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- Climate change 
has made snowfall

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in some regions less consistent,

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posing a major problem for 
winter sports facilities.

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But now a new winter game 
is rolling onto the scene,

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guaranteeing fun for visitors

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with or without 
snow on the ground.

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(peaceful chimes music)

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- [Narrator] It's winter, 
perfect time to enjoy the snow

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on a bicycle?

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As long as it's 
got very big tires.

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They're called fat bikes.

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And because of them,

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a growing number of cyclists 
are riding outdoors year round.

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(gentle adventuring music)

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- They're just novel.

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I mean, who thinks that you 
can ride a bike on snow, right?

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You get a grownup on these

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and they act like a little kid.

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- [Narrator] The tires 
are about twice as wide

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as a regular mountain bike's.

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They provide a stable platform

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that can travel over 
almost any surface.

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Steve Mitchell 
started biking in snow

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in Alaska in the 1980s,

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long before fat bikes 
rolled onto the scene.

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- Eventually I think 
people figured out

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that the bigger the 
tire, the better.

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- [Narrator] Once 
an obscure novelty,

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fat bikes are becoming 
the hot new thing.

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In fact, it's the fastest 
accelerating portion

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of mountain biking 
sales nation wide.

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Like human powered 
monster trucks,

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fat bikes bounce over 
hard crusted snow.

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With Mitchell's help, fat 
bikes have gained traction

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in the Methow Valley 
of central Washington,

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a recreation 
destination made popular

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by a different winter 
sport, cross country skiing.

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The region has 
more than 120 miles

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of Nordic ski trails,

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the largest such trail 
system in North America.

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- [Woman] People come 
here to experience

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this beautiful mountain valley,

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the old west town of Winthrop,

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but they also come 
here to recreate.

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- [Narrator] And lately,

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fat biking has become 
so popular here

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that Methow Cycle and Sport

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had to double its 
stock of fat bikes

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to meet rising 
demand for rentals.

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Julie Melard is 
co-owner of the shop

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and has become a fat 
bike enthusiast herself.

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- Almost everyone knows 
how to ride a bike.

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They can easily get on a bike,

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and go, "oh this 
is familiar to me.

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"I know how to do this."

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- [Narrator] Recreation 
on the Methow trails

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infuses more than 
$12 million a year

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into the local economy.

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And in the winter, 
recreationalists keep Winthrop

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from becoming a ghost town.

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Instead, places like

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Mitchell's Rocking 
Horse Bakery are packed.

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- Snow is basically 
the dollar sign

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behind the local 
economy in the winter.

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And without it,

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I don't think you'd have 
a thriving community.

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- [Narrator] There's been 
plenty of snow this year,

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but snowfall in recent years

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has been less and 
less consistent,

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and that trend is 
likely to continue

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as the climate changes.

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Northwest winters are expected

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to see warmer 
average temperature

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leading to more 
rain and less snow.

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Nationwide studies estimate 
the impacts of climate change

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will curtail spending 
on snow based recreation

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by billions of dollars 
in the coming decades.

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That's a big concern for 
people like James DeSalvo.

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He's the Executive Director

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of the Methow 
Trails Association.

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- We think about the way

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that the environment's 
going to change here

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a tremendous amount.

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And specifically, that there 
won't be any snow some winter.

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We wanna be prepared 
for that day

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so that we've got still 
something to offer

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tourists who are coming here

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and really active locals who 
just love the trail network.

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- [Narrator] That's 
where fat bikes come in.

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Because they work with or 
without snow on the ground,

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fat bikes could help 
places like the Methow

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survive lean snow years.

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- And it's gonna be 
like this all week long.

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Fat bikes are really fun to ride

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on dirt, in the 
mud, on the snow.

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And as we're transitioning 
either into winter

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or out of winter, we can 
still ride fat bikes.

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- [Narrator] So 
James and his team

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have begun making room on the 
Nordic trails for fat bikes.

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They use snowmobiles with 
special grooming tools

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to create single track 
style fat bike trails.

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- [James] The key is to create

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something that 
people wanna ride.

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We're one of the first 
areas in the nation

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to allow fat bikes on 
portions of our trail system.

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And so we know that there's 
other types of users

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that would use our 
trails year round

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if we are just flexible 
enough and inventive enough

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to give it a try.

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- [Narrator] If fat 
bikes catch on here,

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there's a chance that 
cyclists will find themselves

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in conflict with other 
winter sport enthusiasts.

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But so far, that hasn't been a 
problem in the Methow Valley.

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- Well, a little 
slippery out there, huh?

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- [Narrator] This 
isn't the only place

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that's giving fat bikes a try.

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- Well here it's kinda 
tricky on today it's--

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- It is a little 
tricky on today's snow.

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- [Narrator] Alpine ski 
resorts across the country

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have begun embracing 
fat bikes as well.

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At Mount Hood Meadows in Oregon,

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they're holding 
periodic demonstrations

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and offering free test rides.

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- I was really kind of anxious,

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I'm gonna ride on 
that, but it's fun

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and worth the try.

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- All right, have fun. 
- Thanks.

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- So very easy to ride, 
lots of surface area

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for you to actually 
have amazing traction.

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So pretty much 
anybody can ride it.

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- [Man] Would it 
increase the days

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that I come up here and active?

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Yeah, absolutely.

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- [Narrator] It isn't 
always a smooth ride,

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but falling is part of the fun.

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And not just for the newbies,

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even for long time fat bikers.

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- You never quite know 
what the outcome's gonna be

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and you're often tumbling

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and hopefully 
landing in soft snow.

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- [Narrator] As the 
climate changes,

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the outcome for winter 
sports is unclear as well.

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But the enthusiasm 
over fat bikes

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holds promise for people 
who want to keep places

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like Mount Hood and 
the Methow Valley

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popular winter destinations,

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regardless of how 
much snow falls.

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- Quest for more information,

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visit fatbikes.com.