Vocabulary lesson

I didn't expect to get a vocabulary lesson in my training ride today.  But I did. 

Mid-day it was relatively warm (50's) and brilliantly sunny day up here in AZ mountain country.   I got out for a training ride at 1:30PM.  At it's height the sun is low on the horizon, just 10 days from the solstice.  It gets dark fast.

I rode south, up a smooth and twisty road (White Spar/89) into the Bradshaw mountains in the Prescott National Forest.   The road hangs off the eastern side of the mountain. 

Melt Ice: At 6,100 feet the sun is intense on the snow.  The snow is piled in berms on the east side of the road and it covers the forest and sheer walls on the west side of the road.   When the sun beats down on the snow it melts and water washes across and down mountain roads.  When it hits the road it is a barely visible shade of grey as it freezes again

Shadow Ice: When the road is already wet from melting snow but the setting sun, low on the southern horizon, casts patches of spikey shadows on the wet road.  The shadow water freezes thin and slippery while the sun exposed road is dry and firm.  It makes for a corduroy pattern of icy road and dry road.

Sand Slip: In Illinois they spread salt on the icy road.  Out here they use sand and pumice.  Sometimes the sand/pumice mixture has the same color as the road.  It requires eagle eye vigilance on climbs, descents and turns so that you don't slip out and go down.

Sand Mine: That's when all three of the above conditions apply.  The road looks just a little sandy but it is actually ice thinly covered by sand/pumice. 

Update: 12/12/11:

Cloudy and raining today and nobody out this way thinks its o.k. to ride in this weather. 

So ... I rode.

Us hardy mid-westerners don't really know the difference between sunny and warm, and wet and cold. 

I added a few words to my vocabulary today: 

• Rockslide;
• Sleet/rain/snow (all one word);
• Fog;
  
• Mountain wind;
• Windchill;
• Hypothermia.

When I got home I realized that, though this is Arizona, it is winter and I'm riding in mountains.  I immediately got into a tub full of scalding hot water for half an hour.

• Time to swap the sandals for shoes and toe warmers.  
• Balaclava.  
• Rain gear.  
• Big honkin' flashing lights and irridescent ribbons all over me and the bike
• long pants
• shells over my gloves
• helmet cover.  

 So, what is this language with so many new words: Mountainese?!

One learns `road handling skills' in such conditions.

Or not.