winter riding Archives - Scooter in the Sticks Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650 Mon, 20 Jan 2025 14:41:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 71084491 Frigid Rituals in Life and on a Vespa Scooter https://scooterinthesticks.com/2025/01/frigid-rituals-in-life-and-on-a-vespa-scooter/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2025/01/frigid-rituals-in-life-and-on-a-vespa-scooter/#comments Mon, 20 Jan 2025 14:41:21 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11235 Invisible Power As if propelled by some magical invisible power I find myself once again staring at my scooter in the snow. A vaguely familiar frigid ritual that often I don’t understand. It’s cold, 16F when this photograph was made, and my mind is relaxed in a manner difficult to access while sitting at home […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2025/01/frigid-rituals-in-life-and-on-a-vespa-scooter/feed/ 10 11235 Chasing the Flurries: A Small Vespa Adventure https://scooterinthesticks.com/2024/12/chasing-the-flurries-a-small-vespa-adventure/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2024/12/chasing-the-flurries-a-small-vespa-adventure/#comments Mon, 02 Dec 2024 05:10:12 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11203 Wading Through Weather Decisions Deciding to ride continuously throughout the year requires some honest looks in the mirror. It’s easy for me to equate what I was able to do 15 years ago with how I am today. And when today means I’m 70 years old I had best be rigorously honest about my riding […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2024/12/chasing-the-flurries-a-small-vespa-adventure/feed/ 11 11203 Can I Love Winter Again? https://scooterinthesticks.com/2024/11/can-i-love-winter-again/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2024/11/can-i-love-winter-again/#comments Sun, 24 Nov 2024 14:25:10 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11189 Facing the Cold The first snow has arrived.  Light, decorative, a dusting that beckons of winter to come. The past month has offered unseasonably warm weather.  Riding weather for even the cold-adverse riders.  Yet the roads are largely empty of scooters and motorcycles save for those souls committed to continued riding.  Some I suspect have […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2024/11/can-i-love-winter-again/feed/ 16 11189 Is It Time to Stop Scooter Riding in Winter? https://scooterinthesticks.com/2022/04/is-it-time-to-stop-scooter-riding-in-winter/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2022/04/is-it-time-to-stop-scooter-riding-in-winter/#comments Fri, 29 Apr 2022 16:31:53 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=10675 An April Snow Squall It’s hard to figure that one day the temperature is 70F and a couple days later it’s snowing again. That’s the kind of April we’ve had. I went for a ride during the last squall to run a few errands and I was left with the feeling that I’ve had enough […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2022/04/is-it-time-to-stop-scooter-riding-in-winter/feed/ 10 10675 Stubborn Winter and Riding https://scooterinthesticks.com/2022/02/stubborn-winter-and-riding/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2022/02/stubborn-winter-and-riding/#comments Sat, 26 Feb 2022 05:05:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=10634 Riding Hopes Dashed Before I opened my eyes I could hear the snowplow clawing along the pavement, telling me there would be no time on the scooter or motorcycle today. I’m weary of the cold air biting at my flesh, the gray skies drowning the color from my sight, the realization I’ve become a prisoner […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2022/02/stubborn-winter-and-riding/feed/ 19 10634 A Winter Ride https://scooterinthesticks.com/2021/02/a-winter-ride/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2021/02/a-winter-ride/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2021 05:05:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=9902 The following words and pictures were written and created by my friend and fellow Vespa rider, Andy Heckathorne. His winter ride experiences offer vicarious adventure as I sit at home with a hot cup of tea. Steve Williams In Trying Times, I Need to Ride. I need the thrill of exploration and the shock of […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2021/02/a-winter-ride/feed/ 21 9902 Reacquainted with Winter Riding https://scooterinthesticks.com/2020/12/reacquainted-with-winter-riding/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2020/12/reacquainted-with-winter-riding/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2020 05:05:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=9876 Underestimating the Cold A clear, sunny morning after fresh snow clouds my judgment. The cold and snow seem light and a mere trifle to deal with. It’s that thinking that leads me to underestimate the cold and wander out of the house unprepared for what nature has in store. Every year I step into the […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2020/12/reacquainted-with-winter-riding/feed/ 20 9876 Scooter Porn and Other Tales https://scooterinthesticks.com/2020/02/scooter-porn-and-other-tales/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2020/02/scooter-porn-and-other-tales/#comments Wed, 26 Feb 2020 06:15:42 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=9457 Scooter Porn at Sunrise A strong beam of sunlight sweeps across the landscape. The Vespa is paused along the road, engine running, heated grips growing warmer in the sub-freezing chill. Frost crunches underfoot as I walk across a pasture searching for the right composition for another portrait of my Vespa GTS scooter. Pulling off leather […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2020/02/scooter-porn-and-other-tales/feed/ 16 9457 Too Cold to Ride https://scooterinthesticks.com/2019/03/too-cold-to-ride/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2019/03/too-cold-to-ride/#comments Fri, 08 Mar 2019 05:15:52 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=8977 Winter Has Become a Bore While there hasn’t really been much heavy snow this year I’ve probably ridden fewer miles this winter than any since I started riding a Vespa scooter. There’s no reason I couldn’t ride in the sort of weather we had a couple weeks ago reflected in the picture above, but I’m […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2019/03/too-cold-to-ride/feed/ 27 8977 Riding Through the Murk of Spring https://scooterinthesticks.com/2018/04/riding-through-the-murk-of-spring/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2018/04/riding-through-the-murk-of-spring/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2018 04:43:08 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=8367 Light and Fog The earth here is surrendering the moisture gathered during winter.  This is the time of year for heavy fog and murky light.  Morning walks with the dogs provide ample opportunity to look toward the fog shrouded mountains and ponder routes for the Vespa.  I’m drawn to the mystery yet hold some rides […]

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