Pielungo

Returned to a favorite place on a windy, winter day with crystal-clear sky.  I rode the loop counter clockwise for a change, with a beautiful climb from Pielungo to Orton.  I'm still blissing an hour later.  Must return

View up Val d'Arzino, with Castello Ceconi in foreground

German/Italian cemetery from Battaglia di Pradis (WW I)

Brussa

Brussa is a lovely undeveloped beach between Bibione and Caorle.  There's a museum (closed on this February day) which I'd like to visit.  It has a high observation blind which would be handy for spotting birds  http://www.isisleonardodavinci.gov.it/cicloturismo/mare/Brussa.html .  The dirt roads were wet from recent rain so I and the bike were covered with strada bianca spray.  Regardless, I had a great ride and enjoyed seeing all the wading birds in channels to the north.  I would like to try this ride again in early summer.

Driftwood on the sand

East toward Bibione

West toward Caorle

Ronciade Snowshoe

I wasn't sure there'd be enough snow- a couple weeks ago I rode up here and it was frost-free.  But it turns out there's plenty. I'm guessing 2 or 3 feet.  I headed up the trail from Coll Alto  and before long I was on virgin snow, no footprints or sci di fondo tracks.  By the time I reached the Trail Junction where I planned to head back on the high trail I was exhausted.  Definitely uses different muscles than road biking.  I stumbled back to the car on the same trail I'd come on, in a snowshoe-induced stupor.  Some food and a hot bath and I feel good as new.  I will return soon.  

Plow clearing the road in Piancavallo

More plowing 

View from Coll Alto

Faggio forest of Ronciade

Monte Cavallo

La Crosetta

Finally a sunny day.  I decided to try climbing Monte Pizzoc if the road was clear.  We had some rain down here so I thought it might be snowy at altitude.  Road was clear until around 900 meters then gradually turned snowy.   It's been plowed so no problem ascending though still slippery to descend.

After La Crosetta I continued to the turnoff for Monte Pizzoc: no dice. Ankle-deep snow on the steep gradient.  So I turned back.  The weather had clouded up, which was fog at this height.  Lower down it was gloomy overcast.  I rode home in a semi-frozen state and took a hot bath to thaw out.  Maybe next week I'll go snowshoeing.

Frosty branches lit by sun

I'll try again in April

More hoar-frost covered beech trees

Sella Chianzutan

Sella Chianzutan is a favorite ride, winding up through beautiful Val d'Arzino gorge. It switchbacks up to a saddle valley between Monte Verzegnis and Monte Piombada.  I turned around here, but you could also zoom down the other side past Lago di Verzegnis to Fiume Tagliamento and Tolmezzo.  No snow today, but I did see a light dusting of frost on the mountains. 

Colle dei Larici

Monte Verzegnis

Nice workout after 50 km warmup

San Lorenzo

A fun ride to Vittorio Veneto, with the lovely climb up to San Lorenzo (415 meters).  Afterward descended near Tarzo, then through the rolling vineyards and olive groves to Cozzuolo.  Must credit Paul Kim for introducing me to these pleasant Veneto backroads over the past few years.

Apologies again for lack of photos- too hazy.

Collalto

I thought I'd try the climb up to Collalto this morning to see if it was snowed over.  No, it too is snowless.  I was surprised how hard the climb felt, then I realized I wasn't breathing.  It seems it would come naturally by now, but no, I must concentrate on taking deeper breaths when exercising hard.  Once I get back in the habit I won't have to think about it so much.

Sorry for the lack of pics, it was quite hazy. I saw two beautiful eagles, also a couple of small yellow songbirds.  Nice quiet ride.

     

Passo Monte Rest

A strange ride for late January in northern Italy.  After I climbed above the overcast from Lago di Redona the sky was suddenly crystal clear, windless and though still frigid, felt like October.  No snow, no ice, not even frost, just the tawny, golden color of dry grass.  As I headed up the switchbacks I met only one soul, a hiker who waved and said "Tag!"  I was wearing a balaclava and Oakley's but somehow he knew I had German ancestry.  

At the deserted pass there was no snow, and looking at the summit above it was the same.  I rode down the north side a bit and noted the Carnic alps have some snow, but sparse.  This could all change in a week or two though so there's still hope.

The ride back down and home was fun.  I may try this as a loop coming back over Selle Chianzutan.  Never did that in winter before.

Monte Rest, left, and Monte Valcalda, right, from Maleon

Close up of snowless Monte Rest

Close up Monte Valcalda

Summit of Monte Rest from the pass

The hill to right of pass has bear caves with surveillance cameras

It's a good workout

Sesto al Reghena

This is another town I've driven past 100 times but never stopped to see.  I rode there in the midst of our first cold snap with temps down below 0℃.  Bundled up so it wasn't too bad.  Down through Pordenone and Azzano Decimo to Sesto, where I quickly found the castello and Abbazia Santa Maria in Sylvis, a Benedictine Monastery founded in 730 AD.  This is a beautiful place and I got so carried away taking pictures I almost froze.   Finally I tore myself away and rode as fast as I could to generate heat.  I think I was almost back to Pordenone before I felt good and warm.  I'll try to return when warmer and also visit inside the Abbazia which has some great artworks.

The gate tower on west end

Lovely ceramic mural piece 

The east gate tower

Peacocks strutting around the grounds

The bridge to east gate tower

Nice cantilever design

Gate and campanile

Arched windows of the Abbazia

Detail of window arch column

The Abbazia

The old Municipio (town hall)

Some lovely frescoes on east end of Municipio

Another angle of the castello gate tower

Fiume  Reghena

Casera Pian de la Corona MTB

A short MTB ride from our house to Grizzo, past Monte Spia, The Osservatorio Astronomico, Casera Pian de la Corona to a grassy knob with great views in all directions.  From there I descended to a dirt forestry road heading north.  This gradually changes from dirt road to a beech-covered mountainside trail, which is mostly bikeable except for some narrow off-camber pitches I had to walk.  There are cliffs overhead, lower part of Pala d'Altei.  The map shows the trail continuing to Bosco Faedo.  On the way back I noticed views of Lago di Ravedis through the trees.  I'll come back and explore this more- it's too nearby to miss.

Our village Giais, under looming storm clouds

Monte Faro to northeast

Montereale Valcellina

Monte Prat

Another favorite ride, Forgaria to Monte Prat.  Surprisingly crowded today, which I eventually figured out from the banners along the road:  Tomorrow and Sunday Italian National Cyclocross Championships will be held here.  Lots of teams practicing and team cars, bikes mechanics etc driving up to Monte Prat.  I will try to catch it on TV.   Great ride. 

Race preparations in Monte Prat meadows,
with Monte Cuar and Flagjel in background

Lago Ca'Selva

Overcast and cold with leaden skies: the perfect day for a ride.  I rode past numerous falo' bonfire preparations, a Celtic rite which has now been attached to Epifania.  At Meduno I headed north then crossed the dam at Redona, then rode along the lakeshore to Chievolis where I crossed Torrente Silisia.  Here you head steeply upward for awhile before beginning a series of saliscendi for an awesome workout.  Pavement ends at the dam, so I headed toward home.  Somewhere along in here it began to sprinkle lightly, just enough to get all my gear wet but not enough to freeze me solid.  This is a perennial favorite ride and never disappoints.

View west, water level very low

Normally submerged ancient dwellings

Northwest exposed submerged dwellings

Close up with stone walls marking old fields and pastures

Eastward down rugged, remote  Val Silisia

Strada del Patriarca

Strada del Patriarca dates from the 13th century (at least) when it connected Sacile (controlled by the  patriarch of Aquileia) with the road to Austria.  To reach it I rode down Via Pedemontana  to Villa di Villa.  Head up the hill past the turnoff for Sarmede and soon you reach the  ruin of Castello di Cordignano.  Here you bear right, skirt above a large gravel mine face, and meander steeply through an area with groves of trees alternating with open pastures.  Very sparsely populated, beautiful zone.  Eventually you reach the beech, fir, and karst forest of il Cansiglio (here the road was recently paved and is wonderfully smooth).  Continue climbing steeply to the junction with main road from Sarone to La Crosetta. No snow up here either, just some old thawed/remelted ice.

The ride down through Sarone and home was easy.  Peaceful start to the New Year and a great workout with 12.5 km of 8.6%. 

Castello di Cordignano

Parco Carbonai is an abandoned settlement where
early settlers cut wood and slow-burnt it to make charcoal;
you'll see the turnoff higher up in the beech forest section

Transition to beech forest up around 800 meters 

Snowless Passo di La Crosetta