Happy St Paddy's Day!

Date: March 17
Mileage: 20
Ride type: Commute
March mileage: 146
Year to date mileage: 595

So what did I do to celebrate St Paddy's day? Nothing. I got home, had dinner, watched some TV with the kids, then switched to college hockey and dozed off on the couch before the Gophers were able to let St Cloud State beat them in overtime. Such is the life of a mid-30's guy who's married with kids.

The morning ride yesterday was The Worst Ever. The roads were fine, the problem was the bike path. When I got to the point where I leave Sibley Memorial to cross the Mendota Bridge, I saw that the plow had been by and plowed out the parking lot. But nobody had plowed the path, so there was a huge plow barrier at the bottom of the hill. I gamely decided to ride through it. And to my surprise, I went right over, easy peasy. But going over took away just enough of my momentum that I couldn't make it up the hill. No big deal, I walked it up. At the top I tried to ride and couldn't. So I walked a little further to where there's a slight downhill. I thought "With a downhill to help, I can get started and once I'm rolling it will be no problem."

I was wrong.

There was something about the consistency of this snow that just would not allow it to be ridden. The snowfall from Thursday was nice and easy to ride in, but this stuff wasn't. I think it was a combination of the overspray of salty slush from the adjacent roadway and the fact that the sun had been shining on it all afternoon Thursday. There was a hard coating that I couldn't penetrate. I did see the tire marks of one other cyclist who tried before me, so I soldiered on. I walked the bike down to the bridge itself, thinking that the snow would be easier there.

It wasn't.

It was also here that the other cyclist's tracks stopped. So he/she had been defeated too. The other cyclist hadn't turned around though. The single track just stopped in the middle of the trail. So I did what I assume they did. I lifted my bike over the concrete wall and rode on the shoulder of Highway 55. Once I crossed the bridge I lifted it back to the path and continued. The rest of the path was rideable, but deep.

I was all set to rant and rave about the plowing folks shirking their duties. But on the way home last night, badda boom. Everything was cleared out! Good job and a hearty thank you to whoever took the time! We (me and at least one other person) appreciate it!