First Snow Fattie '16

Is started snowing around 3am, so by the time I awoke at 4.45am to check on school status they had already cancelled. I tried to go back to sleep, but to no avail. Eventually still under the cover of darkness I hit the ol' fatbike, for the first time in while. I managed to stay out for 3hrs. Although I didn't do much mileage, it felt good to manage temps at 21F and to pedal for a long time. Below is my account.

 Seneca golf course is always fun

'

 Along Beargrass Creek as the light begins to increase bit by bit.

Seneca Golf Course singletrack. I only did a portion. 

Further into Cherokee trails. I dabbled and explored but don't consider it much of a trail session. 

Bad pic, but a cold, wet Blue Heron along Beargrass Trail. He set to flight shortly after this. For as large as they are, they tend to be nervous, although a bit less so than Kingfishers.

Skeedaddle!!

New bridge behind old bridge

Mukluk along the riverfront. It was sorta snowy at this point. I was comfortable until my hands got a bit cold about here.

Love this pic, the snow, the river, the RR bridge. Oh, and the green grocery cart.

Legit ice beard at my coffee stop at McQuixote down in Portland

My original plan was to travel down to the Shawnee river trails area for some exploration. At this point after coffee I had been out for two hours and had around an hour to get home at the substantial mph I was managing, so I turned for the barn. I stopped at OYLC on the way home for some bike BS and even briefly test-rode a 27.5+ Scott, which I had to say tracked better in the snow than the Muk. Less rubber though. It was a great day on the bike, and apparently I might have another opportunity on Friday as we get another system.

Additionally, viewing passively:

Great Blue Heron

Northern Cardinal

American Tree Sparrow

White-Throated Sparrow

some other LBJs

Dark-eyed Junco

Downy Woodpecker

Starling

Mallard 

Bufflehead

other ducks along river

Ring-billed Gull

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Goldfinch

Mourning Dove

Eastern Towhee

Carolina Wren

Carolina Chickadee