I didn’t ride at all last weekend. In fact, that makes two weekends in a row with no riding. I intended to ride down in Holland, IN with David and Tim, but I wasn’t sure I could actually get there. There is no route there from here that doesn’t involve a lot of small roads, which were probably snow-covered.

And, once I backed out of that ride, honestly, I wasn’t feeling it — I guess I needed a break. I feel better about cycling now. Sometimes you just need a break.

Instead, Sarah and I took our dog, Rob, for a good romp in the snowy woods. Nothing epic, just a fun time. I think Sarah enjoyed watching Rob and I chase each other through the forest.

After that break, I felt refreshed, physically and mentally. Hopefully I can ramp up the riding again a bit, but damn, I love hiking, too!

On Saturday, my friend Dave and I connected for some snowbiking. We had planned on mountain biking at  Brown County State Park, but the snow made the roads sketchy, so we weren’t sure we could actually get there. We changed our plans and went snowbiking elsewhere instead.

There wasn’t a lot of snow, maybe two inches, and with temperatures in the teens (Fahrenheit) and windchills sometimes dipping below zero, it was cold enough that the snow was light and fluffy. The conditions were great! We managed around 15 miles of gravel, trails, and a little pavement,  on a cold, snowy day, but we were so well prepared that we both felt comfortable throughout the entire 2 1/2 hours we were riding.

I wanted to ride on Sunday, but didn’t have the time or energy for anything too epic. So, I rode a route I have ridden a couple of times now, west of town. I ended up with 23+ very hilly miles. Looking back at my previous posts about this route (one | two) it’s kind of shocking how different the scenery looked, with bare trees and snow on the ground, rather than greenery and wildflowers.

Just to keep things interesting, I did change the route slightly. I headed out That Road and rode up to Leonard Springs Road.

I just love this intersection. I had ridden on West Leonard Springs Road before, but never on South Leonard Springs Road. So, this was my new road for the day.

I had driven on this road a couple of times before, but only to go to Leonard Springs Park, which is just about a block down the road.

Once I passed the park, the road went down a hill with some twists and turns.

This was an interesting ride because probably 90% of the pavement was clear. However, the remainder was a nasty mix of snow, slush, and ice. I really needed the studded tires, at times.

Below, you can see May Road making its way over some large rolling hills. I would turn on this road next. Those hills were tough!

But, there was a nice payoff in the form of a wild downhill on Harmony Road.

Then flat riding for a while. I was headed into the wind, which was rather strong.

This cow seemed to think I was a little crazy. The specks on the hill below are his cohorts.

I crossed Indian Creek.

The sky was wild. Mostly cloudy, but patchy enough for bits of bright light to shine through, and even the occasional clear spot showing bits of blue sky.

Another climb …

… took me to some very nice views.

Then, more flats …

… and more hills.

The road surface got sketchy again. It was cooling off so there was more ice than before. And since the road was hilly, I needed all the traction I could get.

I approached a barn that I always enjoy seeing.

I had good intentions for the shot below. The Christmas lights on my bike were turned on, but they don’t show up well in the photo. Oh well.

Just a little more riding, and I was home.

This was a great ride, and again, one that really required the studded tires, even though they weren’t needed most of the time.