Tombstone Tuesday :: Fisher and Davis

On September 11, .. I visited the public library in Lawrence, Kansas. Though I was unable to find an obituary for Samuel Fisher – the brother of my 2nd great grandmother, Louisa (Fisher) Phend (they were children of Michael and Christenia Fisher) or for Samuel's wife Lucretia (Davis) Fisher I did locate obituaries for several of their children, which will be the subject of future posts. I also obtained directions to Colyer Cemetery where Samuel and Lucretia are buried. During a visit to the health department to get their death certificates I found out that the records are not available at the local level, they have to be obtained from the State of Kansas.

I had to backtrack south and west of Lawrence for a short distance to get to Colyer Cemetery. It is in a rather remote area which involved traveling a bit on gravel roads and by the time I got to the cemetery, the rear of the van and my bicycle (hanging off the back end of the van) were caked with dust. From the top of the hill where the cemetery sits, you can see for quite a distance. There was a farm to the northwest and another to the northeast but nothing could be seen to the south. Remote, indeed. Very pretty. And very quiet.

The road to Colyer Cemetery, Marion Township, Douglas County, Kansas. Looking to the north.

The Fisher plot, looking to the northwest. The two barrell-shaped stones are for Lucretia and Samuel.

LUCRETIA A. FISHER / BORN AUG. 23, 1845 / DIED OCT. 31, 1909

SAMUEL FISHER / 1840 – 1913 / CO. A. 9 KAS. VOL. CAV.

FOOTSTONE.
SAMUEL FISHER / CO A / 9 KANS. CAV.

A Tale of Two Pensioners chronicles the mix-up of the pension records for this Samuel Fisher and another man of the same name.

In the second photo above, there is a marker to the south of Lucretia, which I am guessing is her mother. According to her marriage record (Douglas County Marriage Book 2 Page 33 Located at the County Clerks Office in Lawrence, Kansas), Lucretia's maiden name was Davis.

See detail below.

OUR MOTHER
GLORIANNE M. / CASWELL / WIFE OF / IRVIN DAVIS
BORN JUNE 10, 1821 / AT WATERTOWN N. Y.
DIED JAN. 30, 1882 / AT LAWRENCE KAN.
ALL'S WELL

Random Laurel Highlands trail running and training

The bearded Woodz Ninja @ Middle Fork overlook

The weeks are flying by and I've been running as much as I can. Training has been improving with my increased intensity. The last couple of weeks have been productive as recent runs reflect. I've begun light weight work on my shoulder without any pain. Lots of time to get it healthier before the ice begins to form later this year. I feel like things are setting up for continued running and a good winter climbing season (weather permitting).Running has been a lot of fun lately. Miles have been blurring together, each run more fun than the last. I've enjoyed sharing trail time with my wonderful girlfriend Laura. We spent a few days hiking on rest days from separate solo runs. Several days were spent in Quebec Run on the great trails that reside there. Hill training has become a staple once again. I love climbing, rocks, ice whatever. It's only natural that I like the climbs in running as well. My focus has been on the larger vertical rises in the region. I've spent a few heart pounding days doing hill repeats (4 mile laps) down and up "Heart Attack Hill" on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (mile 8 to 6 then back up to 8). Great for building hill climbing efficiency and endurance. "Heart Attack" along with many other up and down runs are helping a lot.



Statistics for July:

Miles - 185

Duration - 40:48

Elevation - Gain 39,362' - Loss 38,539'



Miles per week is down, but elevations have greatly increased.



Some run highlights since last post:

July 19

Bear Run Nature Reserve, I went and ran the super fun 5 mile trail sprint we call the "Tiny Tulip Traverse" This was my second time running this challenge. I lowered my record to 44:16 from 45:41. A slight improvement.



July 22


Ran 14 miles of the LHHT. Gate to 7 and back in 2:46 for a pace of 11:51. Elevation: gain 3700' loss 3700'





July 25

On a whim, I enjoyed a nice long run from Ohiopyle to Hickory Flats Road (38miles). Thursday night around 11:00pm I was talking to Laura, telling her I wanted to do a long run, but was uncertain where I wanted to go. Laura offered the idea that I should run as much of the LHHT as possible, she'd support along the way. I quickly accepted and stayed up a few more hours. With 3 hours of sleep, Laura lovingly dumped me in Ohiopyle the following morning. Early on I could feel my elevation workouts paying off. I starting slow and calm, but couldn't help kicking it up a notch on the long climbs. A 15 minute or so emergency bathroom stop and chaffing had me burning and doubting early. This was around Maple Summit. Luckily an emergency Vaseline tube kept things only slightly uncomfortable until Laura saved the day with some Mission Anti-friction cream and replacement shorts at Route 653 trail head. The rest of the run I ran at a comfortable pace enjoying the views, cooler temperatures and empty trails. I was expecting to get water at 7 Springs, but upon arrival the faucet was damaged and running. The continual flow was spewing nasty, orange iron water. Skipping the refill and stretching what I was carrying sent me to Route 31 parking area and Laura with clean water. My 50K time was 6:18 despite my breaks. A slight discomfort was developing in my left foot. I was aware, but not concerned. I refilled and continued on as did the pounding on my left foot. I met Laura at Hickory flats Rd. (MP 38) where my foot was considerably more tender than before. Fearing that continuing might lead to missed running days ahead, I finished there and ended with an elapsed time of 7:45. I was happy with how fresh and spry I was feeling, but disappointed random pain kept me from continuing. A good nights sleep and a couple easy days had my foot back to normal and doing "Heart Attack Hill" repeats again. In retrospect it was a good call! Here are some photos from my run. It was one of the sunniest, driest days in the last couple weeks. It was great to enjoy a long section of the trail on a glorious uncrowded weekday. Elevation: gain 7100' loss 5500'

Clouds over the Youghiogheny River valley

Overlook of Middle Fork at mile 21.3 on the LHHT

Turnpike bridge over the PA Turnpike mile 36.75

Trail sign at Firetower Rd., Rt. 31 intersection.

July 28



I recently signed up for Strava GPS run tracker and have been having fun with their "segments." Runtastic is my normal GPS of use. (I find both equally inaccurate, but help in tracking elevation). I'm new to using Strava so I don't understand all of it, but segments appear to be short challenges (segments) created by Strava based on runs by users. You can compete against all others that have completed each "segment." Many segments exist along the LHHT due to Laurel Ultra racers using Strava on race day. I decided to set my sights on some of the current Strava records for local "segments". The segment I was excited to try was named "Conn Rd Climb." This segment starts at Bidwell Rd. and climbs 1.6 miles and 1,264' of elevation to Conn Rd. It has an average grade of 15.4%. There have been 19 recorded users on the segment. The record of 25:27 was held by Jim Trautmann of Pittsburgh. He set the record on June 12, . Seventeen runners have done the segment since him. I would be number 18 to try. I parked at Conn Rd. and walked to milepost 8 to begin. I did 2 slow warmup laps of MP 8 to 6 to 8 repeats sans GPS. I used my watch to clock splits. On my way back up on repeat 2 (mile 7.25) I stopped and grabbed my phone. I started it at mile post 8. My third time down to 6 I picked up the pace increasing my cadence as well as stride adjusting to the high turnover about to commence for my record attempt up. I turned around at milepost 6 and started the long grind up with vigor. I ran close to red line for quite a while until I broke to a power hike. I kept attacking "Heart Attack." The grade backs off just before MP 7. I picked back up into a sprint at the shelf and continued past 7 and up to the next steep section. I ran all I could from MP7 up to the finish at Conn Rd. I wasn't sure where it ended, so I kept my effort up all the way to MP8 where I ended my lap. I uploaded my run and it was official. I squeaked by the old Strava record for Conn Rd. Climb. My time was 24:56. A minor record, but still cool in my eyes. I'm sure its been run faster by others. It would be cool to get a King of the Climb going on for "Heart Attack Hill" Mile post 6 to 8 which I officially clocked (with a watch at mile posts) 27:56. After spending some time looking around Strava I've noticed that Jim did quite a few quick trail runs on the trails in the Laurel Highlands. How cool! Hope to see you out there some day...



July 29

I decided to run the Route 31 to Route 30 section of the LHHT. Another glorious day with plentiful sunshine and temps around 68°. I had the trail to myself. I passed one lone hiker on this roughly 15 mile section. This time I went with limited water, no electro replacement capsules and only 1 gel as a slight handicap. The whole section went well and I cruised along at a good pace finishing the section in 2:35. Elevation Gain 2805', Loss 3202'. The trail was recently maintained in this section and is in wonderful condition where thick spots usually exist.




So many good runs recently, I could mention them all. To end this and save you from a longer post. I'll leave with some recent photos. Happy trails!

First Copperhead I've ever seen on the LHHT! I can't believe it...

Quebec Run, Hess trail

Quebec Run, Hess trail, Photo L. Hahn

Laura and Elmo
Grove Run Trail head, Linn Run State Park

Poppies

Some photos of a few poppies I took yesterday morning. The early sunlight was really showing them off nicely.

California :: Sierra Madre and Highway One

On March 31st , with an offer from Kathryn Doyle to “hang out for a few days” and the opportunity to meet with a few fellow genea-bloggers, I changed directions and headed north towards Oakland.

Rather than take the same road back north, I traveled one of my favorite routes – Highway 33 from Ventura through Ojai and the Los Padres National Forest in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Then connecting to Highway 166 and back to the Coast Highway.

The Sierra Madre Mountains as seen from near Pine Mountain Summit. Elevation was more than 5,000 feet.

I spent the night at Montaña De Oro State Park just south of Morro Bay. It was another windy day and the surf was incredible. This park has a lot to offer – scenery, trails, wildflowers - and I would have liked to spend more time there – perhaps another day... gorgeous.





One of the wildflowers found along the bluff trail.

Cape Blanco

Monday, September 27, .. - - Cape Blanco State Park, eight miles northwest of Port Orford, Oregon.

Looking South from the top of the bluff.
This is why it is called Cape Blanco. As I drove up to the park, the sky changed from a beautiful blue to white and the temperature dropped eight degrees.

Within two hours the fog completely blanketed the area...

Yard ArtLawn Darts ..

After sadly not going out on Sunday due to the forecast rain and not seeing any rain in Seattle, I convinced Adam to do a one day trip to Leavenworth. I was hoping to get a lot of climbing in, but the forecast was against us. (40% chance of rain after 2pm) So we drove into the Icicle and headed straight for Peek-a-Boo Tower to do the three star route Yard Art, but finish with the four star Lawn Darts.

Adam starting the first pitch

It was partly sunny as we hiked up, but we quickly donned jackets for the climb, and I ended up in my shell before leaving the ground. Adam led the first pitch which was varied 5.7 climbing and mostly gear. (I found the crux of the pitch to be a chimney like feature about half way up.) I came up to the belay and got confused by the guide's description of the second pitch. "Scary moves off the belay" was not exactly true, as the first moves off the belay were not scary. Once you clip a bolt, there were some delicate moves (crux of the pitch) left before making a few moves upward where you are able to grab a large crack and the difficulties ease off for the rest of the pitch. I led up this pitch and brought Adam up.

Adam coming up the second pitch

Adam said he'd give the next pitch a go, but balked a bit a few moves from the third clip. He started to down climb a move and I didn't like what I saw and locked him off just before he slipped and fell. He shook himself off without any injury and got back on. He started to do the same moves again but admitted his head wasn't in it after the fall. He backed off and gave the lead to me. I cruised up the spot where he peeled, and made the few delicate maneuvers to reach the next bolt and continue to the top. When I got to the anchor, instead of proceeding to the base of Lawn Darts, I stopped and belayed Adam up. There was a wet patch on Lawn Darts, and I wasn't sure it was possible to do, so I wanted to look at it while I belayed Adam.

Adam cruised the pitch on top rope, and we briefly assessed Lawn Darts from the belay. We agreed the water did not appear to affect the route, and I belayed Adam over to the base of the climb, where he brought me up.

We put the trad rack in our pack, and I counted enough draws to make it to the top. Then I proceeded up. This long pitch starts easily and then reaches a small overlap where I slipped after clipping the bolt. (I did not fall.) That shook me up as I was just standing there, and I think it really messed with my head. I hung for a bit before getting back on. The rock near my feet had a high quartz content, and was quite slippery. I had to work for good foot placements before stepping up onto the overlap, where traction got better. A few moves higher up and there were larger features and eventually some cracks/holes that made the climbing much easier through that section. Around this point, it started to rain slightly. Not enough to make the rock wet yet but enough to make me notice.

Adam at the base of Lawn Darts

The crux of the route comes surmounting a roof. It is easy to get halfway up and clip a bolt above the roof, but I found the next move right to be difficult. In my head I just wanted off the climb, and with the slight rain, I just couldn't motivate to figure out the correct sequence and eventually grabbed the draw to move over. Once in my new position I used some "bigger holds" to gain upward movement and continue to the top. I didn't find the upper section that difficult, but my mind was pretty fried and that always makes climbing feel difficult. At the top I set up a belay and brought Adam up. He hung to rest his calves, and then fell twice at the move right above the roof. Fortunately the rain waited to come down harder until he was at my side. Then we started our rappels.

Rapping in the rain

While we rapped quickly, the rain started coming down harder. By the time we were on our final rap, the rock was wet, and we were getting a little more wet too. We packed up and the rain subsided, only to return again harder about the time we reached the car. Our hopes for other climbs faded, and we headed home to Seattle where it was raining heavily on the west side of the Cascades.

A few interesting items of note. One is that I have been noticing the weather forecasts to be spot on lately. The forecast for Seattle the other day said showers until 11am, and I think they may have lasted until 10:30 before tapering off. Today on route, the rain arrived around 2pm just as forecast. This is interesting, but I have made a new policy of going out to Leavenworth as long as the forecast calls for less than 50% chance of rain. Not sure if I'd apply that same rule to the west side or mountains yet. The other item of note is that Lawn Darts is completely within my capability and I did not climb it that well. I started off with a good head for the climb, but the impending weather and generally lackluster day wore me down. As well as my unexpected slip. I'm not sure there is anything I can do about climbing in weather, but I'll try to be more conscious of my deteriorating head space in the future.

Luke, Mike, and Idiocracy

Although I’m not a movie critic, I’m definitely a movie fan. Philo and I joined the Austin Film Society soon after we arrived in Texas, a great organization that oversees Austin Studios. I really like Luke Wilson, and when Mike Judge, the man behind “King of the Hill”, Office Space, and “Beavis & Butthead”, cast Luke as the star of his untitled set-in-the-future movie in Austin, it sounded like a sure thing. But something happened between the completion of the movie and its very odd and scattered release this week.

The movie is now titled Idiocracy, with Luke Wilson playing an army guy named Joe, and Maya Rudolph playing a hooker named Rita. As the most perfectly average people on earth, they’re chosen for an experiment, end up in the future and find out that the current dumbing-down trend has progressed to…. well, if this sounds funny, it is.

Austin movie critic Jette Kernion put out the word at Slackerwood that Idiocracy would be in very limited release this weekend.

Jette, longtime blogger and recent author, reviewed the movie in another of her blogs, Cinematical.

We saw Idiocracy today. Luke is perfect as Joe and Maya Rudolph was fun to watch as Rita [did you know that her mom was the late singer Minnie Riperton?]. The movie is savagely funny. Its targets are practically every current popular form of entertainment, clothing, language, sports & celebrities, along with DINKS, the government and every large corporation in America. Oh, yeah, it also makes fun of Fox news. It’s an R movie for good reasons, and under the humor there is anguish and anger. If you can’t stand either Beavis or Butthead, or didn’t like A Boy and His Dog, this one won’t work for you. If you like your humor over the top and with a bitter edge, find out if it’s in your city this week. In a very oblique way, Idiocracy has agriculture as a plot element, with crops endangered by corporate interference, so maybe this movie does belong on a garden blog!

In my photo collage there’s a snapshot of Luke, speaking to a reporter at a benefit showing of My Dog Skip a few years ago. I was inches away from him at the Stubb’s Barbecue party following the movie, but was too chicken to say a word, darn it. Now don’t misunderstand – this isn’t a Mrs. Robinson thing – more like imagining Luke as another one of my adult nephews, who could hang out on the patio and tell me about movies and acting while I fed him homemade peanut butter cookies. In my dreams!

Guadalupe Mountains

Wednesday, April 6th - - Continuing north on Texas Highway 54 about 60 miles from the town of Van Horn, you run smack dab into the south face of the Guadalupe Mountains!





This was still about 15 miles south. The mountain rises dramatically from the desert floor. The peak in the center is El Capitan, which has an elevation of 8,085 feet. Guadalupe Peak, the highest peak in Texas at 8,749 feet, is directly behind El Capitan. (As always, double-click on an image to view a larger version! It's worth the "extra" clicks!!)





US Highways 62 and 180 intersect with route 54 just south of the mountain. I traveled a short distance west on 62/180 to take the above photo.





Turning back to the east, highway 62/180 heads into the mountains. (This was taken as I was driving down the highway – not a recommended practice by the way - hence a bit of glare in the center of the picture.)





El Capitan as seen from Guadalupe Pass, which is at 5,420 feet.



The view from my site at Pine Springs Campground in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Not quite as imposing as El Capitan but impressive nevertheless.



I had been told by one of the campers at Monahans Sandhills that even if I did no hiking, it was worth the drive to Guadalupe just to see the Mountains. I totally agree with that assessment.



I had also been informed that it was extremely windy at Guadalupe. In fact, that is the primary reason I didn't go there last year. And, yes, it was quite windy. The van was buffeted all night long as the wind howled through the mountains. They have some nice trails too (some even designated as easy), but I didn't do any hiking – too windy and the left leg is still bothering me.

The Toadstools

We had planned on camping last night but thanks to the rain and high wind from the thunderstorms we instead decided to stay at a motel in Kanab, Utah.Since we werein Kanab, we figured we would head over to the BLM visitor center in the morning and sign up for the daily lottery to try and win a spot for a hike to "The Wave" (google "The Wave" and you'll see how cool this area is). Basically, because The Wave is in a designated wilderness area, access is strictly controlled by the BLM. Each day they allow only20 people to hike to The Wave. 10 of these spaces are reservable online 4 months ahead of time and 10 spaces are given away each day in a "lottery". So, basically, you go to the visitor center in the morning and sign up, then wait as they literally conduct a lottery using bingo balls. You are assigned a number that corresponds to one of the bingo balls, and they spin the balls in a cage. If your number pops up, you get to do the hike the following day. There were 108 people signed up for the lottery the day we were there, so needless to say, our chances weren't very good and we didn't get a spot. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of other cool things to see and do in the area and we already had a backup plan in place.







































After the lottery let-down, we hopped back in the truck and headed east towards Page, Arizona. Along the way was the first hike in our back-up plan, an easy walk to an area known as "The Toadstools". This certainly was an easy walk, much less strenuous than most of the hikes we've done on the trip so far. It was not quite a mile from the parking area to the Toadstools area, and it was pretty much a flat hike. In case you're wondering, a "toadstool", according to the park literature,is "a spire-like feature with a boulder perched atop a pedestal rock, like a mushroom. It forms when softer rock erodes away, leaving a column sheltered from the wind and water." We had a great time exploring the Toadstool area and as the norm has been the past few days, we had beautiful clouds which made for great pictures!

The Seasons are changing, and so are the routes...

This past week has brought intense thunderstorms, new snowfall, and crisp fall air to Mt. Rainier. With these changes in the weather, we are also seeing changes on some of the routes. See the Disappointment Cleaver page for information on the latest developements there. The upcoming week looks like it holds beautiful weather, so come on up to Mount Rainier National Park and enjoy the stunning scenery, the wildflowers, and the melted out hiking trails before fall truly takes hold!

Update from GRIP

I'm behind with posting but with good reason. Yesterday's classes were Intense. Yes, with a capital "I" and they were also Interesting, Informative and Mentally Exhausting.



I was up late last night (as were most other classmates in the Advanced Research Methods with Tom Jones). In addition to a full day of classes yesterday (please go read Chris Staats' post about yesterday's classes and wish him a belated happy Anniversary while you're there) we had a homework assignment. We had no idea how hard it was going to be, but that look of glee on Dr. Jones' face when he gave us the 8-page handout should have been a clue!



I do enjoy a challenge but this was something else. There were abstracts of 16 tax lists, 3 census records, 12 deeds, 4 wills, 2 guardian records, 2 marriage records, and a Revolutionary War Pension affidavit that we had to review, analyze, and try to determine the father of a man from 5 other men with the same surname!



But before tackling the homework I decided to attend the presentation by Rick Sayre on Pennsylvania Research, which was good but he quite a bit of time on Pittsburgh records. I would have liked to have heard more about statewide records.



After returning from the presentation, I spent 4 hours working on the homework assignment. At that point, I still hadn't reached a conclusion but my head was hurting and my eyes were burning so I turned in for the night. Less than half an hour later an idea popped into my dull brain and I "had" to get up and work on the problem before I lost my train of thought. Yes, the answer had come to me. A short time later I was back in bed sound asleep. I didn't even hear the storm that came through that many were talking about today.



I worked on the problem for another hour (consolidating my thoughts and trying to come up with some idea of how to "defend" my conclusion) before heading off to class. Dr. Jones went through the list of possible fathers, one at a time, asking those who thought it was a particular man to raise their hand. When he got to "William" the hands of about 2/3 of the class shot up. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach since he wasn't my choice! When the name of the one I had chosen came up only 3 of us raised our hands.



A minute or so later, Dr. Jones announced that there were 3 "A" students in the class! I had gotten it right! To say that I was ecstatic is an understatement... So, I'm giving myself a little pat on the back and tooting my own horn a bit too. I must say, it felt awesome.



It's been another full exhausting and enlightening day, and we're almost caught up with the syllabus. Tomorrow is the last day with only half a day of classes. It's been an amazing experience and I am so glad that I was able to come.



I'm sure that Chris will be blogging about today's classes as will classmates Shelley Bishop at A Sense of Family and Christy Webb at the Geeky Texan. Also Denise Levenick, the Family Curator, has also been blogging about the Intermediate class she is taking.



This will likely be the last post from GRIP... I've got to get busy on the homework for tomorrow...

Dynafit Huascaran Ski.....take 2

Ya, after my exposure to Jason and Eric,back to my reality now :-)



Funny how I can write a blog and have all these great ideas in my head about training andnutrition. And weigh out my gearto the gram. Then on a 2am start at the last moment ditch the plan (THE PLAN) and grab totally different gear for a specific reason. Which may or may not be even remotely reasonable. I never do that climbing.



Classic example of thatthis morning. We took Sunday off to get some rest and prepare for a skion Rainier. At the last moment I intentionally and mindlessly grabbed my 177cm Huascaran instead of my 168cm GTR La Sportiva. Which added 3+ pounds to my kit. Instead of my typical 1 literbladder I grabbed a full 100 fluid oz or 3 liters of water. 6.6 pounds of water weight instead of 2.2 pounds. Up 7.4 pounds before I even left the house!



How to plan defeat? Jerry and I were both tired. Him from driving 10 hrs and a day of skiing in trying conditions. Me? From a late night social dinner and not enough sleep. Few ever call me social.



The last time I had skied the Nisqually chutes the one thing that kept popping into my mind was how bad the snow was (it hadbeen exceptionally warm that day) and how good the skiing might have been on a fat ski. When we left the house late for the two hour drive and then missed a crucial turn and added another 45 minutes I didn't careabout what skis I'd picked up or the additional water.



When Eric, Stano andNick blew by me on the Muir snowfield I was feeling like a dolt. (see http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//05/new-speed-ski-record-on-rainier.html) I could hear their skins ripping off the skin tracks from a long ways down the mtn. I'd just stopped for a bite to eat to cheer myself up. Jerry a full 30 minutes ahead of me by now.



I had promised myself not to rethink the extra liters of water or the fat skis for this trip. "Make a choice and live with it" was to be my motto that day. My mind kept returning to this picture on the Muir snowfield a month ago.











A short day trip where I not only caught everyone I saw on ski or on footbut passed them all with little fan fareand no extra effort. Something that literally never happens to me these days. I was pretty stoked. But Marker Dukes, downhill boots, long fat ski, big packs by comparisonand a helmet didn't make passing them allmuch of a challenge either.



Yesterday I was all too aware, I was seemingly "them". And while happy to be out.......I know the difference between "us" and "them". And it aint the Lycra. My "skinny"skis and bootswere a big part of the fun previous. Stripped to long johns and a minuscule race pack helped. And the gear isn't even "light" versions oif the skis or bootsby comparison to what is easily available. I have never been disappointed in the lightchoice of gear in the mountains.










Ok, that said how were the Huascarans skiing down from Muir yesterday? Well we abandoned the summit attempt after being totally demoralised in no small part by the Canadians running by and the lack of motivation earlier in the morning.



This is how I found Jerry @ Muir ;-) Wrapped snugly in his Mont BellMirage jacket (review comingsoon) and his favorite Patagonia Mixed Guide pant,sound asleep on his skis. "I told you I was tired". Unusual for Jerry as he's been the energizer bunny for the 40+ years I've skied and climbed with him.



http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=70&p_id=2301365






Our fate now sealed, thankfully as Jerry naps;)




Despite what Eric said in his blog about their speed ascent, "It was warm and windless so light gloves and race suit were hot!" more here:

http://coastmountainskiing.com/race-mount-rainier-fkt/#comment-405



After aquick food and water break I found the Muir snow field both a littlechillyand breezy just after sunrise just below where Eric and crewskinned past. Hood up and puffy on. The difference in effort involved obviously. Jerry and I both had warm gloves and puffies on for the first part of our ski decent from Muir.



But as I said Jerry is usually full of energy. So we aint waiting long for softer snow. I'm game! I brought full on "mountain" skis, and my TLT Performance boots, tongue and my innovative power strap add on to solve any skiing problem I might have imagined from the summit. The upper hard pack and the Nisqually chutes are going to be kid's play after the GTRs in the windcrust and slush of the last time out here.



For those interested I'm using Voile strapsfor the TLTs in either version. Makes the boot skin easier without the bolted on version and easy to add or remove. I also like the progressive supportthey add differing fromatypical Velcro power strap.












Jerry was in a pair of TLT Mountain (no tongue or power strap)and short (166) Kilowats. Jerry is likely capable of skiing any terrian, on any gear. When we first met he was on 220s and a PSIA instructor. He's 5' 9" and 150# on a good day and skiing prior to kindergarten. Now he patrols in Montana after his last decade old gig as a full cert race coach. I alwaysbelieve I know how to ski, until Iski with JJ again.






Jerry dropping off the Muir Snowfield yesterday








So the upper Muir snow field was some pretty hard snow. If it were at a ski area it would no doubt simply be called ICE. We skied it anyway. Not a edge mark to show our passing for the first 2000'. Hard and almost baby ass smooth terrain. Fun skiing. Sort of. Jerry's feet and my knees were taking a beating from the hard conditions.For the first time ever, I admit we are well worn. Hard snow on fat skis and soft boots will do that. And I had the advantage in every way with the Huascarans and carbon cuffed boots here. (tongue and power strap in place)



We took a short break to see if the sun would soften the snow enough to be really pleasurable. Because it was pretty good skiing even being that hard. 30 minutes and things were starting to rock. The right aspect and my Huascarans were cutting a razor's edge on the snow surface. Just barely noticeable. We both were getting huge grins and admiring the grand scale of the terrain on the mountain.






Note the distinct lack of Jerry's ski track in the dragon skin. The tracks that do show are from the previous day's much warmer snow conditions.





Yes, "GRAND", would be a good descriptor here!






So the Huascarans had skied a couple thousandfeet of ice and now we are switching to some amazing corn snow for another 3000' and we'll end in 1000 vert feet of wet snow, almost slush. Not terribly bad conditions any where and something any ski can handle easy enough. But few skis will give you the kind of pleasure a mid fat, 113mm under foot, rockered tip and a shaped pin tail will with a decent side cut, in ANY snow condition. I have 3 such skis in my quiver. All coming inat progressively more weight. All of them amazing skis. But only the Huascaran am I willing to pack up to Camp Muir or the summit of Rainier. Because at least for me it is never "all about the down". A quick (for me)three hour hike to Muir gets you a casually paced ski to the Nisquallybridge in 2 hours, even if some boulderhiking is thrown in.






The bridge just 10 minutes away






I had promised myself early on yesterday to "make a choice and live with it". There wasn't a single turn I made yesterday (and I made a lot of them) except that missed turn on the drive over where I regretted my choice in skis. I savored every single one of those turns. I earned them after all.



The extra 2.5 liters of water? I gave that away at Camp Muir to some needy climbers suffering through a bad night.






Jerry was gone 30 minutes hitching a ride and fetching the truck. I took a nap in the bright sunshine . "I told you I was tired". Falling asleep staring at our route off the mountain and thinking just how much fun I had just had.....much of it due to my choice of boots and the Huascarans. As I dosed off I promised myself to take a few lessons and learn to ski more like Jerry for next year. And rethink how much water I really need to carry;-)



Better to think ofyour own efforts along the lines of Stano, Nick and Eric than "them other guys" You'll likely enjoy the outdoors more more.





For anyone interested in my previous thoughts on the Dynafit Huascaran look here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pxlqsK9liI



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//03/all-mountain-skis.html



I have yet to do a proper review of this ski. I have the 177cm that I've talked about a couple of times now. I was so impressed with the 177s I bought a pair of 196cm Huascaran's as well. This review turned into a short story of our day out as much as it did a review of the Huascaran. I can't say enough good things about this ski. But I'll try again in a proper review of both the 177cm and the 196cm version shortly. Bottom line imo? I own fourreally, reallygood, mid fat, 115+/-mm under foot skis. The Huascaran is the lightest version. If weight is important to you buy a pair of Huascarans on sale this summer and get ready to rip next winter!



Trevor seems to agree. And he actually does RIP!










http://www.coaststeepskier.com/wphome/