Snow Ride

Four inches of snow overnight, a nice light, fluffy snow that quickly turned to grease as motorized traffic packed it down. I had one guy at a stoplight roll down the window on his minivan and ask me whether I had special tires for the snow. Yes. Then he proceeded to tell me that studded tires were illegal in Wisconsin, at which we both got a big laugh. He also thought it would be crazy to ride in winter without them. And then the light turned green.

Here's the very 3 bus I would have ridden were it not for the bike. I got to work before it did, but time-wise it ends up being a wash since I have to change clothes upon arrival.

An unplowed bike path along Lake Monona, parallel to John No-Lane Drive, between Broom and North Shore. Surprisingly easy to ride, given the really fluffy snow.

UW plant has a new shipment of coal in this morning. (BTW, that gray building on the right is the backside of the Kohl Center—home of the Badger basketball teams.)

Snowy front wheel on the Southwest path.

I'm tellin' ya Jim, you grow one of these and it's just going to accumulate a bunch of ice...

Cold Out

Five ways you can tell it's below zero in Madison without looking at the thermometer:


All of MG & E's stacks are putting out smoke


There's just the one icefishing shanty out on the bay


The UW's plant is running low on coal


15,000 people at the Garden Expo, but only one bike


More skiers than cyclistos on the bike path. Even the Hardpack Hardcorps seemed to be taking the week off.

Scraping Bottom

Yup, it pretty much is that cold.