Whew! We made it past the solstice. Not that there was any doubt that we wouldn't. But ya never know. Last night was the longest night of the year. Yesterday Brian and I headed out for a "short" ride up near Hatcher's Pass with a bunch of his riding buddies.
Long story short, I ended up having to turn back pretty early in the ride, because of my lack of winter vehicle. On the uphill I had to push the whole way and on the downhill my skinny 2.3 inch tires were digging into the snow and tossing me every time I had to brake. There is no doubt that I could have finished the ride, but the guys would not have been happy with me trailing farther behind than I usually do.
Brian talked me out of buying a Pugsley earlier in the season. Well, for one, I really can't afford it right now, because I have to support my very expensive climbing habit. But also, he was convinced it was not needed. But for a ride like this it definitely would have been welcome.
The guys continued on, while I rode back and drove the car back down to Houston (Houston, Alaska that is) and waited. They ended up having a great 5 hour ride, for which I am jealous, but it was just not my day.
I've decided to start a Pugsley fund. I may not have the full amount to buy one until next season, but that's fine, I have enough to do this winter.
I leave for Philadelphia tonight and will be arriving in Allentown, PA by midnight tomorrow night. I am so excited to see my family and friends this time around. Some of them I haven't seen in over a year so it will be a treat. A little bit of direct sunlight can't hurt either.
Oh and thanks Manny for the photo...
2 comments:
Glad you're feeling more upbeat. Solstice has come and gone. It's all uphill from here!
And, take it from someone who has ridden 2.1s and Snowcats (on the Snow Ho no less :-) through the winter: The Pugsley is worth it. It is. I promise. Keep your eyes on eBay for used frames or wheel sets, and you can build up your own very cheaply. (That's what I did. Stripped the Snow Ho and ended up spending only about $1,200 on the whole project.)
Course, you can always stick with skiing. That looked fun.
Happy Solstice!
Hey Woman - you can borrow my Pugs (anytime we're not out w/ it, which seems to be more than we'd like...). It'll help whet your appetite for getting one for next year. See you soon! (BTW - very curious about your flight experience...so sorry we didn't get to that :0( ...next year?) H
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