seeking motivation

I hate spring. Mind you I don't hate spring nearly as much as I hate fall, but I wouldn't be upset if we made the leap from winter to summer by skipping spring all together. In this part of the world spring and fall are in-between seasons, transition periods from one state to another that have few redeeming qualities beyond the expectation of the coming state. It's this expectation that drives me crazy. Summer means beaches, bbqs, hiking, and biking whereas winter is skiing. Spring and fall offer none of this. Instead, what you get are poor conditions for recreation and erratic weather that swings between scorching to freezing in the space of a day. Fall is doubly-damned because conditions suck and daylight becomes increasingly brief. The only redeeming quality of spring and summer is no mosquitoes. That's huge around here.

In an effort to break my motivation funk I took my bike to nearby Blackfoot Recreation Area. I was eager to shake up my training regime and I hoped that the new foliage and singing birds would convince me that summer was not too far off.
Blackfoot is not particularly challenging for biking, even by prairie standards, but it is a perfect place for a workout on a touring-converted cyclocross.
The trails are wide, well-groomed, and rolling, which suits me find. I lack the skill, patience, and suitable equipment to enjoy technical single track. However, I've got the lungs and legs to hit grin-busting speeds on a dirt track. And really, it's all about the grins.
Much of the trail system skirts the shores of numerous beaver ponds and a couple of large lakes. These are great places for spotting wildlife and I stopped frequently to scout for birds and such.

The trails were nearly deserted, which might be expected given the overcast, cold, and wet spring weather we've been enjoying for the past several days. However, I am always surprised how under-utilized the trails are at Blackfoot. There can be several dozen cars in the parking lot on any given weekend and I won't encounter a soul beyond the first loop in the trail that turns back to the cars. Many folks don't leave the parking lot picnic tables. This is ultimately a good thing - the thought of eating tree to avoid hitting an off-leash lap dog gives me palpitations.
It was the cold weather that eventually did me in. My feet were freezing to the point that I could no longer feel them pushing on the pedals. I should have worn overshoes. I would stop my bike to jog in place and warm my feet up but I was having to do this so frequently that the rest of me was starting to shiver. I thought about starting a fire in the stove of one of the ski cabins but I quickly became consumed with thoughts of a hot shower and a warm dinner. That was all the motivation I needed to get back to the truck and head home.