Monte Candaglia Ice Hike

I was hoping to get one more snowshoe in this winter so I headed up through the overcast to Il Cansiglio.  The road broke through the clouds at 900 meters into blue skies and sun.  I was surprised how devoid of snow the place was:  only a few weeks ago it was buried in white.  I turned off the main road toward Archelon picnic area and parked.  Here  there was white at least, but I soon realized it was ice not snow.  Repeated thaw and freeze cycles made it hard and slick like a skating rink.  I carried my snowshoes on my back just in case.

The forest along this climb is glorious old-growth spruce and beech which they've left in uncleared wilderness.  Treefalls are left in place, soon engulfed in moss and allowed to decay into the soil.  So I was enthralled and simply adjusted my pace and gate to avoid slippage.  The very steep stretch before joining the gravel road from La Crossete was the only hard part.

I topped out at the Casa Forestale ranger station and then returned.  Much harder to descend on ice due to body angle so I donned my snow shoes.  No slips at all with these.  I realized driving home just how exhausting this had been.  I am beat!

Alpi Bellunese from Monte Candaglia

Mountains north of Piancansiglio

Monte San Lorenzo - Lago Ca' Selva

Another favorite local ride, from Maniago up Monte San Lorenzo, back down to Val Colvera, down Torrente Mule’ then up to Lago Ca’ Selva.  The road to the lake is closed due to a landslide, but you can walk with bike around it.  Good workout.

Monte Raut from Monte San Lorenzo

Lag Ca' Selva from northwest shore

Frisanco

This is a shorter ride but scenic.  Cruise up through Maniago and Fora di Colvera to Frisanco. I skipped the town (don't!  It's beautiful)  and climbed up to a church on a little hill, Beato Vergine Addolorata.  Great views of surrounding mountains.  The onward, more climbing to the end of pavement above Valdestale.  It's a good workout.    

Monte Raut from Chiesa

The campanile

Frisanco in foreground
Casasola midground, left
Monte Rest & Monte Valfredda

Frisanco campanile

Solimbergo loop

Short loop to Arba, Sequals, Solimbergo, Maniago and home.  Surprisingly fatigued afterwards.  Must persist.

Monte Raut from Solimbergo

Fregona Loop

Temps still hovering in the low single digits ℃ but windless clear skies.  Fregona with the panoramica from Osigo to Montaner is a favorite ride, with variations to Sonego or Sottocosta or Via Buse.  I'm still getting quite tired on these intermediate rides which surprises me because I hadn't taken much of a winter break.  Old age maybe?

Montaner

San Daniele

Still cold but not a cloud in the sky.  I cruised over to San Daniele and climbed up to the church and castello.  Great views of the alps from here.  Ride home felt better, maybe I just needed a long warm up.

Castello

Castello detail

Church and tower

Pasiano di Pordenone

Cold with heavy overcast, but at least there’s no wind.  I set out for the confluence of the Livenza and Meduna rivers.  Alas at Visinale I missed a turn and ended up in Pasiano. I headed south from there on a beautiful winding road through the countryside.  I realized how lost I was  when I entered Azzano Decimo comune.  So I headed back toward home.    Good workout

Ponte di Ferro
Prata

Conegliano Hills

Frigid weather has returned, time for some long flat miles.  I headed west to Conegliano, hoping to climb Ca’Poggio to San Pietro Feletto.  I got lost and ended up at Castello di Conegliano, then home.  Very tired.

Castello di Conegliano

Col Spizzat Snowshoe

We’ve had slightly warmer weather (thanks to the scirocco), rain on the snowpack and melting/refreezing cycles.   It wasn’t all bad though because the previous deep powder was very strenuous to snowshoe through.  Instead today I walked on icy snow in the shadowy bits and slightly moist snow on the sunny streches.  Much easier.

From Col Alto I headed east over a little pass to Casera Caseratte and then off-pista to an area devoid of human tracks, only a few rabbit prints, below Col Spizzat.  Very pretty area.  Eventually I meandered onto a human trail above Casera Valfreddo and back to the pass.  Fun snowhike.

Little alter commemorating a saint at the pass

View to the east

Adriatic Sea peeping over the hill

Col Spizzat cliffs (try to climb this summer)

Monte Cavallo Gruppo over a snowbowl

Tesis - Meduno Loop

The rain finally stopped and temps have risen into the high 40s Fahrenheit.  Today's ride began with a long slightly-downhill glide to Tesis, in the middle of the Magredi' gravel beds.  It was overcast, making the Magredi' seem even more desolate and foreboding.  I turned north at Tesis and soon crossed the Torrente Colvera bridge.  The river is usually only a trickle but a week's rain had transformed it into a good sized stream.   A couple of Italian Mangusta helicopter gun ships were training at extremely low altitude among the scant trees along the river, actually landing and re- starting at times.  That's how sparsely populated the area is, military training interferes with no one.

I passed through Arba and Cavasso Nuovo, where I turned east toward Meduno.  Just below town I headed south and climbed the morainic hills north of Sequals, then continued to Maniago and home.  Very pleasant ride.     

South toward the Adriatico

Rain flowing from the mountains through the Magredi'

Brugnera loop

South to Porcia and Brugnera.   Fiume Livenza beautiful as always.  Surprisingly tired when I finished.

Fiume Livenza at Brugnera

Other half of the horseshoe bend

Rauscedo Loop

Finally giving some attention to the neglected southeast quadrant.  I rode Fedaia down to Vivaro, east across Magredi di Meduno, south through the vineyards to Rauscedo, Domanins, Zopppola, west through the guado to Cordenons, north to San Quirino and finally back up to Giais.  It’s flat so I stayed in the big ring the whole time.  Chilly but I had the right clothes for it so no problem.  Fun!