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The End of Winter
Today marks the official beginning of the race season with the WC season kicking off in Pietermaritzburg [hopefully we can see some Gwinning to come this season (knock on wood)], Sea Otter 2014 underway and many other events too numerous for me to follow. However up here in Alaska we are just beginning to see the end of the winter, with riding just around the corner. The snow piles around town are beginning to shrink and water running across the road all over town. The stoke has already been going full force with all of the fat tire riders (all winter), people beginning to commute to work or just plain riding their bikes around town.
![Trail closed to riding]()
The local trail crew posted these signs on the newest trails of the local system
Now with the World Cup qualifiers in and the weather feeling like full on spring, the trails are covered in anything between ice, puddles, mud and nice tacky loam. While the rest of the MTB world are out there enjoying their bikes and the nice loamy trails that are recovering from the blast this mild and rather disappointing winter. Very disappointing for those of us up here in Alaska who also like to slash and ride the white powder as well as the sweet sweet "brown pow" (Thanks IFHT). Whether you ride 29ers, 27.5 or 26 we all can agree the wait for the trails to dry up enough to ride is likened to Christmas Eve when you were a kid (except way longer). I guess its people like me that routinely go out to check at every opportunity to see how much more trail you can see emerging from the icy slumber of winter. I have taken some photos as a preview that the End is near for the snow and ice that are covering the trail system.
![Banked turn drying out nicely]()
loamy bank on new trail (still closed)
On days like today, the weather and the trail conditions have riders like me traipsing into the LBS. Just to check out all the new components that have just arrived. Or peruse PB for all the latest and greatest from events like Sea Otter where the manufacturers unveil their new line of components. I for one look at all the new cranks, handlebars, stems, seat posts and most importantly the Fork and Shock upgrades from last years models. I hope that everybody can contain the urges to go out on trails prematurely and wait just those extra few days to a few weeks to let the trails dry out properly. On my walk today it was not just people using the open trails, the wildlife like the trails as well.
![Ice pond on lower side of bank]()
Ice puddle
![Birch bark bank]()
Birch bark bank
![Old hat on random stump]()
Trail goodies left from the trail crew
![Moose along side trail]()
Moose munching on some grass
![Bald eagle]()
Eagle watching the goings ons
Happy Trails
Now with the World Cup qualifiers in and the weather feeling like full on spring, the trails are covered in anything between ice, puddles, mud and nice tacky loam. While the rest of the MTB world are out there enjoying their bikes and the nice loamy trails that are recovering from the blast this mild and rather disappointing winter. Very disappointing for those of us up here in Alaska who also like to slash and ride the white powder as well as the sweet sweet "brown pow" (Thanks IFHT). Whether you ride 29ers, 27.5 or 26 we all can agree the wait for the trails to dry up enough to ride is likened to Christmas Eve when you were a kid (except way longer). I guess its people like me that routinely go out to check at every opportunity to see how much more trail you can see emerging from the icy slumber of winter. I have taken some photos as a preview that the End is near for the snow and ice that are covering the trail system.
On days like today, the weather and the trail conditions have riders like me traipsing into the LBS. Just to check out all the new components that have just arrived. Or peruse PB for all the latest and greatest from events like Sea Otter where the manufacturers unveil their new line of components. I for one look at all the new cranks, handlebars, stems, seat posts and most importantly the Fork and Shock upgrades from last years models. I hope that everybody can contain the urges to go out on trails prematurely and wait just those extra few days to a few weeks to let the trails dry out properly. On my walk today it was not just people using the open trails, the wildlife like the trails as well.
Happy Trails
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Member since Oct 7, 2013
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