There's something about the last week of August. Everything shifts from all the summer stuff back to winter planning. Any earlier and I'd still rather be outside getting dirt in my shoes and a sunburn on the back of my neck.
But when September is knocking on the door, you can almost hear the snow crunching beneath your boots in a snow-covered parking lot.
Even though we've already put a couple issues of the mag together by now, what really gets the winter bug spreading around here is mapping out the new project sled.
Last season, we built one of the hottest Polaris Pro RMKs on the snow. This year, we're putting together a sweet 2012 Ski-Doo Summit 800 E-Tec.
It started with plans for the engine. Summer seemed only half over, but already you're beginning to anticipate that first October ride. Then we started on the wrap design, controls, suspension... it snowballs from there.
All of a sudden, it's 85-degrees F outside and we're sitting at the computer drooling over skidframes, piggyback shocks, seats and skis. Snow on August 31st would have been welcome... in the mountains, anyway.
Like I said, any earlier and I'd rather be out picking rocks out of my elbows from dumping a bike in a nice, loamy berm with the sun beating down and dust floating in the breeze.
But it's September. The bug is here. Let's get on with winter.