Cycling Thoughts

I live in a northern climate where the cycling season is at best 8 months long, if one is willing to ride in some cold weather. When the season ends, I keep my mind on cycling for a while by doing maintenance work on my bike. I then wait for the snow to fall, so I can start cross country skiing. I enjoy skiing as much as I do biking, so the transition to winter time is not painful for me. 

There are no crossover skills from biking to skiing, but the peace and joy I experience in both sports are similar. Wind, smells, scenery and corners are found in both. I experience a peace and a solitude that brings clarity to my mind.  For me it is a little odd that two very different sports can bring similar benefits.

But there is a problem that brings my winter crossover sport to a stand still, a lack of snow.  This winter we have had ample snow to keep the trails in good shape for skiing, until recently. We have had some unseasonably warm weather a couple times this winter and a few days of rain. Cross country ski trails need a good base of snow along with an occasional fresh snowfall to keep them in good shape. Warm weather melts the snow and often causes the trails to ice up and consequently skiing is not as enjoyable. When we get rain the snow quickly melts and in a short time the trails are unusable. Sadly we have had two separate 3 - 4 day warm spells that took a toll on our trails and even worse 2 separate rain events which put a halt to my winter sport. At present our trails are not skiable  so I am lamenting.

A winter without snow is very painful. I am not a lover of cold weather, but when there is snow on the ground cold weather is welcomed. Today I sit in my house, looking at expanses of grass while the thermometer reads 12 degrees fahrenheit! My cycle is tucked away in the garage ready for the riding season and my cross country skis are waiting in my porch for the next good snowfall. My mind cycles from riding to gliding. I have cycling thoughts.