Five! That’s how many Chicago winters I have biked through. I counted over and over because five seems too high, but my math is correct.
Biking through my first winter, 2008-09, seemed so dramatic – I was amazed at my achievement. That was a particularly snowy winter, and I biked through all kinds of extreme weather to prove to myself that I could.
My second, third and fourth winters all seem like a blur now (except I distinctly remember bicycling the day after the great 2011 blizzard!), but it’s all documented in the LGRAB archives.
This winter started not so great, but I did not let that stop me. And there was soon cheerful news, as Chicago celebrated the installation of its first downtown protected bike lane.
There were some seriously freezing days, when I was very thankful for my hand and toe warmers. But many of the days were sunny and not too extremely cold.
I wore skirts and dresses almost every day, along with tights, of course.
Most of all, I took time to appreciate the unique beauty of biking through winter.
Now I am ready for spring!
How about you – did you bike through winter? Was it your first time? What stands out to you the most, looking back?