Is the Wheel Lock a Useful Feature?

Yesterday I mentioned not being a huge fan of bicycle wheel locks (or "cafe locks"), and so I wanted to elaborate. Most typically used on transportation bicycles, the wheel lock is a circular contraption that is installed over the rear wheel, with a metal latch sliding through the spokes when the key is turned. The wheel lock immobilises the bike, thus making it more difficult to steal - especially if the bike is heavy. I thought it was a neat idea before I owned one, but the Axa wheel lock on my Pashley annoyed me so much that I eventually removed it. The older model on my Gazelle works much better, but I am still considering getting rid of it.



Here are the pros and cons of the wheel lock as I see them (and your impressions, of course, might differ):



Pros:

. It's useful as an extra lock, for those who like elaborate lock-up jobs.

. It's useful if you're sitting in an outdoor cafe or a park bench, with your bike within sight.

. It's better than nothing if you forget your main lock.

. It's better than nothing if there is no structure to which you could lock your bike.

. If you live in an extremely safe area, you might be able to use it as your only lock - which would eliminate the need for a bulky U-lock or cable lock.



Cons:

. Its theft prevention effectiveness is limited.

. It is heavy (like having a U-lock permanently attached to your bike).

. If it jams in the "on" position, your bike will be immobilised.

. Some models are difficult to use and can hurt your fingers while you fiddle with the lever.

. Once installed, you must lock it every time you leave your bike. Otherwise someone else could lock it and walk off with the key. On most models, it is impossible to remove the key in the un-locked position.

. You can break a spoke if you forget that the lock is activated and try to forcibly roll your bike. Likewise, a passer-by can break a spoke if they try to give your locked wheel a spin with their hand.



Do you have a wheel lock on your bike? If yes, what make and model, and have you found it useful?

Lower Tahquamenon Falls

Tahquamenon Falls are a little over an hour west of Sault Ste. Marie and were among the “must see” things that my friend Carol said that I “had” to see while in the UP! According to Carol, the pronunciation of Tahquamenon is “something like” Taaaaa quaaaaaa men on. I'll take her word for it!



There are actually two areas here, the Lower Falls and the Upper Falls. The Lower Falls are a series of smaller waterfalls coming down on either side of an Island.





The two falls shown here are on the east side of the Island.



Rowboats were available for rental to take out to the Island where there is a boardwalk that goes around the Island and affords different views of the falls. As much as I would have liked to, I'm not very adept at rowing a boat so didn't attempt this little excursion. The falls in the background are the same ones in the first picture.





This is the last of a series of three smaller falls that are on the west side of the Island. A boardwalk leads you along the river to several viewing platforms.





An interesting sign along the way - Prayer of the Woods.



Another sign – showing the layout of the river and island and warning of the dangers of the falls.





From one of the viewing platforms, looking back at where the first few pictures were taken.





Fast flowing water. The brown color is caused from tannin brought in from the streams that flow into the river.





The uppermost of the Lower Falls. Visitors to the Island wade out into the river.



And finally, a closeup of the flowing waters.

Crowning Glories Galore!

footnoteMaven has posted the 5th Edition - Smile For The Camera over at Shades of The Departed.

The word prompt this time around was "Crowning Glory" and the contributions of the 52 participants will not disappoint you. Please, go check them out, you'll be glad you did! My contribution was The Hover Children :: All Dressed Up.

I'm pleased to say that I will be hosting the 6th Edition of Smile For The Camera here at kinexxions! Thanks, fM, for the opportunity!

The word prompt for the 6th edition is Funny Bone. Show us that picture that never fails to bring a smile to your face! An amusing incident, a funny face, an unusual situation. Share! Choose a photograph of an ancestor, relative, yourself, or an orphan photograph that tickles your Funny Bone and submit it to the carnival.

Your submission may include as many or as few words as you feel are necessary to describe your treasured photograph. Those words may be in the form of an expressive comment, a quote, a journal entry, a poem (your own or a favorite), a scrapbook page, or a heartfelt article. The choice is yours!

Deadline for submission is midnight (PT) October 10, ...

Details for submitting your contribution can be found at Smile For The Camera.

User Survey.. please take a moment?

Call it cheap admission!

It would be a help to me and huge support for Cold Thistlelong term if you take a moment to fill out thesurvey. Thanks much!













photo by http://charizard4ever1.deviantart.com/




I
am always curious as to what makes Cold Thistle "work". The blog started simply
as a way for me to keep track of the gear I was interested in and likely to
purchase at a some point. There are days now that I link what I find
interesting on the Internet unwilling or unable to get anything new
written.



Here is an opportunity to add your own voice to what you find of
interest. Thanks for the input!



https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ColdThistle

Bee fly

Major bee-fly, a.k.a. Greater bee-fly, Bombylius major.

Bee flies are what they sound like: flies that resemble bees. This one is the one we see most here, though there are several similar species in the family Bombyliidae.

See photos of several of them at Giff Beaton's site. (You know there are a lot of members in the family when there's a World Catalog of them.)

They hover about like small cute bumblebees, and they don't seem to mind drawing attention to themselves, the way they'll hover in the same position for quite a while. I've also seen them dart back and forth between two positions a foot or so apart -- if it were a bird, you'd say it was a mating dance, though I would assume that flies don't do that.

According to this site, "Its larvae are brood parasites and are found in bees' nests. Adults feed on nectar, using their long proboscises whilst hovering beside a flower." The whilst there should give you a clue that this fly is also found in England.

BugGuide has a species account here with more details, and some nice shots of them hovering.

I haven't found any one article detailing information about this bee-fly, but there are lots of links highlighting certain aspects of their behavior:

Drawing up sand or sawdust to coat eggs (here).

Comparing them, as generalist pollinators, to more species-specific pollinators (here).

Wingbeats in B flat? (here)

-----

Friday Ark is here.

Upskill Style.

The very stylish Upskill Climbing team landed in Hong Kong earlier this year to streettest their new range of climbing clothing in the tough urban environment.



jjobrienclimbing was there to bring back the look.



LeeCujes momentarily considers this black on yellow knit sweater.

Co-Director Sam Cujes vetoes: No.





















Brown bomber? Again: No.



After a few false starts Lee hits the gritty streets of Hong Kong in Boulders + Nuts T-Shirt from theUpskill Store. Good choice.

Get Lee's look here.

Boulders + Nuts T-Shirt protects and enhances in the dark canyons of Mong Kok

Upskill Director Lee Cujesactions an importantstyle decision in the Hong Kong officeand comes out on top in Slo PonyT-Shirt and G Star Jeans. Did you know the enigmatic Slo used to be a fashion designer?

The Upskill directors meet with principle style editors from jjobrienclimbing at Hong Kong's fabulous "Aqua"

Climbers, if yourtechnique or wardrobe need upskilling look no further.

And if you areseeking stylish traveling companions jjobrienclimbing recommends the Upskill Camp in Kalymnos this October . Travel with complete confidence that your companions won't roll out of the hotel looking shabby on you, every stylish travelers worst nightmare.

This will be the fourth in the highly successful series ofKalymnos climbing training camps for Upskill.



Have you been to Kalymnos with Upskill? Tell us about it.

South Dakota Spirit Tree

I haven't been doing much shooting lately (too many other things going on), so I've been digging through my archives looking for photos that I've always wanted to put on my website but (until now) didn't have the time to do. This one is from my 6-week trip through the west that I did back in . My friend Roger Nordstrom (http://www.rogernordstromphoto.com/) and I spent several days in the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota photographing the night sky, among other things. As we drove around during the day we were constantly on the lookout for trees to photograph against the night sky. This particular tree was one that we both greatly enjoyed photographing. Roger was "painting light" onto the tree using the lowest setting on his headlamp while I recorded this image. It is a 30 second exposure taken at an ISO of 1600 using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera and Canon EF 17-40mm lens.

Broughton - Gt Cransley - Thorpe Malsor - Loddington - Gt Cransley - Broughton

This walk was led by me, with Barry, Gordon, Eddie. Garmin has trace from last Friday in Oakham, so distance probably about 9 miles - to 9.5. Started around 9.30 am. Almost same as walk on 9 August . Lovely weather, dry fine, sunny.

With thanks to the Broughton Bystander.




We took almost the same route as on this walk on August 9 . We began from the Red Lion pub, walked down Church Street to Broughton church, with its red clock face, and flower meadow. Then we took the footpath opposite alongside some houses, and passed a children's playground. At Cox's Lane we turned left, making for the road to Great Cransley which we followed underneath the A43, downhill then up into Great Cransley.


We walked through the village, ignoring the church this time, and taking the second footpath which leaves on the right hand side, between houses. It goes over a stile, then across a field full of sheep to Northfield Road, at the opposite corner. There's a certain amount of road walking, past White Hill Lodge and round a right hand bend. At this point Cransley Reservoir came into view, below us on the left.

Cransley reservoir jewel blue beyond the ploughed field.

At the end of a field on our left we had a choice of paths, and chose the clear second one to the left, diagonally across a field downhill to a patch of woodland. Once in the woodland we turned left once more to reach the sailing cub and the walk along the reservoir dam.












After the water we turned left then right making our way up the hill until we reached a right turn as the path met a farm track which went past a wood and into Thorpe Malsor. We were lucky to see the person who keeps the church keys, and were able to see the restored organ and splendid interior.

All Saints, Thorpe Malsor

We turned left along the street out of the village, then left at the Loddington Road. We walked about a mile along the narrow footpath beside this road - not a very busy one, until we reached Loddington. The village sign was erected in 2001, and is made of ironstone and steel representing local industries.

The sun rising over the third millenium, with St Leonards Church

Three of us

We saw the church on our left, but didn't visit. Instead we headed for the cricket field and took advantage of its benches to have a break in the warm sunshine.





From here we took Mawsley Lane, and followed this as the tarmac turns to grass, and the path hugs the field edges on our left. Eventually, just before the ground rises we reached a double farm gate directly in front of us, and a wooden gate to the left. Here we turned to the left towards Mawsley Lodge.



The path goes west then northwest around Mawsley Lodge, then joins the route of a dismantled railway, through some woodland, and over a bridge, until it turns right towards Cransley Wood. The path goes through the wood and meets a road on the far side, which leads into Great Cransley. We walked along to the end of Church Lane, and turned right at Broughton Hill, following the route back to Broughton.


And somewhere along the way we met a couple of llamas. Here's one of them:







Another garmin glitch here - the first part of this route is the mile I walked round Oakham last week, and a straight line from there to Broughton.

A third shell material? Westcomb's Focus LT Hoody

Climbing on wet ice in the newest Westcomb Focus Lt

photo courtesy of Craig Pope




You'll likely what to readthis review first:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//01/alpha-fl-and-shift-lt-shells.html



I have been climbingin three very similar light weight shell jackets. So similar in fact that only the high tech fabrics and minor detailing set them apart in use IMO. The first two jackets,the Arcteryx Alpha FL in Gortex and the Westcomb Shift LT Hoody in Neoshell are both great climbing shells. Some small differences in the jacket patterns but a significant difference I thinkin the fabric performance. And there might be some trade offsbetween the three fabricsthan you aren't willing to tolerate.



Before I toss in my 2 cents on the differences in materialslet give you my impression's on thethird jacket of this series, the Westcomb Focus Hoody sewn the newest eVent DVL.



The fit on the Focus is called a "full cut". It fit me almost perfectly with room tolayer under it and a tight enough fit that it is not in the way climbing and easy to layer over when required for warmth. (I'm 6'1" and 190# at the moment) The Event fabric does not stretch. Something I didn't notice up front because the patterns fit was simply so good. The Shift LT hoody in Neoshell does stretch and gains some ground for me on the other two because of it. No matter how good the pattern, and all of these are exceptional patterns, a stretchy hard shell will always have an advantage for my own use climbing. For the best climbing clothing these days it is the rule not the exception that the garments stretch with you.



My first definition of good climbing gear is, "gear I never notice". If you notice gearon a climb it is more than likely some small (or large) failure in materials, design or quality. Cold feet as an example or getting wet from sweat or moisture in the environment. You might well be able to trace those issues directly back to your gear. Not always mind you but often enough to know a gear failure when you have one. And not a food, hydration or just a poor choice in gear selection.



This weekend asI watched my partners annoyance turn to concern and then start to become a real problem it reminded me of that truism. A failure was noticed....here it was less than water proof clothing.Tied off to a hanging belay everyone was getting progressively more soaked at the base of a wet and running corner system laced with ice we were climbing.






The lads in the shower room...not that kind of shower butcricky just don't drop anything :)




I was the only one in a water proof shell. Which was the new Focus LT . It was warm out and none of us started this climb in a lot of clothing. The temperature was dropping and we thought it possible with the temp. drop to have a drier climb. Of course that was a miscalculation on our part. Only reason I had on the Focus Hoody was I wanted to see how well the latest miracle fabric (eVent DVL) breathed by comparison tothe others I had used last week. The answer to that was, "it breathes pretty dang good :)" With only a base layer under the Focus even in the shade and temps just under freezing I was warm enough until my pants started soaking through and water ran down my legs.



Those conditions always get unpleasant rather quickly.



Have to admit to feeling a little smug with myself though as my core stayed dry and warm with water running off the Focus LT. My buddies were happy to leave the ice cold shower at the belay and get started on the over hanging corner to warm up some as quickly as possible. I intentionally stayed behind long enough to more fully enjoy the lovely alpine ambiance.









All three of these jackets I have been using are water proof and wind resistant for the most part. All offer an exception fit and are very close in patterns. Just make sure the specific pattern fits you. It is worth trying them all on to see which fits you best. All are what I would call an athletic fit , even the "full cut" Westcombs. None of them are for a dough boy. The Neoshell offers a little less wind resistance from my experience. But adds stretch to the equation. The Arcteryx and Goretex is a time proven piece of gear. The Westcomb Focus LT Hoody retailsfor $279 and not the $400 the other two retail at. A $120 and 30% savings off the top. That alone has to get your attention.



Mind you I am not getting even more picky on the details here. Even with the exceptional fit of the Focus I did notice the lack of stretch. For me the extra cost of the Shift is "almost" worth it. I felt like (but never found a reason) I needed just a tiny bit bigger jacket (this was a Large) but I never noticed the Focus past the part where I was staying dry while I was climbing in it. It seemed the eVent DVLbreaths as well as anything I have tested in pretty tough conditions. And the Focus blocked what little wind we had. Noticeably more than the Neoshell I had been using previous.



The eVent fabric is a little noisy but I like the material hand. No question it was water proof.



Gotta say I was pretty impressed with the Focus LT and the newest eVent DVL. Even more so because I have not generally been impressed with previous eVent shell garments. My size large weights in at 9.5 oz/272g and will easily compact to the size of a decent coffee mug. By far the lightest jacket I tested and certainly one the top two for wind resistant and able to hold its own on water resistant. Breath ability? No test besides my own use to back it up but every bit the equal of the other two imo and may be even a bit better than either. The Focus LT is a hard garment not to like at the $279 price point by comparison. If only it were stretchy.



I am always amazed when I start a comparison review like this with an obvious personal favorite and by the end get my mind changed by the process of the review and the side by side comparisons. Classic example of that happening this time. Even though getting off the dime on stretch fabrics is almost impossible for me now.



Two things stood out to me when I was done. First was price point difference between the three. Which seldom snags me when performance is my priority. Second was the difference in these garment's performance when even a small amount of stretch was added.



But then again $279.......



In an age of the next super model...few things are astand out. And it may not be what you expected that makes the biggest impression.



More on the Focus LT Hoody here:



http://www.westcomb.com/product/jackets/103/focus-lt-hoody.html

Back!

I'm back in the US. Still unpacking and washing clothes. Trying to decide what to write about first. Took 200# of new and some old gear to use and test in Chamonix.Over baggage charges cost more than the freaking R/T plane ticket Sking and climbing was awesome in Feb. and March.



More to come asap.



Till then, sunshine, granite and neve.

Ijzerenleen: Champs Elysees of Mechelen

Because of my Fine Arts degree (I secretly wished I finished Economics or Business Management) I am appreciative of art and architecture.

I love creativity. During my elementary and high school years I used to be the artist of the class but nowadays I dabble in IT sales-marketing-promotion-incentive types of creativity for work. Not really the same but creativity is in the mind, in the personality and character of the person. One cannot argue that it’s in the DNA. A creative person will make creativity happen.

So anyway, while walking around Mechelen, I quickly noticed the lovely guild buildings on Ijzerenleen. They really stand out and I must take pictures of them.

Belgian (and Dutch) architecture is based on Gothic Renaissance architectural character. Belgian architecture though has more Baroque influence than the Dutch and one can see it clearly on its facade details.

Later, I found out that the locals dubbed Ijzerenleen street as the ‘Champs Elysees of Mechelen’. Hah cool! I was indeed correct with my hunches =)

On the Ijzerenleen you can find many traditional and specialty shops selling cigars to cheeses and wines. It is one of the main streets that leads to the Grote Markt or the big main square.

New film downloads in the shop

I have just added HD downloads of the Hot Aches Productions films to the shop. So now you have a cheaper and more instantaneous way to watch the classic climbing films: The Long Hope, The Pinnacle, Committed 1, Committed 2, Wideboyz, Odyssey and Monkey See Monkey Do. You’ll find them all here.




The DVD options are still there too of course...

Fog in the Sleepy Hollow Valley

This photo was taken from one of the local fire towers last night just before sunset. It had rained all day and as evening wore on the fog was incredible. An elevated vantage point such as this provided for some spectacular views of the fog as it drifted through the surrounding valleys!

Cliff Above Jemez Creek

This cliff is above the creek where we like to go walking.

Creek

We found this little creek with lots of water in it. In another couple of months it will be all gone and nothing but a dry creek bed.

- Off to a snowy start

Near record amounts of snow fell at Paradise in December and early January. The weather station there recorded over 360 inches (over 30 feet) of the white stuff so far this fall and winter. At that rate, the mountain is on track to break the previous snowfall record (93 feet in 1972)... The breakneck pace of snowfall has blanketed the entire Cascade range and has also caused a significant amount of avalanche distress and accidents. The thick unstable snowpack brought a series of severe avalanche cycles that have claimed nine lives in the region. Almost another record, yet very grim, for avalanche fatalities.

At Paradise on Mount Rainier, a snowshoer was caught in a snow-slide on December 18th. It took 3 and 1/2 days to find 22 year old Kirk Reiser. Though the accident occurred within 3/4 miles of the parking lot, a tremendous amount of continued snowfall made the recovery hazardous and arduous. To find him, we called upon Mountain Rescue and Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol to help. They showed up with many rescuers, search dogs and bombs (to mitigate the hazard). Left: Crystal Mountain Ski Patroller Chris Morin tossing a bomb, photo by Stefan Lofgren.

It's been over 20 years since someone has been caught and killed in a "winter" related avalanche on the Paradise side of the mountain. Climbers have certainly been caught, but those incidents happened in the spring and fall at higher elevations. The last four avalanche fatalities were in June (3) and October (1), not your traditional "avalanche season." Left: Mountain Rescue volunteers working a probe-line, photo by Stefan Lofgren.

Anyone who leaves the parking lot for a day of fun in the snow should definitely pay attention and adhere to the avalanche forecast. You'll also need to know how to evaluate the hazard and make route finding decisions that avoid hazardous areas. Another key is to carry the necessary backcountry rescue equipment (a beacon, a shovel, and a probe per person) and know how to use them efficiently during an emergency. Remember, rescue equipment is a last resort, avoiding an accident is the goal. Perhaps the best advice is to take a class and learn about snow safety. If you haven't done so, check out some of the avalanche courses offered in the area. If it's been a few years since you've had a course, take an update/refresher. A good place to start is the Level 1 AIARE or the Recreational Level 1 course from the Canadian Avalanche Association.

Over the last week, we've enjoyed mostly clear and cold weather (as attested by Chris Olson's image to the left). This allowed 3 climbers an opportunity to summit via the Gibraltar Ledges route on Jan 23rd!! During that weather window, numerous snowshoers and skiers made their way to Camp Muir. Most were reporting firm, hard snow, no one else summited (that we know of)... That said, the snow has again started to fall in Longmire and at Paradise (another 2 feet reported). Once again, things are very soft and hazardous. As a safety heads up: the emergency public radio at Camp Muir is not working (more later on when it gets fixed). As for the snow/ski conditions, check out our ski reports from Lead Climbing Ranger Chris Olson. As always, I appreciate any field reports route updates, if you send them, we'll share them...

And speaking of updates, we have a new writer on the website that you'll be meeting later this week. But to give you a quick heads up, get ready for famed writer and blogger: Rebecca Agiewich. Rebecca is a Rainier enthusiast, skier, and for the benefit of this website, a writer. She has signed on to help me with route reports and other updates so that YOU wont have to wait (sometimes 8 weeks) for the local scoop on Rainier traffic and events as I wade through NPS policy and budgets... Look for her pithy and fun posts to come. She'll spin her own Rainier press and provide added entertainment and information.

Above image is of Park Ranger Stefan Lofgren assessing the snowpack, by Mike Gauthier.