White Out (very long-no pics)

Because of the new job and my oldest moving out (I no longer have a babysitter), I have started to go to spin class. However, today when I got up at 5 am it looked like the perfect morning for a bike ride up to Vivian Park. So, I bundled up in my winter clothing, made sure my light was mounted to by bike and took off.

About 2 blocks from my home I realized I had forgotten my riding glasses, but decided it was not necessary to go back. I was only going to be on a paved trail, so I was not too worried about debris or objects hitting me.

The ride towards the Provo Trail Head was nice. It was cool, but I warmed up quickly as I rode. I found the gear I chose to wear was perfect for the outside temperature. My light worked great for the ride on the road, and it helped with people seeing me as I rode. Surprisingly there was more traffic than I expected, but the drivers were courteous and cautious as they drove around me.

As I approached the Provo Trail Head I noted there was no wind. Typically when I have rode to this trailhead in the morning there is a good wind coming down from the canyon, but not this morning which made the ride up in to the canyon better than ever.

As I started my ride on the Provo Trail I noted I needed a light on my helmet. I had chosen not to wear my helmet light as I figured there would not be too much twisting or turning. The Provo Trail turns just enough that it would have been nice to have a helmet light.

The ride up the trail was ominous. I felt the dark of the trees enclosed around me and it made for a quiet peaceful ride. As I rode I kept my ears perked for crashes or strange sounds as one time when Todd rode on this trail he saw a moose! Running into a moose in the dark is not something I would like to happen. I am afraid I would probably have the same reaction Josh had when he almost hit a moose.

As I rolled through Nunns Park, crossed the road to the trail I noted a head wind was coming up and there were some light snowflakes. I kept riding enjoying how different the trail seems in the dark and the light snowfall added to the beauty.

Shortly after passing Bridal Veil Falls the snow started to come down heavier. As I continued to ride the now fall became heavier and heavier making me at time ride with my head turned to the side—I should have grabbed those glasses, snow hitting your face and eyes hurts a lot. As I rode I was grateful for the reflectors that were put on a very sharp turn. Had those not been there I would have missed the turn entirely and ended up in water. Funny I never noticed the reflectors today, but in snow and dark they were a life saver.

After riding with a turned head for a short distance, the snow suddenly turned to white out conditions, at this point I turned around. I was not too worried about the snow bothering me down the trail as I had been riding in a head wind so I should have a nice tail wind, since heavy snowfall did not show up until after Bridal Veil Falls I guessed the trail back would be as nice as when I rode up. How wrong I was.

Upon turning around I took a moment to get a good drink of water and then started down the trail. As I started my ride back I discovered the snow was coming down heavier than before and the wind was not a tail wind, but a head wind. That’s what happens when you ride in this canyon, the wind blows in both directions.

The snow was bad. It was coming down fast and hard. In the short time I had ridden it had completely covered the trail and there was not visible sign of the trail. In addition to the snow covered trail obstructing my vision the snow was obstructing my vision. It was coming down so fast it hurt my eyes and face and I couldn’t see past my front wheel as I tried to avoid the pain of the snow pelting my eyes. I rode slowly since I couldn’t keep my head up to see, but this did not lessen the pain I felt from the snow.

I don’t know exactly how far I rode up the canyon, but it seemed to take forever to get to Bridal Veil Falls. Once I got to Bridal Veil Falls I started make destination spots in my mind. These destination points helped keep my mind preoccupied.

The snow was deep as I rode. It clung to my wheel and you cold hear it scraping through the brake pads as I rode. My right hand started to get cold which made me anxious to get home and off the trail. For some reason my glove on my right hand was not keeping it warm. I noticed as I rode skinny, slick tires do not make for good traction. When I went up slight inclines the wheels would spin round and round and I would slide up the inclines. This was actually good because I could get my blood flowing on these little inclines. Unfortunately inclines were far and few between since most of the ride is downhill, so going slow and not spinning my legs fast enough did not help my comfort level.

At one point in my ride I reached one of the destination points, a tunnel, and stopped for a reprieve from the snow. I took this opportunity to take the glove off my right hand and call home. I was unsuccessful I could not get the call to go through. I put two of my gloves in my jacket pocket and only put back on the liner glove to see if this would help my hand. My reasoning was maybe my riding glove and liner were too tight and making my hand cold. They weren’t and my hand got colder as I rode down the trail not warmer.

After my stop in the tunnel it was not long before I got to Timpanogous Park, and nothing but relief came over me. From here I knew it was not far to warmth and relief. As I rode all I could think about was the warm gas station down the trail. It was somewhere around Timpanogous Park a doe and her baby ran right in front of me. For a short moment I forgot about the pain from the pelting snow and took a moment to enjoy the beauty of nature. That moment was very short as the pain of cold and pelting snow came back quickly.

When I finally made it to the gas station at the trailhead I was overjoyed. When I walked in I received dismayed looks from the clerk and one customer there. Apparently what I did not realize until I took my helmet off the snow was piled high on me. So much so that there were big piles inside my helmet, I guess I should have known this as my bike had piles of snow on it. I quickly let them know when I started my ride it had not been snowing.

Inside the gas station I tried to call my husband again and lucked out he was up and answered the phone. After talking with him I went to the bathroom to run warm water on my hand. It was here I discovered my face and hands were swollen, and that the hot water did not work. I was left to wait for my husband before I would have the opportunity to completely warm up. Luckily I was waiting in the gas station which was warm.

My husband did not take long to come to my rescue and we left. About half way home was when I started to get cold and started to shiver. Once home I bolted upstairs to soak in the hot tub. I ended up soaking in the tub a very long time. So long that I fell asleep and my husband had to wake me up so I would not be late for work. I begrudgingly got out, but I could have easily gone to bed and slept for hours. Needless to say three fingertips on my right hand and two on my left hand have hurt all day long, and for the most part I am still cold. I think I need to take another warm bath.

Commuting Lessons

I started my new job Tuesday, and decided since I would not have to drive out to other offices yet I would take advantage and ride my bike. Here is what I have learned about commuting over the past 3 days.

1. It is best to pack your messenger bag the night before, so you don't forget something. And as a gal some things are more important to remember than others....I almost walked out the door without packing a bra! Oh the horror of wearing a stinky sports bra all day.
2. If you leave your clothes in the messenger bag they stay moist all day long, yuck.
3. You can leave your shoes at work instead of bringing them home with you. I had 3 pairs of shoes at work today. :-)
4. When the weather is 34 degrees in the morning and 70 degrees in the afternoon you end up having to put more clothing in your messenger bag in the evening than in the morning...hence the shoes stay at work.
5. It is best to put nectarines, plums or other possibly soft fruit in a sandwich bag in case they get squished. I did and they did, but no mess thanks to the sandwich bags.
6. Wearing a dress at work is fine, but when you need to go get lunch you cannot jump on your bike and ride to the nearest store.
7. Wearing cycling shoes in a food establishment always gives way to conversation.
8. Some bags are not big enough to carry your lunch you made the night before....plan ahead.
9. When there are 2 left turn lanes and one gives the option of turning or going straight it is best that you go straight and then wait to cross again to go up the street otherwise you could get caught in between cars. I am sure I was cussed out by a couple of drivers, and it certainly scared the bejeebers out of me.
10. Don't forget to turn off your rear light when you get to work....oh, and batteries last longer than 12 hours on those rear lights.
11. Even if it is only supposed to be a light recovery ride day when you see the head bobbing ahead you have to work the pedals harder, then smile and carry on a conversation as you pass. Of course your legs hate you later for not recovering like you were supposed to.
12. Intervals with a messenger bag on make you tough.
13. If you end up having your husband come and get you because you need the car for an appointment, don't forget your helmet otherwise you cannot ride when you get home. :-(

So there are a few things I have noticed over the few days of commuting. Anyone else have some suggestions or words of wisdom they care to share?

In or Out

I was supposed to go on a Mtb ride early this morning in AF Canyon. The last I heard from the weather man last night was it would not start to rain until close to noon. The weather man was wrong! At 6:15 am this morning the wind was blowing and the rain had started to come down--ride cancelled. As I watched the rain all morning long all I could think about was riding my bike. I wanted to get out and after resisting as long as I could I finally gave in. Excitedly I got my gear on, pumped up the tires on my road bike, added the flasher to the back so people could see me and took off. Looking up to the mountains with the clouds low and surrounding them I knew exactly where I wanted to go. My destination Squaw Peak Road.

The rain drizzled lightly as I started down the road towards Provo Canyon. I had all of the vents on my rain jacket vents unzipped which turned out to be the perfect temperature for the ride. I was looking forward to riding Provo Canyon Trail and Squaw Peak Road I figured in this rain the trail and the road would be empty, and I was mostly right. Going up the trail I was able to ride where ever I wanted without having to worry about a cyclist, rider or long board coming my direction. It was cool being on the trail by myself. Just as I rounded the corner near Timpanogous Park I saw another cyclist. We exchanged greetings and continued on our way.

This was my first ride up Squaw Peak Road, and I was not sure I would be able to ride the hill. But was determined to give it my best. The ride up the road was great as most people were at home due to the rain. There were a few cars that came down the road and three that passed me coming up, but not as many as there usually are on a weekend. A feeling of peace and calm surrounded me as I road by myself. There is something about rain, dusky darkness and low clouds around the mountain that bring calm and joy at the same time. The fall colors are beautiful right now and the swirling clouds around the mountain enhanced the beauty. I wanted to take stop and take pictures, but did not want to stop riding, so I comprised and decided to take pictures on my way down. As I rode up the road the rain was a steady drizzle, but as I climbed and got higher the drizzle became stronger. By the time I got to the top the rain had become a steady down pour. Lucky for me going up keeps your warm.

At the top I took some pictures of the valley and the mountains and then started down. I didn't get far when I realized I needed to close the vents on my rain jacket as it was getting cold going down. I made a couple of stops on the way down to take pictures. At one of those stops I had to get out my extra gloves, because all of the sudden my fingers were getting cold. I guess that's what happens when you go faster than 5 miles an hour. The ride down was quick, fun, soggy and cold. On the Provo Trail I ran in to one more cyclist, he seemed to be enjoying riding in the rain as much as me. I found even though I had on shoe covers that my socks had become squishy inside my shoes. It reminded me of when you are a kid and you play in the rain puddles and you have the squishy tennis shoes. By the time I got home my outside gear was soaked. The rain jacket worked pretty well, and my jersey was only slightly wet. The ride was great and I have now learned I can ride skinny tires in the rain and I will not kill myself!

Ride to Spanish Fork

Map my ride is not entirely accurate. Today I decided I would ride my bike to Spanish Fork to meet with a client. I got on map my ride to pick the route from my house to my office in Spanish Fork. After mapping out my ride it said the entire route would be 20 miles. This is no problem, so I decided to ride to my office and back home. Great way to commute and save on gas. I took off at a good time to get to my office and change before my client arrived. The ride was nice, not too strenuous perfect for a commute ride. There was a small part on the road where there was no shoulder. This kept me on my toes as cars were going by at 50 mph and I hoped they would go around me. The worst part of the ride was in Springville. Springville was great because they have a bike lane, but there was a driver turning and talking on his cell phone at the same time, and didn't pay attention that he had a red light! I had to yell at him and he didn't stop, he only slowed up and made me come to a complete stop (along with the other traffic). After that the ride was uneventful as far as cars were concerned. When I got on to Route 6 I was excited for the upcoming decent. However, there was a head wind, so I ended up pedaling a lot. The ride ended up being 25 miles not 20 which put off my time a little bit for arriving to my office. What I discovered on the ride that riding 6 miles with a computer on your back versus 25 miles is very different. By the end of the ride my back was very sore. I had a difficult time changing riding positions because of the pack. If I could figure a way to take my computer that far I would ride every time I had to go to my Spanish Fork office. I guess I'll have to do some research to see what I can figure out.

Step Up and Help

Normally I would write about my game and how things went, but this is much more important than a game. It has given me a great appreciation for my family and what a wonderful life I have, and how lucky I really am. Recently I have been reading the blog Fat Cyclist I have read this blog off and on since I started mountain biking and cycling in October. He and his family have face several challenges. The most recent is heartbraking, and sad, and yet I feel it needs to be shared. After reading below the comment from one of his readers, please go through and read the fat cyclist blog. Get acquainted with his life and start a new appreciation for your own.

Dear Readers of Fatcyclist.com,

This last week has been truly tragic learning of the down turn of Suzan’s illness. As I read these comments left by all you good people, the over all theme is the same. “What can we do for Elden, Susan and their kids?” I decided it was time to stop wondering and time to start doing. I set up a bank account in Elden’s name at a local bank here in Utah. It is linked to pay pal. The pay pal account is winsusannelson@gmail.com . If you don’t have a pay pal account you can also donate by going to my business’s website http://www.kennysphoto.com/ and clicking on the link in the middle of the page, where you can donate with the credit card of your choice. Please know that all funds collected will go directly to this bank account and after a two month period will be given to Elden, Susan and Family. Elden is unaware of this account, until now, of course. I’m not sure how he will react to this comment, but if he removes it, I’m going to continue to put it back on his blog and I invite you as fatcyclist readers to also put this on your own respective blogs. I truly believe that we bless our own lives, when we help others, so I hope that Elden will allow us to help him through this very trying time in his life. He truly has touched each one of us, through his writing and his friendship.
Respectfully yours,
Kenny

I know I haven't shared my blog, but in this case I am sharing and hoping you will pass this on and share with others.