I know, I know, this past weekend was pretty stellar.  Bluebird skies, temps in the 50’s, actually felt like spring.  It was a good one for sure.  But make no mistake, winter’s not done with us and the trails are not ready to ride.

Post-winter, pre-spring trail funk.

Post-winter, pre-spring trail funk.

Despite the mellow winter we had (that’s putting it nicely, no?) the trails are still going back and forth between frozen solid and hub-deep mud.  The current freeze thaw cycle we’re in is creating a lot of crystallization: moisture trapped in the dirt rises up through and freezes (which actually looks really cool), but when tires hit that crystalized dirt/ice concoction, it just makes ruts.  And those ruts will just continue to grow as the dirt softens, and then they’ll be puddles, then they’ll turn into lagoons, and before you know it the entire trail is submerged under 8 feet of water.  So let’s try to avoid that, shall we?

In all seriousness, just give it time.  A little patience now will pay off in the long run. If you’re super-jonesing to ride, hit up some gravel grindery in Sterling Valley, Stowe Hollow, or Cotton Brook (or all of the above if you’re wicked rad).  This time of year is tough for sure, but it’ll be summer before we know it and this “challenging” winter will be a thing of the past.  Thanks for understanding the importance of this issue and please pass it along to your fellow shredders…