Originally Posted by Rowan

Only in the northern hemisphere is winter coming up. In the southern hemisphere where Machka and I live, we have just lived through winter and are now anticipating summer once spring is almost completed.

My medical challenge put aside a lot of the normal riding opportunities we might have had during peak winter, but we still got one of two in during that period. We also did have to put aside a plan to visit Machka's family in Vancouver, Canada, because of my workplace accident.

Where I currently live, winter is not particularly harsh; where I used to live in the southern end of the Great Divide range in Australia, it used to be more interesting, particularly as I was car free for about half of that time (in a total period of 12 straight years). Rain was the major issue, but the occasional widespread snowfall could be interesting although not prohibitive.