Tubing with Nathan and Lauren

Next up was Lauren with Nathan. Nathan says he had fun. I think he was only out there about five minutes though so I don't know that he was the hugest fan. He says he flew up in the air higher than everyone else and had more spray in his face. I think he needs a bigger tube, because he is just too tall for this one!

Something Special

Having a special bicycle is not about following the latest chic trend. It is not about hunting down a frame made of famous tubing. It is not about obsessing about period-correct components. And it is not about trying to evoke a specific country of origin.It's really about focusing on your preferences and your needs. Only you can make your bicycle uniquely yours.



My fellow Bostonian C.P. - or "cycler" on Biking in Heels - has done an impressive job in this regard. Her bicycle, Gilbert, is completely and utterly hers - and very special. CP comes from a family of cyclists and has ridden a bike for as long as she can remember. But it was not until she lived in Italy as a young adult, that her love of city bicycles with step-through frames was ignited. Upon returning to the US, she brought a vintage Italian city bike with her, and the rest is history. An architect by profession and a DIY enthusiast by nature, C.P. enjoys wrenching on her own bikes and now owns a modest stable of vintage ladies' models from the 1930s through the 1970s.



As her ultimate bicycle for transportation, C.P. wanted something that handled like her favourite vintage bikes, yet was as clean and reliable as a new bike. And so her project began. She rescued a 1970s Raleigh Lady's Sports frame and fork, and had them repainted a colour she loved. She bought a suitable chaincase and had it painted to match, along with the fenders. She built modern wheels with alloy rims around a Shimano 8-speed hub in the rear and a Shimano dynamo hub in the front.



Gilbert's set-up includes handsome and effective lighting,



cushy cream tires,



front and rear racks for maximum hauling capacity,



Nitto "Albatross" handlebars with city brake levers and a classic bell,



a wheel stabiliser,

and, last but not least, this fantastic fishing creel basket, made of wicker with leather accents. For the holidays, the basket is decorated with battery-operated Christmas lights.Eccentric? Delightfully so! I imagine this style of basket is quite useful for storing small to medium objects within reach, secured by the closed lid. One thing that never fails to impress me about Biking in Heels, is the amount of stuff "cycler" is able to carry on that bike. This has included: a stack of shipping parcels, large plants, household appliances, and building supplies - most of these, of course, on the rear rack and not in the creel basket. While the Raleigh Lady's Sports was not specifically designed as a utility bike, it seems that Gilbert cab haul pretty much anything.



Given the way Gilbert came into existence, it is difficult to categorise him. The bicycle is no longer a vintage Raleigh 3-speed, yet it certainly isn't a modern bike either. But why categorise him at all? You will not find another like him in any catalogue or bicycle blog.Gilbert is C.P.'s personal bicycle, and he is unique. Visit them both at Biking in Heels.

Duck Butts

A lot of ducks feed off the bottom of a lake or pond and when they do they turn their little tails up to get their beaks down to where the food is. These ducks were doing that. I think they are mallards. I decacate this post to my niece who, as a tottler thought that duck butts were funny. She is not the only one. There will be a Birdwatchers Guide to Duck Butts Workshop at the Bosque del Apache Refuge this weekend. Check the link http://http://www.friendsofthebosque.org/Friendsindex.html#whatsnew

Skipping School

As soon as the weather turns nice, John Payne, one of my local heroes and the prefect of discipline at the Duke Ellington School, is on the move. He does't just sit in his office- he goes out and tracks down his prey whether the errant students are in Georgetown or enjoying a park just down the street. A lot of people in my family have attended DC public schools including my parents, and during my son's tenure at Ellington,I noticed another theme running through our family: truancy.







First there's my mother and father- they met at Western High (now Duke Ellington) in the 1930s. My mother remembers skipping school to have picnics with my father. He had a a Model A Ford for a quick escape, and more importantly, two sandwiches in his bag because my Greek grandmother was sure he would starve while away at school all day.











For my oldest brother, Peter, skipping school in the 1950s meant he and his buddy Pete Stone would head for the movie theaters like the RKO, the Capitol and the Palace. Back then going to the movies also included not only a newsreel and a cartoon, but often a stage show, and my brother swears he once saw Peggy Lee.Unfortunately for my brother, our father's spies were everywhere, and he was caught more often than not, but despite the consequences, it was worth it to him.












My sister also remembers skipping school with Pete Stone, Wilson's expert truant at the time. This is what she remembers:



"Back in the day, skipping school was easy if you knew the right people. Pete was a senior, and I was a lowly freshman.He plotted with me one evening to go to Fletcher's Boat House, and the next day, hehandled the attendance records by commandeering the girl in charge. She erased my name and his from the absentee list. We then drove to the boat house, rented a canoe, and down the Potomac we went at lightning speed.




That should have been our first clue that things would end badly.



We spent the rest of the day trying to paddle back against the current. Finally, somewhere around the Tidal Basin, we were able to get the canoe out of the water. We carried the friggin' thing all the way back to Fletcher's. Returning home much later than usual andin agony with the aches of hauling a canoe over my head and a fresh sunburn, I now had to explain to the parents where I had been. I wasastonished whenthey accepted my tall tale about too much sun during the field hockey game, but I never risked skipping school again."

















Finally in more recent years, the very first time my daughter, Zoe skipped school at Wilson, she became a victim of Homeland Security. She and a friend had snuck out out, just for a quick run down the block to get a soda, but during her very brief absence the entire city went into lock down mode. (Remember the Bush Administration?) Getting out was easy, but to Zoe's horror, when she returned the doors were locked, and she couldn't get back in. That's when the truancy officers picked her up, took her downtown and made her call her parents. This cured her until senioritis set in, but I am happy to report that all of the truants in this story recieved their diplomas.

Mt. Olympus, Blue Glacier

We made the long drive up to the northwest corner of the state to climb Mt. Olympus. It is located deep in the Hoh Rain Forest. The climb involves a round trip hike of 45 miles with an elevation gain of 8,000'.



There were huge, moss covered Douglas Fir, Cedar, Spruce and Hemlock trees everywhere.



Elk Lake at the 15 mile mark.





This cable ladder was put in place to help climbers cross an avalanche chute just before the camp at Glacier Meadows.





The Blue Glacier as seen from the lateral moraine. The true summit is the farthest peak in the middle of the picture. Snow Dome is on the right.





Doug and Dave on the summit in our rain gear. It rained for about an hour when we first started up the glacier. We had traveled and hiked way to far to turn around because of rain! The sun even came out later that morning.



The view from the summit looking down on Snow Dome and the Blue Glacier.






The lower part of the glacier is a square mile of hard ice. It is covered with hundreds of small icy streams. They usually disappear into a hole or crevasse on the glacier.



It would have been easy to spend an entire day there exploring that part of the mountain. We had to walk on the high spots to stay dry.




We made our way back down the moraine to Glacier Meadows where the biting flies convinced us to start the hike out to the car. The next day, we stopped at the beach for a while and then started the long drive home. It was nice to accomplish another climb that had been on our "to do" list for a while.

Altra Lone Peak trail running shoes (600+ mile review)

Altra - Lone Peak trail running shoes after 600+ miles

In past blog posts I've touched on gear that I find extraordinary. I was surprised how many people read my write-up on the Lowa Mountain Expert ice boots. I'd like to highlight my favorite " 3-season" shoes, The Altra Lone Peak. Since purchasing these about a year ago, many of my trail runs have been done wearing the Altra Lone Peak Zero Drops. What's zero drop? Zero drop means that there is no height differential between the front and rear of the shoe. Note that most traditional shoes have a higher heel than toe. Primarily the higher heel is designed to cushion the hard impact of heel striking runners (those who's heel is the first part to impact the ground during running). Zero drops are intended to promote forefoot or mid-foot striking by not having a thick heel to get in the way, helping the runner to land mid or fore foot. Instead of me trying to get all tech-savy on you, simply check out Altra's website for a lot of information about running form, and how their shoes can help make you a stronger, healthier runner. For the record, I'm not affiliated with Altra in any way. Nor is this a paid review or did I get free shoes like some reviewers. This is simply a write-up on a pair of shoes that I think are top-notch and that fellow runners might benefit from. I've read other reviews, but most seemed like blah,blah "out of the box" reviews. I figured I'd share my thoughts after some lengthy trail use. For those who don't know me, I'm your average trail runner/climber who happens to spend a great deal of time on the trails and rocks in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania. I usually run 5 or 6 days a week (not always in the Lone Peak). I'm 6' tall, weigh about 155lbs, size 12 and normally cover between 50-100 miles per week. I've primarily used these shoes for trail running on technical single track, but they've also been worn as climbing approach shoes and general hikers on many occasions. The 600+ mile estimate is most likely very low, but we'll just call it 600. I decided to take a brush to my shoes, clear away all the trail debris, and show how great they've fared thus far...

Zero drop = no raised heel

My Lone Peaks are the first generation model. Designed for running many miles, over rough terrain. I originally read about them shortly before their release. I was excited by the wide toe box design, lighter weight, some rock protection and zero drop platform. I guess I liked most everything about them. Very close to what I would want if I designed my own shoe. Around that time I was happily running a lot of road miles in the first edition NB Road Minimus. Pleased with the lower heel and wide toe box on that model, I was in the market for a new pair of trail shoes of similar design. I purchased the Lone Peaks shortly after their availability. Fast forward over last season and some months off due to ski injuries. They've covered a few miles and are holding up very well. I will admit to being pessimistic about their durability since this was their first release of the Lone Peak model. So far they're holding up better than any other trail shoes I've used in the past and I expect that they'll continue. Here's a photo review with some comments on the current state of my Lone Peaks.

The toe cap material ripped or split, Barge cement holds it in place...Usually

The toe cap failure doesn't seem to impede performance, but requires maintenance every couple of runs ;)

Stitching and the upper are holding great. The Wasatch Range is cool

The heel lining doesn't look so good, but still very comfortable

Not the sticky, climbing rubber of LaSportiva's trail models, but better thanothers I've tried. The center forefoot lugs and midsole are wearing down as expected

I really like the traction of the simplistic lugs, great for the trails of Western PA

Factory insoles, still intact with no comlaints

The trail rudder is awesome for "skiing" down steep, slippery slopes. I also like the minimal heel structure. somewhat changed in the newer Lone Peak ver 1.5

Overall, these will see many more miles and I look forward to wearing them

Personal Experience:



I'm always excited to put these shoes on and hit the trails. I will admit that they took some time to get used to. There is much less cushioning than what is found in most traditional trail running shoes, but a lot more than in a model like a NB Trail Minimus, etc. This means that if you do strike your heel on rocks and other trail obstacles, you will feel it. Most runners do experience some growing pains converting to this type of shoe. Worry not... In a short time, your feet and legs will transition into the shock absorbing machines they were designed to be. In past years, I've always had some type of leg pain that slowed my training. Since switching my running form and going to flatter shoes (especially Altras) I've been able to keep training without interruption. Its great to feel sore after a run, not injured. I'll be looking to get a pair of the new Lone Peaks(when these get a little closer to death). I'm curious to see how Altra made improvements on a damn fine, trail running shoe! In a nutshell, I'd HIGHLY recommend giving the Altra Lone Peak's a try. I'd be surprised if you don't fall in love with them like so many others. If you have any questions regarding me, my shoes or whatever... feel free to drop me a message or email. Climb High, Run Far!

Evening Thundercloud

We sure have had a lot of cool clouds filling our skies lately. This one was captured while I was kayaking the Pigeon River recently. I could hear thunder off in the distance but I never did get rained on while I was out there.



Below: Another one that I captured the same evening along the river.

"Evil's" bastard son.

What is it about this shot? I like it, but I find it unsettling.The twisty posture? The way the rock receeds so sharply away, the rope trail? No, something else.It could be the toe hook.It stirs dread in me. Is that not the weakest move in a climbers bag?Using a muscle designed to do no more that lift the foot for walking.



Frey Yule on his route "Evil Knievel" 29 (8a)Starts up "Evil Wears No Pants" then goes left.















There's usually no elegant way of releasing a toe hook either. It's hook or cut loose.













The mandatory cut loose. And a chance for me to check the soles of Freys shoes up close.

Hmm, no special tread pattern, he must just be strong.













That's Sister Matt on belay.























Dark, moodypossibilities, all of them marginal.









Climbers, I know you are all thinking "let me at it" but this one looks veeery tricky.





















Come in out of the rain Frey.









.

Achingly Upright

Longer commutes over the past few months have given me the opportunity to ride a variety of upright bikes over varying distances. And while achieving a particular fit is less important to me on upright bikes than it is on roadbikes, I still have preferences. For instance, my ideal handlebar height is on the low side. I began to notice that fairly early on, lowering the bars on my city bikes further with each passing year.I'd assumed this growing preference had to do with performance: That maybe as I picked up handling skills and began to ride faster, lower handlebars just made more sense. And in part that's probably true. But lately I've realised that it's also a matter of physical comfort.



Riding several bikes with the bars set higher than I prefer, I notice that my back starts to hurt after some miles. It's a distinct kind of dull, gnawing pain, somewhere around the shoulder blade area. On bikes where the bars are set lower, I don't experience the pain. And having moved the handlebars on one of the "painful" bikes down an inch, the pain disappeared. I've tried this a few times now over the past couple of months with the same result: When the bars are too high, my back aches.



The downside to having a city bike set up the way I like, is that other women who try it usually tell me the handlebars feel too low.In the end, it's about finding our personal optimal position. And too upright can be just as achy as too leaned forward.

Hairy Beastie

Time to brush the horses. First I did the bay mare, Nita, then on to the old paint, Sunny. But Nita really likes to be brushed and tells me she wants more by shoving her nose in against Sunny. But Sunny is the worst of my Hairy Beasties so he gets the most. The hair comes off in swirls that almost look like big hairy worms. then it is all in a pile at his feet. Hate to say it but I know I will have to do it all over in a day or so.