im - 3/02/2007 09:24:00 AM

As you may also be experiencing, Minnesota is getting knocked up side the head with a blast of snow. Big, heavy snow -and lots of it- falling, or more properly, being blown at us from big, heavy clouds, the northern part of a system producing killer tornadoes down in the southern U.S. The really big stuff came down yesterday afternoon and after a short respite picked up again in the evening. Many people rode bicycles in this because it still beats being in a car. One of them was our big friendly bearded hippie lawyer Matt Moore, who sends this ride report: My ride home. I would say top five toughest. Old Shakopee still has some of the inch thick ice surface from yesterday although they are hitting it with a three plow conga line this morning (Airport!). Basically I rode on the ice for about six miles before getting to packed snow on Portland and 12th Avenue. Not so bad as cars were few and gave me the whole right lane, plus they were only going about five mph faster then me anyway. Four flashers gets it done!! No honkers but a couple rebel yells. Last half was basically a whiteout but 12th was pretty well plowed and good traction in the areas where nobody had driven (or was driving at the time) even though there was a couple inches of snow. Going over 494 - felt just a tiny bit sorry for the motorists parked there. Most people I saw were driving snowblowers. Hey don't throw that stuff out here! The wind finally wore me down the last mile or so but I knew I was almost home so I just kept 'em turning. Got home in just under an hour (11-12 miles) with a big snowdrift in my beard and probably the longest beardsicle ever - maybe 5 inches. I'll bring in a photo next week. Tough way to get a couple commuter credits but fun to joust with Mother Nature. No I am not doing the Arrowhead 135. I might be crazy but I'm not nuts. ******************************************************************************** Beardcicles are cool. Matt's tuff. I'd like to plug a magazine. Wend (as in: to go your own way) documents those living the active and in many cases difficult lives of global travelers, adventurers, and various other of life's flotsam. In the two issues I have so far read, Wend has printed riveting narratives, well written, with good photos and a minimum of fluff. Part two of the Vancouver-To-Vancouver 'round the globe by human power story in the latest issue in particular is a fascinating read. I was especially taken by the accompanying photos, almost looking melted, which turned out to be some of the photos recovered from the film after the camera had been accidentally dunked. They are eerily techy and trashy, fuzzy but light, awash in greens, and evocative in feel of the narrative: unique, colorful, somewhat difficult and not altogether accessible but worth examination. Very cool stuff. -----