Sunrise Over the Sandias

Redefining Sunday Mornings

Apologies for the over-abundance of road themed posts lately, but I need to write this down before the details fade, or before I get too embarrassed. This morning, instead of sleeping in like normal people I woke up at 7am to get ready for the Sunday Morning Ride at the Ride Studio Cafe. I have done their Women's Rides, but never the mixed gender Sunday rides. While some have tried to lure me to join, others warned that these rides are faster and more difficult than described. Especially after reading this, I was inclined to believe the latter and sensibly steered clear. So why now? Well, I need to train for the Hell's Gate Hundred and time is running out. And also these people convinced me that I could do it. With a straight face they said: "Oh you can definitely do it." And I believed them - figuring that since they were designated to lead the ride this weekend, they ought to know.




So, could I do it? That really depends of your definition of that concept. I mean,I finished the ride. I didn't crash. I didn't walk uphill. I didn't throw up or cry (though I came close). So in that sense I guess I did it. But it was such a humiliating struggle, that I can hardly think of it as an accomplishment. It was worse even than my first paceline ride last May, when I showed up on a touring bike and everybody else rode racing bikes. Only this time I did not have the "slow bike" excuse - it was all me. At least now I know where I stand.




When I left the house this morning it was 25°F outside with a brutal headwind. Of all the mild Sundays we've had this winter, I just had to choose this one. As I pedaled the 10 miles to the ride's start my eyes were watering and my lungs were burning; doing this was beginning to seem like a terrible idea. But I'd already told people I was coming and didn't want to back out.




As cyclists arrived bundled up and in good spirits, I felt more relaxed.By the time we got ready to ride, it warmed up to 30°F and the sunny morning made me optimistic. "This will be just like the Women's Rides," I told myself, "only with men." There were only 4 of us in the slower group; this was going to be fun and social.




Trying to analyse it in retrospect, I am not sure what exactly made this ride so difficult for me. It was probably a little bit of everything. The speed in itself would have been fine, if it weren't for the headwinds we were continuously assaulted with. The hills would have been fine, if there weren't so many of them. It was also difficult to breathe the cold air while already struggling to breathe from exertion.




Werode 34 miles through the towns of Lexington, Weston, Wayland, Sudbury and Lincoln. We climbed two substantial hills, with lots of littler hills in between. I was without a doubt the weakest member of our group, and on hills this was especially apparent. I wheezed. I whimpered. I swore out loud. I almost fainted from pushing myself to try and keep up. And still I lagged behind. My legs felt like lead.Flats and downhills did not offer much respite, since I had to work harder than everyone else to keep up the pace. My face was bright red from shame and effort.




I employed various coping techniques to get through the ride. At one point, I mentally talked myself through it. "It's okay... Pedal, don't think... Look at the pretty trees... Focus on the wheel in front of you... What doesn't kill you makes you stronger..." After that stopped working, I began to play Bach in my head until the repetitive harpsichord pieces started to feel like a seizure. Then I tried to separate my mind from the physicality of what I was doing, as if it were happening to somebody else. Some time after that delirium set in and I don't remember anymore.




At some point - I think this must have been closer to the beginning - something really cool happened. The faster group caught up with us and "swallowed us" before speeding away. I have never experienced this before and it wasn't the same as merely riding in a group. Suddenly, the faster cyclists were ...everywhere. On my right, on my left, in front, behind - some seemingly no more than an inch away. I felt carried along, swept away - it was scary and exciting at the same time. "Like a school of fish" said a rider in our group later. Is this a taste of what racing is like?




When we finished the ride I could hardly walk. I vaguely recall being hugged and given high-fives as I rapidly chewed a croissant. I had done a Sunday Morning Ride. It was hard, and it was embarrassing, and I will do it again. I rode 55 miles total by the time I got home. Sunday mornings will never be the same.

Sagging Saddles?

It seems that I complain a lot about saddles, finding fault with most of the ones I try if not immediately then certainly within a year's time. This one won't break in, that one hurts my crotch. This one is too narrow, that one is too wide. This one is too soft, that one is too hard... So what now?



Okay, I've had this Brooks B72 for about a year. No complaints about the shape, size or breaking in period - it felt wonderful from the start on a semi-upright bike. I have owned several other B72 models as well - both modern and vintage - and they've all been good. This was the one saddle of all my saddles I thought was pretty darn perfect. Then a couple of months ago I started to notice that the outer edge was pressing into my derriere. At first it was subtle, but the feeling kept getting worse - until one day I looked at the saddle, and the leather was visibly sagging in the center, with the outer edge (where the rivets are) forming a sharp ridge. Regrettably I neglected to take a picture of this before we messed with the tension, but I really ought to have emailed it to Brooks. It is unexpected that a saddle should sag that much under a 125lb rider in less than a year's time. It had never gotten caught in the rain, I am not a proofide zealot, and I had ridden maybe 600 miles on it in the course of 8 months (it is installed on a city bike) when the problem began to present itself.



Though some recommend not to mess with the tension on a Brooks we went ahead and did, and the saddle felt great again... for a couple of weeks. But now, slowly but surely, I am starting to feel the rivets pressing into my behind once more as the leather continues to sag ever so gradually. Darn.



Having spoken to a few long-timeBrooksowners and retailers, I do not think that this is an issue with the B72 model specifically, but rather a general issue with quality control and the natural variation in leather thickness. A couple of retailers have told me that some Brooks saddles will sag in this manner and there does not appear to be a pattern to which models are susceptible to it. Well, that's not very reassuring. I am especially disappointed since this particular saddle was my overall favourite before the sagging problem started. I guess perfection is a myth and it is best to keep that in mind to avoid disappointment. I am curious whether others have experienced the "sudden sag" syndrome on any of their leather saddles, and if so which makes and models. Is there a cure?

Goodbye Visit with the Grandkids

Today we drove down to Boca Raton to say goodbye to the grandkids. It's been an emotional winter for us in that area, so we were thrilled that the visit was a great one. Each time we see them, they seem so much older. Each time we see them, we are tickled pink that they still get so excited to see us. We're guessing that will change at some point, so we soak it up for now.



They gave us "gifts" to take with us. They were these little rubber bands that are shaped like animals and such, and you wear them as bracelets. So cool!

After our way too short of a visit there, we headed over to see Ambir and Auburn. One, or both of them, maybe be moving in with us so we had lots to talk about. We took Ace back home with us, which thrilled Aric because he is close to Ace. Ace is HUGE now! He's still sweet as could be though, so it's hard to take his size all too seriously.



Living the life in Florida!

Northward Bound

Tuesday, April 19th - - After four lovely days of visiting friends in northeast Louisiana, I headed north on Sunday morning (April 17th). My goal was to get back to Indiana without traveling on Interstate Highways at all and to avoid four-lane highways as much as possible. That I have done thus far but I'm only halfway there!



I stopped at the Civil War Interpretive Center in Corinth yesterday (a post is forthcoming on that visit). Last night I stayed at this beautiful State Park in Mississippi – the Natchez Trace Parkway runs through it – and got on the Parkway this morning.





My campsite alongside the lake at Tishomingo State Park in northeast Mississippi.



The sun had been hidden by heavy clouds all day but showed itself for a few minutes late in the evening.







I just love the “green” all around. Delightful. And easy on the eyes.

Cats

I was posting a photo and a little info on each of my 6 horses, 3 dogs, and -opppps - I didn't do the 3 cats. (I think I got sidetracked by the eclipse and the shipwrecks.) We do have 3 cats. Only 3 at this time. The number of cats has varried over the years. We went as high as 7 at one time, but that is way to many for one house. Now we are back to 3 which is a much more managable number to have. I think the first pet I ever had was a dog. A rough coat Collie named Sport. I know there are photos of me with him when I less than a year old. He had been my granddad's dog but when he died just before I was born my parents took him. He wasn't a young dog even then.
After that there were a string of cats. I don't remember them but there were a few photos. I don't know why, but I really love cats. I have done without cats, dogs, and horses, for years on end in my life (and managed to live over it) but I don't think I could ever do without a cat again. I love my horses and dogs dearly but cats are really special. I don't think I have been without a cat since I was about 14 years old. That was a long time and a total of 20 different cats. Some didn't make it very long for one reason or another. But most have lived a long life to go on to a well deserved place in Cat Heaven. Right now we have Jade, K.C., and Murphy. This photo is of K.C. . Eight years ago she came to the door as a tiny kitten, screamed and screamed that she needed to live with us and finally had her way. We don't know where she came from and couldn't find anyone to claim her, so she became one of the family. Her name is short for Kitty Cat. Named by my then teenage son. Now isn't that orginal. K.C is the kind of cat that regardless where she decides to lay down she can look totally and completely comfortable. With all the cats I have had, and cats are known for looking comfortable, K.C. takes it to extreames. I just wish I could do as well at relaxing as she does. K.C. is also, an excelent mouser, and gets along better with the dogs than the other two cats do. In fact she is not sociable with the other cats at all. Even after knowing Jade, (who is 10) all her life and Murphy ( who is 5) all of his, she still hisses, and spits at them if they come close to her. She diffently perfers the company of my husband and myself over other cats, but will run and hide if we have visitors.

Sobering or it should be anyway...

By Angus M. Thuermer Jr., Jackson Hole, Wyo.



March 21,




The route two skiers chose during an excursion near Ranger Peak on March 7
was a key factor in them getting caught and killed in an avalanche, park rangers
said Tuesday.



Steve Romeo and Chris Onufer died after being swept nearly 3,000 vertical
feet. The two likely were headed to an unskied south-facing couloir above
Waterfalls Canyon in Grand Teton National Park that Romeo had eyed over the
years, rangers and a friend of Romeo’s said.



Romeo and Onufer’s ascending ski tracks led to that goal, rangers who
investigated the avalanche deaths said. The route they chose took them from the
edge of an avalanche path into its starting zone, which was the ideal steepness
for slides, rangers said.



“They chose to go up a known avalanche path ascending into an avalanche
starting zone,” Jenny Lake Ranger Rich Baerwald said.



The incident should spur backcountry skiers to learn about avalanches and
reassess the way they make decisions about taking risks, he said. Skilled skiers
and moderate danger can be a deadly combination, rangers said.



Many people who read Romeo’s popular TetonAT ski blog looked to him “as the
subject-matter expert,” Ranger Chris Harder said.



While Romeo skied radical terrain with elan, he also posted several videos
and wrote stories about getting caught in or nearly missed by avalanches.



“I don’t know if he was taking that to heart,” Harder said. “He had more
[encounters] in the last few years than I’ve had in my lifetime,” the 30-year
Teton veteran said.



“I feel pretty strongly a lot can be learned by this,” Harder said.



Neither skier told anybody of his exact plans, rangers believe.



“What their ultimate objective for the day was, we will never know,” Harder
said.



Piecing together information from the ascent track and from friends Romeo and
Onufer talked to before leaving, investigators put together a likely scenario
for the accident.



Romeo and his sometimes ski partner Reed Finlay had talked about skiing a
couloir west of the avalanche path — on a spur of 10,355-foot Ranger Peak.



“It’s a really nice line, a pencil-thin, straight shot.” Finlay said Tuesday.
He and Romeo last saw it together Feb. 4 while on Eagles Rest Peak.



Finlay couldn’t return to the area. His wife, Rebecca, gave birth to
firstborn Kershaw on Feb. 29.



The ill-fated skiers were scheduled to depart Colter Bay at 7 a.m., rangers
said. Across the lake, the slope the two ascended was “a big avalanche path,”
Baerwald said.



“It narrows down from a big basin to gullies chutes and rock bands — it’s
hourglass-shaped,” Baerwald said.



Climbing the avalanche path with skins on their skis, Romeo and Onufer
initially made the best of hostile country, Baerewald said.



They stuck to the climber’s right, near where cliffs form the edge of the
slope.



At an elevation of about 9,700 feet, they made a critical decision.



“They start making their way away from the edge of the avalanche path on into
the avalanche track and into the starting zone,” Baerwald said.



Added Harder, “If they were heading to that [pencil-thin] couloir, they
probably short-cut over to it.”



An alternative would have been to continue up the right side of the slope,
rangers said. This route was less steep and led to a ridge.



“The ridge would have been a safer route,” Baerwald said. Ridge safety is a
basic concept, he said.



“The message with regard to route-finding is, it’s super important terrain be
considered,” he said.



A rising traverse and switchback brought the pair to a slot between two
triangle-shaped cliffs in the middle of the basin. Here the slope steepened to
about 40 degrees, the classic angle for slab avalanches, rangers said.



It is likely this is where the two triggered the slide. The crown, up to 3
feet deep, indicated the avalanche entrained snow that had been falling and
drifting from five days of storms. In that period, 28 inches fell in parts of
the Tetons, the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center reported.



Significant wind carried that snowfall to lee slopes, rangers said, including
the fateful basin on Ranger Peak’s spur. Southeast facing, its orientation
catches drifting snow carried by prevailing winds, they said.



Once the skiers provoked the slide, nothing could have saved them, rangers
said. The avalanche ran a linear mile over cliffs and rocks.

It likely
propelled them at speeds between 60 and 80 mph, rangers said. It ripped off one
skier’s pack, another’s boot, all four skis.



Searchers found the base layers of one ski ripped from its top plate, its
climbing skin still attached.



“The ski was completely delaminated, separated,” Harder said. “Speaking to
force, that says a lot right there.”



The chaos likely tore Romeo’s helmet off his pack, and it “sustained a lot of
damage,” Harder said.



Romeo had an Avalung pack — a device designed to allow avalanche victims to
breathe if buried. Its mouthpiece was deployed, but rangers couldn’t tell
whether he had it gripped in his teeth during the slide, they said.



Friends of the two have asked whether avalanche airbags could have saved
them, rangers said. Airbags are stowed in backpacks and deploy instantly with
the pull of a toggle. They help suspend a skier high in flowing snow and help
prevent burial.



But neither skier was really buried, rangers said.



“Chris probably could have sat up,” had he been alert or alive, Harder said.
“Steve probably could have wrestled an arm out.



The Teton County Coroner ruled the cause of death was blunt-force trauma.



Buffalo Fork Sub-District Ranger Rick Guerrieri said no gear could have
helped.



“One piece of equipment wasn’t going to have any effect on injuries,” he
said.



Added Harder, “The best tool they had with them, they weren’t using the most.
That was their brain.”



Rangers discounted other skiers’ sentiments about the pair being in “the
wrong place at the wrong time.” Such phrases are best reserved for victims of
meteorite strikes, they said.



“This [event] had factors in it that [include] decision-making,” Harder said
of the avalanche. Rangers are uncertain to what extent the pair took into
account the snow and winds.



Avalanche forecasts from the center called the chance of a slide moderate.
The predictions range only to 10,500 feet.



Search leader Guerrieri would not call the pair’s decisions a mistake.



“Different people are willing to accept different levels of risk,” he said.
“I hate second-guessing people.”



Backcountry travelers need to ask themselves what the consequences of taking
a risk might be, Harder said. In this instance, had the avalanche been witnessed
from across the lake and a rescue mounted within 10 minutes, the outcome would
have been the same.



“They died instantly, it’s pretty safe to say,” he said.



Even with working cellphones and helicopters at the ready, an injured skier
would be lucky to get from the Tetons to a hospital within three hours, Harder
said.



Decision-making is an increasing part of avalanche education, Baerwald said.
A study widely cited in recent years indicates that skiers and snowboarders
discard caution in the face of social considerations that range from the lure of
untracked slopes to a commitment to reach a goal or even familiarity with a
slope.



“Taking an avalanche course is critical, even late in the season,” Baerwald
said. Education can help skiers understand what an avalanche forecast means and
provide other lessons, he said.



“There was some decision making that factored into the accident,” Baerwald
said. “Route choice — that’s the one that stands out the most.”



Post script by the editor @ Cold Thistle:



This statement from the article above should stand out to everyone imo:



“I don’t know if he was taking that to heart,” Harder said. “He had more [encounters] in the last few years than I’ve had in my lifetime,” the 30-year Teton veteran said.



In my 40 years of back country,area skiing and winter alpinism the VAST majority of friends I have lost had been in avalanches previousand then eventually died in avalanches.



It is NOT a numbers game. It is a choice you make every time you venture into avi terrain. Start disregarding your fear and you will make the wrong decisions.

None of myfriends were total back country snowdummies. All knew the risks we take. But all made fatal errors...usually more than once and only survivedthe first few incidents because of pure, dumbluck. Harsh? Sure it is. But easier to tell you now than remind you at your own funeral.

How many funerals do youneed to attend before the point is drivenhome?



Snow safety is not rocket science.



The next time you ski or walk into dangerous terrain ask yourself, "is it reallyworth the risk today?""Overs" in this game are hard to come by. Gear will never replace the high tech shit between your ears. Everyone has the same gear there but you have to be willing to actually use it.



Double click to enlarge the terrainphotos of the accident area below.

Female Common Blue and Female Pheasant

Female Common Blue

Out and about on Saturday I found these two girlies a Common female blue and a Female Pheasant.

Diana and Krystal in the Tournament

First, let's talk about the ladies. Diana and I paired up together. We played four games. We played hard.

We played well as a team.

We were happy with how we did today.

We ended up in the championship game for our bracket. We won Runner Up position. Considering that three out of four of our games were against two men, I was thrilled!

These were the winners in our bracket:

Congratulations guys! You played a great game against us.



Thank you, Diana, for playing with me. That is the most fun that I've had in a tournament to date.

Camp Muir - Trash, Construction Debris and Poor Weather

Watch out for rockfall between Camp Muir and Ingraham Flats! Lately, the weather has been less than ideal... I.e. rain, wind, clouds, rain, wind, clouds, rain, wind, clouds... Yuck, and more is expected for the next few days...

Things are bumping along without a lot of fanfare. We made it through the past weekend without any major incidents, though some Colorado climbers did find themselves quite cold on the Muir Snowfield. The team of 6 split up while hiking to Muir, leaving 2 behind for a ranger to meet them with hot water and words of encouragement. In the end, the NPS helped them make it to Muir, but I'm still not sure why the other 4 in the party couldn't do the same?

Camp Muir is drawing more attention lately. Like Glacier Basin, rangers have been finding trash and garbage in the public shelter (left by climbers/day hikers) which (of course) is not cool. On the flip-side, climbers and day hikers have been regularly noting the pile of debris outside the public bathroom. That pile is part of the ongoing construction/restoration project from 2005. We hope to see the contractor complete the project and remove the debris later this summer. In the meantime, watch where you step because some folks have been picking up nails in their boots and shoes.

As a reminder, you can fill-out your climbing registration card before you come to the park. Save time by doing this.

Flying High with the 214th

Over the past couple of days, Climbing Rangers had the opportunity to train with the US Army 214th reserve aviation brigade and their CH-47 Chinook helicopter. The 214th and the Rainier climbing rangers have been working closely together for many years and they provide us with an exceptional tool for Search and Rescue missions and we are very proud to have the opportunity to fly with them.




Throughout the climbing season rangers and the Chinook crew train together so when things get "real" everyone is up to speed with what to do. The 214th's Chinook is specially equipped for working on Rainier, with skis that make soft snow landings possible, special flooring which allows rangers to wear crampons inside the helicopter, and special rigging inside that allow rangers and rescue litters to be lowered and raised safely on the cable hoist.






Training with these guys also allows us the chance to do some great early season recon of the climbing routes on Rainier. Yesterday we got that opportunity, so check out the Route Updates page...all the major routes have been updated with aerial photos and conditions all around the mountain are looking great! Access to the more remote routes is difficult at this time, since many of the roads into the park are still being plowed out from the winters snow. The road crew has been working very hard lately and most park roads should be opening soon. If you are feeling adventurous there is nothing stopping anyone from getting to and climbing any route at this time, just plan on an extra day or two for the approach. Spring on Rainier can be some of the best climbing and skiing along with a very real wilderness experience.



See you on the Mountain.

Things Change and Stay the Same

image from the tentacles of the magnificent octopus

With upon us, I would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy, safe, exciting and all around fulfilling New Year, full of cycling and all the other things you enjoy.

I've been trying to think of "resolutions" for next year pertaining to this blog, and in the process I am realising that I don't have any. This may not sound very exciting, but more than anything I would like for things to remain as they are: to ride bikes, learn more about bicycle design, overthink everything as usual, make mistakes in the process, and write about it all without getting overly self-conscious about how silly I might sound. This year I was upset and surprised when two of my favourite bicycle blogs were discontinued. But I also understand why it happened, and I can easily see how the same could happen here. For that reason I feel that it is especially important to keep things low key and not overextend myself. This is something I will try to bear in mind throughout .

Other than this, I am quite happy to keep it open-ended. I have been cycling for transportation more or less daily since the start of this blog, and over time I've become increasingly interested in roadcycling. Within these two realms there are so many possibilities for exploration, that I feel as if I've barely scratched the surface. My interest in bicycle design continues, and it's been fascinating to learn about materials and methods of construction other than the lugged steel I love. There's just... so much to it all! As new people get swept up into this obsession every day, there are also those who've been at it for decades - no less enthusiastic now than they were in the beginning. I hope that will be me in future.

I've had some requests for a New Year's cocktail like last year, and so I offer you the following:

The Slideways:. real pomegranate juice. dry champagne or white sparkling wine. gin (of course). small lime. sprig of mint. ice

In a cocktail shaker, combine ice, 1 shot of pomegranate juice, 1 shot of gin, 2 shots of champagne, and a generous squeeze of lime. Keep a tall champagne glass in the freezer to give it that frosted look. Strap the cocktail shaker to a rear rack of a fixed gear bicycle, then pedal forward and backward, rapidly changing direction. Unstrap the shaker. Remove champagne glass from freezer and pour in the contents immediately. Garnish with mint. Recline on your bicycle, side-saddle, while drinking and listening to this. Repeat as necessary.

A hat tip to Andy Arthur for his adorable illustration of my clumsy bike handling skills, and my sincere thanks to everyone I've crossed paths with via this blog in - be it virtually or in person. A Happy New Year to all!

Dusk in the Afternoon

Cycling home the other day, I caught a glimpse of a clock in a storefront window. At 4 pm it had already grown dark. Like other signs of winter's approach, this gave me a pang of anxiety.The early onset of darkness restricts my mobility, and after two winters as a cyclist I still have not found a good solution.

The main issue for me, is that the two major "commuter trails" we have in the Boston area - the Charles River Trail and the Minuteman Trail - are completely unlit. When it gets dark they turn pitch black. This directly affects my long-distance bike travel, because I regularly use these trails as "highways" to get to suburban destinations 8-12 miles away, both for transportation and for roadcycling.At one point I was determined to conquer the darkness with super bright lights. I was pleased to find that it was indeed possible to cycle on the trails after dark with a strong enough headlight. I would go slower than usual, but it was good enough. However, the one issue I had not considered seriously enough was safety.On the Charles River Trail, I've now been startled several times by intoxicated men in my path. And on the Minuteman Trail last week a group of highschool boys stuck branches in my spokes as I cycled past them. There were maybe six of them, and they'd been sitting on the edges of the narrow path, smoking and waiting for a cyclist to ride by so that they could do this.Under the cover of darkness people who are capable of violence tend to lose their inhibitions, which makes unlit trails problematic. But the alternative routes to the destinations to which the trails take me are along busy roads, and I do not find them viable to use on a regular basis.

So what am I planning to do about this?.. Probably nothing, other than making sure to make it home before dark if I am using the trails, which basically means restricting my mobility again for the duration of winter. Oh I know, I know. I could "be braver" and do those long trips on busy roads. Or I could become a "bring lights to the trails" activist and dedicate my life to getting petitions signed and funding allocated. But the reality is that most cyclists who find themselves in this position simply give up. We should not be faced with those choices just because we want to continue cycling safely and conveniently as the days grow shorter.

Incredible V-day ice climbing

It was Valentine's Day ♥ and my sweetie asked for a hard steep line as her present.Being a lover... Idid my best to deliver. For years I've refered to it as "big blue". A tall steep line that has seen only a couple TR ascents.I decided it looked good enough and took the plunge to go for the FFA. It was Joel Torretti, his friend Matt, Ray, Laura and I today.Lauraand I arrived first and like last week we went to work on shovel duty. We shoveled for about 30min to clear enough space for the 3 vehicles to be off the road enoughforothers to pass. The snow is very deep up there. Westopped to check the snow depth andsunk afully extended trekking pole to the grip.

Laura and Ray snowshoeing to the climbs

After the miserable approach last weekendLaura, Ray and I opted to snowshoein. Joel, was on skis and Matt on his snowboard.The climbs looked amazing. The temps were reasonable around 20° and the wind wasn't blowing too much.The snow was so deep that Matt took advantage and did two newfirst descents, one down each side.

Matt midway down his runAt the bottom first snowboard descent

We setup to take a go at the new line while Joel and Matt roped up for The Awakening WI5. I took my first go. The ice was brittle andquite aerated.The first good screwwas up about 35'. The route was takinga lot of effort to cleanandmade progress slow upthe manky ice. The climbing was burly and relentless. Iended up hanging ona screw part way up.I didn't find much "good" ice for screws. Iplacedmany, but trusted few. Engergy was wasted trying to get good gear only to find they were mostly worthless screws. Flash pump set in andmade it hard to recover from that point on. I made about2/3 of the wall before Ilowered off totake a break andhave another look at which way to take the line as the climbing was quite commiting and a lot of work and I didn't want to end up in no man's land.Starting up the route

It was Valentines day and Laura was standing down there belaying for an eternity while I made slow progress to my high point. I felt bad for taking so long. What a trooper! She standson countless long belays while I thrash my way upwards. She's always supportive and cheering me on in my times of need. I feel lucky to have such a great partner and girlfriend.I headed down andtook over the belay. Lauradid a great job on her go.It was pumpy for her and she hung a few times but worked up fluidly to my highpoint.

Laura starting up the line

She came down pumped and exhausted.We were hunkered down under a tarp at the bottom of the climb. I had a sip of coffee and we rested for a spell.Ray snapped this shot of us.We're sitting under the black tarp at the bottom. Happy Valentine's Day

I tied back in and started up. The climbing was better aftertwo of us had been on it. I quickly climbed up to my high point.OnceagainI was onback on the steep arm blowing climbing that required a lot of clearing and hard work. The steepness was relentless with mostly overhanging candlestick and rotten stuff. This was obviously the crux of the route and it continued for a while. I slowly made my way up the crux pillar wasting engergy on bad screws. I found myselfworking through theoverhang about 6' below theeasier climbing at the top when I lobbed off.Yep, I took a fall, no success or true glory for me. I was upset with myself for not hanging in there, but I just didn't have it.I worked back up to mypro andrested for a minute before firing through the bulge only to place a screwat the lip andpumping myself into a hang. Once again I got back on and finished it up to the end. I threaded, backed it up and lowered off. On the ground I realized how wasted I was. It put me in a "World of Pain". No more for me. Mid crux on my second attempt

just about through the overhanging bulge

Seemed hard to me...

Laura was up for a go at the whole line. She did amazing. Sheseconded the line with only 3 hangs.Laura is a strong climberwith onlya couple years of iceexperience. Laura on her Valentine's Day present

Here's a few shots of Joel and Matt working a few lines.Joel on The Awakening, Matt Belaying and Ray taking photos

Joel working on an unclimbed line

Last but not least a few random photos from the dayMatt getting ready for the day

Almost back to the car

Me and my valentine!

It was Valentines Day, Ididn't get the clean send, but it was a lot of fun trying.Upon our return homeI realized just how hard the climbing was. The aches were setting in. "Big Blue" is now being dubbed "World of Pain"How hard is it?After a little discussion we think it falls in around WI5+ possiblyWI6.The grade isirrelavant. Its solid, commiting and lots of frightening fun.I can say its much harder and susatained than my other recent climbs. I'd say 5+ would be conservative. Onlytime will tell.We'll be back next week to give it another go (weather permitting)! The 10 day weather outlook is good. Below freezing temps will keep the ice in its current conditon or better. Hope everyone is taking full advantage of this great winter we're having.

When Do We Need a Cargo Bike?

I am thoroughly enjoying test riding the Xtracycle Radish I have on loan for review. What impresses me the most is not so much its hauling capacity (which I take for granted since it is, after all, a cargo bike), as its handling. The Radish is a great ride. It is fast. It is geared for hills. It is easy in stop-and-go traffic, remaining stable when starting and stopping. It is lovely on dirt trails. It likes to keep its line, and I can even ride it no hands - no easy feat for me on most bikes! In other words, I really, really like it.




So now I find myself manufacturing tasks in order to have excuses to ride this cool bike and test its hauling capacity. I should load it up with some Bromptons (done - too easy). I should use it to bring home a Festivus tree. I should borrow some neighbourhood children. I should take the cats skiing. All this brainstorming makes me aware that I don't, strictly speaking, actually need a cargo bike as part of my daily routine. "Don't need a cargo bike?! But you're car free, of course you need a cargo bike!" a friend exclaims. Two years ago, I would have agreed. There are groceries, the hardware store, photo equipment, art supplies, disassembled bikes, large packages. But after all this time, I've adapted to having limited hauling capacity and now only rarely need to transport large or heavy loads. The Radish is a bike I want to need, but in reality would use only occasionally.




On that note, I am curious how often cargo bike owners actually ride theirs cargo bikes. Is it your main ride or a supplementary bike? Do you find yourself riding it more or less frequently the longer you own it? "Soon you'll find all sorts of uses for it, and won't be able to do without," I am told. Yeah, that's exactly what I'm afraid of!

Immediate Bike Immersion

For the first time since I've been staying in Vienna, there was a bicycle all my own waiting for me when I arrived. Here is Jacqueline again, courtesy of my friend Wolfgang - famous here not only for his fantastic vintage collection, but also for his bicycle touring and bicycle moving endeavors.

Since our last time together, Jacqueline has been given a leather saddle and is now more beautiful and comfortable than ever. The saddle is a sprung Brooks that appears to be a vintage version of the B66 (the model number is faded and I cannot tell exactly).

It felt so, so wonderful to be greeted by Jackie's "familiar face" and to cycle around the city on my very first day back instead of using public transport and moping. With the memory of my own bikes back home still fresh, I can say this Steyr Waffenrad is a distinctly different ride from my vintage Raleigh Tourist. Riding the Austrian bike feels as if I am sailing on a ship. Not quite sure what this means exactly, but that is what the sensation makes me think of. It is not better or worse than my bicycle at home, just different. Amazing that even among similar bikes, there are such differences in ride quality.

Still trying to adjust to the transition from Bostonian to Viennese cycling, I nearly missed this girl in front of me with a spectacular crocheted dressguard on her bike.

Here is the best close-up I could get. I love these vintage crocheted dressguards, and in Vienna you can actually see them occasionally "in the wild".

Wolfgang also has some nice ones on one of his collector bikes, but that bicycle is too old and valuable to cycle round the city. Crocheted dressguards are a passion that I try to suppress due to how difficult to find they are, but I am always looking. The only place I know of where you can get new ones nowadays is Simeli in the Netherlands, and I hope to review one of those soon. A couple of people have also emailed me about some handmade projects, but I have not had any follow-ups (let me know if you've seen or heard anything on that front).

Being in Vienna again, I have weeks of stressful workdays ahead of me - but having Jacqueline by my side will be a great help. I will see my friend Anna from Cycling is Good for You soon with her gorgeous Retrovelo Paula. And I may try to ride a vintage Austrian track bike, though I am still unsure whether I am brave enough to attempt it! Stay tuned.

Not Berry Many

Many northern bloggers posted photos of their berries weeks ago - an idea that seems to have started when Lisa of Greenbow made a comment on May Dreams Carol's post on Beautyberries. After the challenge to display our berries was taken up by Mr McGregor's Daughter photos of beautiful berries appeared on garden blogs everywhere.


In my garden the yaupon hollies and Burford hollies are still developing their green berries - they won't turn red for weeks. Birds stripped the beautiful purple berries from my Beautyberry a month ago. I'm tired of waiting to post! I found only a few berry-like subjects to photograph and for some of them the definition of berry needs to be a fuzzy one.

Above are berries on what is called a Japanese Yew here in Austin. If you live in other places that name usually refers to some cultivar of Taxus japonicus (as in the famous Green Moustache) but my young shrub belongs to Podocarpus - maybe Podocarpus macroplyllus. Another name for this plant is Buddhist Pine.


I've seen related plants at the Hartman Prehistoric Garden - their plant list calls them Cephalotaxus fortunei - Chinese plum yew and Cephalotaxus harringtonia - Japanese plum yew. On our first visit to the Hartman Dinosaur Garden I fell in love with the place and I've tried to recreate the effect with similar plants in my garden.




Even if they weren't growing at the Hartman I'd have wanted a 'Little Gem' magnolia. It's made flowers in the 3 years since we planted it, but didn't make seed cones until this summer - they sort of look like berries glued together so I'm counting it.



I found a few berries left on the liriope edging in the Secret Garden. The birds aren't giving them a chance to turn dark this year.



Can you see the St Augustine grass in the background at right? That might give you an idea of how small the leaves on this plant really are. It's called Dwarf Greek Myrtle, Myrtus communis 'Nana'. I first saw this plant growing in the garden of one of the Divas of the Dirt. Buffy's pair of myrtles were already medium size shrubs when I saw them around .. and the tiny neat leaves were attractive. After we moved to this house I added three 10-inch tall plants of these compact Greek myrtles in the back garden, thinking they might have impact at some future date.


When we met at Buffy's house for a recent Diva project I was stunned to see that her compact myrtles had reached 8-feet tall. They're planted to shield the view of her Secret Garden from the gate and do their job well. Mine are less than 18 inches high, but I'm keeping an eye on them!

Buffy had beautiful berries in her garden - produced by a shrub I've already killed once but will probably buy again. For a look at the luminous blue berries on Buffy's 'Spring Bouquet' viburnum see the October 12th post at the Divas of the Dirt Blog.