on at the property provided us with some entertainment and discussion. The huge hill on our shared western boundary line has been brought down to railroad grade leaving behind a 35 degree hill that is going to make a perfect mini-ski slope. One of our friends suggested we turn our shabin (half shack/half cabin) into a chalet this winter.  I suspect we'll be competing for the powder runs against the snowmachiners, who will be busy high marking on this part of the unfinished railroad corridor.  



Railroad construction looking north

Someone also cut and stacked trees on our property line's north easement that runs right along the road.  It seems to me we should have been notified that this was going on, but anyhow . . . we suspected they were clearing the easements to provide better visibility of the railroad where it crosses the road. So we made ourselves into good Alaskans and in the between the raindrops, chain sawed the stacked logs into lengths, loaded them into the truck, and drove home with some firewood for the winter. 

A Few More Fall Photos

Yesterday evening the light was perfect, so I had to take a few pictures of the fall colors.

It is quite surprising how many leaves are still left on the trees.  While it did freeze last night, there haven't been many frost filled nights yet this fall. 

Fall

A couple of weeks ago, snow started to rear its ugly head up high in the mountains.  It's been such a rainy fall, it's surprising I was even able to find a day to take a picture.  On September 23rd, Gus and I walked to the bus stop with little snowflakes all around us.  By the time I went to work an hour and a half later, there was a thin layer across my windshield that I had to swipe away.  Of course the kids at school were excited.  As weather would have it this time of year, it was melted by the time I left work and the only evidence that it had snowed at all were the little snowmen left behind in the soccer field.

In between the raindrops, a construction crew has been busy most of the summer, "improving" the 1/2 mile stretch of road between us and the main drag.  If my boys were 4 years old again, I would find this project a source of entertainment as the novelty of seeing the equipment would supply many hours of joy.  But as it stands, its been a little irritating.  Twenty-five years ago, a section of road was built in the electrical easement, and now they've decided there are enough funds in the borough budget to make the electrical company happy and improve the spring drainage.  I've had a hard time appreciating this new and improved road because all I ever see are big ditches my teenage drivers could slide over in the winter and what used to be a get out and push stuck now becomes a "call the tow truck" situation. 

Last weekend, Wyatt and I drove to Fairbanks.  There were beautiful blue skies, fall colors and Denali mountain views for most of the way.  Since we'd left so early in the morning, I witnessed a range of colors and shadows across the Alaska Range.  It was one of those moments that Bryant and I often joke about and say, "Why would you want to live anywhere else?" I experienced another moment like that 24 hours later as I approached the backside of Ester Dome, 14 miles into the Equinox, Marathon when southern views of the Alaska Range and Denali came into view.  I just completed 2000 feet of climbing on trails and knew I had accomplished something I wasn't sure on how I would fair. Furthermore, I had energy left in the tank and had these wonderful views to reward me. "Why would you want to do any other race?"  

I finished the last half feeling pretty good and wondered if I signed up for it next year, would Wyatt be attending UAF like he so enthusiastically expounded upon during our campus visit the day before or if he would choose some other path. 

As it stands today on this Saturday morning, we are quickly falling into winter, but I cross my fingers that the snow stays up  high for another month.