Joanie's winter fat bike park

[emily_in_nc]

That is gorgeous, NWG! I can imagine the effort to maintain those trails in the snow, but so worth it for you. I am sure Star has a blast also. Thank you for sharing!

Now, I'll stop whining about having to ride in 50s-60s, when I would prefer even warmer!

[ny biker]

Beautiful photos and beautiful trails! Thanks for posting.

Around here were there are many people and lots of traffic, snow is just a nuisance. You are in the type of place where you can really enjoy it.

[north woods gal]

Thanks, all.

Emily, as we've discussed before, my cold weather riding is all about acclimation. Doing a little bit of riding every day as the season gets progressively colder allows me to slowly acclimate to the cold. No way could I handle these temperatures, otherwise. If you've been experiencing 70s and then drop, suddenly into the 40s or 50s, that would be a challenge for me, too.

N.Y., yes, you are so right on attitudes toward snow. Up here, it's a huge part of our winter economy, because the snow stays put all winter long. We get skiers and snowmobile people from all over the country. Snow is much appreciated and considered a blessing. When we don't get our snow, people actually get very depressed and upset. Just the opposite of most places. Also helps that we are retired and no longer work, so we don't have to drive in the snow unless it suits us. Even if we had to drive in the snow, no problem, though. Snow removal is an ongoing thing. We have a fleet of snowplows that are always out and working, as needed. Even our roads are designed for snow removal with wide shoulders and plenty of room on either side to pile the snow.

[Crankin]

Some of this got me thinking how the attitude toward snow and storms has changed a) in the 28 years I've lived in the area I live in now and b) from when I was a kid, living in an inner ring suburb, next to Boston, maybe 20 miles from where I am now.
When I was a kid, we had big storms, even if we knew one was predicted, they sent us to school, and then had some scary bus rides home, when we were released early. They plowed the streets, but they were still snow covered. I lived on a little hill and basically sled down my street and a lot of others for a few days after a storm. We'd be home for days.
When I first moved back, in 1990, it wasn't much different. The first town I lived in, is about 15 miles north of where I am now, on the NH border. They canceled school a lot more, since the town had a wide geographic area and was hilly. Sometimes I had school (teaching) when my kids didn't. Now, everything is done ahead of time, with districts canceling school the night before, instead of at 5 AM. Businesses encourage employees to work from home, as does the state. Some businesses shut down. Now, even restaurants close, so their employees can be safe. Perhaps not in the city, but definitely around here. The roads are pre-treated and plowed down to the blacktop, so no opportunity to sled down the street. Yesterday, we had a storm that started around 11 am, heavy snow for a few hours, turning to rain, then ice in some places. It was predicted perfectly, and most schools had school in the morning, with early release, so the kids could get home before it got bad. That counts as a full day for the state.
But, it's like we've forgotten how to deal with the snow!

[north woods gal]

Weather forecasting has improved in terms of accuracy and in terms of advance notice on storms. It's definitely changed the way people and institutions deal with snow. Over my adult lifetime, I had mixed feeling about snow. Loved it if I could get out and play in it or just enjoy from home, but dreaded it if I had to get out and be somewhere. Even so, some of my best memories were the times in my life where I actually commuted back and forth to work on my bicycle when it snowed. Also good for a chuckle, now and then. Couple of times in Chicago, during a snow storm, car traffic was backed up for miles, but there I was, passing everyone by riding in the ditch or a sidewalk or sometimes even carrying the bike over drifts, laughing as I went. I was moving while everyone else was trapped in their cars, going nowhere. Made it home in nearly my usual commuting time. Next day, my fellow employees were reporting that many of them were trapped in the car fo so long, people had to get out and relieve themselves on the side of the road. Yup, even in winter, bike commuting has its advantages.

[emily_in_nc]

Growing up in North Carolina, snow was always so much fun when it happened. For one thing, it was a novelty, and for another, we ALWAYS got a snow day or three from school!

When I first started working, in the mid-80s, we would get snow days from work. As a result, for years I relished snow and wished for it. It was a magical day or two off from normal responsibilities.

As we got towards the 2000s, though, we gained the ability to work from home via computers, so snow & ice days were no longer a day off but a day to work. Even though working from home was often better than going into the office, it wasn't nearly as much fun as a day off tramping around in the snow.

I think that's when snow started becoming less fun for me and just a pain in the rear. It's still pretty, but when you have to go about your business in it, not so much fun, especially when the office opened back up but those of us in the outlying rural areas still had a tough time getting in.

Now that I've spent the past seven winters in warm spots that see no snow, I haven't missed it one bit. Looking at photos and seeing it on the news is good enough for me!

[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".