Snow-dog-fatbiking

Cruising along at a good clip.

I wasn't quite sure the best order to put the words in the title, but our ride this morning incorporated all three. Though, the salient item here is snow, as in it fell for the first time in what seems like a long time. As strange as it sounds to say it, I was getting a little tired of 65 to 70 degree F days, so the 3 or so inches of snow we got last night was refreshing.

Scout and I made the most of the snow on our morning ride. In some places along the way, foot tracks and even a bike track or two had already been laid down, but in most of our familiar haunts we were breaking trail.

That is decidedly not a fatbike track. Goes to show that just about any bike can be a snow bike.

The storm was accompanied by some wind, which embedded snow in the bark of this tree for an artistic effect.

Breaking trail in an open space area. 

Paws left, fat tires right.

While riding, I realized that I have liked at least something about every bike I've ever had. However, the more time I have with the Pugsley, the somethings that I like about it just keep accumulating. It rolls so incredibly well of road, and the tires make a huge difference in not only snow, but everything else. The Pug is now hovering around a similar internal ranking as my incredibly useful Big Dummy, and is even more fun to ride.

On another note, I'd been on the lookout for a lightweight down jacket/sweater as an insulative layer in winter and an easily packable jacket for the rest of the year. Most that I'd found were nice, but a bit rich for my blood. Then, one day at Costco, I found a Kirkland Signature microdown jacket that looked just like the Patagonia version. It felt of good quality and was only $70. So I thought it over and did a little research. It seems as though Costco is sourcing a few high quality outdoor items these jackets as a fairly new offering. Costco has a nice return policy, so I bit.

So far, so good. The jacket is great for layering, and is all I need down to about freezing. I don't really review things, but my impression after the first few weeks has been entirely positive. It fits well, with long enough sleeves and waist (I wear size large), and it's only a little larger in girth than would be ideal for me. All the fabrics and stitches are good, and the down feels evenly distributed. No frills, no extraneous colors or patterns; just like I like stuff to be. It would have been nice for the inner pocket to be an integral stuff sack, though. Small quibble.

In any case, I thought I'd put my two cents out there in case anyone else has stumbled across a jacket like this at Costco. It may be the case that I'll get what I pay for by going cheap, but that's not the feeling that I've had to date. Knowing a little about how Costco works, I wouldn't be surprised if the jacket were made in the same factory as the Patagonia version. If my impression of the jacket changes, I'll post it here.

Kirkland Signature down jacket.

Size large.