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!

Orsago loop

A sunny cold day, perfect for a nice flat ride on Maxima down via Pedemontane to Cordignano, Orsgo Sacile and home.   Need to get back in form after all those Christmas cookies!

Travesio loop

All this snowshoeing is great cross-training but I need to bike too.  Today I took Fedaia for a nice spin to Sequals, Travesio and Meduno.  Despite the wintery temps I was warm the whole time from the exertions of pedaling in the cheerful winter sun.  Good Christmas Eve workout.

New Craft gloves worked great

Sauc snowshoe

The road from Piancavallo to Suac is covered in snow in winter.  On a weekday it’s deserted, making a perfect snowshoeing practice course for my wife Marilyn.  She did great.

Cruising downhill

We turned around but the road
continues to Il Cansiglio

Charging uphill toward the starting line

Ronciade snowshoe

I was beat up pretty bad by all that climbing in deep powder the other day so I tried a little easier route today.   La Ronciade starts at Col Alto, so gets more traffic than the more remote paths (though deserted today).  It’s also less steep, which I needed after 3 days of limping.

The path generally stays on a winding forest road from Col Alto to the junction with trails from Pian delle More,  Montelonga, Forcella di Giais and Casera Caseratte.  Here I turned around and headed back, trying to learn from experience not to overreach.  Accessible desolation, warm winter sun, absolute silence are addictive- I’ll be back again soon.

Monte Cavallo Gruppo

The junction

East toward Montelonga

Afternoon shadows on the mountain

The pass leading to Casera Caserrate from the west

Colle delle Lastre snowshoe

After a week of cold and rain the weather finally broke and the sun popped out.  I drove up to Castaldia again and was happy to find a foot of fresh untouched snow.  I followed the low route again until the left turn onto CAI 985, marked Casera Caseratte.  This climbs steeply through the spruce forest until opening onto rolling slopes below Col Spizzat.  Don't know if it's climbable in winter  but I'd like to  try.

Instead I traversed to the east following trail markers until reaching an apparent dirt road (under the snow).  I turned south and descended to Casera del Medico and then back to the car.  The Garmin had recorded only the first 9 seconds of the track.  Then when I cranked the Mini it was dead.  Luckily I'd parked on a slight down gradient so I let it slowly roll until it reached critical mass.  That was close.

Adriatic sun reflection 

Trail through snowy spruce

Spruce and beech trees above Casera Caseratte

Alpi Giuliani

A marked-up map of the route (clockwise) 

Monte Caseratte Snowshoe

Drove to Castaldia and hiked to the trailhead, then opted for the high trail to Col del Lovo.  From here snowshoed on virgin snow to Monte Caseratte.  Fun doing steep downhills and uphills with snowshoes, you must really watch your balance.  From the top beautiful views in all directions, except the pianura, obscured by a brownish grey inversion layer.  Returned on the usual low trail via Casera del Medico.
Great exercise in unbearable beauty, can I ask for more? 

From Col del Lovo toward Monte Caseratte 

Julian Alps

Monte Cavallo Gruppo

Casera Stiefin MTB

Cold morning, without even the winter sun's brightening and warming.  I rode to Costa and climbed past Madonna della Monte on the road to Bornass.  The Garmin died halfway up so no track available.
After Bornass I headed up a bit higher to a turnoff to the left onto a dirt road.  This is a nice flattish meadow with a watering hole for livestock.  A bit further past the meadow is an old cabin and house and picnic table.  Doesn't look used anymore.   The dirt road became overgrown so I turned around.  I crossed the main road and headed down another trail.  I could see the road to Bornass downslope through the trees but couldn't find a path connecting to it.  So I turned around and headed home.  Very cold on the descent.  Luckily I slowly thawed in the warm bath and seem none the worse for wear.   

The turnoff for Casera Stiefin

Pretty meadow near casera

View from road near Bornass

Steep slope up to Castaldia.

Casera Pian della Corona MTB

I decided to head up and check out the snow on the mountains behind our house.  I rode to Grizzo and then climbed past the Observatorio Astronomico where pavement ends.  Before long I came through patches where the sun doesn't melt the snow, which became gradually more frequent.  By the time I topped 1000 meters it was all snow.  This is the spot where the gravel road turns into an uphill trail, so I was ready to turn around anyway.  Descent was easier but cold, below zero Celsius.

The Adriatic Sea shimmering on the horizon

Eastward toward  Julian Alps 

Monte Fara and peaks above the Cellina River

Pala d'Altei from the south

Another angle

Snowy end of gravel road at 1000 meters

Trail junction  below Casera Rupeit

Lago di Ravedis

Ravedis snow peaks

The climb