...Bastien fatbike loop

THE ROUTE:  Basecamp to Island Lake road, to Bastien/Parsons Ave, to Holt-Lamplight Road, to Miller Loop, back to Island Lake Road and Basecamp.
TERRAIN:  Gravel, pavement, mud, and snow.
DISTANCE:  12.4 miles

Entering fatbike territory on Bastien.

Water, snow, mud...let the fun begin!

Mallards on some open water near Parson's Lake.

Self-portrait taken while riding on the pavement near Bishop Lake.

5:00 AM and I'm wide awake.  The weather is iffy outside and a few raindrops are falling.  I decide to wait a while and check Facebook to see what's been happening.  Not much.  I look outside again and can't see any more raindrops, so it's time to go.  The garage door opens and I set  the fatbike outside.  I put on my gear, throw my leg over the saddle and start to pedal toward Island Lake Road.

Before long I'm cruising down Bastien where the end of the pavement launches a couple of miles of mud and snow which I enjoy immensely.  I pass an abandoned car and wonder why someone do such a thing.  The windows are broken out and the tires are flat.  Someone has smashed the side panels with rocks.  Automotive fluids have undoubtedly leached into the ground and not a quarter mile away is Parson's Lake, a beautiful little pond.  I take a picture of the vandalized vehicle and then delete it from my camera.  I don't want to remember it.  (Okay, enough of my rant).

I pedal along Parsons Ave. passing the homes of people I know and take photos of some ducks in the open water of a fast moving stream.  It is a quiet morning and the air is filled with the aroma of wood smoke from people burning chunks of spruce and birch to heat their homes.  I can't help but think to myself what a wonderful place this is with the woods and lakes.  Then I am suddenly back on the pavement of Holt-Lamplight Road.

The tires roll faster on the pavement as I pass Bishop Lake making way for home.  I ride into my driveway and hour-and-twenty-eight-minutes after I left.  I want to do the whole thing again.  But, Gabby greets me and I know there are things to do, so I put the fatbike away and go inside to feed Gabby and myself breakfast---and to tell Mrs. Huffy about my...early morning fatbike ride.