Mr Chomps eh

One of the huge bennies of going with the Spark binding for the splitboard is that they make some other accoutrements that just expand the product line and functionality.

Their skin tail adaptors are da' bomb....Next up was to get a backcountry repair kit with extra latches, screws, straps...in event something happened backcountry and you needed a replacement part - good to have.

Next up...some crampons for the steep ice stuff (too steep for just skinning and edging up, but not steep enough for an ice axe) -

stealing a line from Scarface "say hello to my little friend":

next up, making sure I can install them and how easily they go on...you are supposed to be able to put them on without having to remove the binding so that is a big thumbs up in my book!

Less Flailing, More Skating

In an effort to not feel like an uncoordinated clutz on skinny skis, I have tried putting in a little time on those contraptions (aka accident waiting to happen) they call skate skis.  As with anything else, it is a function of putting in the time....The learning curve is still trending upwards and it feels like the sport unlocks her secrets just a little bit more each time out.

I had set a couple of modest goals for the year relative to skate skiing...try to improve the technique so that is it less cave-man and fluid-man...that, arguably is hard to measure other than feeling like it is getting easier.
My other nominal goals are to finish the Tangent Loop around  Meissner in less than an hr (stops included)...and the biggie goal is to do a loop on Tangent without having to stop.  I went up skiing with the wifer on Sunday and was able to accomplish the sub hr Tangent goal....now to keep on trying to gain skate fitness to finish that darn loop without having to stop, lean over and feel like I am sucking through a straw to get air...

yup yup yup, gotta start with baby steps:

BIG surf

Are you kidding me?

Splitboard Skin Tail Adaptors

SOLD!  After a couple of trips to the backcountry where there were multiple skin-up transitions, it became evident that the skins become less and less 'sticky' to the planks than the first time they are applied.  The combo snow, ice, water, dirt make for less a than sticky nirvana and as a consequence the skins start to come off and become useless.

Spark R&D created tail adaptors such that the back of the skin attaches to the back end of the spliboard.  The kit makes a lot of sense and is very effective.  Gone are the days of having to worry about snow build up making the skins useless....

The kit cost $40 and is worth every penny!

It took about 20-30 minutes to get them installed and the video that Spark created really helps make the install relatively idiot proof.

Pics from my skin adaptor effort:

Big Air Stoke

Get your rampage on....these guys are incredible with lines that leave for little margin for error.

Recent Backcountry Pix

Recent photo's of the adventures in Central Oregon backcountry:

Mt Bachelor in her full splendor

 Moon Mtn

 backside of Moon Mtn

 Mt B

 BrokenTop and S Sister

 Tumalo:

Flail-a-thon

Our recent warm has thrown a monkey wrench into the scheduled regular programming for playing outside....we seem to be suffering a bit from the Goldilocks and the 3 bears...the snow is too soft, too icy but the 'just right' is a bit elusive at the moment, unless......

you are a skate or cross country skier.  I have been reluctant to try those skinny skis as the last time on them was a bit of a circus.  It included some good falls, one of which sent me on my butt with a really really sore tailbone that took about 8 months to heal.  With such success on those unstable little planks, I decided to just stay away...

If you are a skate skier, Bend offers many a mile of groomed trail for your skiing pleasure.  With my tail between my legs (probably to protect my tailbone), I decided that it was worth another attempt.

Let's get it out of the way up front...This skate skiing thing is hard hard hard - especially for someone who is used to a snowboard and has forgotten all about having something underneath each foot.  Josh and I decided to head up to the groomers up at Meissner Sno Park and see what the day had in store.  He too was learning how to do this silly sport so we would flail in stereo.

After spending a little time trying to figure out how to get the skis attached to the boots, I took a couple of cautious steps and realized I had no idea what to do and could only hope that muscle memory had a better retention than my brain.  We had a slight uphill to start which was OK but then it was this descent where I proceeded to snow plow like a champ...or is it chump?  The snow conditions were awesome - it was warm, the snow was fast (skier was slow however) and it was a good day to be out.  Once we hit the flats, I sort of kind of remembered what I was supposed to do but it felt about as stable as walking a slack line in a gail force wind.

We did the tangent loop and everything was copacetic until we reached the long hill....for some reason, I did just fine on the flats but any hill just threw whatever little technique I had out the door (baby included with the bathwater).  I tried the caveman method of trying to muscle my way through it but it just brought fatigue...somehow, I managed to get to the top (eventually) and at that point I had lost a good liter or so of body fluids from my efforts of flailing.  We finally made it back to the car and decided that as much as it was difficult starting a new sport, it was actually sort of fun to be a Noob and try to figure stuff out.

My stubbornness won over on Sunday too as I made a return visit and did the same loop again - albeit with a little more optimism of having watched some 'how to' YouTube videos.  I figured a couple of little things out but still need to work on the uphill thing...it was about the same level of success from the prior sesh so back to the YouTube drawing board - or it probably is more about just getting out there and getting some mileage to figure this stuff out...I find it is too easy to overthink stuff and sometimes getting out there and learning on your own dime is the best way to do it.

Good times - hopefully each adventure out will unlock a little more...

Phattie Snowcabulary

I always wondered about the legitimacy of the old adage that eskimos had 100 different words for snow...after spending a little more time in the white stuff, I am starting to understand the feasibility of that seemingly outlandish old wives' tale....

Being in the backcountry makes you start to pay attention to the snow and its personalities...and yes ohh yes it seems to suffer from many 'Faces of Snow'.

As a snow biker, I have come up with some snow types and my own personal lingo...

• light n fluffy - all good as long as it is less than 7 inches on hard pack
• Hail and Marbles - hard to ride in due to getting pelted - 
• NW cement - heavy, soft, wet and hard to ride through
• Ice-capades - sudden turns can put a bike and rider on their path to a yard sale
• Hard n' Crispy - nice and fast!  Ideal conditions for fast rolling bikes...sometimes from a warm up and then a freeze overnight.  
• El Slushee - warm, wet, and slow....painful to ride in...avoid the flailing....
• Corduroy Bliss - groomed and packed, Thank you Groomers!
• Faux Corduroy - it looks like it has been groomed but it is just the tope layer and it is thin and not sturdy enough to support snow tires
• Snowshoe Pack - a good start for additional pack by fat tires
• Fatty Pack - ahhh - just perfect...when trail has been packed down by bikers - nice n smooth eh - follow the 4 inch wide tread patterns
• Singletrack Bliss - Packed by all user groups...usually about 18 inches or so wide of pack and then deep and soft as soon as you head off the packed goods
• SnoMo - snow that looks like it should be packed from the SnoMo's but it is actually loose and hard to ride on
• AutoPack - follow the auto tire tracks - nice and packed down!
• Critter Pack - follow the critter postholes
• Fresh Tracks - ahhh, looking back to see your first tracks on the white stuff'
• Dry Tracks - yup yup, you can ride these bad boys on the dirt too!

Phattie Events

Some event links of interest for the Phattie world:

Grand Targhee Fat Bike Race

Fat Bike Summit

Togwotee Winter Classic

Fat BIke Best Practices - IMBA

as taken from IMBA's website:

Fat Bike Best Practices

Yield triangle design by Jake Hawkes/Grand Targhee Resort.

Regarding equipment, what is the bare minimum I need to ride on snow?

1. Wide tires — deep snow coverage often requires tires wider than 3.5 inches
2. Tire pressure will usually be less than 10 PSI
3. You will not leave a rut deeper than one inch in the snow
4. You are able to safely control your bike and ride in a straight line
5. You have permission to ride from the land manager

DO NOT RIDE, especially on groomed nordic and snowmobile trails, if you can't meet all of the requirements above.

Best Practices for Riding on Nordic Trails

• Only ride at ski areas that allow and encourage biking.
• Yield to all other users when riding. Skiers don't have brakes but you do!
• Ride on the firmest part of the track.
• Do not ride on or in the classic tracks.
• Leave room for skiers to pass (don't ride side-by-side with all of your buddies blocking the full trail).
• Allow the track time to set up after grooming and before riding.
• Beware of alternative days for bikes and for skiers.
• ONLY ride a purpose-built fat bike, not any old mountain bike. Tire tread must be wider than 3.7 inches.
• Be an ambassador for the sport: stay polite, educate other riders, discourage bad behavior and follow the rules.
• Help out and get involved by joining your local nordic club.
• Donate money for trail grooming.

Best Practices for Riding on Snowmobile Trails

• When riding on snowmobile trails, use a front white blinker and rear red blinker at all times. Wear reflective material on both the front and rear of your body.
• Stay to the far right of the trail and yield to snowmobiles.
• Know and obey the rules of your local land manager. Understand that some trails may be on private property and might not be open to alternative uses.
• Be prepared. Winter travel in the backcountry requires carrying proper gear and dressing properly. Be self-sufficient!
• Use extreme caution when riding at night. Be visible and always use lights.
• Be friendly! Fat bikers are the newest users and the snowmobilers you encounter might not be welcoming. Be courteous and open to suggestions.
• Help out by supporting your local snowmobile club.
• Donate to trail grooming and maintenance efforts.

Best Practices for Riding on Natural Terrain and in the Backcountry

In the right conditions, a fat bike can be the ultimate winter backcountry travel tool. Frozen conditions and minimal snow coverage (1-5 inches) means access to areas that are impassible during the warmer months. But just because you can ride somewhere doesn't mean you should. Be aware and be prepared.

• Do not trespass! Know whether or not you are on private property. Obey ALL land manager rules. Some land parcels are closed to bikes whether you are riding on a trail or not.
• Do not ride through sensitive wildlife habitats. This may be especially important on beaches or in places where animals hibernate. Learn about the area you want to ride in before you ride there.
• Do not disturb wildlife. Many species survive on minimal diets during winter. Stressors or the need to move quickly can deplete their energy stores.
• Learn safe ice travel. Riding on frozen water can be extremely dangerous. Is the ice thick enough to support you? Take ice fishing picks and a length of rope when riding on lakes and rivers.
• Understand changing conditions. New snowfall or warming temperatures can make the return trip much more difficult. Tire tracks can be covered, hard snow can turn to slush, rivers can start to melt. Always know the forecast and be aware of how changing conditions might alter the safe passage of your route.
• Be prepared. Carry provisions in case you have to stay out longer than planned.
• Let people know. Make sure someone else knows where you are going, when you left and when you expect to return.
• Learn to share. Be aware that your tracks might attract other riders. Understand that "your" route might not remain a secret for long.

Dutchman Sno Park Fat Biking

The morning chill still hovered in the air as I made my way up to Dutchman for the fatbike ride.  It was in the low single digits for temps and it was bound to be a wee bit chilly until the body warmed up and started to create its own heat.

The Dutchman Sno Park parking lot was full so the default overflow lot became the main lot at Mt Bachelor.  I parked and started the journey from the parking lot over to gain access to the Dutchman system.  The plan was to follow my backcountry excursion from the week prior but then explore beyond.

As I drove up to the Sno Park area I kept thinking of how cold it was and how the conditions were going to be just about perfect for snowbiking.  As it turns out, the conditions were decent but the snow was a little soft because there was not a ton of moisture in the recent snowfalls and it did not compact well.  The lack of warm up had also prevented it from freezing over and packing down well.

I tried to stay on the groomers as best I could since it was more packed than the high trafficked areas.  I made my way through a couple of junctions to the base of Moon mountain and followed the groomers until the snow became too soft and the bike too squirrely....By this time I had been riding for a little over an hour and decided to head back to the car.

It was a great day to be out and continue to try to get a lay of the land.  There were a couple of steep and shortie hills that got the heart cranked up.  The views were great and the riding about a 6.5 out of 10 in terms of conditions.

Some pictures from the day:
from left to right....South Sister, Broken Top, Moon Mtn in the foreground

 BrokenTop

 Mt Bachelor in the background

Next Level Splitboarding....Noboarding

Initial Knard Impressions/Review

Each year, the fatbike options seem to increase significantly which is great for the consumers.  The challenge is trying to filter out the noise of all the new products to figure out what best fit your specific needs.

When first getting into the fatbike world, I built up my bike with a Nate up front and a Larry in the back...after a couple of rides in the snow, I quickly figured out that doubling up on the Nate would be the way to go.  The difference in performance in the snow was HUGE!  The problem with the Nate is that it is heavy...it is a great all around tire but there is certainly a weight penalty...

enter the Knard....This year, Surly came out with a new option in the tire fray.  The Knard is lighter and less aggressive.  I was curious to see how this faster rolling tire would do in the snow.

I originally mounted a Nate in the front and a Knard in the back.  As I rode I noticed the lack of traction  with a Knard mounted in the back.  I chalked it up to tire pressure and snow conditions and tried lowering the psi for better traction with the Knard in the back...it still slid out.

The next step was to rotate the tires so I now was running a Nate in the back and a Knard up front.  What I quickly noticed was that once the tire went off the packed snow, it was hard to pull it back on to the line.

My initial impressions are that I think the Knard is a great choice on dirt or packed snow, but the knobbyness of the Nate prevails in deeper snow or softer conditions.

There are still a few more rides to be had with the Knard until I am ready to 'categorize' them but my initial impressions have been molded....

27 vs 120 tpi Knard

In an effort to 'lighten' the load on the chubby bike, I have been doing some due diligence on tires and tire weights.  The knobby beauty that is the Surly Nate is an all around kick-butt tire but it comes with a stiff weight penalty.  That weight penalty is in the worst spot for a bicyclist....rotational weight!

Being a tire bike whore (some peeps love shoes, me likey the tires), I opted for the Surly Knard on my recent tire choice for fatbiking.  Santa was kind enough to bring home a 27tpi Knard and of course the geek in me had to immediately weight it.  When I got my hands on the 120tpi version of that, I had to weight it too....

so the verdict is in...tire weights below:

27 tpi Knard weight:  1685 grams
120 tpi Knard weight:  1345 grams
27 tpi Nate weight:  1830 grams

for you math majors our there, that is a whopping 340 gram ( 3/4 lb) difference for the same tire!  for 2 tires, that is a huge 1 1/2 pounds!  that is a lot of weight!  The sidewalls are significantly thinner and the beads don't set quite as easily but still.....

to extrapolate from the 27 tpi version of the Nate is almost a 1/2 kilo heavier than the 27tpi Knard!!!  That is just over a pound of rotational weight on tires alone!

more to come on the Knard performance after a few more rides....

the proof is in the pix:
the Knard up close and personal:

The tread pattern reminds me of a bigger version of the Small Block 8's....maybe these are the BIG BLOCK 8's?

27 tpi Knard weight:

120tpi Knard weight:

 The 27tpi Surly Nate weight...big BOY!

Fatbiking Phils' Trail

After a day of skinning and backcountry fun on Saturday, it was time to get out on the chubby tires on Sunday.  The wifer and I decided to hit up Phil's trail to see how rideable that system was.  We had a fair amount of snow recently and I was unsure how rideable the Phil's trail network was.  The variables were how much snow they got, how packed down it was, and what the snow conditions were.

As luck would have it, all three variables were primO.  The trail had been packed down by other fatbikers, as well as hikers, skiers, and snowshoers.  It made for a great day.  We parked over by the highschool by NW Crossing and rode the access trail along skyliners to gain access to the Phil's network.  We rode up to road 300 and then re-traced our steps for a great out and back.

We ran into other fatbikers in the parking lot upon our return to Phils....shhh, the secret is OUT...fatbiking is FUN!

By the time we wrapped up, the temps were warming up and we were talking about how we had perfectly timed our ride for snow conditions, as they snow was now starting to warm up and get soft.

The fatbiking possibilities here are enormous!

COB Backcountry - Moon Mountain

I ordered a Backcountry route book for Oregon that arrived in the mail on Friday.  I immediately proceeded to get to the table of contents and browse the possibilities of what the state had to offer.  Josh had touched base earlier in the week for a tentative backcountry rendezvous on Saturday so the timing was just about perfect.

We had our sights set on Tumalo and then the book arrived and I thought it would be good to try something new....so we set off with Todd Lake as an objective....We missed a turn and ended up deeper towards BrokenTop than we had expected but saw a little peak that looked like it had some possibilities.  At this point we were 4 miles into our skin in and we figured we could backtrack to our missed turn for Todd Lake or just take advantage of the peak in front of us.

After a somewhat short skin, we changed from tour to ride mode and scraped our way downhill.  The snow was crusty crusty crusty!  It had a very hard crusty layer but once you broke through it it was softer snow.  The problem was you had very little control on the crust until you broke through which was unpredictable at best.  After a couple of quick turns, my edge caught the crust, broke through it, and send me flying to a nice face-plant.  The recent warm up had consolidated the snow, but has also left that hard layer.  It will be something to keep an eye on as additional snow sets up on top of that layer.

We scraped our way down and then readied ourselves for the 4 mile skin out.  It was pretty flat on the way out so it was fairly quick going as we headed back to the car.  When we did the little peak, we had no idea what we had just skinned up and rode back down.  We got back to the car and put the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out we had just been up Moon Mountain.

The rest room at the parking lot...they have been getting just a little bit of snow out there!

where we probably should have zigged instead of zagged....

following the ridge up the moon

converting from tour to ride...

masked men on the moon

Gorilla Growler

The latest addition to the Bend cornucopia of beer options is the Empire Car Wash/Goriila Growler over on....yup, you guessed it:  Empire Road.  They officially call themselves Gorilla Growlers and you can grab a coffee or fill your growler as you are getting your car washed.  I skipped the car wash option and went straight for the growler goods....  It is on the north end of town and they offer a little over 20 beers on tap ranging from Ales to IPA's to Porters to Seasonals to Ambers.  The brewers include local favorites like 10 Barrel,  Silver Moon, Deshcutes, Good Life, Boneyard, and some slighty further local options like Pfriem, 3 Creeks, Ft George, Ninkasi,  Double Mtn, Klamath, etc....They have a pretty decent selection of beer and I will probably end up going back for a growla' re-fill.  A refill will run from $9 to $10, with the premium options running a wee bit higher.

The first foray to Gorilla Growler....
from the outside, it just looks like a car wash:

Where the goods are:

 The current beer menu:

and the taps:

2012: Year in Review

2012...as per the Mayan calendar, this was the year that the world was supposed to end.  Fortunately, for us planet Earth kept her twirl on as she continues to circumnavigate the Sun.  As 2013 started, you cannot help but reflect on the year that was 2012...

For us, 2012 was the year of Phat & the year of Change.  We discovered fat, phat, phattie, obese, chunky, porky, chubby tires and the rest is history...well sort of...semantics aside (since we really started riding fat in 2011), we learned a lot about the world of fat bikes.

We learned about snow conditions and what types of snow ride well...we learned of tire choices...we learned how to layer up to stay warm...our vocabulary increased to include words such as pogies, 9zero7, fatback, uma, fat sheba, gnard, etc....it was a year of learning to ride a bike again...thumbs up!

2012 was a big year of change in the household.  We closed a chapter and moved a state.  We forgot how much change a change in residences and jobs entails.  The chapter continues to close as we replace what was stolen when our garage was broken into and wiped out...old chapter...new chapter is ON!

2012 was a year of absurdities...a year of being theft victims & a year of getting shot in the face with a paintball gun while riding a bike...

2012 was a year of being embraced by a new community and of many new chapters!  It was a year of seeing the possibilities!  of taking advantage of the access and enjoying the process along the way.

A year that included wiener dog races....

From a biking perspective, my personal highlights included The Whiskey 50, The Togwotee Winter Classic, The High Cascades Hundie on the singlespeed, the 24 Hrs of Spokane, and my mack daddy big kahuna of the TransRockies 7 day stage race...as well as endless miles of smiles on trail....it was also the year we discovered cyclocross and the Halloween ruckus-ness that is Halloween Cross!

From a splitboard perspective, it was good to see some of the possibilities of our new backyard...I got a couple of laps in at Tumalo Mtn and saw the many many lines of exploration.

It was a year to re-kindle some old friendships, make some new friendships, maintain existing friendships, and even letting some friendships run their course.

Thanks Hersey for being my partner in crime in suffering during the TransRockies...you DA' MAN!

It was a year of watching the dogs provide endless entertainment

As the sun sets on 2012, it is time to look at 2013 with a re-charged battery and outlook.  Cheers to you 2013!!