Ear to the ground:

“I’ve thrown a lot of shotglasses in my day but never broken a window.”
– Local drinker ruminating on the series of unfortunate events that led to this weekend’s broken window at the Ranch

Rollin’ a fattie

Snowdown may be nothing but a distant, disjointed and blurry memory, but this weekend, it’s Silverton’s turn to host the party.

This weekend, from Friday – Sunday, Silverton holds its annual Snowscape winter festival, ironically enough with a “Back to the Future” theme (no mention of the ’80s, although we assume mullets and spandex are always welcome.) The three days of festivities include kick sled races, Bloody Mary contests, cardboard sledding, night skiing under the lights at Kendall, as well as live bands both nights.

It also includes the return of the second-annual Silverton White out, a 10-hour fat bike race (although that term is used loosely, as there are plenty of distractions along the way) that gets rolling Saturday morning. This year, the event includes categories for solo, duo, team and family.

According to race organizer Sarah Tescher (formerly of Devo fame), the White Out was the brainchild of Russell Zimmerman (formerly of Durango Cyclery owner fame.)

“Russell is the guy who will go left if it feels good, even if everyone else is going right,” said Tescher in a press release. “Within the Southwest, he is always raising the bar in terms of bike events … in fact, most of his ideas come from bar-side brainstorming seshes,” said Tescher, who is being helped with organizational duties by Cyclery wrench and White Out “Head of Creativity,” Jon Bailey.

The concept is simple, Tescher says. Hop on your fat tire around 9 a.m. – after the “sacrificial toboggan run” down the Christ of Mines hillside – and race, ride, cruise, pedal mash or pedal stroll around the 8-mile loop. The course promises never a dull moment, with everything from  snow-packed alleys and streets to the scenic solitude of the Upper Animas River canyon.

And if riders are so inclined, they can stop off and grab a beer, hot cocoa, bacon or maybe even dabble in a water-coloring contest along the way. You’ll know when to stop riding when the fireworks go off.

 “We are trying to see if someone from the EPA will hand out the bacon at the top of the climb, but they haven’t returned my phone calls,” Tescher quipped.

She also noted that although fat bikes are highly encouraged, any form of snow bike is welcome. “Yes, you can rock another bike but it may not be the best decision you’ve ever made,” warns the White Out website. Better yet, if you don’t have a spare $1,000 lying around for a new set of fat wheels for the stable, rent one for the whole team (provided you all have similar inseams) or get one from the demo fleet that will be on hand.

For more info, or to sign up to hand out bacon, go to www.silvertonwhiteout.com.