Another Cactus

I have another cactus blooming in one of my flower pots. I think it is a different kind of claret cup cactus than the red ones I posted photos of before.

Nikki

I have 3 dogs. Nikki is our oldest at 14. Her4 she is with Codee. She is a Lab/Collie cross, and has been a good adoptive mama to both Codee and Tuffee as well as our cats. Tuffee has ears that flop, Codee has ears that stand up, Nikki's ears may either flop or stand up depending on the mood she is in.I don't know how much longer she will be with us. I see her going down hill every day. She is deaf, and almost blind, and can't seem to stand up for very long any more, but she still insists on going outside every time I go out, crying when I try to leave her in. At times she still trys to get out and run and play with the other dogs. We will let her do the best she can for as long as she can. When I got Nikki I had a
nother German Shepherd named DeeDee. When DeeDee got old she couldn't seem to remember where the door was to come in and I got tired of going around the house to the side to get her. Nikki seemed to understand DeeDee's problem and leaned that when I said to "Go get DeeDee." she was to go to the other dog and lead her back to the door, and DeeDee would follow her. Now I tell Codee to go get Nikki when she is either out and can't hear me or is asleep and I am going out and think she needs to come with us. Tuffee is good at grabbing Nikki's collar and leading her to the house when we are outside, also. It is amazing how animals seem to know the help that their friends need.

Winter-greens

Several members of my wildflower group are already itching to get out in the wild. They're dying to dig.

Unless it's a rescue, I'm more of a looker than a digger. My thrill is in the hunt. I do enjoy garden tours, but to me, there's nothing like finding the flowers in their natural environment. (And then leaving them there!)

Anyway, I wouldn't recommend digging in January or February. But this Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium reptans) is one of the plants you can scout early - it's probably easier to spot the green now.

The plant's a lot taller in the spring, but some of the lower leaves stay green throughout the winter here. I'm not sure if that's the case in the north or not - maybe someone will comment and let me know.

There are several different types of Jacob's ladder, in almost every state and several Canadian provinces. But reptans is the only one in the south.

Boom, LOUD... Road closed...

The bombing operation referred to last week went by without a hitch (i.e. no one was blown up). However, it didn't solve all of the threats to the road. Unlike a typical ski patrol operation where they mitigate the hazard regularly, the snowpack above the road to Paradise grew so large that it required larger amounts of bomb making material to blast the heck out of the slopes. Good thing too, because those bombs released a substantial amount of snow that was more than ready to slide... And as for the entire day, avalanche control with the use of bombs made for a really unique NPS experience!

The explosive activity took place in an area called "Washington Cascades." That's about 1.5 miles below Paradise and just above the "Canyon Wye" (where you turn right to visit Stevens Canyon, Box Canyon, and Ohanapecosh.) As you can see to the right, Chris Olson is strapping some blasting caps to a 50 lb. bag of ammonium nitrate. This is something of a new operation for most of us (not so new to Chris). Anyway, this explosive was lowered on a plastic sled (the type your kids slide upon) into avalanche terrain where they were ignited with a "shock tube." All in all, it was impressive and really effective. Last Friday, those bombs released a number of large slides in "Washington Cascades." The slides buried the road with debris and took care of the looming avalanche hazard that threatened the road crew operators.

At this time, the road to Paradise remains closed. But that's largely due to the frequent and thunderous slides that have occurred lower on the road (i.e. well below Paradise). The rain and warmer temps activated a number of avalanche slopes. In one area, the "Christine Hairpin", located just below the Comet Falls trailhead, a slide covered both lanes of the road with over 20 feet of deposition! As far as we recall, nobody has seen this sort of debris at Christine Hairpin in the almost 20 years. Above the Glacier Bridge, there are four other significant slide paths in what we call "Glacier Hill". Slides in that area also produced similar piles of wet, heavy snow. The NPS road crew is now scratching, digging, and plowing away at the massive mounds, but it's considered that the road to Paradise may not open for another 4-7 days. As you can see in this image to the left, the road is gone/buried. Nobody has ventured above Ricksecker Point, roughly 5 miles below Paradise since Monday. Hopefully, we will be able to ski up to Paradise tomorrow, dig out the telemetry site, and see what's going on.

When thinking about the avalanche threat, we are somewhat fortunate. Warm weather has started to consolidate the snowpack and things appear a little safer this week. There is some rain in the forecast for the next 24 hours, but probably not enough to produce the large slides that observed so far. The NWAC has dropped the hazard level from Extreme to Considerable/Moderate (below 7000 feet). Stay tuned, we'll keep you up to date on what's shaking. For now, don't rely on being able to visit Paradise over the President's Day weekend. Top image by Stefan Lofgren, second by Chris Olson "The snowcovered road above Glacier Bridge."

Tanking on the Desert Highway

On our way to Madaba, instead of looping the route to the King's Highway, we took a faster short cut detour via the Desert Highway. We have already seen the southern part of the King's Highway for the most part. This is from Petra all the way down to the south where we are coming from, and based from what I have read, the beautiful views of the King's Highway is after Petra going north. This means heading to the north as quickly as possible.

Now we were running out of fuel and we were really looking forward to tank in one of the modern gasoline stations with a nice mini-supermarket along the Desert Highway, unfortunately, this is what we could nearly come close to:

In comparison to other Middle Eastern countries, gasoline in Jordan is expensive. Jordan does not have oil and the country relies from neighbouring Saudi Arabia for its supply. A full tank is about 20-22 euros (in NL its about 60 to 70 euros or more depending on size of tank).

After tanking, we did a quick snack shopping as well at this super market along the highway:

We will be on the road for hours so a little nibble supply will be very handy.

I am always curious about everything, and in this shop I particularly want to know what local snacks they have available for sale. This is what I found:


I was able to catch some Desert Highway scenes as well. Wow, Iraq is just around the corner!


Next: The long and winding King's Highway...

The Bicycle Boutique: a Prognosis of the Future?

Bicycle shops in the US can be divided into several categories. Typical local bike shops sell a wide range of bicycles, from road, to mountain, to utility bikes and beyond. Then there are the specialised bike shops that stock only a specific kind of bicycle - for example, European city bikes. There are also the community co-op bike shops and the used bike shops. And finally, there are the bicycle boutiques.

The boutique bike shop is a relatively new phenomenon. It is designed to resemble a gallery space rather than a store, and often incorporates a coffee shop or a lounge area. The space features an open floor plan and minimalist decor. The stock of bicycles and accessories is kept intentionally sparse, so that each item receives individual attention. The staff usually have a personal connection to the shop. Instead of sales pitches, there is a calm curatorial demeanor. And the careful selection of bicycles tends to be on the high-end side.



In the Boston area, the latest and much talked about bicycle boutique is the Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, and I have stopped by a couple of times when cycling through the area.



TheRide Studio Cafe sells mainly two types of bicycles. There are high end road bikes by the world-famous Seven Cycles that are built right here in Watertown, MA.



And there are budget city bicycles (diamond frame and mixtes) from the San Francisco-based Public Bikes.



There is also apparel by Rapha and Campagnolo, as well as a variety of chamois creams and embrocation lotions.

In the back is a small workshop and storage area that is separated from the main floor, but accessible to visitors.



My first reaction upon entering the store, was an intimidated amazement upon seeing so many (titanium?) Seven bicycles in the same place, casually propped against walls here and there. Though I am not normally attracted to modern, non-lugged roadbikes, there is something about Seven Cycles that is just so impeccable that my eye cannot help but be drawn to them. I moved one of the bikes aside in order to photograph it, but got so nervous touching and positioning the beautiful, feather-light and extremely expensive machine, that after one picture with shaking hands I decided to put it back. Later it occurred to me that these bicycles are floor models and people probably test ride them all the time. Not sure whether I would be able to handle that, but the idea of test riding a Seven is tempting.



During the several months of its fledgling existence, theRide Studio Cafehas been a frequent topic of conversation among local bicycle enthusiasts, with speculations regarding its long-term feasibility. Is the population of Lexington and the surrounding towns really so affluent as to keep the boutique afloat with regular purchases of Seven bicycles and Rapha gear? And while the affordablePublic bikes are a good way to diversify, is it enough? If the answer to all of that is "yes", I think it is a fantastic sign of changing priorities among the segment of population with disposable income. Interestingly, the worse the economy is doing, the more of such boutiques are opening up. Could that indicate that more affluent suburban residents are choosing to purchase a silver Seveninstead of the usual silver Lexus?

No Ride Too Short?

You know how these things go. You get ready for a ride. You get dressed, fill the water bottles, top up the air in your tires,stuff your phone, money and snacks into your pockets,drag your bike outside.




You're excited, because maybe it's been a while. Like maybe you've had the flu and moved house all in the same week. Like maybe life has been nothing but chaos, and your lungs have been filled with fluid, and you've been lying on the couch in a bleak coastal village in Northern Ireland with the wind howling outside, wondering what will become of you now and weeping into your mug of Ovaltine whilst watching that trippy advert of hedgehogs enjoying a pizzaon Sky TV(they took medication to manage their lactose intolerance, and now they are so happy, so happy). And you've been missing your bike with a feverish madness, running your fingers along its sleek top tube with longing on your way from sofa to bathroom and back.




But those dark times are in the past now. Because you're finally feeling good and you've managed to get it together to make time for this ride, and you're ready to go. You've maneuvered your bike through the maze of tiny rooms and awkward doorways and narrow hallways in your new dwelling (which is the antithesis of open-concept in design - a fact you normally love, except when it comes to getting the bike out of the house). And now finally, finally you get out the door and set off.




And a short while later, you come right back. Because this ride just ain't happening. You deny it at first, even though your bike is getting blown all over the road and you see the local air field has cancelled its flights for the day. You deny it even though the skies - blue and sunny above your house - have turned black as soon as you've crossed the railroad tracks. You deny it even as large chunks of hail start to hit your helmet a minute later. You deny it and push on, determined to ride your bike on this day. Only when the wind grows so strong that you are barely moving forwardand can hardly stay in your lane around the bends of the A2, do you give in all at once and admit it's over.




Rolling up to my front door less than 30 minutes later, I ask myself this question. What constitutes the difference between a non-ride, and a very short ride? In that much-quoted tome Just Ride, Grant Petersen assures us that no ride is too short, and I find the idea inspiring. But what are we talking about here - 10 miles, 5 miles, 1.7 miles? Is it a matter of the difference between what you plan to do and what you actually do? Or is it a preparation time to riding time ratio?




Well, no matter. Because damn it, I am calling this one a ride. It was certainly short, but it had a bit of everything: climbing, descending, epic weather, ruddy cheeks, exhaustion, even a tiny patch of dirt. So why not. I will leave the big miles for next time, but for now I am just glad to be back in the saddle.

Speaking of Saddles

Earlier this week I was visiting Cycle Loft - a local bicycle shop known, among other things, for its extensive fit studio.I will be test riding a few of their bikes this summer, and the staff suggested I undergo a fitting session beforehand. As we were getting started, the fitter - Joel - caught sight of the Selle Anatomica I was riding. He asked whether I wanted to use my own saddle, given how particular it was, or try something new.



Today there are lots of high quality, well thought-out saddle designs on the market, in a variety of materials. The trick is to find one that fits our particular anatomy, position and riding style. For the past two years I've been going back and forth between a Berthoud touring saddle and a Selle Anatomica on my roadbikes. These saddles are as close as I've been able to get to being truly comfortable over long distances. But neither is perfect. SoI decided to keep an open mind and see what the fitter recommended.





To start with, Joel measured my sit bones. This is something I've never had done "professionally" before, so it was pretty exciting. Cycle Loft uses the Specialized "Body Fit" method, which, as I understand it, is comparatively un-intrusive (no pelvic fondling, etc.). But there is a nifty device involved. A stool was brought out with a butt-shaped pillow, upon which I sat as instructed. When I stood up, my sit bones left two clear indentations, which Joel swiftly measured.





The figure was 135mm - considerably narrower than what I thought my sit bone width was based on my DIY measurements (the figure I'd come up with was more like 150mm). But we repeated the process just to make sure and got the same number again - so looks like 135mm it is.



Joel explained that a saddle should be wider than the sit bone width itself. How much wider depends partly on the rider's position and partly on the saddle's shape. As far as the rider's position, the more leaned forward you are, the narrower area of support is needed. That much I'd known. As far as saddle shape, Joel showed me a selection or road/racing saddles and pointed out that on some the sitting surface was flat across, while on others it was rounded, like an arc. For all my careful scrutiny of saddle shapes, this was not a distinction I'd explicitly been aware of before, so I was excited to learn something new. For any given rider, on a rounded saddle the width needs to be greater than on a flat saddle.



According to the fit chart, the saddle width recommended for my sit bones was 155mm minimum. My Berthoud saddle (which is flat) measures 160mm across, and my Selle Anatomica (which is rounded) measures 170mm across. My comfort with both makes sense according to this fit method.





Next, Joel asked what I liked and disliked about the saddles I normally use. I explained that my saddles are fairly wide across the rear, yet have narrow, racing-style noses. The wide rear and narrow nose combination works for me, because this waymy butt feels fully supported but I don't get thigh-rub. Other saddles I've tried tend to be either too narrow or too wide all around, which doesn't work. I also like the feel of suspended leather, compared to other surfaces I've tried.



As far as what I don't like, that is a little trickier to explain. The Berthoud feels a bit too hard, whereas the Selle Anatomica has a bit too much give. And with each, I occasionally - at random times, it seems - feel pressure or pinching in the middle of my "soft tissue." It happens rarely now compared to the problems I used to have, but it does still happen occasionally. We discussed all this in detail, as well as the other saddles I've tried. I described my dislike of gel (I sink into it and feel horrible pressure), my inability to ride Terry saddles (the slots are somehow in the wrong place), and finding the edges of many racing saddles "too sharp" as I pedal.





After taking all of this in, Joel suggested I try the Romin Evo saddle by Specialized (interesting write-up about it here). It had everything I seemed to need: a rounded wide rear (168mm across), a narrow nose, and a firm, but not rock-hard, surface. A channel down the middle and a curved nose were designed to avoid contact with exactly the pressure-prone spots I'd identified. It is not a woman-specific saddle, but then neither are my own. A synthetic saddle made by a big-name manufacturer, it was not what I would normally gravitate toward, but I'd said I would be open minded, and so I would.



The Romin Evo is now fitted on the demo bikeI'm riding. I could not feel it under me on the initial 30 mile ride, but I will withhold judgment until after the follow-up, 100K ride.



But whether this particular saddle wins me over is beside the point. What I appreciated the most was the generally informative conversation with the fitter - who I felt was neutral and knowledgeable when it came to various styles, materials, aesthetics and brands of saddles. I would like to keep learning myself, and at some point to post a comprehensive guide that might be of help to those at a loss for where to start.

Tombstone Tuesday :: William and Elizabeth Lavering

Interred at Benton Lutheran Cemetery, at the intersection of CR 33 and CR 44 in Benton, Elkhart County, Indiana are William and Elizabeth (Schuder) Lavering, my 3rd great grandparents through the Shuder line: Me > Dad > Elsie Shuder Wiseman > Nancy Jane Lavering, wife of Isaac Shuder > Daniel Lavering > William & Elizabeth

Wm. LAVERING / DIED / Oct. 5, 1870 / AGED / 73 Ys. 1 M. 7 D.
ELIZABETH / Wife of / Wm. LAVERING / DIED / June 5, 1863 / AGED 55 Y's. 4 Mo. 28 D

In 1897, Col. John Levering and the Levering Historical Association published the "History and Genealogy of the Levering Family" which chronicles the descendants of Rosier Levering, particularly Wigard and Gerhard, who crossed the ocean in 1685. They initially settled in Germantown, near Philadelphia, but in 1691 removed a short distance to the west to Roxborough Township. Apparently Wigard was really good about keeping records but Gerhard, alas, was not.

On page 833 of this massive missive, the compiler mentioned having received a telegram on October 14, 1895 from Henry Lavering, of Milford, in Kosciusko County, Indiana, informing him of the death of Daniel Lavering. As it turns out, the telegram was missent to Col. John Levering in LaFayette instead of going to John Lavering, a brother of the deceased Daniel. John and Daniel were sons of William and Elizabeth (Schuder) Lavering. Apparently, the Colonel did not know of "our" little branch of the Lavering family. He attempted to "fit" them into the family and discovered a "possibility" in a child named William, of Gerhard's line, born about 1796 and who was reported as having died in infancy.

Two years later, Samuel Lavering, brother of Daniel, contacted the Colonel and provided the following information:

William was born about 1796, in the vicinity of Philadelphia, and was the oldest of three children. The names of the brother and sister were not known. The maiden name of William's mother was Haus, or Hass. While too young to remember, William's parents separated and he was reared by a Mothberger family whose place of residence was not known. When he attained matured years, William removed to Montgomery County, Ohio, where he married Elizabeth Schuder, and where their first child, Daniel, was born. Soon after Daniel's birth they removed to Allen County, Ohio and from there to Elkhart County, Indiana.

On page 835, the Colonel states: "As my compilation is considered complete, and these descendants are a recent accession, and I can not place them with certainty, I assign them place collectively. William appears a dropped stitch in the family fabric in the sixth generation."

Dropped stitch or not, the Colonel then lists, in the next nine pages, the descendants of William and Elizabeth (Schuder) Levering, most with full dates of birth! And, when known, dates of death and location of residence. Additional research by my cousin has shown that most of the information is correct! It was, quite literally, a goldmine. But we still haven't been able to determine who William's parents were...

Sand Trails Meet Road Tires

I know that some people are afraid to venture off road on road tires, but you might be surprised how versatile a good road tire can be.

We were cycling along the coast in Wellfleet, Mass., when we came upon this spectacular fire road.

The sand road, which is no more than a narrow trail in some stretches, runs trough several miles of dunes and saltwater marshes. You can see the depth of the sand here by the tire tracks on the left and the foot prints on the right.

There were no other cyclists on the trail and at first we did not think that our bicycles could handle it, but apparently they could. We rode at a slow and even pace without incident, enjoying the gorgeous views that were inaccessible from the road.

We both have 32mm tires on our Motobecanes: mine are Panaracer Pasela Tourguards and his are Continental Ultra GatorSkins. Both of these have good kevlar protection and are pretty fast on the road. Great to know that they perform off road as well. The above photo gives a pretty good sense of the depth of the sand we were able to cycle through. If you have never encountered sand on a bicycle before, the thing to keep in mind is that you should avoid making sudden or sharp turns. If you need to turn, make it a very wide turn and do it smoothly and gradually.

Here is a deeper pile of sand where we had to stop and walk the bikes (or in my case, push the bike forward with my feet). There were a couple of these patches, but not many.

As the trail wound closer to the water's edge, the sand became increasingly wet and covered in shards of sea shells.

Here is a close-up. We rode through that too.

I was worried that the sea shell shards might puncture our tires, and here I am yelling something to that effect. But in the end we decided to go through with it, and que sera sera.

The tires emerged filthy, but intact.

Cycling through the sand felt wonderful, especially since it gave us access to places that would otherwise have gone unexplored. One does not necessarily need a mountain bike just to go on some fire trails, even if they involve dunes and marshes. Invest in good tires with kevlar protection and don't underestimate your roadbike!

Fast and light...but SHEEEEET!

My buddy Jack Roberts and I were chatting while having a nice warm cup of coffee Chamonix. I mentioned something about Colin Haley and his times frames climbinga le Droites-le Courtes combo. Jack mentioned something about Colin being fast in the mtns (El Cap and Hal Dome in a day or the Cassin in a dayseemed to register) andaccording to Jackthose weren't "normal" (more likely he meant not normal for old guys) time frames.



One definition offast and light: Colin Haley simu soloing at this point and about to start simu climbing.





photo courtey of Colin Haley, http://colinhaley.blogspot.com/.



Jack aint exactly normalhimself (just look at his feet and is past resume in the mtns and you'll understand that statement) so commentslike that stand out in a conversation.



Anyway I digress.



These is so much "bull shit" to fast and light. You aint going to go fast if you aren't going light. More to the point and more important to me personally isyou aren't going to be going fast if you are too cold. But no way in hell will you go fast if you are too hot.



"Say what? What are you talking about now Dane? Light? Fast? Cold? Hot?"



Here is my thought on it. To go fast you have to go light. To stay warm you have to keep moving. If the climbing is too hard for your skill set or too slow because of yourcomfort level the idea of fast and light hits the ZERO fun button pretty quickly.



To climb fast and light both climbers obviously have to climb quickly. In the mtns, rock, ice and mixed...the secondneeds to be half the time of the leader. That takes some effort generally and you have to want it. Better yet simu clim or simu solo. Which is why I pay so much attention to my umbilicals.



To climb fast you can't over dress, but neither can you afford to get really chilled.Add too many clothes and you can't climb in them or over heat instantly when you do start climbing.



Cold will numb the body given enough time, but worse yet it will numb the mind if you allow it to.



And I have allowed it.



Pushing the conditions (climbing in lots of new snow) made several of our recent climbs really slow. Really slow. Seldom have I been so uncomfortable in the mountains, slow. To stay warm atthe belays in the shade at 12K feet in -20 temps took some effort. It only takes one of those trips to encourage you to take enough clothes the nexttime. Having your core get chilled and shiveringon belays and then not being able to generate enough heat to warm up on lead or while following can be mentally and physically disabling.



For an old fat guy I pride myself on the speed at which I can climb technical ground and the lwt weight clothing systems I choose to do so in. But to climb fast and dress lightI have to be able to closely monitor and controlmy body core temperature. Which means I have to be able to climb quickly and spend little time on the belays.



Terrain, conditions and the team'sskills will define the speed at which you climb. The idea is to hit the perfect balance between those three and your gear selection.



Here is a good comparison:



I am wearinga Atom SV plus anAtom Lt and likely two lwt hoodies under that combo, with NWA salopettes and two pair of longs under them. It took that to stay warm at the belays. The SV would come off mid pitch if we belayedand was in the pack when we climbed together. Even with just an Atom LT on as an outer garment climbing together I was too warm. But if I had stopped for any length of time I would have chilled my core.



Better answer? We should have simu climbed the entire routetogether (which would have required a stronger and/or more skilled team)and I should have had a lighter outer shell available (my poor gear choice).





For this one I am usinga Gortex hybrid shell jacket, a lwt Merino wool sweater and a pair of Gamma LT pants with no longs. If I had stopped or had to belay....no question I would have chilled my core in a very short amount of time. Better answer? One pair of longs would have made this a much more comfortable (mentally) combination. Physically, for this climb, this day it was a perfect combo for soloing. But it was also very obvious to me I didn't want to stop for long either.



I'm still learning. And the best lessons are still painful. But every lesson makes the game easier in the long run.

Smeeton Westerby and Fleckney (Saddington) Tunnel

Almost 4 miles.

Started from Bridge 72 on GU Canal.







Along tow-path on right of canal, on top of tunnel, across Saddington - Kibworth Road, down to the tow-path on the left as far as the next bridge,











leave the canal through a hand gate, turn left and left again across the bridge, walk up through Mill Field Wood,







across two fields, across Saddington - Kibworth Road, along Mill Lane into Smeeton W. Footpath between hedges, then through horses' field to the church. Over the road and along the path through the allotments.











Across road and through the ginnel (large alsatian barking in garden). Followed the path past the houses and up to the canal. Along towpath to the bridge.





Weather fine, warm but dull. The sun made a feeble effort to shine, but not for long. Dry underfoot.







Now to find an extra four miles or so for a group of us to do together!

I did this walk from Smeeton with Harry on July 17 .

Bike Shadow

It kept following me around, so finally I took a picture.
Ever photograph your own bike shadow?

Weeping Cherry Tree

This is my little weeping ornimental cherry tree, (no fruit) that keeps trying to die each year but struggles on and has nice blossoms this year.