Fall Helicopter Flights

The days where climbing rangers "dig deep" have finally arrived. It's time for the fall flights, where all of the human waste accumulated at both high camps, and in blue bags around the mountain, is removed. Propane tanks, construction materials, and rescue equipment are also flown around the mountain and staged for the winter.

Even though fall flights are here, autumn hardly seems to have rolled in. "Record breaking highs" have been in the recreational forecast the last couple of days, and there has even been a "red-flag" warning for fire danger inside the park. Climbers have still been summitting via the Disappointment Cleaver, Emmons/Winthrop, and the Kautz Glacier route.

Snow melting and revealing hard glacial ice around the mountain can present new challenges for climbers. Consider bringing both snow AND ice protection for crevasse rescue. Don't be afraid to throw the sharp crampons in the backpack either. Enjoy the views as the colors start to change around the park - see you on the mountain!

At Least DC'S Got Key

Of all the schools-both public and private in the entire U.S. of A. chosen to receive Blue Ribbon status this year only one was chosen within the confines of the District of Columbia-Francis Scott Key Elementary. It's both an honor and a disgrace that one public school here in the district has achieved so much in a city wide system that has achieved so little. On one hand, we have a great little school like Key where over half of the students are advanced in math- according to test scores. In fact, when the Obamas were school shopping, Michelle Rhee told us that her office crunched the numbers, and Key came up on top.  On the other hand, our system still supports social promotion and retention, meaning, for example, you might be held back a year or two, but eventually- you will still be moved up to high school-reading or not.
I am really proud of Key school's award. It was well earned by teachers, students, parents and staff alike- all working together, but during the furor of the Obama's school search, I heard more than one voice question why the Obama family should "sacrifice" their children to the cause of DC public schools. The Blue Ribbon award program is part of the No Child Left Behind act, and I can't help but roll my eyes at the irony. Maybe one day-though maybe not in my lifetime- DC will be the Blue Ribbon town it could and should be.

A Bedroom or a Stable?

We are doing some serious restructuring to our apartment, and in the midst of it our bikes have all been temporarily crowded into the bedroom. So I took this opportunity to get a group shot. Here they all are: His and hers Pashleys, Raleigh DL-1s and Motobecane Mirage / Super Mirage. See? That's a modest three bikes per person. Still within the bounds of sanity, right? The helmet on the bedspread is a lovely Bern. I do own a helmet; I just don't wear it while riding a bicycle.

Hopefully, the restructuring will make bicycle storage and access more convenient. The Pashleys and Raleighs can't be hung on hooks like the Motobecanes (too heavy), so they pose a real design challenge. This is further complicated by the fact that our cats are drawn to the bicycles like magnets, and they tend to be a little destructive in their affections (chewing on the dressguards and cables). Well, we'll figure something out. Or move to a house with a barn, like I have been gently suggesting to the Co-Habitant...

Tracing the Tangles

In theory, cycling on Cape Ann - with itsmiles of rocky beaches and its quaint villages - should be idyllic. In practice, it is all main roads, devoid of shade and dense with traffic, along a largely hypothetical coastline. The water views are obscured by developments and the sea is strangely scentless much of the time. Add to that the crater-sized potholes, the unyielding drivers, and the mosquitos immune to insect repellant - and frankly I don't find it so idyllic at all.



But stubbornly I persist: the same old 45 rolling miles, from Rockport to Ipswich and back. There is exactly one stretch of backroad along my route, and I anticipate it as one might anticipate a tart fruity filling in an otherwise bland pie.



There is only one stretch of backroad, but this stretch has a little of everything: climbing, quiet, overhanging trees, wooden bridges over saltwater marshes. And the part I look forward to most are the twists. The narrow road loops abruptly to the left, then to the right, then to the left again, then - who knows. It twists haphazardly - not so much a series of hairpins, as a mess of tangles.



As a young girl I once found a stray length of golden chain in my grandmother's garden.It was thin and delicate, the kind of chain meant to be worn with a pendant. But now it was dirty and torn and missing a clasp - not really of use to anyone.I remember standing there and spilling it back and forth from one hand to the other, fascinated by the curves and tangles it made each time it settled on my palm. I would trace the tangles with my eyes and it was an act of meditation.



This memory comes out of nowhere as I now trace the twists of the road on my bike. Or rather, it is the bike that traces them. I merely hang on and take it all in, savoring the experience. The bike leans dramatically left, then right, then left, then ...who knows. And I relax and lose myself in the meditative feel of it, my hands keeping clear of the brakes. I can't tell you how I finally learned to corner. It just happened one day. It emerged from a tangle of experiences, memories, emotions.

Rainbow Springs State Park

Today we finally got out for a day trip. Once you are in The Villages, it is easy to forget there is a whole other world out there because you have everything you need right here. There is so much in this area that is unique and beautiful so I'm glad we remembered it for today at least. Rich and Donna graciously babysat Ava, so after dropping her off we headed to Dunnellon to visit Rainbow Springs State Park.



The first thing we noticed was the fact that the place was packed. The second was the reality that almost every person except us was wearing a swimming suit, which meant the springs were a great place to swim. Neither of those things especially surprised us. What did surprise us was how gorgeous the place was. We love most Florida parks, but this one was especially pretty in terms of the water. The water was crystal clear and fairly warm temperature wise. And it was breathtakingly beautiful.



Rainbow Springs is the fourth largest spring in Florida. The springs and park used to be a privately owned attraction. Based on how popular it seemed to be today, I am guessing it did well for many years. Before the magical mouse took up residence in Florida, I am guessing places like this did very well. It was nice to see families enjoying it and soaking up the fun still today. I am happy to say, we did not see one child using an electronic device the entire time we were here which says a lot for the place!



Since we did not bring our swimsuits, we headed off to see what the nature trails were like. We were very pleased with what we found there also.



Even with it being very hot and humid, we really enjoyed our nature walk. It was very relaxing and peaceful. There used to be a little zoo here but that is no longer in operation. There was a nice butterfly garden that was full of beautiful butterflies. We watched two that seemed to be doing synchronized flying together. And beyond a group of kids throwing rocks down at the waterfall we were looking at and almost hitting us, the crowds were not overwhelming in the least. We gave this place two thumbs up for sure.



So glad we did venture out today and see one of Florida's natural gifts. Living the life in HOT and HUMID Florida!

Teeth

The leaves of honey bush look dangerous to touch, but aren't.

Tombstone Tuesday :: Brubaker in Mississippi

Charles Romain Brubaker, my great grandfather, is buried in Machpelah Cemetery, Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi next to his second wife, Viola Fagan Winters Brubaker Shattles. (His first marriage, which ended in April 1921, was to Maude Catherine Wise. They had four children, one of whom was Hazlette Brubaker, my grandmother.)

CHARLES R. BRUBAKER / SGT US ARMY / SP AM WAR WORLD WAR I / AUG 19, 1871 DEC 19, 1945

VIOLA FAGAN BRUBAKER / SHATTLES / AUG. 15, 1889 APR. 11, 1977

Living As Locals and Neighbors

In an attempt to settle in and try to "live like the locals", Diana and I went out to see what kind of trouble we could stir up.

We haven't had this much fun since we ate dried bugs! As much fun as this was, we had to find some other things to do too. We started the day with pickleball with the women. The ladies have been starting at 8:30 so they can get in a few games before everyone else joins in. After that we took a walk around the campground. Then we took the kids to the library and to lunch. We had to do the daily Wal-Mart run too, of course. It was such an average, mundane day. And I loved that.



You see, for years Diana and I have said we wished we could live by each other. I lived in Michigan. She lived in Virginia. I moved to Virginia, and she moved to Florida. I moved to Florida and she moved back to Virginia. So that living as neighbors never really happened.



For the past few years, we've been able to travel together and spend much time together. It's been wonderful. We still haven't quite lived as neighbors though. And while I love being travel buddies, this week it hit me how much we are living more as neighbors since being here. It's been pretty cool in its own way.



Living the life in Virginia!

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.

The Days Ahead

The pre-Christmas blizzard has come and gone, leaving in its wake a patchy landscape of snow, slush, ice, and mud. Yesterday the weather was mostly good and we went for a ride along the Charles River Trail - our first real ride together in weeks. In the afternoon everything looked lilac and utterly beautiful; it was a wonderful ride.

The previous night it had rained and much of the snow had washed away. Though the river bank was snowy and the river was iced over, the trail itself was mostly clear, save for a few stretches. What surprised me was how utterly impossible it was to cycle through those stretches.

Having ventured out in the blizzard last week, I thought that I "knew" snow - and with that thought, I proceeded to cycle straight through a snowy patch. As a result, I almost took a spill - twice. Apparently, the fresh, evenly distributed powder through which I rode last week was nothing compared to the lumpy mess of slush, ice, and crusty snow of varying density through which I now attempted to pass. Let's just say, the Marathon Plus tires said "No". And I don't think studded tires would have helped in this kind of snow either - though feel free to correct me if you disagree.

The Co-Habitant checks my tires whilst enjoying the view of Boston across the river. I love this picture, because it captures the feeling of living in this area in a way I can't quite explain verbally. And I have a funny story about my tires, but will hold off on that till the next post.

After yesterday's ride, I think the realities of winter have finally hit me: My God, I won't be able to cycle "normally" again for the next 3 months! Sure, on good days I may feel safe enough to cautiously ride from Point A to Point B. But I can pretty much forget those fast long rides I have grown used to over the Summer and Fall. During the warmer months, I probably averaged around 100 miles per week on the bike, over 80% of them recreational. It should come as no surprise then, that the comparatively minimal cycling I am doing now leaves me wanting more. So what do I do, get a trainer? That's not the same as "real" cycling, and I just can't see myself getting into it. Instead, I think I simply need to accept the limitations of winter, and to stay positive by planning for the next season. Since I enjoy long rides so much, perhaps I should try to develop my endurance and challenge myself - set some goals, devise a training schedule, think of some local destinations I would like to cycle to, and so on.

A year ago, I could not have imagined that I would ever develop an interest in the "athletic" aspect of cycling - but there you have it. Those are my thoughts on cycling as we head towards the New Year. What are yours?

Pulling the Trigger vs Doing the Twist: Thoughts on 3-Speed Gear Shifters

On bicycles with internally geared hubs, we typically see two types of gear shifters. The trigger shifter (pictured above) is a small gadget with a lever that is moved up and down. Today, this style of shifter usually accompanies Sturmey Archer hubs (though in Europe I have seen some lesser known models as well).



The twist shifter (pictured above) is a plastic and rubber enclosure that is built into the handlebar grip itself. To switch gears, you grab the rubber part and twist forward or backward. This style of shifter usually accompaniesShimanohubs.



After using both types of shifters on various bicycles I've owned to more or less the same extent, I have developed a strong preference for trigger shifters. When I tell people this, they tend to assume it has to do with "vintage aesthetics" - but actually, it has to do with comfort. A trigger shifter takes up very little space on the handlebars, as it is attached with a narrow bracket. This means that the shifter does not interfere with the gripping area, and allows me to install full-length grips on the handlebars.



By contrast, having a twist shifter installed effectively cuts your gripping area in half. Notice that the right handlebar grip on the Bella Ciao above is shorter than the left grip - necessary in order to make room for the shifter. Granted, you can also keep your right hand on the rubber portion of the shifter itself - but it's not very comfortable, especially as there is a tactile break between where the real grip ends and the shifter begins.



But why is it important how long your grips are, as long as you are able to fit your hands on them? The reason, is that having room to move your hands around on the handlebars, even a little, can be essential for hand comfort - especially on long rides. If you ride your bicycle for just a couple of miles or so at a time, then you might not get the urge to move your hands around. But the longer your ride is, the more fatigued your hands will get if you keep them in the same position. Some people are more sensitive to this than others, and those who have nerve damage in their hands (like yours truly) are particularly prone to it. The feeling can range from numbness, to "pins and needles" to a more severe sensation of electric current running through the hand. It is not good to experience this problem, and having room on the handlebars to move your hands around allows you to avoid it. Long gripscan also help you switch between a more relaxed and a more aggressive position on your bike (by holding the grips further forward or further backward) - giving you some added control over speed.



Getting back to shifter styles, here is my right hand on the shortened grip that is integrated with the twist shifter on my Bella Ciao. As you can see, my hand covers the entire grip, with no room to move around - unless I place it on the shifter itself, though even then it is limited. And I had the same problem with this shifter on my previously-owned Pashley, which came with the 7-speed Shimano hub I innocently selected.



On the other hand, here is my hand on the grip I installed on my Gazelle. As you can see, there is room for another handful - which is only possible because of the trigger shifter.



I will note that one benefit of the twist shifter, is that it is more integrated with your hand position - which can be a plus if you switch gears very frequently. But on bicycles with internally geared hubs - especially 3-speeds - I have found that I tend to stay in one "ideal" gear most of the time, switching to a lower gear only when going uphill, and switching to a higher gear only when cycling very fast or downhill. Having to reach with my finger to pull the trigger has not caused me any inconvenience in comparison to using the twist shifter. Your experience, of course, may differ.



While I am not suggesting that everybody ought to run out and demand trigger shifters with their 3-speed bicycles, I am hoping that this comparison will provide some food for thought to those who are getting a new bike, or deciding which hub to select with a new build. I would also like to ask whether anybody knows where I can find a trigger shifter that is compatible with a 3-speed Shimano Nexus hub? Even if it involves rigging something up with a "thumbie" derailleur-style shifter, I am up for it. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Rain, Rain...Go Away

We have had a few days of solid rain with lots of wind, and here is the end result:



I know I said we were right on the water before, but I was speaking figuratively. It is about to become a literal statement:





Hopefully the rain has stopped...or we'll be switching sites!



Living the life in wet and cloudy Virginia!

Who Makes Your Bottle Cage?

So... do you know who makes your bottle cages? It might seem like a silly question. I mean, of all things, one is not about to seek out some super special artisanal cages, right? Well, recently I learned that mine were just that: made by Ron Andrews and crew, by hand, in Colorado. I feel a little embarrassed that I did not know this aboutKing Cage bottle cages, but the truth is I didn't. I bought mine because they were available at local bike shops, reasonably priced and reputed to be good. I like them, but I assumed that like most things they were mass produced in Taiwan. Until there I was, walking around Interbike. And there he was, a guy wearing a crown and twirling around all manner of cage-like contraptions. Several minutes into our conversation, it finally dawned on me that this person actually makes my bottle cages. I also learned of his connection to the Fat City Cycles clanand our local New England framebuilders. He asked me how this guy and that guy were doing. I get ridiculously excited by encounters like this.






Of course it's generally impossible to be at the King Cage booth and not get excited. It is like a miniature circus. A wind-up monkey dances across the table, inserting a tiny water bottle into a miniature cage instead of banging cymbals.






Items such as stop motion animation booklets and huge titanium back scratchers are demonstrated with enthusiasm.






An under-the-saddle titanium cage, with titanium flask sporting an #OCCUPYBIKESEATdecal. There was much more, and the booth was a bit like a parallel universe. Soon I craved every crazy accessory made by King Cage. But I limited myself to snagging a set of titanium cages at special Interbike prices, before they were all gone. My roadbike was very pleased to receive these!






Ron Andrews started out making cages in titanium, and still offers these in addition to the more popular and affordable stainless cages. He also offers titanium tire levers, stainless toe cages, and top cap mounts (pictured above) that make it possible to attach a bottle cage to a bicycle's stem. All of these items can be bought from the King Cage website directly, as well as at many bike shops.






Other than a Nitto cage I once received as a gift, all of my other bottle cages have been by King Cage. They are advertised as lightweight, non-marking and super strong, and after 3 years of use I have not experienced anything to contradict that. I use them with both plastic and (twine-wrapped) stainless steel bottles, and it's always a good fit. I can't fully explain why it made me so giddily happy to learn that these simple cages - widely available and relatively inexpensive - are made by hand by a friend of friends. Maybe it's precisely because they are such small accessories, and many of us don't give them much thought. It is heartening to know that somebody does, that somebody has made them their life's work with such dedication and panache.