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2023 Mountain Biking

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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Learn something new everyday. I hate covering my mouth and nose while biking, creates way too much frost and ice quickly. There is a pretty niche product up here that is a facemask that only covers your nose and cheekbones. Super useful for riding bikes in the winter. It just looks so silly I've never been able to convince myself to get one.
If I'm comfortable I don't care what I look like. Laughers be damned!
 

cantunamunch

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If I'm comfortable I don't care what I look like. Laughers be damned!

Pics and a Strava track or it didn't happen.
IMG_20230120_225902.jpg
 
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Tom K.

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That mask is intriguing, as it covers exactly the area of my cheeks that I seem to frostbite every couple of years, since my small greek pastry that I always ski in does not cover that area.
 
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Tom K.

Tom K.

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Nothing special, but I finally got out on a "real" fat bike ride today, with our default January grey skies.

IMG_1556.JPG


Note To Self: Alpine skiing 5 days a week does not appear to maintain any aerobic base! :ogbiggrin:
 

firebanex

Making fresh tracks
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Tonight was an adventure! Planned a route that involved 60% new trails that neither of us had been on before and the others were ones we've ridden a fair amount. It may have snowed 8" in the last 24 hours and only stopped oabout midday today. Thankfully someone had begun the process of packing the trail down with a snowmachine prior to running a sled or groomer.. At least we had a path to follow. It was surprisingly easy to pedal once we let some air out of the tires but still really slow. Took 2hrs to do 8 miles and it was about -10f the entire time. With those soft of trails, even the downhill bits had to be pedaled. One could claim it was uphill both ways with how much pedaling was required.
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Then we played on train tracks like our parents told us to never do.
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nay

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Well, I separated my femur from my hip, skiing rather than mountain biking on ice (clipped an aspen tree), so my winter adventures are on hold.

This is technically an “intertrochanteric fracture” if you want to google, and it is a brutal trauma, but it was repaired within about 6 hours by the kind of expert orthopedic surgeon you find in ski country.

In my ”Becoming Bionic” story, I now have a hip to knee pin and rod titanium system. I’m posting up in the injury and recovering thread so I won’t post ugly pics or anything here - I’m about 75% weight bearing already and I think I’ll be able to ditch crutches in the next week (this happened on the 15th).

I’m getting on the Peloton tonight to see if i can get around the circle in mobility - stationary riding will be a key component of PT/recovery. I know the physical therapist who did first rounds with me the next day and he suggested I sign up for The Growler again as a goal for end of May. I think I‘m going to do it and ride a lighter bike this time.

Also, for a bit of stoke, I was back in Gunnison for my two week check in with the surgeon, who grinned when he saw me walking down the hallway on my way in without ’too’ much crutch assistance (got my 27 staples out) and my wife drove us over to Hartman Rocks.

Lots of snow in the valley this year, they have miles of groomed XC trails and fat bike as well. That’s in the future for sure.

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I started skiing just before I turned 40 and ended up with a first season non-surgical tibial plateau fracture pushing too much terrain.

It’s all what you add when you get hurt, if you are lucky enough to avoid a catastrophe - in that case I added mountain biking as a ski off season training mode and it’s become something I do a lot more of than ski. Going to add in nordic skiing and fat biking since I have residence in a very cold place.

I will able ‘able’ to mountain bike before I ‘should’ mountain bike - there’s a lot of bone to heal. So no trip reports from me for a bit, but I’ll be back for the season thread! :crutches::beercheer:
 
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Tom K.

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I’m getting on the Peloton tonight to see if i can get around the circle in mobility - stationary riding will be a key component of PT/recovery.

Don't be afraid to scooch that seat height up a bit to get over the hump.

I once did a 100 miler in that mode, so I'm living proof that it's not the apacolypse that a pro bike fitter might say it is.

groomed XC trails and fat bike

SO much more fun that I thought it would be. For me, it has darn near replaced xc skiing, which I've been doing forever.

Good luck with the healing!

EDIT: Can't find your other thread, so I'll just say here that Mrs. K had the same fracture 14 years ago, and it was pinned, and did not heal due to the trauma of me towing her across the Columbia River in 30 knot winds and 4-foot swell, then she got a full hip replacement and has been going strong ever since!
 
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nay

dirt heel pusher
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Don't be afraid to scooch that seat height up a bit to get over the hump.

I once did a 100 miler in that mode, so I'm living proof that it's not the apacolypse that a pro bike fitter might say it is.



SO much more fun that I thought it would be. For me, it has darn near replaced xc skiing, which I've been doing forever.

Good luck with the healing!

EDIT: Can't find your other thread, so I'll just say here that Mrs. K had the same fracture 14 years ago, and it was pinned, and did not heal due to the trauma of me towing her across the Columbia River in 30 knot winds and 4-foot swell, then she got a full hip replacement and has been going strong ever since!
I’ve only posted on the CO forum so far will post in the recovery thread today. We do need to know why you were towing your wife in 4’ swells :ogcool:

I’m thinking the same thing about fat biking, I love winter riding on my full sus. Bikes are cool.

Check out the new Transition Relay. :drool:
 
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Tom K.

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See, this is the part of the story that needs full elaboration. Most especially including curses :)

We do need to know why you were towing your wife in 4’ swells :ogcool:

So......Mrs. K and I spent 37 years windsurfing in the Columbia River Gorge, in and around Hood River OR. On a day like this:

IMG_1463.JPG


Mrs. K landed a big jump not quite perfectly and broke her femoral neck. Of course, this happened on the far side of the river. So I towed her across to safety -- no cursing, only "you'll be fine, honey". The trauma of that compromised the already not really great blood supply to the head of the femur. Despite immediate pinning, the head of the femur started dying, so bionic hip for her.
 
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Tom K.

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All kinds of factors on the mountain today resulted in this:

IMG_1571.JPG


Crowded. Two cars at the TH, and actually saw another fat biker. :beercheer:
 

nay

dirt heel pusher
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So......Mrs. K and I spent 37 years windsurfing in the Columbia River Gorge, in and around Hood River OR. On a day like this:

View attachment 191201

Mrs. K landed a big jump not quite perfectly and broke her femoral neck. Of course, this happened on the far side of the river. So I towed her across to safety -- no cursing, only "you'll be fine, honey". The trauma of that compromised the already not really great blood supply to the head of the femur. Despite immediate pinning, the head of the femur started dying, so bionic hip for her.
I was wondering if it was part of the ’getting back’ process, that is an extraordinarily painful injury, like all women, your wife is tough as nails.

Part of this for me is gratefulness that I landed skis forward and together in soft snow. I wasn’t alone, didn’t hit head, spine, or shoulders, didn’t destroy any joints, and had quick and skillful care. Other than it not happening, it could have been so much worse.

Amazing how far we are coming in repairing these things to full functionality. This is my first day of work I have taken completely off (I work remotely, end of fiscal year is Jan 31) and I’m hanging out researching fat bikes feeling like I am about a week from walking unassisted…

Here’s the link for those interested in more story and pictures. Just about everybody on the medical care side I interacted with had “my fracture, my surgery” or some other relatable story. Sometimes the mountain wins.

 
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Tom K.

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your wife is tough as nails

Thanks, I'll pass that along!

And she reaffirmed that toughness this summer by walking out 7 miles with a broken collar bone -- all I had to do was push my bike and her 52 pound e-bike. :ogbiggrin:

Sorry for the bragging interlude. Heading over to check out the details of your mishap now......
 
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dirt heel pusher
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Thanks, I'll pass that along!

And she reaffirmed that toughness this summer by walking out 7 miles with a broken collar bone -- all I had to do was push my bike and her 52 pound e-bike. :ogbiggrin:

Sorry for the bragging interlude. Heading over to check out the details of your mishap now......
Brag away. We had a friend over last night who brought us dinner, and my wife put pics up on the TV along with the 3 minute video she took of my sled ride (Patrol really is incredible).

I asked for as much documentation as possible, but it wasn’t that easy to watch, I got a little sweaty and had to go sit down :roflmao:. I don’t think you are supposed to see yourself injured like that.
 
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Tom K.

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^^^ @nay I'd kill for that kind of groomed single track. We have none, but more than a fair bit of fun "walked in" stuff.

Gotta get up to Fernie (less than 2 hours) and check things out there. I've heard great things.


But skiing is primary right now, so it never quite happens. Perhaps P-Day Weekend, which is bonkers here.
 
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