Dried Leaf in Snow

I found this little redbud tree leaf trying to hang on to it's tree in the snow and wind yesterday.

Light is always right

It doesn't matter if you are sport climbing at your local crag or in the greater ranges, light is always right if you want to push the limits of what you are capable of.



Every trip outreinforces that mantra to me. It doesn't matter if the object under discussion is a super light weight forged wire gate carabiner,your climbing pack,the helmet or clothes you choose. All of them add up to significant weight as a whole. How you decide to climb, be it unroped, scantily protected or lacing it up matters as well. Are your skills up to the task and your chosen style?



How fast you climb will define what you bring for food and water. How you dress will define that equation as well. Too warm and you'll need more water and your body won't work as efficiently. Too warm and you'll climb slower.



Going lightmeans speed in the mtns. And speed in the mtns is all in the details which includestaying aware and alert top to bottom. Are the ropes organized? Did you bring enough gear but not too much gear? Will the climb push you or will you push on the climb?



The picture is a scan from the 1984 Wild Things catalog. It is worth a dbl click to read or reread.







In April of I publisheda "weight list" here on the blog. I didn't do it for anyone but myself. I update it it as needed and refer to it myself all the time. If you don't write it down and keep track of the info you'll never know what you carry or how much it weights. And what it weights matters if you what to push yourself. It is a habit worth developing.



My list:

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//04/weights.html



If you are reading this blog then likely you are aware of the amazing climbs getting done in the alpine. If you aspire to those sorts of climbs it also pays to look at the gear and systems the major players are using.



There are few Willo Walzenbach's going off on their bicycles and using wool over coats to climb the big north faces these days.



There is how ever a ton of technology available to us today. All ofthe most recent hard climbs have depended on that same technology to some extent. Saying that takes nothing away from the climbers involved. It has always been that way. Modern gear and the resulting technology has just allowed us to push the envelope farther. Just as it has previous. Take a look at your "favorite flavor". I've mentioned or posted pictures of mine on the blog any number of times or just check the other links. The same guys that aregenerally pushing hard and going extremely light.



You don't have to climb at a professional level or in distant mountains to take advantage of what I am suggesting here. And to get good at it you need to do it in small doses, locally first.



Gear doesn't climb mountains, men do.



Alpine climbing (or any climbing) is a thinking man's game.



Smart climbers think about what gear they use, what it weights, the tactics they will try to use on the climband why. If you aren't doing all of that, you are missing well over half the game.

A few random images

Here are a few shots taken over the last few days. I haven't done a lot of shooting as I have been pretty busy working on other things, but I have gotten out here and there. The image above is a 1/2 second exposure with a short pan upwards from bottom to top. Taken on a day of shooting with my friend Roger (http://www.rogernordstromphoto.blogspot.com/) who was actually my inspiration for this shot. Roger showed me a similar picture that he had taken, so I decided to try one of my own within this stand of pine trees on Old Highway 61.

(Above: Ice pressure ridge on Wauswaugoning Bay)

(Above: Ice, snow and sky)

(Above: Ice fisherman and gulls on Wauswaugoning Bay)

Old Town Walk

Most of the walk ways in Old Town have been covered to make for a more pleasent tour due to our hot sun and in the summer sudden downpours of rain in the monsoon season, which we are having now. There was no rain the day we were there but the shade was welcome. There are still several of the old cottonwood trees still along some of the streets and in the park.

Boldt Castle - 1,000 Islands, NY

Boldt Castle was Built by George Boldt for his wife Louise. Building was near completion when she died and workers were instructed to stop construction and he never returned to the Island.

The Boathouse located on Wellesley Island:






I could live in the Boathouse Caretakers Quarters:




We take the Shuttle over to the Castle

View of Boathouse from Ferry:

The Power House which was to create the electricity via fire steam generators:






We arrive at the Island






T
Another view of the Power House:


The Playhouse

The Arche modeled after Roman monuments was the formal entry for a launch carrying guests from larger yachts anchored in deeper water. A drawbridge was to provide a promenade on the embankment of the Swan Pond - but was never completed.



























Future Renovations