Sunrise & Morning Glories

Lauren's Significant Other, Dustin

For years, I've heard Lauren talk about one of the biggest loves of her life. I kept telling her that I hoped we could meet someday. Yesterday, I was finally able to meet Dustin.



I can think of a few people off the top of my head who understand Lauren's love. Jaci, my Mom and Merrin are who come to mind right away. I think horses are incredible and I enjoy time with them. But I do not have the all encompassing love for horses that Lauren has. Lauren eats, sleeps and breathes horses. She has been this way for as long as I can remember. So to see her in her happiest place in the world was a treat to say the very least.



To watch her ride, and see her great form was a special thing for us.







Most of all, I loved seeing her smile. She is a pretty serious person, so to her her look downright radiant made me smile from ear to ear.





Thank you, Lauren for letting us meet Dustin and getting to see you ride. We loved every minute of it!




I'm gonna smile every time I see this picture! Just beautiful! Both of them!

Long Commutes in the Rain

Most transportation cyclists eventually get comfortable with riding in the rain, and for me this was never particularly a problem. In the beginning, my commutes through the city were short and I mainly remember struggling with poor visibility and chaotic traffic, before getting used to it all. But as my travel radius increased, so did my exposure to rain. Some things began to matter that did not matter as much before, and I gradually made adjustments.






As far as the bike, the big thing for me was waterproofing. I carry a laptop always when cycling for transportation, a DSLR camera much of the time, and also hand-written documents. These items absolutely cannot get wet. While there is now a wealth of attractive new bicycle bags on the market, many of them are not designed to resist water beyond a short ride. For long commutes, I suggest using a touring-grade bag or one that is specifically described as waterproof. The Carradice I've been using on my Brompton for the past 5 months has been pretty good so far (for as long as 50 miles in continuous rain in Ireland - with both my laptop and camera inside), as was the Po Campo pannier I used on my full-sized bikes before that. Ortlieb bags are probably an even safer bet. Just in case, I keep a plastic bag inside for emergencies, and I always store water-sensitive items in internal compartments.






An issue for those who use leather saddles, is that these can get soggy (and, consequently, deformed) after long rides in the rain. A good saddle cover helps, and the stock one from from Brooks shown here is actually not the best example. Normally I use a thick gray one from Rivendell that fits tightly all around the saddle. It is deep, too, which protects the underside of the saddle as well. I am sure there are others that do a good job. Alternatively, there are specially treated leather saddles - such as Selle Anatomica - that claim to be waterproof.






Finally, long exposure to rain might call for additional bike maintenance. On a bicycle without a chaincase, lubing the chain is probably a good idea. And even if you're not into cleaning your bike, the debris that gathers around the brake calipers and derailleur is worth wiping off to keep everything functioning smoothly. The need for this kind of maintenance after long rides in a downpour certainly makes a good argument for internally geared hubs, enclosed hub brakes and a full chaincase. However, bikes with those features may not be ideal for hilly long distance commutes.






As far as the cyclist, clothing choices get trickier - especially if you want to ride in regular clothes and don't have the opportunity to change upon arrival. A truly waterproof outer layer is essential. But equally important is breathability, since you are exerting yourself more than you would on a shorter ride. When I started riding longer distances I discovered that my usual raincoat was neither entirely waterproof, nor very breathable. Eventually I found one that worked well - made of light, technical fabric with lots of vents and a removable hood. Rain capes may be another option, with some breathable, cinchable ones from Iva Jean and Cleverhoods recently introduced. Just as crucial as outerwear is waterproof footwear: Shoes that are fine on short rides can get soggy after 10+ miles pedaling in the rain,and you probably don't want to sit around with wet feet all day.




Of course, all the general tips for riding in the rain still apply: Lights, fenders, extra caution. On an upright bike, I don't feel like the rain is hitting me in the face as hard as it does on a roadbike, which makes things more pleasant.Once outside the city, I generally find it fairly peaceful and low-stress. Mixing ideas from transportation cycling and touring has been helpful for me and that's what I would suggest to others with long rainy commutes. Find a setup that works for you, and enjoy not being stuck in suburban rain-day traffic!

Abstract Ice II

As promised, here is the same patch of ice as the photo I posted yesterday, only taken a few days later. It's amazing how the same patch of ice can look completely different from one day to the next!

The Hayes Range Alaska...and memory lane

There are still adventures to be had!! Much of this post is from years ago. But check out the modern version of our trip in the BD video below.



My first trip to Alaska! This is a area I was lucky enough to exploreback in May of 1976 with the help of an AAC grant. Our original goal was the NW Ridge on Deborah from the north side, which we did not do. Thefirst ascent of that line was done 4 months later by Alaskans. And again in 1977 the upper NW Ridge from the south, again by Alaskans one of which was my friend Carl Tobin. Carl went back to do the 1st ascent of the East Ridge as well. Likely one (only?) of the few to ever climb the mtn twice. And two 1st ascents to boot!



NW ridge of Deborah











But we were able to make four1st ascents while we were there but saw only onesummit.3 of those I was a part of. Big adventure for us in a remote area at the time.









West face of Hess and the arrow head shaped glacier tongue we climbed and then were barely able to descend in a full on Alaskan blizzard.





Hard to believe this day turned into a howling blizzard a few hrs later. It turned into a 46hr push.







Sub-peak of Deborah, west face of "Sally", and how we accessed the NW Ridge of Deborah to by pass the objective dangers under the North face of Deborah. This was our only summit we saw and which we bivied on.





This north ridge we climbed just to get the radio to work, line of sight, to Fairbanks. No sat phones back in '76. But heck, it was afun (for once) 1st ascent.

Photo credits above to Ray Brooks and Gwain Oka





First ascent of the West Face of Hayes in by Samuel Johnson andRyan Hokanson



Photo credit JeffBenowitz









Modern day adventure!

Samuel Johnson teamed up with Ryan Hokanson and did some impressive climbs in the samearea in the summer of . Take the risk and make your own adventure!



BD grassroots athlete Samuel Johnson's expedition to Alaska's Hayes Range from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Gretton - Rockingham via plantation

With Eddie, Charlotte and Maureen. Led by me. Sunny, ground frozen, cold wind. 8 miles.





Same route as on Thursday 7 April





We started from the playground on Gretton rec, and followed the path between the new estate and the older houses. It goes by the hedge and continues straight on as far as the surfaced track. Just opposite there are a pair of stiles leading into a grassy field. We crossed this to another pair of stiles. After these the path goes right at about 45 degrees towards a wide gap in the hedge. There we turned right and walked with the hedge on our right, through a few gaps until we came to a stile through a hedge, and on to a track. over the stile on the other side and into a large field,where the path leads slightly right, as indicated by the footpath arrow. As we walked in this direction the metal gate and stile that we were aiming for came into view.





Over the stile to the Gretton- Corby road, and across over another stile. Here there is a short steep slope, which we descended. Then we aimed left at about 45 degrees towards a rather ramshackle stile into the wood.





In the woods, you go down a pretty steep short section of path, just after the stile, and go down to a wide grassy track. Turn left and walk along. There's a notice advising you to keep dogs on leads, and beware of snakes. Today, it was far too cold for any cold-blooded critter to emerge.







After a while the track arrives at a meeting of the ways, and here you need to take care. Not left, not left and slightly back, and not right. More or less straight ahead, with a slight bias to the right. Follow this track to a T-junction and turn left. Don't attempt to cross a quarried 'ravine' ahead. The left turn leads to a stile and on to the Gretton Brook Road. It may be possible to wend your way through the trees and emerge later, but it doesn't look very practicable, and is almost certainly not a public footpath.

From here, follow the Gretton Brook Road, carefully because it can be pretty busy, to the junction with the main road. Keep along this in the same direction until you reach Princewood Road. Follow the footpath/pavement/sidewalk here round through the industrial estate until you come to the area behind the Hampton by Hilton hotel. You can cut through to the main Rockingham Road. The verge is wide enough to walk on, or you can cross over to a surfaced footpath. The road goes past a hotel and the cemetery, and leads to the junction with the A6003. There is a roundabout at the top of Rockingham Hill.

Walk down Rockingham Hill as far as the footpath sign for Gretton - to the left. Continue if you fancy a coffee or more at the tea-shop just after the Sondes Arms.

Charlotte, Eddie and Maureen, ready to climb West Hill!

There is a longish section along roads, but the walks at either end of it make it worthwhile.





More later

Golden Grass

Golden Grass, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

The unusual thing about California is that the state turns green in the winter and become golden in the summer. Well, it would seem unusual to anyone from out of state, but we don't have summer rain that the rest of the nation enjoys. There's been no heavy rain since early April, and there won't be any storms on the horizon again until October.

Most of the grasses that become golden in the summer are actually not from California, but instead originated in Europe. Seeds of these grasses were transported to the state with early Spanish colonists. The result is the popular conception of "the golden hills of California".

Ijsbaan op de Neude

Translation: ‘Skating rink on Neude square’ in Utrecht Centrum. This provisional indoor skating rink on Neude is open from 10:00 to 22:00 until 8 January . There is a cafe inside as well.

Skating is the national sport of the Netherlands. Almost everyone in this country can skate, at least applicable to those that are of Dutch origin. Skating is big here, it’s just too bad that during winter we rarely get frozen lakes, rivers and canals these days, unlike 20 years ago.

In fact the Netherlands is a lovely sight when the lakes, rivers and canals are frozen. So many people from different ages are out skating. Gezelligheid!

This winter is probably the mildest winter I have ever experienced.

Visit Period: December

Tricks of the Camera

I had three lenses with me in the camera bag yesterday, so I thought it would be neat to illustrate how different lenses affect the way a bicycle looks in pictures. Here are three photos of my mixte standing in the same position, taken with (left to right:) an 85mm lens, a 50mm lens, and a 35mm lens, using identical camera settings. Notice any differences?



Here is a closer look at the picture taken with the 85mm lens. First off, notice the relationship of the bicycle to the trees: In this picture the bike looks like it is positioned in between the trees. There are hardly any trees in the frame itself and if I wanted to I could crop them out all together, making the bike an isolated object in the midst of snow and sand. There is also not a great deal of background information in the space above the bike: a few stairs, but that is all. Furthermore, the things in the background are kind of blurry in comparison to how sharp the bicycle itself looks. And finally, take a look at the size of the bicycle's wheels. The bike is slightly turned toward the camera and the front wheel is closer to me than the rear. But despite this, the front wheel does not look much larger than the rear; the bicycle looks proportional. The 85mm lens is considered a "portrait lens" precisely because it creates these effects: It isolates the subject from the clutter of surrounding objects and reduces unflattering foreshortening effects in the subject's face and body.



Now the same scene, but taken with a 50mm lens. Notice how much more background information is visible in this picture. And it's impossible to crop out, because all that extra stuff is directly behind the bike, rather than around it. The same trees that were spread out to the right and left in the previous picture, now overlap with the bike's wheels and can't be cropped out. More stuff in the space above the bike is visible as well - now we see not just the stairs, but a winding path. And the background scenery is in sharper focus than in the previous picture. It's a nice composition as far as narrative goes (we get more of a sense of the bicycle being in the woods), but a portrait or product photographer would tell you that the background is starting to compete with the subject of the photo. One of the trees looks like it's growing out of the pannier, and the winding path draws the eye away from the forms of the bike itself.



And same scene once again, but with a 35mm lens. The entire patch of woods and the street behind it have now been wrangled into the shot. The background scenery is just as sharp as the bicycle itself, and there's so much of it, that the scene looks altogether cluttered. Also, notice that the front wheel of the bicycle looks considerably larger than the rear, as a result of being closer to the camera. Foreshortening effects are pretty strong with this lens: If I were photographing a person's face, their nose would appear exaggeratedly large in comparison to their eyes for the same reason as the mixte's wheels look to be different sizes.



There is much more to be said about differences between these lenses, and in fact I haven't given a proper introduction to camera lenses at all - but that would take ages and it's nothing you can't find in an online reference. Hopefully, these pictures illustrate the way in which lenses play a role in bicycle photography, and why sometimes it seems like you just can't compose the shot you want with your camera. For those of you who use digital SLRs with interchangeable lenses, which do you prefer to use for bicycle photos?

Happy Birthday to the former Boy Boy

When Austin was little, Nathan called him "my boy". That somehow then changed into "the boy". Usually that name was used in this sentence: Guess what the boy did now! At some point Austin decided he wanted more and started to call himself the boy boy. So the boy boy it was.



Seventeen years ago, this boy boy came into our family and I can think of very few things that have altered the family quite like it. To say he made things more interesting is an understatement. It has been an honor and joy to have him in our lives. Today as I shared with him what his birth and life with us has meant to me personally, I had to also admit that he is no longer our boy boy. He is almost a man now. A young man at the very least. And we most likely have very little time left with him sharing a home with us. So I'm savoring the time left.



We squeezed in a birthday lunch at the Chinese Buffet because he had to work tonight. We bought him a red velvet cake that we then promptly ate 1/4 of. And I promised him a trip where he can cash in his birthday gift money and do something he wants to. It was not the big party I would have loved to have thrown for him but we still celebrated how special the day was. It was good.



Happy Birthday, Austin. There is a part of me that will always see the little boy in you. And the other part of me sees the wonderful young man you are also.

Bear Creek Mountain

A bunch of us decided to get out of town and try something new, so we headed for Bear Creek Mountain. The first 3 miles are fairly flat and feature several meadows.


Most of the elevation gain is at the end of the hike. Some pikas kept running around and whistling in this rocky area.



The kids enjoyed themselves in a large deposit of Mt. Saint Helens ash that we found on the way up.


Dahlia, Lily, Bill, Daisy, Danielle, Jennifer, Doug, Tania, Tina, Bethany and Dreamer, the dog, on top. Our view was limited, since we were in a cloud. It was nice to get out, see some new sights and spend the day in a place where the high was only 60 degrees!

Putting it all together.

I love a good collage, who doesn't? All those pieces somehow related but somehow not complete.

That's S'matt up theremaking sense of a wild collection of very cool moves.

(click to enlarge)

Captain Caveman M7 gets climbed

Joel Toretti made the trip into town and we spent a short day at Meadow Run. We hopped right on Captain Caveman. Joel tried first since he hadn't had a chance yet... He fell a few times, but got up through it. I got on to give it a try. I wasn't feeling too positive due to the fact that I felt pumped from my previous day attempt. Surprisingly I sent Captain Caveman first try. Joel tied back in and promptly sent in fine style. Next Joel wanted to try Anger management M6+. He tied in started up. For mental pro he got a stubbie to go in about 5 rotations till it hit rock then tied it off. Upward Joel went passing the first bolt and into the overhangs. Quickly learning that the 2nd bolt was way out of reach (now that the rodi stummp is gone), he backed off and down climbed to the ground. Having longer reach, I opted to go up and climb the route and installing a longer runner on the 2nd bolt so that Joel could make the clip. I went up to Joel's highpoint and worked into the clipping hook... What a looooong reach that clip is. Any shorter arms and I don't think I would've got it. I fired up into the ice finish, installing a near worthless screw at the lip, clipping it and gunning for the top. Seemed much harder than I remembered... Joel tied in and gave it a second go. He smoothed up through the route eventually pumping out at the lip. He hung body weight from the screw I placed and installed a 2nd (good) screw. He finished it without issue. He wanted to try again, but I had obligations and needed to leave. So we decided to leave fixed gear on the bolts for Joel when he comes back.

Gloucester VA to Myrtle Beach SC

We are so happy to have a moving day today! Since our time in the OBX was cut short, we purposely looked for a beach area to stop off at on our way to Florida. Neither one of us had ever been to Myrtle Beach. There was a Coast to Coast park there so it was a perfect fit.



We saw this one our way there:



And we saw lots of touristy things like this when we arrived:



It is really hot here. More so than we were expecting. We are curious to see if we will love it here or not.



Living the life in South Carolina!