The icy James. Credit: Hunter Davis

Editor’s note: Thanks to Hunter Davis for sharing these words, pics and video with us. For more from Davis, check out HomeontheJames.com

I’ve always enjoyed a good snow day.  Whether it’s outside sledding with your buddies or huddled inside, warming up with a hot meal.  Snow can give a whole new outlook to everyday life.  When I initially saw the snow forecast, excitement started to build with thoughts on how to celebrate the white stuff we rarely see here in Richmond.

My buddy Joey just got done riding the JayP’s Backyard Fat Pursuit in Idaho about a month ago.  The Backyard Pursuit is a fat bike race that covers about 120 miles in the snow around Yellowstone National Park and is incredibly challenging.  Joey completed the race on a CHUMBA Cycles URSA 29er+, in which he said performed fantastic in the snow.  Needless to say, I was curious to see Joey and the URSA take on the terrain here in RVA.  Check out SNOW DAY part 1 as Joey grabs the first tracks in Forest Hill Park after receiving six inches of snow.

After parting ways with Joey, I headed to the 14th Street Takeout to meet up with a crew of whitewater boaters.  It was time to see the city from river level – arctic style.

This is not something you see every winter in Richmond. Credit: Hunter Davis

We decided to hike out to 42nd Street Rocks to begin our descent.  Although it wasn’t easy to reach the main flow of the river due to ice, the scenery is breathtaking.  SNOW DAY part 2 documents the majority of the our trip as we navigate the falls on the James River.

I think what I enjoy most about the winter and snow is the silence that accompanies it.  A blanket of snow seems to trap the normal sounds of the city, making the park more intimate.  I hope everybody had a chance to get out and have a SNOW DAY of their own.