An outdoor adventure doesn’t have to be a slog — and if it is, sometimes it’s OK to bail out early, writes Alaska outdoors columnist Alli Harvey.
When I first moved from Anchorage to the Mat-Su, friends here were hellbent on convincing me that Palmer is a fantastic place to live. It was funny, because my husband and I had already made the move, but also lovely because we felt so warmly welcomed. Every week it was an invite to come over for dinner, an opportunity to try this new activity, or a bid for an after-work ski.
What I found was that the ride was both extraordinarily straightforward and, in some ways, easy in that the route is basically flat and, at that peak point in the winter, clearly established. But the other thing I’d learn over time is the amount of fun on that ride is proportional to 1) trail conditions, 2) butt conditions — meaning, how conditioned my derrière is to a bike saddle.
I did the normal prep for the ride: eating a solid breakfast, packing up all of my layers, bringing my trademark hot tea and bevy of delicious snacks, and testing the tires on my fat tire bike. I mentally prepared myself for a roughly 18-20 I was in it to enjoy myself and the day. A familiar excitement settled in as I pedaled through the first of two creek crossings, thrilled by the idea that I’d get to spend a whole morning outside.That little breeze from the trailhead? It had picked up. Significantly.
I clicked my gears into the lowest setting I could bear without wasting energy spinning, and rolled slowly forward. If you’ve fat tire biked, you know that sound: the grinding of thick rubber against snow, that at once can be exciting if the conditions are good, but can quickly turn to signify a grueling effort when things slow down.
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