A few years ago, almost nobody had heard of fat biking. Nowadays, fat-biking ( don't mistake it with
ski-biking ! ) is gaining traction around the country, especially in places where winter is more than just 3 calendar months.
Fatties have been around for more than a decade but have only captured the mainstream cycling world's attention over the past couple of years because of their versatility and a rise in extreme adventure races.
To grow the popularity of this new snow activity, more ski resorts are offering fat tire bikes for rent, and grooming snowy trails specifically for fat biking enthusiasts.
Fat biking is slowing but gradually gaining popularity in Washington state, especially in places with established cross country skiing traditions such as Leavenworth and Winthrop.
Basically, wherever there is a cross country trail ( groomed or not ), fat biking is allowed.
This year, I finally managed to get my hands on a relatively
affordable fat bike, and really hoped to enjoy Winter Wonderland in a new and exciting way !
I couldn't wait to test ride it at one of my favorite cross country skiing Snow parks - Hyak Sno Park which is located withing
the Iron Horse State Park.
But unfortunately, 2015 was another horrible ski season in Washington state. Some say, it could be the worst ski season in 40+ years ! Many ski areas around the state closed lifts (or shut down completely) and canceled lessons as the warm, wet weather washed out skiing and boarding.
During my trip in the middle of February, Hyak Ski Area ( Summit East ) was closed, with barely any snow on the slopes, and non on the ground.
I rode my fat bike for a few miles, crossing patches of snow now and then, but eventually, I decided to give up.
But I still had tons of fun ! Fat bikes definitely make it easier to ride in such "impassable" conditions as in snow, sand, mud, ice or over rocks. But that doesn't necessarily make it effortless. You might stay more upright, but you still really need to muscle your way through snowdrifts or thick sand. You're definitely going to get in a workout !