Joanie's winter fat bike park

[north woods gal]

We've lived up here for eight years, now. Snow and winter are such a big part of life in the north woods that I'm now at a point where it's even hard to remember what it was like to live in places with milder winters. You can't wait out the snow or the cold until the weather moderates, up here, like you can in other places. You have to embrace winter and adapt or, as some do, get the hell out of town for the winter. We know very few that take that option, though. Most stay and make the most of our winters. I think it does mark a person.

My mother grew up in northern Minnesota. She used to tell me stories about how she used to ski or snowshoe to elementary school and how all the kids loved to ice skate in the winter. It's what they got to do at recess. When it came time for her to retire from her job in Nebraska, she headed right back to the north country and her beloved winters. All her colleagues thought she was nuts. They all had plans to move as far south as it took to escape snow and cold winters, but not her. She couldn't wait to get back to her north woods and what she called "real winters".

[Crankin]

That is a good story, Northwoods!
Emily, I agree with your take. I enjoy the snow because generally, I don't have to travel anywhere far in it, and if I do, well, I've got a car that can do it. No more 20-40 mile drives to work on a freeway in a blizzard. My office closes in bad storms, and yesterday, a day I don't usually work, I had scheduled 2 clients in the late afternoon because of my vacation coming up. I just cancelled them and rescheduled. Working fee for service gives you the right to do that, although if money was a big concern, it might suck. However, you can also reschedule as you please. And, although 28 years later, the thought of driving in the snow does not evoke a panic response as it did for years (which is what happens when you learn to do this at age 37), it's mostly because I can drive the flat 2 miles to work in an AWD car with snow tires. I can also walk to a grocery store, drugstore, and a Dunkin Donuts, about .5 mile away. Not the stores I usually go to, but they are stores. There's even a sidewalk.

[rebeccaC]

you're your mothers daughter for sure ....and wonderful photos of your land!!!!!!!

here's some warmth for you ....from my lunchtime ride to lunch with alex and friend

[north woods gal]

Warms me right up! Thanks. Haven't sent much time along the ocean, but what time I have has been glorious. Tugs at something deep inside of me. Probably no coincidence that my mother loved the ocean and sailing, too.

[north woods gal]

I saw a video yesterday of a fatbiker who swapped his fork for a snow ski, and rode though the woods in an area that looked a lot like the trail photos you posted. Thought about posting the video here, but my reception wasn't good enough at the time to do it. Apparently, the ski fork is something you can order!

Well, why not? That might be fun.

[north woods gal]

Hey, thanks for the link. I'll be keeping an eye on this one. One of the problems with fat bikes in deep snow is loss of steering control. This might be a solution.

[Trek420]

NWG, Thanks for the pictures. It all looks lovely. Must admit I'd be scared to ride out on the lake. We have a similar issue here in the sunny PNW where if it does not rain often folks get a little cranky. It does snow but not often. So when it does we kinda flip out! OMG, what do I do, how do I drive ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6zlkP8thkk