we were SO there

Yup. BeanFeSSt 2009: We were SO there... and yet, we somehow SO missed it (it being Everyone else who showed).

Ed and I got a nice, cozy late start to the bitterly cold day. Oatmeal. Coffee. Snuggles with Kitty.

By the time we piled on the woolies and loaded up the ponies, it was a whopping 30 degrees out, and visibility was next to nothing.

That's ok tho. BC likes rowdy weather, and I don't think that Paul has held a single BeanFeSSt with weather any different: usually colder (or downright frrreezing), whiter, and/or wetter than people would otherwise ride in.

We showed up an hour late, guessing that the crew would start riding about an hour late. We passed CalGone's Bat Mobile parked down low, and pulled into the BeanFeSSt Grounds up high. Sure enough, there were a number of crusaders wearing off their hangovers in their cozies around the fire. And, sure enough, CalGone had blasted through, saw the pre-ride carnage, and kept riding. And sure enough, the rest of the crew blasted off about 20 minutes before we got there. Perfect timing!



So Ed and I set out on our own 20 mile snow ride in celebration of our '4-year having MET anniversary'. Yup, that is right. We originally met at the BeanFeSSt 4 years ago!

The trails were wonderful. The dirt was amber-colored against the white snow. The sections in the trees held more snow than the wide-open spaces. The trees were holding snow, and as still as could be. We even got to ride some really fun SnowSingleTrack. That is the first of the season for me. It was lovely, and very playful.

I thought we might catch up to the crew. But, no such luck. Ed had his camera, and it was far too beautiful with the snow, the dirt, the trees, the smiles... to pass up picture taking! And, from the wild set of tracks we were following, it looked like the group had split a few times in different directions. We ended up having the entire place to ourselves and didn't run into a single soul!



Upon arriving back up at BeanFeSSt Grounds, we were a bit surprised to find that.....drum-roll..... everyone had already left! (Except for SSpike, of course... because I told him he better linger that sorry, hung-over *** of his there til we got back!! ... and Joe, and a couple others) BOOOOO!!! Apparently we really missed out on the festivities from the night before (thank god). It sounds like the Hearty Souls all rode with serious headaches ... got back to the Grounds, and immediately blasted off for home? Or, it could be that Ed and I were just slow. So be it, I guess. But I gotta say: I was really looking forward to seeing some of our FeSStyFolks!!!



Hope everyone had as spectacular a ride as Ed and I did. Did you hear us hootin' and hollerin' from across the valley? I thought you might ;-)

Alrighty then. We'll try and be a little more on time for the SSnowRide next year ;-)

jj