Winter Buzz
When the temps go low and the ground gets slippery and/or
snow-covered, I put my mountain bike away….generally this means I while
away January and February on my indoor
windtrainer trying not to be bored… The windtrainer is a contraption that
allows me to turn my bike into a stationary bike. If I keep up the regimen a
few days a week, I’m feeling pretty good come spring and ready to bust out of
the cabin full speed ahead….
But it IS boring. And many of those days are glorious
sun-shining winter days, bringing back memories of when I used to try to ride
all year-round, when I was younger.
Ironically, and finally(!)the new Blue Hills
Resource Management Plan in place now allows mountain biking year-round
in the Blue Hills, with the exception of the March ‘mud season’.
The past few winters I’ve discovered snowshoeing. I would
say re-discovered, as I did start a collection of old-school wooden
rawhide-laced snowshoes back in my early 20’s while living in Vermont. But
those old-school ‘shoes needed lots of care and the leather straps generally
didn’t last more than a couple of years, before crumbling away…. The last time
I used my old Canadian ‘shoes, I used old bicycle tubes as bindings, to hold
them on to my boots. They worked, but were cumbersome, and in most situations,
the 42” length was way overkill.
As the snowshoe companies moved into the modern age, some of
my friends were bragging about their new, lightweight designs that were easy to
put on and didn’t fall off after every 100 feet down the trail…So I went
shopping. I found the selections at my local ‘outdoors’ store varied enough—and
all seemed well-made….
That was 3 years ago. Now, I own two pairs of modern
snowshoes that will take me just about anywhere I want to go. Trail or no
trail, the built-in crampons bite into the slippery stuff. They are light
enough to strap onto my hydration pak if I find I don’t need them.
As I began to enjoy the slower pace of winter-hiking, I
fine-tuned what I needed for clothing layers. Most of my bike stuff works fine
for moisture-management, and an on colder days, extra outside layer gives me a
place for the camera, cell phone, GPS, and snacks.
I also discovered Micro-Spikes, an ingenious invention that
stretches over any boot and gives instant traction on ice with ½”
stainless-steel spikes. These also pack small and light, I now consider a
necessity on almost every winter hike, when snowshoes aren’t needed. Good
insurance against falling on cold hard ground….
Oh yeah, and the most important thing to take care of is my
feet. I wear a pair of insulated winter boots, with toe warmers. You need to
keep your feet happy!
Now that I’m prepared for winter actually I look forward to
it. As much as I love my mountain bike, I find that I can create a similar
workout in about the same time, hiking with snowshoes or Micros.
On a typical winter
day, I can hike any of the Skyline Trail. Climbing is the most fun, and the
Blue Hills vistas are always worth the effort. Rattlesnake Hill is challenging
on a dry day, even more so in the snow… Deeper snow even better, to cover up
the rocks and roots and allow for some ‘flotation’.
One of my favorite snow-hiking areas is Tucker Hill. Athol
Path, and/or the Green Loop, mixed up with following deer tracks, it’s a good
workout and gets me out there for at least 1.5 hours.
Another of my favorites is to try to follow old heritage
trails such as the Great Dome Trail, which was officially taken off the DCR map
a few years ago. Some un-named sections still exist, but you really need an old
map to find it in its entirety. I usually don’t promote off-trail use, but when
there’s 2 feet of snow on the ground, it
can’t hurt….
When there’s less snow down here, Gunstock or Cranmore areas
have some great climbs…
I found myself so enthralled with winter trail use that I
started a facebook page, Winter Buzz. Look it up and catch the Buzz!
By the time you read this, with luck we’ll be knee-deep in
the white stuff. If not, it’s back to the mountain bike(yippee!) or
windtrainer….
Steve Cobble
