Though the lake effect snow continues to pound the Keweenaw and the cycling season seems to lie ages in the future, visions of hammering away on the back roads of Houghton county or needling through the singletrack on the Tech trails are beginning to bubble their way back to the tops of the Red Jackets' minds. Some are already logging serious time in the saddle, minds switched to autopilot as the legs and lungs do their groundwork for the season. Others are enjoying the long U.P. winter to its fullest, maxing out time on the cross country ski trails.

As part of the team's commitment to give back to the community, members of the Red Jacket - BlueSky Healthy cycling team are busy helping out with local races during the off-season. Most recently, members of the team bundled out and assisted with the TalviTohinat skijor race. Looking ahead, members are planning help out with the Great Bear Chase ski marathon in March.

In the months of winter that remain before the March sunshine clears a swath of pavement wide, long and dry enough to ride on, the team will continue it's preparations for the 2009 season--picking races, building (or lusting after) new bikes, and trying get in riding shape for the first, and possibly greatest, test of the season - the Ronde van Skandia.