Snow, Real Snow!

We've had our first real snow of the winter.  On Monday past I had the day off because it was MLK day so I decided to go snowshoeing to take advantage of conditions.  I haven't been on snowshoes in years so I figured it'd be a good adventure.  I picked Lincoln Woods as the locale because it's close and I thought it'd be fun to view the trails from a different perspective.  Suffice it to say it's easy to get disoriented when walking up sections I normally ride down.  And then there's the snow...

Anyway, I got first tracks on almost everything I walked.  It's funny to think about it this way, like skiing.  First tracks while snowshoeing sucks, requiring much more energy.  It was beautiful nonetheless...

And so, here are a few more pics.

Sigh... It's Because It's Fun

Today the temperature was around 7 degrees when I left the house. Pretty cold, sure, but I think I've got a handle on it. As many have said before, there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. Cheesy but almost true. Yesterday it was also cold, somewhere around 16 degrees. I had a revelation, though, and that was to wear my skiing helmet rather than my bicycling helmet. The ski helmet has more coverage, insulated ear flaps, and is generally much warmer than my well-vented bike helmet. Combine a warm helmet with a balaclava to cover my face and I've got my head covered. Throw in a warmer jacket, liner gloves under my lobster claw mittens, and some long underpants and it's all good.

Unfortunately, I have created some social consequences by riding on these frigid days. My coworkers now seem to think I'm either insane or unusually tough. Both may be true, but I am not comfortable talking about it. I just like to ride my bike and when it's cold you have to bundle up a little bit. Doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary there. If I chose to drive to work, I'd still have to go outside and I would arguably be colder since I wouldn't be dressed for the conditions. So what's the deal people? I'm just riding my bike! I think the key is that folks don't understand that riding is fun for me, not a chore. Driving is no good; it makes me tense and angry since nobody else on the road is as skilled at driving as I am. Bicycling is good. It's how I get to work.

The other problem I am now faced with is the precedent I have set. People actually walk past my cubicle every day to confirm that I have ridden my bike to work. Yesterday I even got an awkward "chest bump" from an older colleague (an athlete at heart, no doubt). Inevitably a day will come when I drive my car to work. It'll probably be a nice, sunny day. My co-workers will jump at the opportunity to rib me about not bicycling. Bah! Maybe I should start making fun of them for driving: "Wow, you drove in today? That's pretty amazing. You sure are tough!" Then, if by some miracle they ride a bike or take the bus I can say: "What's the matter, too nice out to drive? You're a sissy."

The Providence schools were closed today because of the "EXTREME COLD!!!!!!!!" We're creating a state of sissies...