One Eskimo

Went for a ride Sunday with Gretchen.

It is nice having a dedicated ride companion. One willing to go regardless of trail conditions, weather, time of day (or night) or my lack of fitness.

We went around noon and the the ground was still completely frozen solid. The areas exposed to the sun were still solid.

I had hoped to do a full Marsh Creek loop - both the bonus loop side and the quarry side. Come Monday Jen and I would be back at work and Gretchen would need to be tired for a few days. I was warm (ride a few days in the bitter cold and you get your layering/clothes worked out pretty well). My water bottles weren't freezing (start with really hot water), and Gretchen was having fun.

But it wasn't meant to be. At this point I can only handle so much riding two days in a row.

Instead I stuck to the bonus loop side and tried to work out the loop with the new trail they've put in. The bonus loop side used to be an "out and back" where, for the most part, you rode out and back on the same trail. There's enough change in the terrain and variety in the trail you never really noticed it was the same trail - a log drop down a hillside one way becomes an uphill log-over the other way.

The new trail has similar flavor to the old, but now actually makes things a loop. I just need to figure out what direction I like best (downhill log drop or uphill log-over?) and where it really starts. Too bad it's not a figure eight, so you can do it all both ways in one ride.

Hmmm maybe it is and I don't know it yet.

So we explored a bit and enjoyed our time alone in the cold woods.

I did stop and get a picture of the teeter/totter mentioned before.

Unfortunately Gretchen won't go near it now or at least not long enough for a picture with her in it.

- b