Return of the Snow

Dropping down a switchback on the last stretch back.

Its been about a month since I was last able to get out.  Funny thing about that is we've likely had the best winter riding weather that I've seen in Utah until it snowed Sunday - and I just happen to be riding on Monday.  Consequently I did most my riding on hard frozen dirt and snow.

It was particularly cold today, being somewhere in the twenties and a nice cold wind to top it off.  In the parking lot I needed to pump up my tires and ended up ducking behind the car to use it as a windshield where it was so cold.

Riding up through some trees

I started at the Rainbow Gardens trailhead for the Shoreline trail heading south.  Most of the trail was snow covered, but apparently it must have gotten a decent amount of traffic since the storm as there was a good portion packed down.  It got cold enough for me on the ride that the return trip I ditched the biking gloves for thicker snow gloves.  I ended up going about 1.25 miles up and then turned around for 2.5 miles round trip.

Trail winding through trees looking out over Ogden 

Riding up a drier portion of the trail

Riding up the trail just past the Indian Trail cutoff

Dropping back down the trail.

Coming back down taking a corner

Coming back down to the trailhead, sun just starting to come up

Winter Arrived???

Just about to catch air on the last downhill

Its starting to look a bit more like the January weather we expect.  There's finally snow on the ground (most places).  There is snow on the forecast.  Its still not there, however, seeing as I can go biking and spent a significant portion of my ride seeing dirt under my tire instead of snow.  I still spent the majority of my time riding on the packed white stuff, but it felt more like early March riding.  Frankly I'm not disappointed that winter has been tardy in his arrival this year.  I've got some pretty good rides in while he takes his time in arriving.

Same trail that I seem to be riding most frequently.  It turns out to be the most convenient trail to ride, especially when I have other things to get to in the day.  I didn't go quite as far this week.  The snow was packed great for riding though, it wasn't too cold yet, and I had a blast.  My favorite is on the last downhill section right as it hits the final flat section to the trailhead, there is a large rock that you can catch some air off of (pictured above).  Even in the winter it is pretty fun to hit.  

Heading back downhill on the snow covered hill,

A little more snow this time around at this spot

Spring in January

Rounding a bend on the Shoreline Trail

Typically I expect to see a foot or so of snow on the ground when I go out in January, expect to have ice in the driveway, many mornings I expect it to be snowing, and I figure it will be having a high around 30 degrees, and to start the day somewhere in the teens.  This year, however, is anything but typical.  I went riding this January morning and it was around 30 degrees when I started in the morning, and I didn't see one bit of snow the entire ride.  It made for a pretty enjoyable ride.

I took off from the Ogden Nature Center trailhead, and went about 1.5 miles up the Garner Canyon direction.  The trail towards Garner Canyon is quite enjoyable, and while I still have a ways to go on the trail, I quite like what I've ridden so far.

Navigating a particularly technical and rocky section on Shoreline

Perhaps one of the funniest comments I've heard while biking came today.  As I was just starting out, and heading toward my first switchback, I passed a young lady out walking her dog on the Quail Trail section.  She asked me, seemingly astonished, if I was actually going to bike up the mountain!  I assured her I would to which she seemed quite surprised!  I assume she must not spend a lot of time on the Ogden area trails.

Looking out over North Ogden

Picking my line over several rocky and narrow trail sections 

Heading over a bridge toward on the Garner Canyon section

Christmas from Shoreline!

Apparently Santa even makes it to the Shoreline Trail...

Or at least the day after Christmas from the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in Ogden.  We started from the 22nd Street trailhead.  The trail had snow in most parts, and where there wasn't snow the trail was pretty frozen over.  Bikes had great traction, we bundled up enough to stay pretty warm, and it was a blast!  Great way to finish off some Christmas celebrations. 

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays because it is a time to gather together with family and enjoy one another's company and the love you share, and it is a time to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  I am so deeply grateful for the life He lived and hope to be like Him in my actions.

Trailhead parking lot

First part of Shoreline Trail after meeting up from 22nd St trail

Climbing up a rocky section after a bridge crossing

Climbing around to the lookout

Lookout with bikes 

Dropping past the lookout down a technical section

I found out first hand to not ride on an iced over river.  I tried crossing on the river here instead of the bridge, and pretty quickly after getting both tires on the ice the bike came slipping down, and it was so slick I couldn't even get back on my feet to walk to the other side.  I had to crawl and inch myself and my bike over to the edge trying hard not to slip further down the river and all the time eyeing the running water underneath the ice! 

Climbing up a snowy seciton

Rounding a tight switchback

Coming back down

Can we say cold???

First trailhead for Garner coming up from Shoreline - cold fingers!

We decided to brave the cold this December morning.  Having been fairly warm the day before (by warm I mean it had almost hit 40 degrees) I figured we would be doing pretty well, but it was still pretty frigid this Saturday morning.  Frost covered the cars as we left, and attempted to intimidate us into remaining in the warmth of our homes, yet we ventured out to the cold unknown.

We started at the Ogden Nature Center trailhead and went up the switchbacks, headed north on the Shoreline trail, and then took that first section that heads to Garner Canyon until we hit the sign indicating Garner Canyon and Dead Horse Canyon's directions.

Heading back down from our turnaround point

It was pretty cold - despite my limited bundling though I kept pretty warm.  The coldest part ended up being the fingers, which for me were fine until the ride down, but my poor dad's fingers were pretty numb before we had gone more than ten minutes.  All in all though it was a pretty ride and we had the trail completely to ourselves (and the three deer we had to share it with, but they were pretty accommodating with getting out of our way).  Come spring I want to see more of where the Garner Canyon trail goes.

Heading down from one of our last forks

Dropping down the last switchback at trail's end

Bonneville Shoreline Trail - Logan to North Logan

I forgot how much fun biking was when it isn't in the snow! This was my first ride of the year that wasn't strictly on snow, and I forgot how much easier it is to climb on dirt and how much I missed that!

This section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail starts at First Dam in Logan and runs over to Green Canyon in North Logan. It starts with some pretty steep switchbacks until it gets above the golf course, then some more steep climbing along the "shoreline" until it just kind of rolls along for a bit to Green Canyon. My one complaint about the trail is that it is so short - it is only about a mile and a half over to Green Canyon, and you almost have to ride part of Green Canyon to make the trail worth riding, unless you're just in the mood for a quick appetizer.



At this time there was still quite a bit of snow, but it was warm enough that it made for some good riding, and a lot of fun. I need to still get in a lot better shape, but it still went really well, and the ride down was still a blast!

Green Canyon - The February Edition

This was one of the best winter rides I think I had on the year. The weather was perfect - wasn't too cold, and the snow was hard packed, which made for easy riding. It was my wake-up call though that I need to get into better shape as I didn't make it very far and was still huffing and puffing a bit.

Even in the winter, and perhaps especially in the winter, it was absolutely gorgeous up here. Being hard packed climbing was fairly easy, and I made decent timing without ever spinning out on the snow or sliding into a soft spot. The way down was even funner, and I just flew down, and never had to worry about sticking to a narrow packed down portion because the whole trail was so well packed. I actually had seen a runner at the turn around point for me going down, told myself I would go a little further up, take some pictures, then turn around and still beat her for my goal. Turns out I even had my bike loaded before I seen her hit the parking lot!

Logan River Trail - January

The first ride of January, the first ride of 2011, and more than likely the coldest ride of my life. I hit the river trail again, and the trail was perfectly packed, but it was so frigid. I went about the same distance as my last ride in December, but it was a lot easier going this time, and my hands stayed a lot warmer because I used normal snow gloves.

I did learn, though, that it is probably best to have something to cover my ears, face, and neck. I ended up putting my hood up and my helmet over that because the ears were freezing. However, I had no option for the face and neck, so by the time I got down both were just about numb, and that is quite the sensation to have a numb neck!

The trail was well packed and I really never spun out, and it was pretty easy and fun going down. My water bottle was just about frozen by the time I got done, and taking drinks

was kind of funny because the nozzle would just about freeze shut each time.