The Flood

After a week of rain, snow, more snow, melting snow, more snow/rain, and snow melt from the mountains, the soil of the Palouse is saturated. Paradise Creek was running higher today than I have seen it before, and the trail was flooded in places.

I didn't see the first patch of flooded trail until I was right on top of it. When I biked to Pullman this morning, it was still snowing/raining, and I had my head down against a strong wind out of the west. The first flooded section was only a couple of inches deep. However, the section of trail just before the tunnel under Sunshine Road was much deeper. I took a picture of that section this morning, and I also recorded myself biking through it later in the day - at about 6:30pm. The first part of the video is of the water rushing under the bridge by Airport Road in Pullman

I leave an extra pair of socks in my office in case I get really wet on my ride in to Pullman. I had my soggy clothes hanging on my bike so that they would dry faster. Fortunately, I didn't have office hours or visitors - They would have wondered at the sight of my drying socks, jacket, and biking tights. Everything was dry by this afternoon when I suited up and headed for home. The ride back was dry and clear except for the one patch of still flooded trail.

Last days of winter?

Today is the last day of winter - at least on the calendar. But as I write this post, it is snowing like crazy outside and the temperatures are still in the low 30s. Last week was spring break at WSU. The kids in Moscow also had their spring break, and so did Lysa at the University of Idaho. I had hopes of biking together as a family, enjoying the sunshine, and relishing the approach of spring. All my hopes were dashed with the onset of a new round of foul, winter weather.

Nevertheless, I am feeling a sense of accomplishment. I managed to bike through the winter despite the cold and snow. At times it occurs to me that perhaps I was lucky in that the snowfall was not as heavy as other years. Then I remind myself that both WSU and UI closed their campuses for a day back in January because of the snow. This season we had temperatures in the low teens, we had ice, hail, freezing rain and ferocious wind. I biked through it all (ok, I confess I didn't bike in hail).

Biking to work today epitomized my winter biking experiences. I biked through slush on the way to Pullman, and then on the way home, the snow started falling harder, the temperatures dropped, and I encountered some icy spots on the trail. Hooray for studded tires - I am certain that they saved me from a painful fall.

Generally speaking, people's driving habits deteriorate with the worsening weather. Motorists tend to be a bit more aggressive and less patient with me. I had folks cut me off, not wait at crosswalks, and drive too close - perhaps hoping to give me a face full of spray. I don't blame anybody; afterall, I don't like driving in cruddy weather either. But I particularly don't like to bike in it!

The high point of the ride today - the last ride of winter - was the sight of winter wheat. The green blades of the new spouts are like fuzz on the fields. Today they poked above the white snow. I took a picture of the field across the highway. The greening fields reminds me that spring really is just right around the corner even if it doesn't feel like it.

...and it most definitely does NOT feel like sping this morning - our first day of spring on the calendar. Lysa took a picture of the accumulated snow in front of our house. We must be at about 6 inches already, and it is still coming down.

Winter Part 2

Apart from the snow we got in mid January, which closed the universities and schools all across the state, the winter has been relatively mild. The January snow eventually melted, and within two weeks I was back to biking. Thus, for most of February I have biked at least two times per week. The roads and trail have been clear enough to allow me to keep the studded tires off for the vast majority of my rides. I am glad to have them, though, for those one or two mornings this month when I worried about early morning ice on the trails. For the most part, however, the temperatures have been above freezing, and I've even shed a layer for the commutes back to Moscow in the late afternoon when it gets up into the 40s. I have had no adventurous mishaps or particularly daring rides to report.

All that changed yesterday morning. We had snow over the weekend and the temperatures dropped into the low teens. We only had an inch or two of new snow that stuck, and it was powdery - an easy snow to bike through. Underneath the powder was treacherous icy pavement, so I was grateful for the studded tires.

I left the house just before 9am. I got a later start than usual to avoid the rush hour. It was about 20 degrees when I left the house. I haven't done much cold weather biking since moving to the Palouse, so I'm not really acclimated to the biting cold on my fingers in particular. I'm sure that the holes in the fingertips of my glove liners contributed to the rapid onset of pain and then numbness. The numb in my fingers was the most alarming. I clenched and relaxed my hands, banged them together, and eventually removed my outer glove to blow warmth onto my completely numb fingers. Not until I started really working hard on the trail did my fingers begin to sting, and I felt life returning to them.

The ride home in the evening was equally cold (about 20 degrees), but the powdery snow had all burned off in the afternoon sun. After a full day of work, my heart rate was up, and I was warm - no numbness to report.

I'm ready for spring, but typically (at least since we've lived here) we get a second round of wintry weather or Winter Part 2. Snow is in the forecast for tonight, and it may snow again this weekend. If so, then I'll hit the mountain trails for some cross-country skiing. If I'm lucky, we'll have snow in the higher altitudes, but it'll stay dry and/or warm down on the Palouse.

Slush

There are times when I question the value of spending so much on gear for my bike commute. Yesterday was not one of those times. When I woke up, a steady snow was falling - about an inch would accumulate. By the time I left for Pullman, the snow had stopped, and it had warmed slightly. The snow on the roads had gone to slush.

Studded tires are most effective on ice whereas slush simply gums up in the treads. Nevertheless, I was glad to have studs in case I came across any slick spots. The irony is that there is no way of knowing if the studs saved me from a fall. Only when I don't have the studs - and fall - does it confirm their value.

A strong westerly wind complicated my slushy commute into work. I crouched low on my aerobars, which helped me cut through the wind. When biking on wet roads or trails, there is some spray that comes up from both the front and bike tires. The rear tire spray creates an attractive black line up the biker's back side. The front tire spray can shoot a dirty stream of water into the biker's face. Mmm, lovely! However, fenders and racks work wonders to reduce tire spray. The back rack for the paniers prevents spray up my back, and the front fender (a small half fender that clips to the front fork) reduces the spray in my face. I was glad for both yesterday as I made my way through the slush on the trail.

The front fender doesn't really help with spray on shins and feet. For this I have tights and booties to keep me dry. Yesterday, the spray around the crank, chain ring, and rear cassette was particularly awful. The slush splashed onto these components and then clung to them, accumulating as I rode, just like snow and slush accumulate on a car mudflap and undercarriage. I stopped to photograph the sculptured slush building up along the underside of the bike. Notice how it encased the brake and gear cables. I wondered if I might have a problem should the break cable freeze to its casing. I tested the breaks periodically just to be sure they would work when I needed them.

Despite the difficult weather, I still arrived in Pullman in under an hour (door-to-door). I wiped the bike down with a rag so that it wouldn't drip all over my office. I changed into my work clothes, and within 15 minutes after arriving to my office, I was ready to conduct an interview. That wasn't too bad in my estimation.

December snow

The week before Christmas, there was a light dusting of snow. It was also cold, so I put on the studded tires. They worked beautifully. I rode across several slick spots where the studs gripped the icy pavement and kept me upright. I was also pleasantly surprised at how fast I could go. I actually look forward to more snowy, icy days in the New Year.

Extremities

Extremities - It's not a word I often write, but it's one that I've been thinking a lot about lately on my commute to Pullman. I feel the cold most acutely on my toes, fingers, nose and cheeks. The early part of my ride is the coldest. I haven't warmed up yet, so I feel a chill all over my body. However, once I hit the trail, I can crouch low on my handlebars (aerobars). In this way, the wind no longer hits my face directly and my hands are free to move. I feel that welcome tingle in these extremities as warmth returns.

Keeping my toes warm has proven most elusive. I wear a thin pair of wool socks, a thick pair of wool socks over the thin pair, bike shoes (cleats) and finally neoprene booties over the shoes. The booties repel water and block the wind. My bike shoes are ideal for summer biking because they are ventilated, allowing air to pass freely over my feet. The booties block cold, winter air. Despite these many layers, however, my toes still get painfully cold. As I ride, I wiggle my toes in vain. When I arrive in my office, I pull off the booties and shoes and rub life back into my numb extremities. Perhaps a pair of insulated, winter bike shoes will make Santa's wish list for next Christmas.

Hoarfrost

This past week has been cold but clear. Temperatures in the morning have been in the low 20s, then it gets warmer during the day - up to the mid 30s. We had some fog over the weekend which produced the most beautful hoarfrost along the trail. This morning's ride was brisk but very picturesque. I've included a couple of pictures of the hoarfrost I saw this morning.

Last week on my way home to Moscow, I got a flat tire. Fortunately, I was just coming into Moscow when the tire went flat. I used my little hand-held pump that I carry with me to inflate the tire just enough to get me to a bus stop. I put the bike on the front of the bus, which dropped me off 2 blocks from home.

There is some really sharp gravel on the trail that is capable of piercing tires. I ride with block treads, which give me a smoother ride than I would have with heavier treads. I thought that my treads would do better against the gravel. It's entirely possible that I ran over something sharper and stronger than gravel. I just don't know. In any event, I wondered what I would do if I got a flat tire in the middle of the trail, at night and in the cold.