The KAS (Kevin Adventure Scale): A winter 2017-2018 Adventure rides recap

[Kevin Gibson]

Mark's recent posting about the Kevin Adventure Scale (TM) got me thinking back over this past fall and winter riding.  I've had all sort of misadventures, leading unsuspecting club members all over the place.  Mark has been at many, also Craig, Bill, Taryn, and many other usual suspects among the gravel and CX crowd.

Nov 2nd: One of the first Thursday adventure rides happened, as cross practice was losing light.  Kinda icy and snowy. Crossing a boardwalk through a marshy area as we were wandering somewhere in the Doon area, and an off-camber turn on the boardwalk sent Taryn flying, and unfortunately she hurt her wrist. KAS: 4  (TAS: 10)

Dec 2nd:  Saturday adventure ride, with a big crowd. We went all over Columbia woods, lot of fun. KAS: 2

Dec 7th:  Thursday night adventure ride, we were on cross bikes, and I had it in my head to go check out some trails at Queen street near the highway.  It was snowing hard in our faces all along Ottawa street...and we got passed by a snowplow. KAS: 6

Dec 16th: Fresh snow, and the Saturday adventure ride we started on the Health Valley trail (North of StJacobs outlet).  My favourite was Ana Maria:  she races cross on her mountain bike, then shows up to a fatibke ride on her mountain bike ;)  KAS: 5 (AMAS: 8)

Same bridge, different seasons. Health Valley Trail.

Dec 30th:  Brrr, -14 on my Garmin.  Bill and I were the only ones braving the Saturday ride.  So we went to Columbia woods where it's slow riding and sheltered, on fatbikes.

Bill in his natural element, taking a selfie with me, as I take a selfie with him.  KAS: 4

Jan 6th:  Craig Nowak and Mark B joined me at the Hydrocut. It was cold, really cold, really really cold.  I remember riding out of the parking lot, the wind stinging the small amount of exposed face.  All I could think was "What the hell are we doing?".  My Garmin recorded  -26 C that day.  Funny enough through, I recall at the end of Stinky girl, maybed 15 minutes into the ride, we paused, shaking our hands out.  Suddenly, the warm blood made it to my hands, and they started stinging, but then the heat washed into them.  After that, my hands were actually good. The low speeds and relative shelter in the Hydrocut makes for good cold weather riding. KAS: 7

Jan 15th: Monday night adventure ride.  This was after the flood and re-freezing of the Grand river this year.  Mark and I took our fatbikes out, again on the Health valley trail. The trail was snow-covered, but the flooded river had frozen and been covered by snow before the water receded. At points we'd end up on thin ice with nothing under, so we'd break through the ice sometimes, hoping it wasn't water underneath.  It took us almost half an hour to get from under the highway bridge to the exit of the trail onto University Ave. 

KAS: 8

Jan 20th:  Woohoo a high of +4 on a Saturday meant a big crowd for the Adventure ride.  Warm temps and some smooth riding (aside form a few flats in the group) gives a low score. KAS: 2

Jan 29th: Dave Gosnell jumped into the cool kids crowd with a new fatbike.  The maiden voyage was a Monday night.  Conditions were quite epic.  A snowy and icy mix was all over. Some freeze-thaw cycles had made an icy mess of the trails through town. My ambitious plan was to ride from the market to the Hydrocut, do some trails, and ride back.  Well, on the way, we each went down at least 2 or 3 times on some ice each.  It was so icy in spots all three of us were walking in the snow beside the trail, pushing the fatbikes.  (yes, a fatbike is good in snow, but it's not magical) We ended up taking an hour and a half to go 14 km - we were just on the other side of Ira Needles to the Walmart when we turned to go back.  KAS: 9

Feb 3rd:  Craig and Felipe turned up for the ride.  We went mostly through town, again going towards Columbia woods.  Here's Craig trying to keep his ears warm. KAS: 3

Feb 10th:  Just Bill and I came out for this Saturday ride.  Fresh snow made the trails rough going.  The Health Valley trail going east under the highway was basically impassable. Ride 10 feet, stop when you wheel washes out in deep snow. Repeat. Repeat again.  Eventually we turned back, and made our way in a bigger loop and even hit up Stamm Woodlot a little. KAS: 7

Feb 24th:  A big group turned up. Some more freeze-thaw made the Mill Race trail in StJacobs really icy, to the point where we got off the trail and went through some back roads in town to avoid it. At the end we stopped at Rumbletum for a snack (at least a few of us did anyways) KAS: 5

March 3rd: A beauty Satruday ride. NKIce and sunny, ~70 km, a dozen people in teh parking lot int eh morning. Lots of fun going over some easier snow as we went North. KAS: 4  (+1 for going past about 4 "road closed ahead" signs)

March 10th:  Rough and tumble riding on the G2G trail, but we were determined to make it to Anna Mae's. The relatively deep snow (for a CX bike) of the G2G meant you had to put a ton of power down to get going at any speed along the trail.  KAS: 7

March 24th: Sunny day, and it felt as though spring was coming along any day now...  I'll just put up this beauty photo of the Woolwich reservoir. KAS: 3

March 26th:  Woohoo, enough sun so the Monday night ride isn't starting in the dark.  Bonus points for a stream crossing. KAS:  4

 

March 31st: Another planned fun day at Columbia Woods.  Gaelen joined us (on a rest day for him). Extra points on the KAS scale for us wandering through the woods carrying our bikes, trying to find a shortcut on our way to find Wideman road. KAS: 5

lost(ish) in the woods:

Alright, I think that's enough for now.  I'll leave April and the neverending winter for another time...

Kevin

[Kevin Gibson]

Hmmm, a few photos missing.  At least let me get a few up...

Same bridge, different seasons.

​

Ana-Maria races cross on an MTB, and comes to a fatbike ride on her 'cross bike.

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[Jeremy Haak]

You missed Nov 9, which was probably the most epic Adventure Ride I had over the past year. As I recall, the evening started off with rain, which turned to freezing rain, which turned to sleet. I remember blindly following the person in front of me on some single-track mountain bike trails, or just randomly through the woods as the case may have been. Riding through neighbourhoods like some sort of gang of sixth graders, and finally calling it quits after my second fall of the night and after I was reduced to a single-speed. Riding home was a sketchy test of endurance, praying that I wouldn't hit any red lights, as my ability to unclip from my pedals was questionable at that point. KAS: 9 (no dead bodies)

Usually nights like this don't see good turnout, but Strava is showing at least 7 of us showed up, and I think there might have been more. Photo of my bike coated with ice: 

[Jeremy Haak]

And, as far as Gaelan's criteria for adventure goes, I was definitely questioning ever riding my bike again by the end of that ride!

[Kevin Gibson]

Yeah, that was pretty cold.  Those late fall rides can be rough, no one wants to admit winter is coming and dig out proper winter boots and jackets, etc. Everyone' s Strava titles tell the story.

​

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