The snow.  It just keeps falling.

Yesterday we woke to 8 or 9 inches of accumulation, topped with a wicked 3/4″ layer of ice.  I suited up into my ultra-weatherproof 15 layer cycling outfit and dragged my mountain bike gingerly down the slippery front steps.

A woman called out to me from the street: “It’s mostly ice out here!”

“It’s ok,” I assured her, “I have studs on my tires!”  The rad kids over at Bicycle Tires Direct hooked me and Wend up with a few sets of studded tires earlier in the week.  On Sunday, they’d owned everything that mother nature could dish out.  I expected the same in the ice.  Studs meant invincibility!

Famous last words.

Getting the bike going in the first place was a task in itself.  And once I had a little speed up, my heart rate skyrocketed to maximum as I tried to navigate treacherous ruts and crusted snowtop.  Sal was out a head a bit and it only took him 4 minutes to decide he was going back.

“This is stupid.” he said.  And he turned around.

I kept going.  Why?  Because although I was at my physical limit and getting nowhere in the process, the absurdity of the attempt was entertaining.  I was literally laughing out loud.

I made it around two blocks and then headed back. The ice was impassable.  Even with the beloved studded tires.  Even with my stalwart sensibilities.

I shot some video with the GoPro helmet camera from that buckin’ bronco of a ride, along with footage from Saturday’s ride up into Forest Park during the first big dump, but I’ve been trapped at home and unable to get to my big computer at the studio.  Unfortunately, my little laptop simply refuses to let me edit, no matter what I try.

The snow is soft and thick again today (13 inches or so on the ground) and, from where I stand here in my silkweight patagonia long johns, it looks rideable. If my suspicious are correct, I’ll be able to commute to my studio and kick out some crazy Portland Blizzard Footage for you.

In the meantime, let me entertain you with some raw helmet cam footage from our passage over the Burnside Bridge on Saturday.