By Ambassador Matt Harris

The sound of summer is long behind us, and the colder days have crept in. We are in the midst of winter. For me this is one of my favourite times of the year. Living in places that force you to switch gears makes it all the sweeter, every moment counts. Slapping that corner. Sharing those muddy-faced smiles. Sipping whiskey in the fading light of fall. It all counts, just a little bit more than usual. The biking mindset that often sits front and center during the heat of summer slides into rare fleeting moments. It’s a time for things to come apart, to be rebuilt, replaced. Ready for that fresh spring air just around the corner.
This change of focus keeps the fire burning. A friend once asked me what speaks to me more biking or skiing? This question seems to float across my mind in seasonal change. The balance between these two cultures are different as much as they are the same. Bred in the mountains they share a similar story and perspective. Skiing between the stands of old growth, chasing the dog feels similar to following him down the dusty trail dancing through the corners, wheels turning. Without the time away I would not develop the same appreciation or connection. It’s healthy for me to put things away for a while, to reconnect with what I give my time to and why. Without the winter and the focus of skiing, sliding tires in the spring air wouldn’t be as rich. The same is true for the first day you step into your bindings, setting out to make your first turns. They feel similar, don’t they? Somehow bike chat always seems to slide its way into the skin track, so I guess biking takes it for now. Ask me again at the end of a deep day, I’m sure I’ll be eating my words.   
With the anticipation of spring growing in town, trails begin to emerge from their blankets of snow. We begin the slow process of exploration and repair. Winter’s destruction often takes its toll, and this is the time to visit, rejuvenate and repair. Put time in now to feel the trails come into their own later. The days are growing and with after work laps in sight it’s time to dust off the bike, grab a buddy and get after it folks.