Solo 2 days trip and stuff test.

This is already good tradition to me : make a trip on a Christmas vocation.
Last year exactly in a same dates I  was  in a 2 days bike trip with my girls. In same area.
This year : Dan was in Minneapolis, Nadia at Nordic ski trip, Yeva with grandma. And I needed my wild way to go. Two Harbors area is very good for this kind adventure.

 My plan was more about testing gears than amount of miles.
Bad thing that I had to pack in Two Harbors stuff for full family and Christmas gifts... So I left lots of stuff what I needs: GPS, BarYak  system, down skirt, membrane jacket....
But good part about it - you can learn (or back to the time )when you don't have this stuff .

 SO I use Strava and Maps.me apps for the making my route . Strava without good signal worked BAD, but Maps.me - perfect (I highly recommended this app for all who love traveling)

I put my sleeping bag and pad on my handlebar with rubber bands and slings instead of BarYak (not as good as BarYak , but possible to ride)



top: merino wool Borealis and  Icebreaker thin jersey and The North Face wind stopper jacket (regular I added Membrane jacket on the top for that temperature) -10 F and lower

 No down skirt , but 4 pairs of  pants: 

Merino wool leggins, Patagonia fleece, Ski pants and membrane pants. This combination works perfect and keep my butt warm

 Feet : 2 pair of wool socks  , 45 North boots , over boots and add at the next day homemade over boots

Every time during the Trip I love ( if I see ) to stop at the old broken houses... the house still keep history... and I LOVE IT
This time house was so broken, fall apart , but full of old stuff.. like a museum...

 My speed was slow , because it was cold. When I get snowmobile trail I made short lunch time and keeps going.

 Beautiful nature. .. I do not have to hurry because it is mot RACE... it is my own way to go...no limits... that is why I am less racing and more enjoy my solo trips.. I no need to performed how good racer am I...  I am back to the race like Arrowhead just to see other people from that community... to be around them. But real wild trail, real self support I got at the trip like this... When you know that  you responsible for yourself and nobody will come to help you and no way to drop off .

 I saw 2 snowmobile guys... 

 My plan was ride till 7-8 pm  .... Because I do not want to go in the bad early..
But plans was changed.
This is not public roads and places. My mother in law always said to me that lots of creepy people live there ... 

 When it is started to be dark  one car stopped and old guy asked me if all good ?
i said "thanks all good"
Few miles after another car with two "red neck" guys slowed  down and drove behind me. This is makes me nervous.. In that moment I so want to be MAN...
Than I stopped to let them pass me. But they stopped too and started to ask me where I am going... I try to say that almost at the house where I am  need to be and they try to get last name...
I said that I do not share this info... and stopped conversation. Little bit scared.

I tested new goggles ( they light and comfy for snowy and cold weather ). I will take them for the race.

After that, when they pass me... I decided to looking for place for night. And it was exactly same place in the wood on  the creek where I stopped with my girls - one year ago.

such a good memory
It was cold enough and my feet was frozen .
I make my bivy and jump IN.

 I turn on Radio. Only "Bible" channel was available )))
 I drink hot tea from my thermos and cookies.
I put on my feet down booties + hand warmers. About 2 hours it took to make my feet warm  again.
I was not slept perfect , but good enoughand warm in my -15 sleeping bag.
I kept my knife close to me as always for some reason.
OR bivy is OK, but I want something what will give me more space for my head up.

 In the morning was - 17 F. So to pack my stuff was brutal thing.

 this is condensate on my bivy.

 GAS and tablets stove. I took with me both to make test.
SO 4 season gas ballon was all night in my sleeping bag - but DO NOT WORKED
So make mark in your head.. It is  big possibility in your endure race. Tablets stove worked perfect and it is super small and compact. SO for winter - this is my choice not. I HAD a hot tea in the morning.

 Another fail. Because I drink tea before from the thermos cup - it was frozen after that and was not able to open in the morning - just broken cup (((

 So . I leave my place.... and heading to my way back....

 IT WAS SUPER COLD......

 After few hours of riding I had to put ON my extra over boots.
This system we used in my mountain trips when I lived in Belarus. And it made my feet much warmer. I used this system also at Arrowhead few  years ago when was -30 C

 My second day was more boring on the almost  same way... but I was fighting with the cold and wind chill.  SO good weather to testing my gear as always.  I LOVE WINTER.