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Snowy Overnight: Just What the Doctor Ordered

Many of the best jokes start with, “An [person, animal, baked good] walks in to a bar…” Likewise, some of my favourite adventures start with, “It snowed 40cm the [night before, day, as] I was leaving.”

[click on pictures to make them big]

My Snowy Overnight:

This was promising, 40cm of fresh snow the night before I set out. I had not much specific in terms of destination for an overnight bike ride. I rode out on the Forsters Landing FSR around 10:30AM. A snowplow was clearing the road for the logging trucks that use the road. As I rode up the hill from the river, I saw a few of said logging trucks, with a reasonably clear road, and their tire chains, there was little to fear.

I wanted my first day’s ride to be a good length. I didn’t care that much where I went, but I wanted to scout the beginning of the Forster Creek Snowmobile Area for a future trip with my friend Guy, who couldn’t come on this snowy overnight trip because 2020.

I got what I wanted, I rode my bike for 10 hours, slept for 9, and rode for 7 more, in the snow, with a low of -17ºC at night. It was beautiful, I saw the stars, I rode in the dark, and I earned my sleep. A very successful snowy overnight ride.

I cannot say enough about how much a trip like this does for my state of mind. Thanks Tania for dealing with the kids while I got a little dose of “vitamin N”.

Side note: everyone in BC stops to see if you need help when you’re riding a bike in deep snow. They have my gratitude.

The Stats:

Route: 112km of Forster’s Creek, Horsethief Creek, and Westside FSRs

Surfaces: about 40% plowed, 50% unmaintained but with 1 or 2 cars worth of track, and 10% snowmobile trail.

Temperature: -2ºC starting, down to -17ºC at night, and up to -14ºC the following day.

Average speed: just over 11km/h, or lightning fast for this type of ride.

Bike: Trek Farley 7; prototype frame bag, custom coldbike pogies, with the fork locked so the bar bag wouldn’t rub the tire.

 

 

3 thoughts on “Snowy Overnight: Just What the Doctor Ordered

  1. Amazing, Thanks for sharing.. a bit of escapism for us in uk
    Stay safe

  2. Vitamin “N”???

    1. Nature? I hope it isn’t a euphemism for something else…

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