Posted for Dan Lockery and the Actif Epica Trail Crew:
Compared to the recent cold spell, riding this past Sunday was far more comfortable and forgiving. When we arrived at the South side of the Senkiw Bridge the temperature was reported as -7C (20F). There was a light wind from the North West but once we found tree cover it was hardly noticed.
Setting off from our meeting point we took our bikes for a walk. The snow was soft and sugary due to minimal or no traffic and recent high winds that brought whatever little snow there was to collect in the sheltered areas. Conditions were warm with cloud cover and flat lighting so it was a pleasant day to wander through the trails along the banks of the Roseau River.
We walked all the way along the trail as far as the road entrance and met up with two more of our group (bringing us up to 8 riders) and then proceeded to head South toward Ridgeville. The day before had seen wind speeds gusting up to around 70km/h (~40mph) which scrubbed most of the fields/roads clean leaving minimal snow in the open areas.
Due to walking and the corresponding slow progress, when we reached the turn toward the final mile for Ridgeville we opted instead to make a more direct return trip back to be respectful of people’s time on such a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Thanks to those that joined us for this one! Not to worry if you were unable to make it, there will be a few more yet to come. That being said, next week we are taking a break as Sunday is the first in the 2WR Manitoba Fatbike Series events at Falcon Lake. Good luck to all taking part!
Actif Epica Trail Crew
FatBikeManitoba.com 