Plans Change,,,,,,

So we came up Friday night and I went to bed with all kinds of riding plans dancing through my head. Although I noticed a lot of snow still on the ground I just assumed the trails would be immune to the snow. As I slept my mind decided to give me a few things to think about.

I woke up yesterday morning and the first thing I did was go to the state park website for Dupont and sure enough the trails were closed! So me trying to be better about respecting the trails, and the hard work that people have put into the trails. I decided to head to Bent Creek, those trails drain so well you can usually ride them right after a rain storm and they are still good.

The only problem is they didn't get rain last week they got snow! A lot of snow to be exact! So then I was reduced to riding the gravel roads through the park. At least the roads that where clear enough to ride. I ended up riding a little bit of single track but the majority of it was in terrible shape. One side of the mountain would be clear already and the other still had a foot of snow on it.

Several times I ended up riding a road for a few miles only to turn the corner and meet another snow bank that was unrideable. Although the woods where full of people the gravel roads where the only option. I ended up riding for 3 hours and ended up with a road ride back to the car.

It turned out to be a great day and the temps were perfect. I guess everybody had cabin fever, like I said the woods where full. I had never seen that many people at Bent Creek before. It sure beat doing nothing, that's for sure!

One thing that was kinda funny. Yesterday as I came out of the woods from one of the only ride able trails I pulled out and turned the corner and coming up the gravel road all by himself in the middle of nowhere, was a kid about 10 years old. A talkative little fellow too! He came up and wanted to know if I had found any ride able trails. From there we talked about the trails and it was really clear he definitely knew his way around. We chatted and I finally asked if he was riding by himself?

He was with his mom who was running the single track trail, She went through the woods and he had came around the mountain on the gravel road. She was about to come out of the trail right where we were at. He was a really smart little dude and I enjoyed the conversation. He had a Trek 24in mountain bike and it fit him perfect. You could tell it had been ridden too!

He said he came over to Bent Creek with his mom all the time and road everything while she ran. They tried to come at least 3 times a week and sometimes they would do Dupont. He was proud off his bike and loved to ride. I ended up talking to him for about 10 minutes before his mom finally came out of the woods. we said goodbye he was off up the road again. Mom running beside him.

Yes the runners definitely had a better go of it yesterday. They could run on top of the packed snow where I was cutting through it. Made me wish I brought my running shoes! Next time I will that's for sure.