[owlie]

Well, since we are out of riding season, I can’t exactly share a ride report, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t dream…

If I was riding, I would have been out enjoying the sunrise over Wasilla a couple weeks ago. The purples were absolutely gorgeous as the sun came up over the mountains…

Middle of last week, Ice Fog rolled into Anchorage. It didn’t clear up for about six days, and in the mean time, the frost layered beautifully onto the trees. I forgot my camera on Saturday, so I missed some great pictures across the Palmer Hay Flats, but check out these trees from this morning: (Yes, these are all covered in Frost – No Snow!)

And for anyone wondering just why I’m not planning to ride until late March, this is what the roads look like 2-3 weeks after the last snowfall:

BTW, all but the first picture were taken around 8:45 in the morning. The first one (of the sunrise) was taken at about 10am. For all the sunlight we get in the summer, we get darkness in the winter…

Elwood, no rubbing in the sunshine and 90deg weather in Florida. We know just how good you have it.

Owlie

[okcpony]

Wow! Never have seen anything that looks quite like that. As you likely recall from your Okie days, we get the ice storms, but it’s nowhere near as pretty as your pictures. That sunrise pic reminds me of a Thomas Kincaid picture, all it needs is cottage in the foreground. We had a nice day on Sunday (near 70) so got a 50 mile ride in…tons of bikes of all sorts out that day! The downside was that there was quite a bit more traffic than usual – probably due to people out Christmas shopping.

[owlie]

The frost and ice are the best part about winter up here (well, except for driving in it). Some days it is absolutely gorgeous.

Thankfully, we don’t usually get ice the way Oklahoma does. Sometimes it happens, but usually it is just frost or snow.

Enjoy the sunshine for me! Between the ice fog and the snow, I haven’t seen the sun since that sunrise shown above about a week and a half ago…

[owlie]

So, a couple of hours after I took the pictures above on Monday, it started snowing. And it kept snowing, and snowing, and snowing… and its still snowing…

Yesterday, I did my normal routine, except that the one hour commute that I normally have turned into three hours because an accident (due to the snow) blocked two of three lanes of the only highway out of town.

Today, I didn’t even bother trying to make it up my driveway. When I got home last night, the snow was about two inches above the bottom of my bumper. No way my little car would have made it up the driveway.

Around 2pm this afternoon, I went out and took some pictures around the house. At that point we had roughly 12″ of snow on the ground. I don’t know what it is now, but I am relieved to say that our plow guy has arrived to save the day. Theoretically I’ll have to go to work tomorrow.

For your viewing pleasure:

[eon]

So don’t you have a snowmobile? Those things look fantastic fun and that could be your winter bike

[owlie]

I’ve never been on one, though my husband is thinking about getting one to go riding with his friend. They look like fun, but I think that my next toy will be a 4-wheeler.

In the winter, I like to hole up next to a fire with a cup of cocoa and a good book.

[eon]

Forget the snow chains, what you want is one of these.

[owlie]

I believe that was also David Hough’s suggestion for winter riding.

[Ixecapade]

o_O

wow.

and everyone here is freaking out about the 6-12″ we MIGHT be getting here in DC/Jersey section of the states….

me personally I’ve never seen that much snow but I know 6″ is nothing in a lot of places… its beautiful for sure though- thanks for sharing!

[owlie]

Ah, but you should hear us whine when it hits 80F and 75% humidity.

In Oklahoma, an inch of snow is cause for a snow day.

Really the average climate where you live really dictates what you can tolerate as an extreme. Nobody around here has air conditioners, but I wouldn’t expect the Okies to have studded tires, chains, or a plow guy on retainer.

[jayspot]

beautiful pictures eon, were these taken on Mnt. Loop highway?…..

[eon]

That’s not me, I shamelessly stole them from someone on advrider.com
I would guess that is some Forest Service road somewhere in the Cascades. I think that guy lives around North Bend area, I forget now. He’s posted a few pictures like that and they amaze me each time I look at them (one for riding in conditions like that and two, they are just amazing pictures).

[owlie]

Okay, so, despite my declaration that spring is coming, mother nature sent another 8″ of snow our way last weekend. Given the sloppy condition of the roads, and the occasional flurry that I see outside my office windows, I do not think that it was strange for me to think “Wow, there’s a guy who is really looking forward to riding season” when I saw a guy in a well worn black leather motorcycle jacket and blue jeans at lunch.

Really, is it that strange? Its below freezing. The roads are icy. I passed at least five cars in the ditch during my commute yesterday morning.

I apologize for my indescretion right now in assuming that someone wandering around in the middle of an Alaskan winter in their biker gear, was not, in fact, riding a motorcycle. I so wish that I had my camera out, but by the time I saw him cruise by on his trike, it was too late.

I am not shamed by the fact that I am a summer bound, weekend warrior. However, while Elwood and Munch might think I have “grit”, I ain’t got nothin’ on this guy.

Humbled,
Owlie

[Munch]

Grit is not to be confused with intelligence…. or the lack there of . Hopefully his ride is just merely at the outskirts of town and not out in the wilderness.

[eternal05]

I have a friend who, the first time back skiing in over ten years, decides to try (for the first time, mind you) a Rodeo 540 off a HUGE jump in the park. I certainly wasn’t thinking “man, I wish I had balls that big” when it–SURPRISE–ended in a broken collarbone.

There’s “grit,” and then there’s “stupid.”

[Author]

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