Snow Day

We cyclists in the foothills have had little to complain about during the winter months of the past few years, with snow rare and temperatures mild. In stark contrast to the recent past, Saturday brought our second winter storm in as many months, sending the townsfolk scurrying for milk and bread and postponing the weekend's racing. A weekend indoors loomed. However, I have a severe allergy to training indoors, and I will typically do anything to avoid it. So, I lowered the pressure in my 29er's tires and set out to mix it up with the ATVs and 4x4s around our new hometown.
Our new hometown of Valdese was settled in the late 1800s by the protestant religious group called the Waldensians, who left their home in the Cottian Alps after centuries of persecution. Above is a picture of the Trail of Faith, a recreation of the Waldensian settlement.

The snow-covered stage of the Fred Cranford Amphitheater is the summer home to the outdoor drama 'From This Day Forward,' of which Amy is an alum, as is buddy Will Turk, who has contributed to this blog.

The Old Rock School is the former primary school of Valdese and now houses the community auditorium and community theater, the Old Colony Players.

The Waldensian Presbyterian Church is the founding congregation of the settlement of Valdese.

A monument outside of the Waldensian Presbyterian Church commemorating the settlement of Valdese by the Waldensians. The Cottian Alps are situated in what is now the Alpine border between France and Italy, and the Waldensians spoke a hybrid of the two languages called Patois. Fans of professional cycling will recognize the mountain of Sestriere, part of the Cottian Alps and the site of many famous mountain stages in the Tour de France.

The Redline Monocog 29er singlespeed was a competent winter weather exploration vehicle.

A snow-covered road leading to Waldensian Heritage Wines.

Vinyards outside the winery.

Waldensian Heritage Wines makes wine in the tradition of the Waldensians. A favorite local activity on summer weekends is drinking wine and playing bocce, the traditional sport of the Waldensians.

While I'd rather be cruising around in the 56-degree temps we had last Thursday, the snow provided a unique setting for exploring the town. Now if we can just have an early spring...