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Leaving the office tonight, it was hard to miss the fact that, throughout the day, there had been a major thaw. The snow is going and soon things will be back to normal for this time of year. Back to reality.

It’s been a mix of experiences. At times exhiliarating then frustrating, treacherous then sticking to the trail like glue. Lights on mod-day rides. Polarised lenses, clear lenses, yellow tinted lenses. Frozen water bottles, frozen feet, a frozen beard…..all normal.

I’ve been called keen, brave and insane.

As a finale, I spent well over two hours riding what would normally take 45 minutes. I rode, walked, hiked and climbed. I hammered through perfectly packed channels of snow and hiked through two foot deep drifts. I yelled in frustration and laughed out loud like a child.

I look back on the last three weeks and the things I’ve seen. The clearest blue skies. Hundreds of metres of pristine, untouched snow. Revisiting a trail after a day or two and the only track on it being my tires. Clouds of powder blowing across the moor. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. Okay, maybe not the last one.

One thing is true though. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

It isn’t time to die though. Its time to press on and see what’s next.