Snow over black mountain

It has been raining for a week non stop. You can probably guess what this kind of weather can do to the emotional stability of someone who loves to bike... I don't think it's very typical for this area in this time of year. Usually the rain stops after a couple of days and then comes back. Or maybe it is typical and it's just that I never cared enough to notice it before...

The worst thing about this weather is that it forces me to go the gym more often, which is not really my favorite place. Going there sweating with a bunch of other guys (and girls if i'm lucky), with not much of a ventilation system, just to keep up with my running shape and lift some weights, is something I can deal with once a week. However, three times a week is just too much, especially when my bikes are staring at me from the corner of my garage, begging me to take them outside for a ride...

While I do have my complaints about this constant rain (spoiled Californian, that's what I am) I have to admit that this winter-like weather has it's hidden gems. One of them which I discovered a few weeks ago.

It was a rainy week, similar to this one but when Sunday came I woke up to a perfect sunny morning. I immediately got on the bikes, and started pedaling towards Montebello road. For those of you who are not familiar with the area, Montebello road, is one of the nastiest yet most beautiful climbs there are around here. It's about 2000 feet of climb along 5 miles, 7% grade in average, and the most intoxicating feeling of accomplishment and amazing views when you reach the top. Definitely worth the pain.

Typical view from Montebello road

On the way to Montebello , I met two friends, bikoholics like me, and together we started the climb. Our plan was to return through the beautiful Stevens Canyon which is a combination of single trails and fire road descending through a natural forest, cross a water pass, and then get back home.

About 2/3 of the way up, we noticed some white spots... several feet further the spots got clearer. Snow!
Now let me set the record straight for those of you who are not from around here - snow is usually something you drive about 4 hours to see. Definitely not something you usually stumble upon so close to home.

As we kept climbing the snow got deeper and deeper

Alex and I on my first snow ride

And finally at the peak:

Once we were done admiring the sight, there was still a minor issue of getting back home. After a week of constant rain the ground was all soaked with water and so were we. Somehow we got down to that small water crossing we planned to get to, only now it looked more like the "Amazonas" river... despite my fear that I would fall and get all wet which might have been a good idea considering the fact that I was covered with mud, we all managed to cross it successfully and get home safely.

This is me crossing the Amazonas

Let me tell you, there's nothing like coming back from a wet, freezing, muddy ride, and getting into a steaming hot shower. Well, not before I had to undress in the garage, leave all my muddy riding cloths there, and cleaning myself from any mud leftovers (yes, it was 40 degrees fahrenheit in the garage... but trust me, my lovely can be very persuading when mud is involved).

That was THE BEST RIDE EVER! a living proof that a crazy weather can be a wonderful experience for mountain bikers. I keep smiling this big stupid smile every time I look at the pictures we took. yes... we only took about 200 of them...