10ºF again! Back to back days in the double digits, baby! Only had to wear two shirts under the jacket today, and I even ditched the neck warmer for the ride home. Plus I've only got one class on Tuesdays, so I get to ride in late and leave early; in the daylight both ways, no less! Good ride, today.

Only every winter. But I should've been more specific: skier reports indicated a smooth, solid footpack. The MUP is groomed for skiing, which makes for a level, smooth, but soft surface. If the skiers can ski the groomed snow down to hardpack before too many walkers get to it, it doesn't get horribly pitted and ends up relatively smooth. Since everyone walks, skis, and bikes in the center of the trail in the winter, the middle of the trail develops into a solid hardpack a few feet wide, with the edges staying annoyingly soft for days to weeks after snowfall.

When the snow is soft I stay off of the MUP, both to avoid marring the grooming (although walkers tend to tear it up pretty quick, I don't feel like adding to the problem), and because it's a lot more work than riding on plowed roads. But I like the scenery and lack of cars on the MUP better, so I'll ride there when conditions allow. Rode home on the MUP yesterday and it was alright, except that the sides are really soft, so every time I pulled over to let a skier go by I pretty much sunk to a stop; plus it felt about 10º colder down there in the creek drainage. Took the road both ways today.