SCOLETRAIN

Back to the Wolverine State
As usual the drive back to Jackson was a bit stressful with the road conditions from Point to Portage being ice and snow covered with high cross winds as we started our eight hour journey at sunrise on Sunday morning. Once we were past Madison the snow would gradually disappear resulting in many flooded fields near Chicago. The driving conditions were the complete opposite from the beginning of our drive four hours earlier as the interstates were dry and clear. Instead of my bike I had packed my snowshoes to get out on in Jackson and Brighton. The weather totally caught me off-guard this holiday season as I usually always bring a bike back to ride at the Island Lake or the Brighton Recreation Area. My lack of watching the weather forecasts for southern Michigan pissed me off enough to help keep me alert and awake over the last three hours of our journey as I witnessed the snow being completely gone. As I passed the exit sign for the Fort Custer Rec Area singletrack I kicked myself again in the ass for not bringing a mountain bike home. It would have been perfect conditions on the trails early in the mornings when the temps were cold enough to keep the mud away. My alternate choice for getting my cardio fix and some alone time will be a pair of running shoes as I hit up my old neighborhood loops and wait to see how bad my quads will hurt in the days that follow. Pedal on if you've got a bike to ride...