We had some snow leading into our Fat Bike Rally, co-hosted by Catamount Outdoor Family Center (Catamount) and the Richard Tom Foundation (RTF). Things were looking promising from about a week out. And then…. And then…. The Winter of 2024 reared its ambivalent head, for the umpteenth time, delivering a warm spell that disintegrated our snow cover. Fortunately, the see-saw weather brought deep temperature drops the preceding Friday and Saturday, ensuring a rideable solid surface on Sunday with moderating temperatures.
On the day of the Rally, people began filtering in at around 9:30 with approximately fifty riders participating throughout the day. Catamount offered up their fleet of rental bikes and trail use at no charge. Chris Morrissey (CMO) and his wife Samantha (Sam) of Cool Motion Outdoor Sports, Bristol, VT, showed up at about 10:00 to set up for grilling. Despite minimal snow cover, the trails, although somewhat icy, provided a solid surface for riding. Three guided group rides (10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1 p.m.) hit the trails with 10 or more riders per group. Thanks to Tim Post and Justin Bennet who led group rides.
Yours truly led the 10 a.m. group. Alas, with no studs on my tires, I tried to ride around the many frozen puddles (or gingerly cross them) and stay slightly off-center of the ice-covered trails. I didn’t crash! My group had one other rider without studs, and he was new to fat biking. He did great, with perhaps one crash that I am aware of. While we didn’t have the beauty and softness of freshly groomed snow, we did have adventure and fun. It’s what cycling of any description does. Riders returned with big smiles and comments of “Hey, that was fun!”
Back at “The Hub”, CMO and Sam served up one of the best Brat sandwiches I have ever had (well maybe the 2023 one was just as good?). Hungry riders feasted on brats and burgers provided by RTF. While there were no fees associated with the Fat Bike Rally, we did receive many generous donations. Thank you! Donations were split 50/50 with Catamount. Thanks to Amanda Preston, Event Coordinator at Catamount for her help in organizing and partnering with RTF for this annual winter bike fest.
