Gravel adventure in a winter wonderland

[Bill]

The morning began with a thick layer of hoar frost,

Which was followed by some snow which was beginning to accumulate before start time,

This created a spectacular winter wonderland,

We had great conditions for a winter gravel grinder. It wasn't too cold. The country gravel roads were in great shape and were almost completely deserted. I only remember one car passing right when we were taking this picture alone the Connestoga river.

 

The paved roads were wet, but fine too. Our pedal powered sleighs received festive accents of snow as we toured the country side,

Although less common on a winter ride, we had a destination in mind for this week ride. We decided to check out the Sunnycrest Bakery,

And Sunnycrest did not disappoint,

Even though the snow made the landscape even more beautiful than it was at the beginning of day, heading back into the cold after a warm nutrition break can be difficult which is why such stops are less common in the winter,

We left the bakery as a group and had the climb up the little bump in Hawksville to get the blood flowing again. I certainly didn't have any trouble warming up. It didn't hurt that my tire lost some air along the way.

The pictures may give you some idea of the beauty you can find, even in the winter, but there is so much for the senses. The fluffy snow took care of much of the gravel road noise to leave room to hear the chickadees and the lone gold finch. The cinnamon buns were a delight for the nose and the taste buds. We could hear the Santa Train announcing itself. The river continues to flow even though recent temperatures tried to freeze it over. Adventure still awaiting on the the gravel roads in the winter. And when it gets too cold or extreme for the gravel bikes, there are usually plenty ready swap in the fat tires to offer a ride off the beaten path Saturday mornings year round.

Thanks for all the great rides in 2017. Looking forward to more in 2018.

Happy Holidays!

[Dawn2012]

Looks like you all had fun!

Happy Holidays to all! 🎅🚲😀