Hookey

And it wasn't even a powder day...

Dual Sport Days

Today was a total rarity. I got to participate in 2 of my favorite sports in the same day.

Today's forecast was for blue skies all day, and warm temperatures.

When we got to the hill this morning it was about 16° (which is warm for these parts). The mercury climbed steadily all day, with abundant sunshine. We played all over the mountain, looking for the trails with the best snow and the least amount of people on them.
It was pretty killer.
I probably could have picked a better sled for this morning. I used my Supermodel 163, which is one of my favorite boards, but not that good on hard snow. The cold early morning temperatures made the snow firm, but not quite as hard as our classic New England boiler plate. It was pretty hard to get an edge in, which definitely made for some pretty exciting moments. By the second run, there were 8 of us sharing the trail in tight formation at mach 5. It's how we ride here. Edge grip is a must.

After a little left over dinner for lunch, it was time to start thinking about my second activity for the day. With people who were talking big about how they were going to go for a sick bike ride yesterday dropping off the ride roster like flies, I found myself riding alone.
It happens.
So my iPod and I went for a 13 miler, up Loomis Hill (11000ft in 2.5 miles), and back home in a big loop. I was determined to keep the chain in 6th gear, but the hill proved to be a bit to much for me. I had to drop it to 3 to get to the top. I let this slide, as there is still a ton of snow on the ground. On the long way back down, the roads were wet. I wished I had fenders. The wind was picking up, and it wasn't quite as warm anymore. When I left my house, cirrus clouds were beginning to appear, a tell tale sign of approaching weather. By the time I reached the top of my big climb, the blue sky to the west was being replaced with clouds.
We have a storm on the way, which should drop a few inches of snow tomorrow.
And I have the morning free...

Mise en place

OK, so it's February, and I know everyone is getting just a little bit antsy to do outside stuff .
I still have yet to attain my bike riding goal for the month, and I'm pretty sure it won't happen. My ultimate goal is to ride twice as much this year as I did last, and I just don't think it's going to happen this month. While I have already matched February 06's days, I doubt I'll able to double it.

Oh well.

I do actually have a 29er bicycle relevant post upcoming on the newly installed Maverick on the RIP, but I'm still waiting for some of the small details to shake out. It's been such a long journey...

And without anything truly interesting happening in 29erland beyond rumor and hearsay, I have decided that an off topic post might be the ticket.

Atomic Chili.

Yeah, you heard me.
Atomic.

While I'm quite comfortable with the secrecy of my recipe, the foundation is there for you to experiment on your own. And here it is.


1 iPod filled with your favorite music
12 pack of good beer
1 medium sized red onion, finely diced
5 large cloves of garlic, finely diced
3 jalapeños, 2 with seeds, 1 without, finely diced
1lb sirloin tips, cut into 1" cubes
1lb ground turkey
1x 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
3x 16oz cans of beans (this time I used black, red and black eyed peas, but it doesn't really matter)
24oz vegetable stock

--ratios witheld--
Cumin
Basil
Paprika
Crushed red pepper
Super Secret Ingredient X

Salt n' Peppa
Cheddar cheese, the sharpest you can find, cut into itty bitty cubes.

~Crank your tunes, get motivated.
~Open a beer and consume while doing the following (repeat as necessary):

~In a big pot, over medium heat, pour a bunch of extra virgin olive oil, so that the bottom of the pot is well covered.
~When oil is hot, cook the onions until soft, about 8 minutes or so.
~Reduce heat to low, add garlic, cook for another 5 minutes.
~Add sirloin tips, raise heat to med high, and cook until the surface of the meat is browned, stirring every once in a while.
~Add ground turkey, sirring a bit more than every once in a while, until the turkey is cooked, about 7 minutes.
~Add the spices and jalapeños until thoroughly combined.
~Add tomatoes.
~Add the beans. I usually take 2 cans of the beans, drain and rinse them, and take the 3rd can and put the whole thing in. I save the cans...
~Stir it up.
~Add the veggie stock.
~Add 2 cans of water + bean residue (why I keep the cans)
~Turn to high, and bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
~Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 hours.

Yeah, 3 hours. It is so worth it, trust me.
Stir every time you or your spouse/significant other gets up to get a beer.
Finished consistency should be thick, similar to pahoehoe. The liquid needs to reduce slowly, by about 1/3rd.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

When it is ready to eat, sprinkle the tiny cubes of cheese onto it, and enjoy!

The Jay Challenge

Saturday was an unusual day.

Besides the waking up at 0 dark:30, it was also the day of the first (and hopefully annual) Jay Winter Challenge. This is the first winter race thought up by the madman/mastermind Dan Desrosiers, creator of the Jay Challenge, one of the most gruelling endurance events in our neck 'o the woods. The summer event is a demented triathlon, a 30 mile kayak paddle on Lake Memphromagog (cold, deep & scary), a 2? mile trail run, and a 70 mile MTB ride with 11,000 feet of climbing in it. Yes, 11,000ft.

It isn't for the faint of heart.

This winter race, is a new event. There were 2 classes, a 30 miler that left at 8, and a 10 miler that left at 10. The second wave utilized the same course, that started 10 miles from the finish. The goal was to have everyone finish within the same general time frame.
Turn out was surprising, with a lot of last minute entries. There were about 50 or so racers across both categories, spanning form veterans winter riders, to the totally unprepared.
It was crazy.

When I left my house at 6, it was -13°F. When I got to Newport VT, it was 0°. When the 30 milers left at 8, it was 3°. When the 10 milers left at 10, it was 16°. It was clear, and not too much wind. But still damn cold if you ask me.
And not long after the 10 milers set off, the first of the 30 milers started to show up. And the first bike I saw, was a familiar one.

One gear too.













The second guy was on a 26" full squishy. Third guy on a Misfit 29er.
People started to show up at the finish line around noon. It had warmed up to 25° by then. The 4 hours that the first finishers had been on the bike were taking their toll. At the 10 miles to go point, first and second had traded places. The 10 mile racers were finishing ahead of the 30 mile racers. That long out in mother nature at that temperature is rough.
Everyone was cold, but stoked on the race. It was well run, well planned, and to my knowledge, everyone finished. Thankfully, the weather wasn't too bad. This time of year, it can be "iffy" at best.

I'm pretty sure, that next year, 100 folks will show up.

A big hats off to all those that took part of this event. You are all not right.

While the race was in progress, I got to check out a Surly Pugsley. It was cool.
I want one...

Stash Off!

We are now plugged into an Arctic snap for a while. The above picture was actually taken on my first Febuary bike ride, with the temps hovering around 25°, the day before the temperature plummeted. I took the Karate Monkey out for a spin around the block, and was completely suprised at how well the Nanoraptor tires I have on there did in snow. Tire pressure was low, not on purpose, but we won't say neglect either. Part of my trip took me on a road that is closed in the winter. There were lots of animal tracks, XC ski tracks and some snowshoes, but the snow was pretty firm which made for a rough ride. There was minimal wheel spin, I did not have to stop or re-start the ride at any time. I was impressed.

As I mentioned before, it doesn't take much to amuse us when it's -10° outside.
Ideas like the "Stash Off" are born.

And so here are the before and after pictures.


Myself.








Handlebars!








Scott.








Lemmy!






I think Scott's beard was better to begin with, and the most common emotion his new facial hair formation stirs up is fear.
Nice work!

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