End of 2010 Riding Season?

The snow was starting to stick to the path.

With blustery snow showers I set out on a sixteen mile ride in 28 degree weather. By the time I braved the wicked wind and quick splash from Lake Champlain--it literally smashes up against the bike path and showers on its users--I found myself pedaling through an inch of snow and slipping sideways like it's the dead of winter in Vermont. Despite the nasty weather it's certainly time I give up bike riding for the year, yet I'm hoping for one more good window of opportunity so I can squeeze in 18 more miles to complete my yearly goal.

Surprisingly, I liked the weather while I was out there. I was warm and toasty. The road conditions were scary, yet I felt exhilarated. I was surviving my first snowy ride in nearly 20 years. Only a few times during the year does the lake look like the ocean, big swells rolling toward shore, and I was privy to something larger than myself.

Lake Champlain and its ocean-like waves.

There is a growing number of riders who commute throughout the winter and I plan to post photos of the ones I come across. I will not be among them. I do not feel safe enough to ride in winter traffic with snow plows and buses, one slip away from skidding underneath a vehicle.

There is a Nor'easter headed our way. But not to worry, there will be many more posts this winter.

New signage and benches on a segment of Burlington's Bike
Path. Riding was a bit slippery at this point and it took me
longer to slow down.