The Last Huzzah!

 I went out for one last bike ride in 2021, on the 31st. 

It was cold. Yeah... that says -44 windchill at NOON!? 

So. I slacked off and put off my ride until the late afternoon when it warmed up to -40°C (windchill - the air temperature was about -3o°C).

Heading out. 

My plan was to do three laps of the Meewasin Trail from the Gordie Howe Bridge to the Senator Buckwold/Idylwild Freeway Bridge. Thsi would be about 25Km. 

Getting close to half way around the first lap - looking north at downtown from Diefenbaker Park

Frost, long shadows and instatnly freezing vapour coming off the river under the Gordie Howe Bridge. 

same place, looking off the other side of the bridge. 

back downtown, nearly finished the first lap. 

End of the first lap, looking south towards Gordie Howe Bridge. 

Ice accumulated on my face after the first lap. 

Realized three laps might not get me quite to 25km  - so I made it a bit larger for lap two, heading across the Traffic/Victoria Bridge instead. View of the Bessborough Hotel from south end of Traffic/Victoria Bridge. 

Riding back south towards through Gabriel Dumont Park. 

The east side of the river was a bit exposed to that West wind and getting really cold - so I resolved to stick to the east side for the remainder, once I crossed again. 

Grand Trunk Bridge. 

Ice accumulated on my face at the halfway point. 

Went a little south of the Gordie Howe Bridge to get a few more pics. This one turned out not so bad. 

I didn't take any pictures during the second half for the ride. It just got too cold (and dark!) I rode up the Meewasin Trail just a bit past the SPR Bridge to made sure I'd get in my 25Km. 

I did take one last selfie when I got home... 

Why on Earth did I decide I needed to ride 25Km in -40 weather...!? 

It meant I ended the year with this distance.... Which isn't a round pretty number... BUT...

It's 1000Km more than I rode in 2019... 

and 2000Km more than I rode last year, in 2020!? 

My target for 2022 is 6000Km. I should be able to do this by keeping up 100Km/ week all year - and then adding 100Km through 8 weeks in the summer.