Yesterday morning was cold, temperature oscillated near -10 degrees on Celsius, I did not wanted to wait till Spring and rode to White Stone now, and then to Berezovaya mountain. Without problems I arrived to Zuzelka village, after previous rendezvous I associated landscapes, that I saw, with satellite map and found junction, on which I followed in wrong direction. This time I chose right way and managed to White Stone, road to it is not hard : there is need to carry bicycle on oneself for 3 – 4 km through snowdrifts and the same distance and the same way back, at its southern part even forest road goes on, on which cars periodically ride even now ( it seems, that it starts in Severskiy or at northern part of Zuzelka ). Rocks of White Stone are relatively big, but they are located not very high ( 200 m above sea level max ) and even not higher than forest around them. On the rocks I made some photos, drank hot tea from thermos and then navigated the same way to Zuzelka. From it I again rode to Azov mountain and after it to Berezovaya mountain.
This time way to the mountain was easier in some respect, because all puddles and clay at last have been frozen, I did not drenched my boots and knew where and how to ride. Also, I accounted experience of previous ride and took off frontal wing from bicycle; through this road even now cars periodically ride, probably, foresters and hunters. Day was without a snow and Berezovaya was seen from a distance, while nearing to mountain; in one place on downhill clay road is fully covered with ice and there is need to walk on it cautiously to not to ride down on the tail bone for 100 – 200 m on the ice influxes. Cars ride only on the tracked bulldozer road and to the mountain itself there is need to walk on the snowy forest way for 200 – 300 m, carrying bicycle on oneself. This time there were fresh prints of boots on the snow and my footprints with wheels protectors tracks on the side after previous ride.
I walked up to the mountain on the same way, at previous trip I noticed that bark of aspens is raged, at that time I did not looked on this for too long, but this time I figured out what is this : this not looks like claws traces, this looks like teeth prints, like somebody gnaw rounded it; it seems that it is so : elks, deers or roes come here and gnaw bark from aspens. They do this not the first time : under fresh marks there is raged wood, that dries for some years. This time I uplifted bicycle higher and locked it to tree, as previous time. Then ascended to rocks, made a couple of photos and moved to highest rock : to look on this view and to record it. I made photos and videos, then drank hot tea and stood there for 20 – 30 minutes : mountains, indeed, change people from inside, when sky is so close and landscapes around are so open, something changes inside and I start to feel happiness and mirth in the life. This is worth it, to overcome all difficulties and ride and walk here. I even do not want to go from here, but freeze, wind and evening hours make a hint, when time comes to descend and go in a returning way home.
I managed down from the mountain without any problems, unlocked bicycle from tree, hung and locked my bag to it and went to the road, here now is a small forest trail, so now it is much easier to go down from mountain and up to it, than at previous time. On the snow-drifted road wheels did not stopped and icecrust did not formed on them, so I walked through this area much faster. Before dusk I managed to rolled road and rode on it on the bicycle, walking on foots only through the icy areas; it started to dark only when I arrived to road between Zuzelka and Large Lavrovka. Periodically it is cleaned from snow and it is rolled by cars, but it is not sprinkled by road salt; on it I rode to Polevskoy and then to the home. At winter time, when long-distances are hardly rideable ( with the returning and not freezing something to oneself condition ), to not to bore and to not to sour, as soon as weather is warm enough, I’ll ride mainly to Azov mountain and here to Berezovaya mountain; and at a Spring time, as soon as temperature will go upper than zero and everything will melt, I’ll ride further, higher, stronger and faster! See you on the next bicycles event!
You can see rest of photos here.
