For me at least, Lake Erie is totally frozen over. Which means, a very good chance of NO lake effect snow this spring. Previously we've had 15 inches of wet snow on April 23rd, and the Cleveland Indians home opener has been cancelled due to snow, that's no fun after teasing days of 60F and all the salt washed off the streets. I'm not sure of the other lakes but Erie looks like a white desert. Kinda cool if you've never seen something like that. Anybody know if Superior or Michigan has ice? 

For me at least, Lake Erie is totally frozen over. Which means, a very good chance of NO lake effect snow this spring. Previously we've had 15 inches of wet snow on April 23rd, and the Cleveland Indians home opener has been cancelled due to snow, that's no fun after teasing days of 60F and all the salt washed off the streets. I'm not sure of the other lakes but Erie looks like a white desert. Kinda cool if you've never seen something like that. Anybody know if Superior or Michigan has ice?

An article in yesterday's Columbus Dispatch said Erie is 93% covered in ice, Michigan 63%, Huron 85%, and all Great Lakes 79%.  The long term average is 51%.  It gave no numbers for Ontario or Superior.

I remember in the early '80s when living in Toledo, the Maumee River shut down to shipping in mid-December, due to ice.  I believe the past 2 decades, they have been running ships through there year round.  Probably not this year, though.

Indian Lake =100%    Lake St. Marys = 100%   Local Park Pond = 100%, I'm tired of this Winter already.
Any predictions on the next day we get the bikes on the road here in Ohio?
Ride safe all,
Greg

Just think how bad it would have been if not for global warming climate change.

Just think how bad it would have been if not for global warming climate change.

+1

Dear Al Gore,

SOOO after I made the trails in the back acres with the snowblower for walking the pooch....


these kids were grazing last night after work....




there was a DOZEN of them....

Is the freezer full now?

Is the freezer full now?

that my friend IS the problem... full freezer....

s'pose I could just hang'em in the unheated garage... for a couple more months....

For average temps to deviate 2 degrees up or down over the course of a winter is significant. Here in Cleveland, we are 10 degrees F below average, that is literally unheard of, and we are only halfway through winter. Temps in the 30's though this weekend.

Studding my GS Monday for our trip to Boise next week    Nucking futs or what???

http://www.aerostich.com/review/product/list/id/3716/category/198/

Not crazy at all, I'd love to try that, keep us posted with pics, I'm very interested to see that.

Not crazy at all, I'd love to try that, keep us posted with pics, I'm very interested to see that.

Will do for sure!

Believe it or not, I watched Max's BMW sell a guy a 1200 GS brand new but only after they studded both front and rear tires. More aggressive studs than those too- they actually bolted through the tire and had a nut on the inside. Carbide point studs; you should have heard it roll out onto the tile sales floor.    But the neat part was that he was trading in a 2 year old GS, with studded tires, that he had been riding year 'round since it was new. And the bikes before that too :-) By the way, Max's is in New Hampshire where they are known to have a bit of snow. Pretty impressive. I would LOVE to try out a reasonable weight street bike, especially something like a dual purpose bike, with studs in the tires on icy / snow covered roads.

Make sure you have a good time Chet- sounds like a blast!

Brian

Studding my GS Monday for our trip to Boise next week    Nucking futs or what???

http://www.aerostich.com/review/product/list/id/3716/category/198/

I'll get some video for sure.  Awesome camera mount down low, yet protected.

Down low, yet protected. In football they call that..... nevermind.

Brian

I'll get some video for sure.  Awesome camera mount down low, yet protected.

Guy B Young II actually studded a set of kenda's (?) i believe, for his KLR back in 07', using a conventional stud inserter, and carbide car tire studs.
I believe he had about 100 in the rear, and around 50 in front. He rode year round, as much as possible, and I remember looking at those on his bike at work, thinking he was nuts.... butnutz in a good sort of way... his only complaint was on wet clear roads above freezing, said they got a bit squirrelly, and added to the "pucker factor"...
He mentioned the other day on ADV he was thinkin of putting them back on for a wile now that Va. is getting some "weather"...

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds"
Sounds really cool on the pavement.  Report after the trip mid week to Boise and back.

ZG, I'm zipping through Portland noonish on Wednesday, wanna tag along?

^^^awesome pics!

ZG, I'm zipping through Portland noonish on Wednesday, wanna tag along?

We can't all be retired Chet... 


Have fun and be safe bro! 

Studs were a bust-as in bust the front tube!!  Picture this, dumping buckets of rain, Seattle traffic, nasty nasty stuff...  HOV lane, doing 74, front end starts feeling weird, something I didn't have on the way there.  Gets progressively worse.  Slow to 60, feels better, 10 miles from home I realize I have a tire going flat, 2 miles from home it is FLAT!!!  Rode it home feeling like I am on goose snot.  Pull the tire, see where the studs had worked through and sliced the tube in a few spots.  Go to the dealer, they have a 606 in stock, so I bite the bullet, get a HD tube and have them mount it and balance it out.  Got home, mounted the tire up.  I go to the rear, decide to not risk another flat and pull all 147 studs out.  Much easier said then done.  As I am doing this I notice the back bearings are shot-lucky for me a I have a pair in the freezer.  Pull back tire for the second time today (new Touratech Extreme rear shock install), pop out the bearings, tap in the new ones, and I am set.  I also adjusted the clutch while I was at it.

Boise here I come, Bart will stay with me as I think he may have been looking out for me.