We had another great trip snowshoeing this week!  We went up Pine Hollow again, but because of the poor weather decided against having a fire.  There was some fresh snow, but we did end up walking on the dirt in the exposed areas.  The higher we got the better the snow was.  It was really coming down when we left.

This picture has Nate in it as well

This is looking back towards the parking lot.  It was only snowing a little when we started.

Jason on the left, with Bryan and his two boys in the middle.  Those kids are really good at snowshoeing.  They had to turn back early because of time constraints and prior commitments.  It sure was fun to have them there.

Wes, Nate, Adam, Ryan, and I continued to the upper field.  Even with the little moon light, the view was great.  This is where the snow really started to fall. 

This weeks trip was so much fun! We went and hiked Pine Hollow trail up American Fork Canyon.  We had a really good turnout.  Nate led the group for us this week and did a great job. There was a little fresh snow that added to the enjoyment.

Here we are traversing the hill near the beginning.  The views were great.

Here is a good action shot of the group hiking.  Sorry for the poor quality… I blame the cold…

Ryan was the first to slide down the hill. 

Followed by the rest of us.  Climbing back up it on the way out was more challenging for some… Ryan… then others.  But Ryan was able to show his mad ascent skill on a tough ledge.  I took the easy way.

We took a group photo at one of the fields.  The moon even came out for a little while so that we could fully take in the great atmosphere that comes with night snowshoe trips.  I have always loved the amazing view that we are so lucky to enjoy living in the area that we do,  but there is something to be said about night winter trips.  It can take your breath away.  I enjoyed this area so much we are going to go back for our trip next week.  Ill post more details in the trip notice blog.  Thanks to everyone that comes on these trips, especially those from Timp Cycelry that give up their evenings once a week to make these trips possible.  See yall next week.

This weeks trip was a blast! We met at the Tibble Fork res parking lot at 7pm and got ready for the trip. Its was a dark chilly night, which added to the fun and excitement. After everyone got ready to go, we hiked up through the large meadow, paralleling the stream that comes down from the campground area.  Its a very scenic, beautiful area, bad sadly, even with all the pictures that I take, I failed to take some of the stream crossings and such. Oh well…

When we ran out of natural bridges to cross, we made the steep climb out of the canyon. This climb was bordering “gnarcore”, but was still very fun to do.

The pictures hardly do the slope justice…

Thanks to everyone that came on this weeks trip! We always have such a good turn out with lots of people. See yall next week!

The trip for this week is going to be up American Fork canyon. We are going to meet at the Tibble Fork res parking lot at 6pm. Its going to be a lot of fun and I hope to see everyone there. Its probably going to be mildly dark so bring a headlamp if you have one. Let me know if you need directions or if you need a ride Mark 801-360-4237.

This week we met at the Aspen Grove parking lot at 6. L-R Dan, Wes, Ryan, Nate, and Darren were there. The weather was great, and the snow was good.

We went up the packed trail long enough to find a good spot to branch out and break our own trail. After some elevation gain and wandering through the trees, we were able to get a good view of the big chute area. The scenery in this area is truly breath taking.

In this picture you can see some tracks where someone has skied down the chute area. Im in the front for those that dont know me… Good picture huh?

After enjoying the trees for a while, we came back down into the meadow. The descent was a nice change from the climbing. 

The snowshoeing trips are a lot of fun, and are a great way to get ready for biking season, which will be here before we know it, hopefully. This week should bring us lots of fresh snow for the next excursion. Thanks again to all those that come.

Those of you who didnt come missed out on a great night of snowshoeing.  The snow was good and the temp was great. The best part was the huge moon. It was so bright that lights werent needed. The views were awesome and the company was great. 

We met at 6 at the big springs parking lot and it was getting dark fast. Ryan assumed the manager duty and passed out the waivers.

Here we reached “Ryans pond” as named by Dan and took a quick picture.

Then we shoed up on the ridge to head to the fields.

Winding through the trees was fun and tricky at times.

Here is Dan Jordan and Hunter in the field. Dan is doing his pretend walk for the picture….

Right to left- Jordan, Darren, Jon, Hillary, Hunter, Bryan, Jason, Russel, Dan, Mark, Tiara, Nate 

Nothing says snowshoeing like a random christmas tree.

Shout out to Wess and Bob who showed up just after we left and were unable to find us.

We are excited for next weeks trip. Check back to see where we are going. See you there.

Winter Training

Finding the motivation and energy to train in the winter can be a difficult task.  With the frigid temperatures and piles of snow most people hang up their bikes until spring thaws things out and focus on some type of cross-training.

Many cyclists take advantage of the snow and stay in shape by getting out on cross-country skis or snowshoes.  These activities help you to stay in shape aerobically and maintain some endurance.  Others choose to hit the gym and go to spin class, swim, run, or lift weights.

Whatever your skill level or discipline, if you want to stay in shape this winter you will need to find a winter training program that works well for you.  There are many books and resources out there that will tell you how to train in the winter.  So how do you decide which to choose and what to do?  The best thing to do is what works best for you.  This may take some time and trial and error, but it is worth it.

Tips:

• Educate yourself
• Do something you enjoy
• Set obtainable goals

Why do we ride bikes?  We ride bikes because it is fun and we enjoy it, and one of the benefits is that it is exercise at the same time.  So don’t make it a chore, do it because you want to and you love to.  If you are like me and don’t like riding a trainer, don’t do it, find another way to stay in shape through the winter.

Helpful Articles:

http://www.cptips.com/wntrtrg.htm

http://www.training4cyclists.com/winter-cycling-tips/

If you enjoy snowshoeing, we now have enough snow to go snowshoeing.  We usually snowshoe on Thursday nights at 6pm.  Call or email us to get on our email list so that you can know when and where we are going.