[ElHombre]

It was time today to dust off the mud&snow bike and take an extended lunch break...

</img>

Drove up Page Mill onto the Montebello parking lot... the Black Mountain looked all but black today. I first kicked myself for forgetting to bring the memory card of my real camera, then headed to Bella Vista trail, taking shots along the way with my cellphone (hence the craptastic image quality).

</img>

Laying down the first tracks on a powder day, it doesn't get much better than this...

</img>

Near the summit there was about two inches of the white fluffy stuff...

</img>

I wasn't alone at the summit, some hikers and trail runners were enjoying the sunny break in the weather as well.

</img>

This is one way fireroads become fun again, even at speeds well below 15mph...

The descent down Bella Vista was the most fun I had on these trails in quite a while. Some tire talk to wrap up: the Velociraptors worked surprisingly well, I only stacked once on the downhill and never did a crash on the bike feel so pleasant...

 

[Loll]

Amazing!

This is almost like the winter X game that they had with mountain bikes in it.

 

[rensho]

Don't you people work?!!! Dang it! I'm so jealous.

 

[Portola Vince]

I think that XTC is too light for snow. You should put some sand bags on it.

 

[ElHombre]

Don't you people work?!!! Dang it! I'm so jealous.

Hey it was so much fun I was twice as productive after the ride. Made more than up for the lost time!

 

[TahoeBC]

That red chain is hot

 

[rensho]

Hey it was so much fun I was twice as productive after the ride. Made more than up for the lost time!

Good on you to 'make hay while the sun shines', or in this case, 'get yur ass up there before it melts'.

Loved seeing the pics.

 

[ElHombre]

That red chain is hot

This one is for you then

</img>

PS maybe better that I don't bring it on our next ride... don't want to get you all aroused!

 

[veritechy]

Those pics are awesome. I'll try this weekend

 

[ElHombre]

more pics

Good on you to 'make hay while the sun shines', or in this case, 'get yur ass up there before it melts'.

Loved seeing the pics.

I don't want to rub it in but... when I woke up this morning and saw how clear and crisp it was, I just had to extend my morning commute and spend an hour riding again, this time the Gap/Long Ridge.

</img>

View from Turtle Rock to the west

</img>

and the east

</img>

</img>

</img>

The snow was fairly hard and crunchy (TahoeBC could chime in and probably give you an exact ISO classification ), but offered fantastic traction - the Gap trail was in great shape.

</img>

It looked pretty too...

 

[TahoeBC]

I hope you dug a pit to access the stability of the snow layers, you can never be to careful traveling through the snow covered back country

 

[ElHombre]

I hope you dug a pit to access the stability of the snow layers, you can never be to careful traveling through the snow covered back country

Sound advice! Next time I'll bring gear and strap a shovel on the top tube...

 

[mtbikermom]

cool chain

what kind of chain is that and where can I find one?

patrick

 

[ElHombre]

what kind of chain is that and where can I find one?

patrick

KMC K710SL