Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Time for a vacation

Date: Nov. 21
Total mileage: 15.0
November mileage: 212.9
Temperature upon departure: 18

This seems to happen every year. The onslaught of winter arrives hard and fast. I have a minor freak-out and do something nutty like buy tire chains or decry the beautiful barrage of snow. There’s a short period of confusion when I wonder how in the world I ever learned to steer in powder or spend less than 30 minutes dressing to go out. And then suddenly, without even focusing, everything becomes clear. Images of green leaves and flowing water fade into the recesses of my memory, and the monochrome world in which I move becomes a place of beauty and ease. I throw the tire chains in the trunk, slap on random pieces of clothing, and go for a bike ride.

I’m finally completely comfortable with winter. So it’s a bit funny that I’d pick this time of year to take a vacation home. No self-respecting Alaskan heads south at the beginning of winter. But it is Thanksgiving, which is at least a semi-legitimate holiday, and since my employer has decreed that I will work Christmas, it’s now or never.

So I’m headed to tropical, sunny Salt Lake City for the next week. My plan is to eat without remorse all the turkey, cranberry sauce and homemade coconut cream pie I can stuff down (and skip all the other crap.) Then I will try to burn off all the T-day guilt with an ill-conceived run. Then I will spend the better part of a day trying to overhaul my little sis's old 10-speed. I will use it for most of the week to get around town, until a massive failure of the bottom bracket will force me to abandon the bike near the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, where I will then hitchhike up to Brighton and finally get around to doing some real snowboarding. Yup. That's probably what'll happen. I can't wait.

I'll let you know how the 10-speed tune-up goes. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving all.

8 comments:

  1. What a nice way to Cycle around in all the Ice and Snow. I'm originally from Switzerland. Now I live in Perth (Western Australia )and here The Sumer is on its way. Went for a 52 km ride after work this afternoon and it was at 4-30 pm still 31 Degrees. Just how I loveing it.

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  2. have a great thanksgiving jill!

    peace out, yo!

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  3. Happy Turkey Day vacation Jill. No family trip until Christmas for us but I'll copy your food eating plan. Haha

    Chris

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  4. Coconut cream pie? What the . . .?

    To each her own traditions!

    Happy Save a Turkey Day (my tradition, being a veggie 'n all)

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  5. Great biking in Juneau today! (check out Auke Lake at http://talus-and-heavner.com/im/MattWideINTOframe.jpg.) I can't believe I'm heading out of town in a week--it just can't be right. So I completely understand how you feel. Make the best out of it for sure. Happy turkey (or not) day.

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  6. you were riding on auke lake today? i can't believe it's firm enough with all the new snow. i may just have to check that out this week.

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  7. forget the run
    leave the ten speed in the garage

    spend more time snowboarding

    maybe if there are some access gates you can hike and make some fresh turns in some glades or some steeps in the trees away from "los touristas"

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  8. Happy Thanksgiving!

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