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Please join me for a ride on the salt Creek Trail to the restaurant formerly known as Kristy’s now Egg House in Wooddale. Pie and coffee await. Fat bikes, preferred as the trail has some portions that are still snow-covered. Please dress appropriately for what promises to be a very chill and chilly ride.

Come join Pussanee and me on a wonderfully cold day to see some of the most Spectacular scenery in the area. You will be surrounded by Nature‘s beauty. This is a unique area with 100ft Bluffs, Ravines and Eskers and some of the deepest Canyons in the Area. We will descend and ascend a few steeper hills and there and some off camber walking so hiking poles and ice spikes required. We have 2 sets of poles to lend out. The Bluffs were formed 12,000 years ago as the result of glacial melt waters. The silt laid down by the waters of Lake Chicago and The Swallow Cliff region had great porosity and the capacity to stand in vertical walls. Swallow Cliff actually got its name from a colony of bank swallows that lived in the area. The birds built their nests into the vertical face of an eroded cliff overlooking a deep ravine. The cliff face was peppered with burrows made by the swallows and was a favorite spot for bird watching in the 1930’s. Pussanee will sweep and no one will be left behind. Back by 2:30pm or so, unless we‘re not. Some small sections of trails are closed but we will avoid those. While there will be a few steep hills and some off camber walking, this is not one of our technical hikes. Anyone with decent balance and fitness should be fine. Check the weather and dress accordingly as there is no easy turn back due to a complicated trail system and no signage or maps. Please kindly register as I may need to change the start location last minute based on early morning reconnaissance and will contact those registered. If the snow occurs overnight the parking lot may be closed in which case we

Let‘s get really BRAVE & BRAVE THE ELEMENTS in ‘da Driftless region of Wisconsin and hike 3 miles at Tower Hill State Park, moderate hike with scenic views of the Wisconsin River basin and historic smelter house which is historical of Wisconsin‘s mining past. Trails are NOT well maintained so come prepared, recommend use of snowshoes and hiking poles. Tower Hill State Park details: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/towerhill Post hike fellowship, if interested, at Spring Green General Store afterwards. Please contact me if you are coming to coordinate meet up and plans.

Consider joining me for a winter mountain bike ride at the Paul Douglas Preserve in Hoffman Estates. We will ride the western loops. A fat tire bike with at least 4.0” tires would be ideal for the snow-packed groomed single tracks. The single track trails do not have any rocks or roots and have only milder rolling profiles. Please, dress for a colder morning, see George’s excellent article on dressing for winter activities. Bring water and snacks for a break. We will ride as a group and Karen Kiley will sweep.

This is going to be a great opportunity to be braver! The forecast says 3 degrees and 10 mph winds. Bring your scarves and mittens. There are reports that the trails have ice, so micro spikes or YakTrax would be a great idea! We will adjust the distance based on conditions. Every Sunday from November thru March we will meet to participate in a bike ride, hike, run, snowshoe, or cross country ski at the Morton Arboretum. Participants can choose whichever activity they like, we will meet in the Arboretum parking lot around 10:00am and begin at 10:15am. After the event everyone is invited for lunch or something hot as we gather in the Visitor Center‘s Ginko Cafe. Please note that you need to be a member of the arboretum to enter for free and the charge for non-members is $18 for adults and $14 for seniors and students. If you‘re not a member, send out a message to the club as many members have guest passes available. Please see the Arboretum‘s website for more details.

Please consider coming out for a frigid hike that will go through the beautiful Spears Woods Area of The Palos Forest Preserve. The hike will be a mix of single and double track and is non-technical. Since it may be snowing and the terrain is hilly, we would recommend hiking poles if you have them. We have several pair to loan out on a first come basis if anyone needs a set. Don’t be shy about asking! The area is a mix of prairie, sedge meadow, freshwater marshes small streams, savannas and oak woodlands. There are many sloughs in the area including Boomerang, Hogwash, and Pollywog. A Slough is a wetland, swamp or shallow lake. Please dress for the weather. Pussanee will sweep, so no one will be left behind. The trails here can be confusing and as it will be very cold, no one will be allowed to try to turn around alone, if going back early is an absolute necessity, I will assign someone that knows the way to accompany that person or the whole group will turn around with them. Safety of all is the number one priority. Trails could be very icy so robust Ice Spikes like Kathoola’s are required. Please don‘t consider this event unless you and your gear have held up in minus 20 wind chills without any problems as this cold is definitely dangerous for the unprepared. Pussanee and I have been in out in actual temps down to minus 40 many times and both ourselves and our gear are battle tested, so make sure yours is as well, Self-assess your current medical situation to assure you are healthy enough right now to do this. No easy turnaround.

Partly sunny, 25 degrees, wind N @ 8 mph at ride time. 10 miles over. 11 miles back. Warm up with coffee or hot chocolate in downtown Hinsdale. Here is the route: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/325524571

Join me for a combination of coffee, socialization, and a short trail ride. We begin with coffee and conversation at the Villa Perk from 7:15 to 8 AM. Then, those who want to participate in a winter trail ride will leave from the VP Depot at 8:15 for a ride to downtown Wheaton and back for 15 miles. We take a very short break at the Starbucks in Wheaton for the bathroom and perhaps a quick mid-ride snack. We will be back around 10AM for those who need to get on with their day. The ride qualifies for John Riordan’s WRTR series. Make sure you bring a bike suitable for the conditions of the day which may involve riding in snow or wet conditions. Fat tire bikes are recommended. If conditions are too sloppy on the prairie path, I may substitute a road ride or road/trail combo towards Brookfield Zoo. The Villa Perk is directly across Villa Avenue from the VP Depot. Those arriving early for the ride are welcome to drop into the coffee shop to sign the ride sheet. The primary goal is to meet in person during the long winter season. All EBC members are welcome to share in coffee even if they have no plans to ride.

Come join us on our annual Christmas Lights Ride! Start decorating your bike now for this fun and chilly event as we ride throughout the town to view decorated homes and holiday sights. Decorate your helmet, bike, or yourself with holiday lights and decor! Afterwards we will gather at PHASE THREE BREWING Co. to thaw out and socialize.

Check for your favorite christmas cookie recipe and come join us for the Braver Than The Element cookie exchange after the hike or bike loops. Bring at least 3 dozen cookies to share, along with a container to fill with the other cookies that are brought in. Please RSVP so I can set up the tables needed for the exchange when we get back to the Gingko Cafe.

So ends another season of Winter Rotating Trail Ride (WRTR) award eligibility. * All EBC Ride Leaders are eligible to create a WRTR. * All eligible rides must have "WRTR: ..." in the ride title on our calendar. * Riders seeking awards must have 10 or more WRTR rides completed within the eligible season and listed on their "My Rides" profile on our website. - No exceptions. * These are trail rides only. Road rides are not eligible. Any bike will work, but for winter trail riding, a mountain bike, fat bike or hybrid with wide tires is strongly recommended. When the ice starts, tires with metal studs are further recommended. * The season closes at the end of February. * Awards will be presented by our club President at the EBC Annual Awards Night. * Get ‘r done!

EBC Community Rich Aycock and myself are working on finalizing the details for this year‘s 4th edition of Braver Than The Elements. Just a quick note about a few things until I can get something more formal out early next week: • Start Date: Sunday, November 23rd • End Date: Sunday, March 29th • More details next week, exciting things on the horizon and will be unveiling our amazing and sweet sticker for this year and prizes! • See attached photo of the previous 3 year prizes, what color do you think the carabiner will be? More early next week- Dawn Piech

Ever wondered where you should position yourself in road while riding your bike? What are tricks to help make you be more visible on the roadway while riding your bike? What should I have in my saddle bag when I go out for a ride? These and other questions will be answered during my bike safety presentation to the Arlington Heights Bike Club. All are welcome and I would love to see fellow EBC members in the audience. Let me know if you would like to carpool to the event. Registration is required so I can let the AHBC know how many club members to expect.