Nice day for a ride

It was actually alittle cooler than I thought, but I did have a nice bike ride nonetheless. I replaced my summer tires, with a more aggressive tire before I headed out. I don't have studded tires, but they are available, or easy to make.

I took a snowmobile trail that is less popular. Those trails are best because the trail has hardened up. If a sled has gone by recently, the snow is churned up and soft, making the ride more difficult. I rode to one of my many favorite overlooks. The view from there is spectacular to the west. You can see over to Vermont, and many of the ski areas. I didn't hang around long though, my toes were starting to get cold. Next time I will be sure and put those disposable toe warmers in my bike shoes. I was happy to find that there wasn't much ice on the trail. Hitting ice on a bicycle is very unpleasant. Falling is swift, and painful. Being gravity-challenged, I will walk the bike along an icy trail, before I'lll try to ride it. After 40 yrs, ya don't take as many chances. I didn't escape this ride without a wipeout, but it was a none-issue.

I noticed that all the snowshoeing I've done has really helped my stamina for bike riding. I never had to stop for a breather, so I was psyched. I did however have to stop to get the ice out of my cleats. The ice made it impossible to "clip-in" to the pedals. I'm thinking about carrying a little can of de-icer on these rides.

I didn't see any snowmobiles until the very end of my ride. By then I was pedaling up County Rd. toward home. The two sleds I saw were on a private trail, and had just come up from Fay Falls. I wondered where all the snowmobilers were, it was certainly a great day for that as well.

Hanging out

Yesterday while working my new part time job at the animal shelter, I took Bella the German Shepherd out for her "constitutional". The door closed behind me, and guess what? Locked, and I haven't a key for that door. I had heard that everyone who works there has done this very same thing. The only resolution, climb the chainlink fence. It's about 8' tall. When I got to the top, something caught my pants. It actually tore my pants, and I was hanging upside down! Mind you it was very cold yesterday. I hoped no one would spot me there, dangling. Bella sat and watched me. Finally I was able to release myself from the fence, and get to the other side. I thought the situation would have made a good video clip for "World's Funniest Videos". I also decided I wouldn't bother travelling to Japan for a try at "Ninja Warrior".

Last night, I went for a beautiful but bitterly cold walk in the moonlight. The moon was full, and the landscape became a painting of contrasts in blue/black and shades of gray. The silence, the crispness of the air, made me wonder if this might be what it's like in the far north. I heard not a sound, save a dry leaf blowing in the wind.

Snow Bunting

Last night at about 7:30 p.m., I was out on my snowshoes. I was near the end of my sojourn, crossing the top of a hill/pasture. I was wearing a headlamp. Suddenly four birds flew up from the snow. I wondered why they were in the snow, out in the open, easy targets for predators.
With no clue, I fired off an email to my old Ornithology teacher, Meade Cadot. He told me the birds were likely Snow Buntings. I was excited to have seen them, having never seen them before! The birds are about the size of Robins, and are mostly white in winter. Meade told me there were Snow Bunting sightings during the annual Christmas bird count.

Crystal Spring

Check out this 200 hundred year old spring. In the summer months you can't even see this unique cistern because it's covered with plants. On the front is carved "Crystal Springs 1808".
I imagine people and animals used this spring on there way to/from the village of Walpole, NH.
To look inside the spring now, you are not inclined to sip. The spring is full of leaves and sediment, but one has to wonder how deep it is. I also wonder, if it were cleaned out, would it be potable?

This photo was taken during a perfect sunset last week. Sunsets in winter have such a painterly array of color.

Snow Bugs

After voting my choice for our next president, I decided to try the xc skiis out. Temperatures were into the fifties, with bright sun. Lovely spring-like conditions. I noticed many, many insects on the snow surface; spiders, a cricket, and this little creature. He measured no more that probably one centimeter long. What will become of these early risers?

I decided shortly into my adventure that I really don't like the skiis for exploring. My boots offer zero ankle support, and I had very little control of the skiis on the downhills. The snow was wet, and slushy in spots. I stuck to the snowmobile trails of the Hooper Hill Hopper snowmobile club. I'm afraid that the trails will be mostly mud after the next two days of forecasted rain. At times during my walk, I felt blasts of seemingly tropical warmth. I loved it.

The sunset this evening was a spectacular orangey/pink. The perfect ending to a perfect day.
If you haven't voted....you have ten minutes!!! Hurry

The Walpole Guide

Thursday I took my high school art teacher out for a snowshoe hike on one of my favorite trails.
The sun was pouring through the white pines, creating a fairy tale scene. We made our way to the cabin I've mentioned in an earlier blog. She had never been there. She commented that I looked like a Maine Guide standing by the cabin.

It surely looked like something you might find in the Whites. The weather that day was frigid, and a biting wind kept us moving right along.

Fay Falls

The other day on one of my more adventurous snowshoe hikes, I made my way along the ridge of "Sheep Hill". I traveled west to Fay Falls. There are some awesome falls that were created by huge glacial erradics. The large boulders also create some great caves.
I had hoped to find a hibernating bear, but no such luck. I did find a den which had been inhabited by a porcupine. There were quills and skat around. The falls themselves were covered by ice and snow. The video clip can't do this place justice.