Touring the Counties Part Two

For my second loop I wanted to stretch my legs a little more.  This time around I was going to start in South Stormont but move to North Dundas, then swing back east to check out North Stormont, then back to South Stormont again.  My other reason for setting this loop up was to get another metric century in; it's been entirely too long since my last attempt!

I always like routes to start with a place that has adequate parking.  For this particular route a good start place is the Long Sault Parkway on the Ingleside end.  There's lots of parking available; if you'd prefer a slightly longer route, you can always park at the Long Sault end and kick things off with a ride on the Parkway.

Gallingertown

From Ingleside I headed north to Osnabruck Centre and then westwards on County Road 18.  The 18 is what I like to call a variable road.  It can be smooth asphalt with paved shoulders, and switch right over to shoulder-less "chip and seal" road, complete with an annoying dent every 5 meters.  You know, the kind of jolt that makes you feel like your entire skeleton just got hit with a jarring blow.  Fortunately west of Osnabruck Centre it leans more on the smooth asphalt side and has a pretty decent paved shoulder.  Traffic is usually sparse and courteous when encountered.


The next village I encountered was Gallingertown.  I don't have a lot of history on this place but I know it was named after the Gallinger family that settled the area.  Unlike many stops I've had, Gallingertown has a very small sign designating it.  Not sure why, I feel like Harrison's Corners is smaller but has a large sign.

St George's Graveyard along CR18

I headed westbound along CR-18.  At some point the shoulder disappeared and the road became a bit rough.  But a few kilometers later the road became smooth and the paved shoulder re-appeared.  Shortly after that my turn to head northward appeared, a small road by the name of Beckstead.

Beckstead Road was a quiet little county lane I discovered last year when I did my first metric century.  There is no paved shoulder but very little traffic to speak of.  Sometimes the road is quite smooth and sometimes its a bit lumpy.  Sometimes the forest closes in close to make a natural tunnel of greenery.  At other times marshes swell on both sides of the road.  This time around though I was discovered something less than pleasant; two pieces of wood with nails facing upward.  They look as though they were placed to deliberately puncture car tires.  As soon as I saw this, I dismounted and removed them from the roadway.

Further on Beckstead Road curves 90 degrees until it ends at a T intersection on County Road 8.  I continued northward on CR-8.  This is another county road that is in great shape with a paved shoulder.  On the next T intersection I continued to head northward on County Road 7.  The bad news about the 7 is that it is a rough strip with a fair amount of traffic.  The good news, it's a short distance until it meets with County Road 43, then it becomes smooth and easy going for the rest of the ride into Chesterville.

Along the South Nation River in Chesterville

Chesterville has a very rich history.  The first settler in 1817 was George Hummel, a Loyalist.  Eventually it took on the name Armstrong's Mills, named after Thomas Armstrong, who operated the saw and grist mill.  When the post office opened in 1845 the settlement became known as the village of Winchester.  The name Chesterville was adopted after the local telegraph office opened in 1875; named after the first telegraph operator, Chester T Casselman.  The south Nation River cuts through the town, with both halves joined by a large concrete bridge.  Adjoining the bridge is a covered gazebo.  When I was coming through town, there was a farmer's market operating there, with fresh produce grown nearby.

Continuing northbound on CR-7 I expected to find another settlement called The Ninth.  I could find it on Google Maps and there are vague references to it online.  But when I approached the location of this settlement, all I could see was an old church building.  Nothing else but farmers fields and a dirt road intersecting CR-7.  No sign or anything.  So I headed further north, looking for something a bit less desolate.

Morewood was my next stop heading north on CR-7.  The town's name was selected in 1862 by Postmaster Alex McKay.  The Postmaster was given a list of names from the government and selected Morewood due to the settlement being surrounded by very dense forests.  While the forests have been replaced with farms, the name carries on.  That being said, there are a very healthy number of trees surrounding the beautiful century homes in town.  Turning east on Main street (aka County Road 13), I headed towards my next segment.

Now, 13 is considered an unlucky number.  But my ride on CR-13 had no problems at all.  In fact, you could say it was a breeze; I had a tailwind helping to propel me.  I took a brief heading north on CR-32 to check out Cannamore, home of Cannamore Orchard.  If you happen to be here around Halloween I recommend you check out the Spooky Wagon Ride.

Bridge crossing South Nation River in Crysler

I turned back to the intersection of CR-32 and CR-13 and headed east again on CR-13.  With both the wind at my back and a gradual down slope, I had a very easy ride to my next stop, Crysler in North Stormont.  Crysler was named after Militia Colonel John Crysler, one of the original settlers.  A concrete vehicular bridge, constructed in 1975, crosses the South Nation River.  Heading southbound on the main road through town, I stopped to check out a community garage sale before departing to my next stop, Berwick.

Southbound on County Road 12, just six short kilometers away, and I was in Berwick.  It was named after a village in Scotland where the early settlers came from.  Today it is the administrative center of North Stormont.  I took some time to stop in at the McIntosh Park Conservation Area, found at the intersection of County Road 12 (named Cockburn Street in Berwick) and County Road (named Union Street in Berwick).  The park was beautiful and well-maintained.  I stopped in at the large covered gazebo for a quick break.

After a few minutes of rest, I made my way eastbound along County Road 9 to a place named Lodi on my map.  Prior to planning this trip, I'd never heard of Lodi and I was curious about what was there.  While there is a gradal incline going towards Lodi, I had a good tail wind and didn't even notice it.

When I got to the end of County Road 9, where it ends in a T intersection with County Road 15.  Found... nothing.  There was trees and farm fields and that's it.  Not a trace of anything else..  So I headed southbound down County Road 15 aka Avonmore Road.

If roads were people, Avonmore Road would be my nemesis.  Hills are the hardest thing for a clydesdale weight cyclist to overcome.  Avonmore Road has a rolling road which has you either climbing up hills or panting while you coast down them.  I have a profile of the part of the road I was on below.  While I hate the road, this is where I practice all my hill climbing; powered by pain, sweat and a lot of choice curse words.

Eventually the Avonmore Road leads to Avonmore village -- bet you didn't see that coming!  After a short break induced by a passing train, I made my way onto the main street.  The settlement was originally named Hough's Corners after one of the original founders, John Hough.  John was a versatile fellow; he built the first sawmill, manufactured coffins and built houses.  He had several roles such as preacher, magistrate, blacksmith, doctor and shopkeeper.  The town's name became Hough's Mills, but when the post office was established in 1864, the town was renamed Avonmore (which means Great or Big River).  It is claimed that it was named after a river in Ireland but I have my own theory -- the town was named on April Fool's Day and the nearby Payne is a small stream.
 

 I headed out from the village, again southbound on Avonmore Road.  After about six kilometers I ran into a "Welcome to Northfield" sign.  It was founded as a very small settlement but today just seems to be a few residences along the road.  When rooting around for some history on the spot I saw a tavern application from 1879.  Unfortunately the tavern wasn't there any longer, so I headed further south.

I came down to Harrison's Corners, where Avonmore meets County Road 18, and headed westbound until I arrived at Osnabruck Centre, then south again on the 14 to Ingleside, then easterly on CR-2 back to the parking lot.  I already covered Harrison's Corners, Osnabruck Centre and Ingleside in Touring the Counties Part One.

End of the ride!

One of the first things I did when I got home was try to find more information about Northfield, Gallingertown, The Ninth and Lodi.  I managed to get very sparse details on the first two but virtually nothing on the latter two.  I've asked around but so far no one seems to know any details.  I'll keep looking and if I find anything, post it below as an update.

The ride itself was fantastic, it gave me a combination of beautiful countryside with a hungering for the history of the land.  I ended up clocking over 100km on the ride and in excess of 500 meters of elevation.  Roads were all paved, many had shoulders and very low traffic density.  If you are looking for a ride that combines some great visuals with a very safe ride, this is the tour for you!

Touring the Counties Part One

I had several distance goals this year and was looking for a way to build up to them.  I was hoping to get a few metric centuries in by the end of June, a 170km ride in July and a 200km ride in August.  When I started to plan my rides, I realized I had access to a lot of great riding right in the united counties where I live.

My simple planning exercise soon developed into another milestone for 2015.  I wanted to visit every town and village in my county and surrounding counties.  The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.  Not only were the counties beautiful, they were also varied; rolling farmland gave way to dense deciduous and coniferous forests.  Marshes, wetlands and bogs could be found everywhere in between.  Last but not least, most of the county roads were in great shape with paved shoulders.

I decided to kick things off in Ingleside, part of South Stormont township.  Ingleside (and neighbouring Long Sault) were planned from their inception, a rarity in Ontario.  When the Seaway was being created, ten villages would be flooded; these villages are now called the Lost Villages.  Ingleside accommodated residents from Aultsville, Farran's Point, Dickinson Landing, Santa Cruz,  Wales and Woodlands.  When trying to decide on a new name, the residents quarreled over what it should be, as they wanted to retain their original community names.  The reeve at the time, Thorold Lake, saw the name Ingleside on one of the houses and proposed it as the name of the new community, which was then accepted by council and residents.  The names of the former communities can be found on street names in Ingleside.

If you find yourself in Ingleside with an appetite, I highly recommend Butler's Restaurant.  If I was to describe their food in 4 words, those adjectives would be: Fresh, Homemade, Delicious, Amazing.  The staff are always friendly and helpful.  They carry my favourite beer on tap (Beau's Lug Tread).  Whether you are having fresh pasta (made, rolled and cut there) or you are a suicide wing fiend like myself, you will absolutely love it.

While County Road 2 provided a more direct route to where I was going, I can never resist the Long Sault Parkway.  Considered part of the waterfront trail, it connects several islands created by the Seaway.  The traffic is slower than County Road 2 and is more friendly to outdoor enthusiasts such as cyclists and runners.  One end is in Ingleside and the other end was my next stop, Long Sault.

When the Seaway was created, Long Sault accommodated residents from the former communities of Maple Grove, Milles Roches and Moulinette Mills.  These names live on as street names in Long Sault.  The town itself was named after rapids that existed in the area; they also disappeared when the Seaway was flooded.

My next stop was a tiny spot right next to Long Sault called Lakeview Heights.  The Lost Villages Museum can be found here, with some of the original buildings from the Lost Villages transplanted here.  But outside of that historical gem, Lakeview Heights seems to be a small, quiet, residential neighbourhood.

After going through some rollers on county roads I found myself at St Andrews West.  Why "West"?  Well, back in the 1700's when Ontario and Quebec were known as Upper and Lower Canada, there was a St Andrews in each territory.  So the one in Quebec was referred to as St Andrews East.  That place is now known as Saint-André-d'Argenteuil.  But for St Andrews West, the name stuck.

One of the most iconic things about St Andrews West is the beautiful Church found in the center of the village and the ancient cemetery across the street from it.  The church was built in 1860.  Predating that was the Parish Hall, also featured in the photo.  The Parish hall was built in 1801  and is one of the oldest stone structures in Ontario.  It was primarily used as a church but had been converted to be a hospital during the war of 1812.

Across from those structures is the Pioneer's graveyard, thought to be one of the oldest graveyards in Ontario.  It has been closed to burials since 1915.  This is the resting place of the explorer Simon Fraser, who charted most of British Columbia.

I headed further northeast to South Glengarry and found myself riding on a rolling road surrounded by pristine farmland.  On the corner of one of the farms was a sign that said "SHARE THE ROAD!"  While I appreciate the sentiment, I'm pretty sure it was in reference to farm equipment.  Still, share the road!

Following this route brought me to Martintown.  One of the original town's founders, Malcolm McMartin made a wooden grist mill here.  His son Alexander build the replacement stone grist mill here, which you can see just a slice of in the picture.  The McMartins also had a saw mill and a carding mill.  Originally called McMartin's Mills, this picturesque village on the banks of the South Raisin River used to be the main hub for the entire area.

Martintown is a beautiful place with a rich history.  The only bad thing I have to say about it is the road; it's like a re-enactment of the lunar surface.  I hope it gets re-paved soon!

I backtracked back to South Stormont, following the Raisin River and crossed north again, making my way to the tiny community of Sandfield Mills.  I didn't get a chance to stop and check out the little side streets but I noticed some stone ruins as I passed.  I haven't been able to find much history on this place so far.  What I can tell you is the area is quite beautiful and the chip'n'seal road going through is relatively smooth and bicycle friendly.

I changed my bearing west and arrived in the small community named Bonville.  Originally named McPhail's Corners, the town was renamed to Bonville circa 1892.  It's name is french for "good town" and I can't disagree with that assessment.  The main road still bears the name McPhail.  No paved shoulders but very little traffic.  Right at the corner of McPhail and Highway 138 is a beautiful brick house.  The house used to serve as a post office and general store; nowadays it is a private residence.  As I made my way onward I discovered that there is a Habitat For Humanity set up in Bonville.

Back out in the countryside I found myself on Myer's Road, which gave me a mix of forest, countryside and residences.  The road rolled along several hills and had very low traffic.  At the end of the road I hit County Road 15, aka Avonmore Road.

When it comes to hilly roads in Stormont, Avonmore Road is top shelf.  I'm positive a large chunk of my climbing muscles were birthed in the pain of going up hills on this particular road.  There were a few communities north of here, including the village that shares the name with the road.  But my time was running a bit short and I headed south instead.

Harrison's Corners was my next stop.  Literally four corners with a few buildings!  I believe Harrison's Corners got its name from one of it's earliest inhabitants, one Henry Harrison, who served in the War of 1812.  It was here I parted company with Avonmore Road and headed west on County Road 18.

Soon I sailed into Lunenburg, a place that gets its name from a district in Hanover, Germany, where many of the original Loyalists settlers came from.  Today at the four way stop the most prevalent feature is Crazy Dan's.  It appears to be a car dealership, corner store, combo ice cream stand & fast food, and a garage.  I don't know where he got the name, but I feel like Dan is crazy about being an entrepreneur.

Heading further west along County Road 18 brought me to my last stop in Osnabruck Centre.  Like Lunenberg it was named after a town and province in Hanover, Germany.  When entering Osnabruck Centre, County Road 18 continues north at the intersection.  At that point you can see a large brick building on the right hand side which used to be the original general store and post office.

Not bad for my first go!  Not only did I get to see some beautiful places and get a decent 70km on my bike, I'm getting to know the history behind the area.  It really does add to the experience.

I'm already looking forward to my next tour of the counties!

Shred Some Lake!

The lake has been on my mind a lot. I have been eager to re-visit it and get a proper ride in.  Last time I was worried because I didn't have any safety gear, nor would I know what to do with it if I did.

My first step was getting educated on what to do.  So after a quick browse through Youtube, I found a great video featuring Dr Gordon Giesbrecht.  Dr Giesbrecht (aka Doctor Popsicle) is a professor at the University of Manitoba with a PhD in physiology. He has extensive experience with cold physiology.  Click here to check out his web site.  Check out the YouTube video below for tips on how to survive falling through the ice.

My next step was safety gear.  I got myself a set of ice safety picks at Canadian Tire.  Also known as ice safety claws and ice rescue picks, this tool can be used to perform a self-rescue after falling through the ice.  In the small cylinder is something that resembles a sharp nail.  The idea is you kick your feet and use these to pull yourself out.  They are left draped around your neck and sit inside your sleeves, so they are always close to your hands.

Normally I am eager to try out new gear.  That being said I hope I don't get the opportunity to use these ice safety picks!

Checking out my weather app told me there would be a dusting of snow a few centimeters deep.  The temperature would be -14C and wind chill would make it feel like -24C.  At that temperature I knew I'd be fine with a base layer (winter cycling jersey, thermal tights, knee warmers, cycling liner, thin toque, wool socks).  I added in one piece of mid-layer (merino wool socks) and one layer of shell (red rain coat).  I stowed my sunglasses and opted for my goggles instead.

The other modification I decided to play with was a thermos.  I have a few but they don't quite fit in a bottle cage.  After a slight modification of some rubbery material held on with some rubber bands, I had a thermos that would fit well.  The particular thermos I was trying out was a Tim Horton's coffee thermos, so I filled it with some fresh coffee.

In the other bottle cage I stowed a room temperature energy drink.  I wanted to make sure I was well prepared regardless of circumstance.

The beginning of my ride was marred with a near accident.  There was a car parked in the shoulder, a pickup truck passing me on the left and another car coming towards us.  Instead of slowing down and/or proceeding cautiously, Mr Pickup Truck just  blasts through full tilt.  Complementary video clip below:

So I proceeded over to the lake and found terrain similar to last time.  There was packed snow, packing snow, drifts of powder snow, ice and crusted snow, both supportable and breakable.  It was difficult to tell the difference between each.  I was surprised at how often my rear wheel would kick out to the side while my front wheel stayed straight.  In other words, I was having a blast!

I decided to give my thermos a try.  The good news is, my coffee was still very hot.  The bad news, the mechanism which made it easy to pour had frozen open.  In other words, I would have to drink my whole thermos of coffee in one go.  I'll be honest, at the time it was not a hard sell!

While enjoying my hot beverage a pickup truck passed by.  The passenger gave me a big grin and a thumbs up.  It warmed my heart more than the coffee ever could.

I wish I could say the same about my energy drink.  I was used to getting about an hour out of a bottle before it would start freezing up.  The first few times I drank from it, things seemed fine.  But the wind chill in an open area really accelerated the freeze.  It wasn't long before my energy drink became energy slush.  Normally slushy drinks are awesome, but they are detrimental to staying warm.

This was one of the funnest rides I had all winter.  You wouldn't think it would be challenging to ride on a mostly-flat lake.  It's actually quite the contrary! Because the lake is so open, all the snow is at the mercy of the wind.  There are finger and pillow drifts everywhere.  It's difficult to tell a snow drift that has become hard to one that is powder fresh.  Sometimes vehicle tracks will show you the way, other times they just led you into a fresh powdery trap.  You had to keep alert and be ready for anything.

I made some time lapse footage of my experience below.  Enjoy!

To Boldly Go Where No Bicycle Has Gone Before

Being happy about winter is a still a new sensation to me.  In previous winters I was very unhappy with the weather and climate.  Ice storms used to mean a dangerous time walking or driving, now it means putting my studded tires to the test.  Snow squalls used to be a call to stay inside, now it's a siren call to hit the road.

My studded tires, hungry for some ice and snow.

This particular Sunday I found myself in a bit of a lull.  No inclement weather, things had actually warmed up and even side roads were becoming bare and dry.  Not exactly the kind of ride I crave; I can ride on plenty of bare roads all spring/summer/fall.

I thought I would give the lake another try.  If it was safe there would be plenty of people fishing on a Sunday.  I know I'd feel a lot safer knowing there were lots of people around who could help if something bad were to happen.

How I wish all the trails nearby were like this.

I made my way to the trail that accesses the river.  My traction was great today.  Normally I sink deeper than a typical snowmobile does.  But this trail is pretty narrow and heavily trafficked.  As I was about to discover, there is a lot of pick-up truck traffic that goes through the same trail.  All this traffic packed the snow down making it easy (well, easier) to navigate.  I'm really glad I have access to trails like this; most trails in my area can't be navigated without a fat bike.

Sharing the trial with fellow winter enthusiasts.

In the case of winter off-road trails my plan is the same; yield to everyone else.  Snowmobiling is an extremely popular activity in my area and I'd rather have the snowmobile community looking upon me favourably.  The same goes for other trail users; I don't mind yielding to a XC skier, someone snowshoeing or someone simply driving their pick-up to their fishing locale.  After all, I'm the new kid on the block here.

The tiny specs in the distance are people, trucks, sheds and snowmobiles.

As I arrived on the shoreline I could see people in the distance.  This was great news to me.  Being alone and far from help made me hesitant to traverse the ice.  Lots of people around meant lots of help in case I fell through the ice.  I'm also pretty certain they wouldn't be out there fishing if it wasn't safe.

Venturing out, my first surprise was just how cold it was out here.  Being on a frozen body of water meant there was literally nothing blocking the wind.  The river that connected to the lake is also a major east/west corridor to the Great Lakes.  Wind just rips down this corridor unimpeded.

Other than the occasional buzz of auger or motor, it's very
serene and quiet out here.

After getting a taste of that first hand, I can completely understand why an ice fishing hut makes sense.  Just cutting that kind of wind would help keep you a lot warmer.  In fact a lot of those shacks took it a step further, you could see exhaust ports from heated sheds.  That being said, there were also people just fishing out in the open.  These hardy individuals would show up with gear and an auger on their snowmobile and fish right in the open.  Imagine how cold they were!

Unless partially submerged, trucks on the ice are a good sign.

As I made my way into the mini village of fishing huts and pick-up trucks, I could see curious onlookers checking me out.  I was possibly the first person they had seen cycling on the lake.  Well, can't blame them, I was just as curious about them.  I have never been ice fishing in my life.  I actually have a full set of ice fishing gear; this trip has me wondering if I could fit my gear on my bike and head out here.  There is definitely an allure to this niche form of fishing.

My tires finally got the taste of snow they were looking for.

The conditions on the ice were not what I expected at all.  I had envisioned myself carving through the ice, having full traction in a glassy sea of slipperiness.  The reality was very different than the notions in my head.  I encountered just about every kind of snow I had seen on roads; powder snow, packed snow, packing snow, crust, snirt and slush.  One moment the ice was bare, the next I'd run into a drift so high my momentum barely carried me through it.  It's the nature of the lake ice in a large open area with lots of wind.  The wind just blows the snow all over the place.  The only thing you can expect is the unexpected.

You can't escape pot holes, not even on lake ice.

Snow aside, you couldn't even count on a flat surface.  The ice expands and contracts with variances in temperature, leaving ridges formed from cracks.  In the summer you can see rocks above the water in shallower spots; these were now dangerous as they were hidden with snow.  The one event I wasn't ready for were the ice fishing holes.  They're like potholes on steroids.

An ice fishing hole.   Very jarring to run over on a bicycle.

I got close enough to look into one of the recent holes.  The ice looked at least 40  cm deep.  Strong enough to hold all these trucks and ice fishing sheds.  I knew I was safe but I could feel fear surging as soon as I saw the water below.  I made a mental note to try to stay away from looking at the ice or thinking about falling through.

There are also cracks in the ice which can be unnerving.  The cracks form from various stresses such as the ice contracting and expanding as it heats up and cools off.  At 40 cm thick there really is nothing to worry about.

The ice is literally floating on the water.

Tire wise I felt like I was riding around on one of the better selections.  I think the ideal for this would be studded knobby fat tires.  But my Ice Spiker Pro's, a studded knobby tire, worked out really well.  If I had the budget, I would probably get wider rims; they would stretch out my existing tire, letting me run at a lower pressure and float a bit more.  Widening the tire would also put more studs and knobs in contact with the snow and ice.

The trails in and out are almost as fun, but with more wind cover.

Being in the wind really put my gear to the test and I found a flaw in my configuration.  My feet were getting very cold.  To date I've been getting away with a pair of Merrelle windproof hiking boots and one pair of merino wool socks.  Next time I'd use my hardier pair of Merrelle boots (Opti-Warm) with a few more layers of socks.  Probably wool socks as they retain some insulating when they are wet.  I find cotton is terrible once you sweat through it.

While I did feel much safer with the increased presence of people, next time I planned on coming better prepared.  For starters, watching some Youtube videos on how to save yourself if you fall through the ice.  I'd also look into investing into some safety equipment to help get me out of trouble. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back and enjoying the frozen lake while I can.

The River and the Epic Ice Beard

When I looked at the temperature in the morning, it showed -12C with a "feels like" of -22C. It's been an unseasonably warm winter this year, so there really hasn't been an opportunity to acclimate to that kind of temperature.  It would be my coldest ride to date.

But hey, I didn't sign up for winter cycling because it was easy!

For clothing I wore what I usually would in slightly warmer temperatures (winter jersey, thermal tights, cycling liner, thin toque, merino wool socks, hiking boots).  I added some knee warmers underneath the tights and wore a rain coat as a waterproof layer on my upper half.  I also put a hydrapak on, inside the coat so it would stay warm enough.  Since I was planning on being out for more than an hour, I tossed an energy drink in a bottle cage.

Top view of goggles with foam cut out from vents.

It was cold enough out to justify wearing my goggles.  On previous trips I had problems with them fogging up.  I had tried a couple of fixes but they would always steam up when I was pedaling hard.  A fellow cyclist pointed out that a lot of goggles are vented but the vents are covered with foam.  The foam would tend to keep heat and moisture in the goggles, defeating the purpose of having vents.  Since they weren't doing me any good as-is, I decided to cut the foam away from the top vents.  I kept it in place for the side and lower vents.

Usually I would try hitting the water front and make my way to the parkway.  But I've been trying the same thing for two weeks and I end up having to walk my bicycle through the snow.  This time around I thought I'd try a more direct route.

I was a bit nervous about taking a county road.  In my area the county roads have paved shoulders but that's also where the plowed snow sits.  Lately the plow trucks have been pushing the snow further away from the road.  The effect has also been enhanced by people snowmobiling next to the road.  Not the best surface for a regular bicycle tire but it was perfect for my Ice Spiker Pros.

I was hoping for some luck with the parkway.  I hadn't been out that way for quite some time due to the deeper snow.  There is no snow maintenance but I was hoping the cold made a crust that could support my bicycle.  Unfortunately it didn't turn out well.  There was a crust that would support me when I stood on it but the bike kept breaking the surface and sinking.  I still might have been able to follow the deeper vehicle tracks but drifting powder snow ended up filling them up.

With nowhere else to go, I took the only low-speed route out of town.  While most county roads have a limit of 80 km/h, this particular road topped out at 60km/h.  It wasn't well plowed and ran parallel to one of the best maintained roads in the area.  Most vehicular traffic was local and the road was nice and quiet.

I had made it out to the bridge when I got to thinking about riding on the frozen water.  To be honest it's been a recurring thought ever since I got studded tires in the fall.  I pictured myself rolling unencumbered on the icy surface, with a cheshire cat grin on my face.

After some scouting I found the entrance to get inside.  It was laden with many tracks from pick up trucks, cars, snowmobiles and ATV's.  The winter traffic on the trail packed down the snow enough so I didn't sink.  It was still challenging to ride on but in a fun sort of way.

One of my concerns about winter off-road cycling was about other trail users.  How would they react to sharing with a cyclist?  Would I be accepted as a fellow outdoorsman?  Or would I be shunned for my non-motorized form of transport?

So far it's been good.  I've tried to make eye contact, be courteous, polite and friendly.  If I'm unstable where I'm riding, I pull to the side and signal for others to pass me.  In return I've been treated with greetings, smiles and nods, and given lots of space.

It was around this point that I realized I didn't have a single fogging issue, even after pedaling hard on a snow-covered off road trail.  My goggle modification was working perfectly.

I reached the entrance to the river (Actually, an artificial lake off the river) and cautiously rolled onto the ice.  I chose this location as it was a popular one for ice fishing.  If the ice is solid enough for people and sheds, it should be strong enough to support me.

I wasn't there long before I started feeling very nervous.  You see, falling through the ice would be very dangerous.  It's difficult to get back out and five minutes in the water can kill you.  I had no safety equipment to help me get out.  As I approached the huts I also noticed very few people ice fishing as it was a week day.  While the sheds were still there, I'd seen them fall through many times when abandoned by their owners.  I decided to err the side of caution and keep my trip very short.  Better to come back when lots of people were fishing, or when I wasn't by myself.  Or at the very least, some safety spikes to help pull myself back onto the ice.


So with some reluctance I hit the trail going back.

It was around this point that I noticed my energy drink had been turning to slush.  Riding in the off road area had caused me to bounce around a lot, which meant energy drink would make a thin coating all over the inside of the bottle.  That part would freeze almost instantly.  I had to shake it up in order to get the frozen sides off.  Normally a bottle is pretty good for an hour but within 45 minutes it was literally energy slush.

My water was faring much better.  The waterproof layer I had on wasn't breathable so it retained a lot of heat.  That heat kept my water warm enough to stay in a liquid state.  Each time I drank I made sure to blow air back into the nozzle, so there would be less chance of it freezing in the nozzle or attached hose.  Worked like a charm!

The rest of my ride took place on road.  Shoulders were decently plowed and back roads were pretty safe with most vehicles going slowly.

To be honest the only vehicle that got close to me was an Ontario Provincial Police cruiser.  I would have thought they would have given space, seeing as it is a big issue to move over for them when they are pulled over.  Guess not!  Ontario is going to be instituting a law to give cyclists room so it should be less of a concern in the future.  Three feet if travelling below 50 km/h, four if travelling between 50-80 km/h and five feet if travelling faster than 80 km/h.

At the conclusion of my ride I felt cold in my toes, but everywhere else I felt just fine.  I had been using my hiking boots as they were windproof but I think I had better start looking at using bulkier winter boots with a few sock layers.

I was feeling fairly victorious at conquering the cold temperature.  I decided to go for a selfie.  I assumed I would have some frost in my beard but I was not ready to see EPIC BEARD ICICLES!  I ran into the house to show Goldilocks.  She took an additional photo from the side.  I don't know how I managed to have an icicle form without noticing, let alone three separate instances!

The funny thing was I had stopped in a nearby town to catch my breath at a mid-way point.  People had been staring at me like I was from another planet.  I assumed it was because it was full blown winter and I was on a bicycle.  In retrospect it probably had more to do with the ice formations accumulating on my beard!

I figured they'd come off easily but I was surprised to find them frozen solid in place.  It took ten minutes in the house before they had thawed enough to come loose from my beard.  I could have got them off sooner with warm water but I wanted to see just how kick ass my beard icicles were.

I now consider a large unkempt beard to be an integral, essential part of my winter cycling experience.  The fact it had three icicles and I didn't feel it, is an testament to how well it performs as insulation.  Plus it means I don't have to spend time cleaning it up!