Yuccas & Sandia Mountains

This nice view of two different yuccas some gray sage and the Sandia Mountains with a little of Rio Rancho inbetween was also taken on Southern Blvd. in Rio Rancho.

It's Looking Better...

One day this past week was spent at the Allen County Public Library attempting to determine the validity of the statement made in an article by Carrie Bray in 1949 that her great-grandfather (my 3rd great-grandfather) John Bray had arrived in Indiana on March 5, 1816.



An affidavit by Daniel Bray in the Revolutionary War pension file of his father John Bray, stated that “Some time in the early part of the year 1816, he went to the land office of Cincinnati to enter the North East quarter of Section No 25, town No 2, range 3 West. That owing to some mistake in the land office he could not effect an entry and he was obliged to return home and that his father John Bray, then went to the office and entered the said quarter...”



So the “problem” was: When was the land actually purchased and why did Daniel state that it was in Range 3?



The book “Indiana Land Entries Volume I” by Margaret R. Waters, published in 1948, contains the records for Indiana that are from the Cincinnati Land Office. It covers the area known as the “wedge” in the southeast corner of the state.







The map above shows the status of the Indiana Territory in 1810 with the four counties in existence at the time: of Knox (Kn), Harrison (Har), Clark (Clk), and Dearborn (Dea). The “wedge” mentioned in the Waters book was the area known as Dearborn county in 1810 as well as neighboring portions of Clark County.







By 1814 there were a few more counties in the Indiana Territory. Franklin and Wayne counties were created in 1811 while Switzerland was created in 1814 from that Dearborn “wedge” area as well as from portions of other counties. The two maps above are from the Genealogy Inc. website.



In the introduction of her book, Margaret R. Waters states that the records were copied solely for genealogical purposes to enable a searcher to learn if an ancestor located in Indiana and if so, where and when. To save time and space the acreage and final certificate numbers were omitted. A minimum amount of information is given (name, property description, date of entry) but enough to determine if the person of interest entered land in what would become the state of Indiana.







At the top of page 79 was the entry for John Bray showing that he entered the “NE 1/4 of S25 on 3-5-1816”. The line just below John, includes the name of Edward Ray who may be the same person who married Jane Bray, daughter of John. The previous page (78) showed that the land was in Switzerland County in T2N, R4W of the 1st PM (Township 2 North, Range 4 West of the 1st Principal Meridian).







The map above (from the Waters book) shows the “wedge” area of land from the Cincinnati Land Office included in the book “Indiana Land Entries Volume I”.







This enlarged portion of the previous map shows the townships that comprise Switzerland County. The dotted lines show the boundaries of Switzerland and Ohio Counties. (Ohio County was created in 1844 from Dearborn.) The land that John Bray purchased was in T2N R4W, which is in that tiny red triangle bordering Range 3 West.







Portion of a Switzerland County Map from the My Indiana Home website showing the location of Braytown in Craig Township.



Luckily for me, the Allen County Public Library has a series of microfilms called “Ohio Land Records” which includes the records of the Cincinnati Land Office. Film OLR-110 contained “Cincinnati Land Office Entries, 1814-1829” and it was even indexed by page number. Most of the page numbers were missing or illegible but it didn't take long to find his entry since I had the date he entered the land.







Cropped portion of the page showing the entry for John Bray (last entry on the image). The date at the top shows the transaction was made on March 5th 1816. The text in the column on the right states “John Bray of Franklin County applied to enter the North East quarter of Section 25 Town 2 Range 4 West - Containing 159 44/100 acres and produces the Receiver's Receipt No 30668 dated this day for $79 72/100 amt [?] being the one fourth part of the purchase money of said quarter Section of Land.”



So it seems that the date of March 5, 1816 as given by Carrie Bray in her 1949 article correlates to the date of purchase of the land. It also confirms the statement made by Daniel Bray in his affidavit that he went to the land office in Cincinnati “some time in the early part of the year 1816”.



But there was a surprise in the land entry document - the statement that John Bray was “of Franklin County”.



In searching the web for information, I came across the site Cincinnati Land Office Records, which appears to be a part of the Ohio Memory project even though those records are not included in their list of collections. The site contains images of the original land patents issued to the purchasers. There are only a little over 300 documents currently online but it is going to be an awesome site when they get more documents published. Anyway, at the bottom of the second paragraph of “About this collection” it states

“In certain instances it has been impossible to determine the correct state of origin of the purchaser; generally this is due to the fact that both Indiana and Ohio have identically-named counties, such as Franklin County. In these cases, both Ohio and Indiana have been listed as the state of origin.”

So that might present a little problem. However, Franklin County, Indiana is so very close to Switzerland County while Franklin County, Ohio is further north and east, closer to the central part of Ohio. Since we don't know the whereabouts of John Bray between 1805 and 1816 (as mentioned in The Evidence at Hand) it is possible that he could have ventured further north, but I don't think so. Perhaps that is just wishful thinking on my part. If he was “of Franklin County, Indiana Territory” then that would be evidence that he was actually residing in the area and would definitely be eligible for membership in the Territorial Guard Society of Indiana.



We have the record of the land entry on March 5, 1816 and the statement by Daniel Bray that he, then his father John, went to the Cincinnati Land Office in the early part of 1816. Does that constitute enough evidence to be able to say that they were then residing in the Indiana Territory?



What other records exist during that time period that can be used to help substantiate the claim that John Bray resided in the Indiana Territory in 1816?

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...

Beautiful Beginnings

What is it about the start of these rides? The all-day rides with dirt and climbing. The rides that begin in the early hours of the morning. We should feel groggy and tense after a night of little sleep. But everything is so still and serene that we are alert and open. The air is dewy. Faces are dewy.Everyone looks beautiful in the milky fog. It is not possible to know the weather yet. Everything hovers. The plants exhale and the scent they release is so strong it is almost unnatural. Is someone wearing perfume? No, it is flowers, grass, leaves, wet earth. We relax and exhale too.






Bags bulge with provisions and spare pieces of clothing. There is a friendly look to them; happy and full. Everyone wants to know what everyone else has brought. A show and tell of contents, a peek into each other's little bag-contained world.






Steel tubes rest against shrubbery. Surrounded by foliage, they blend into the organic colour pallets, muted in the early morning light.







Histories of bicycles are told and retold. Wonderment is expressed. Admiration is exchanged. The brand new feather-light racing bike is beautiful; we are envious. The hand-painted dump rescue with clumsy DIY braze-ons is beautiful; we are envious. Ditto for everything in between.






As inky darkness gives way to tentative lilac daylight, we slowly feel that sense of readiness swelling up within us. If the start of the ride is timed well, it will correspond with the crescendo of that sensation.





And then, as if it is the most natural thing in the world, we will transition from a state of profound calm to a state of immediate action. No jitters, no nerves. Just a beautiful beginning.

Switzer Family Number 4 :: Jacob G. and Catharina

This previous post was a summary of the Tax Lists, Land Records, and Census Records for each of the Jacob Switzers, and in that post this Jacob was identified as Jacob #4.



The Estate File in Columbiana County, Ohio (Number 4874) gives his name as Jacob G. Switzer while the Columbiana County Cemetery Inscriptions (v1 p6) lists him as Jacob C. Switzer. I'm going with Jacob G.





Jacob G. Switzer died March 25, 1859 at age 70y 4mo 17d (date of birth calculates to November 8, 1788). He is buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio.



His wife Catherine/Catharina died December 17, 1850 at age 62y 3mo 5d (date of birth calculates to September 12, 1788). She is also buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio. The gravestone transcriptions give her name as Catharina. The Ohio Death Record for Anna ( Switzer) Grove gives her mother's name as Catherine Mummert while that of Sophia Sweitzer shows it to be Catherine Murmmouh. A record on Find-a-Grave gives her name as Catharina Murmmoth.



On April 16, 1859 Isaac Switzer of Stark County, and James Crook and Joseph Anglemyer of Columbiana County signed a bond for $.. for Isaac Switzer who was named Administrator of the estate of Jacob G. Switzer.





Above is a portion of the final account that shows there was a balance of $917.63 in the estate of Jacob G. Switzer which Isaac Switzer was ordered to distribute according to law.

“The deceased in his lifetime having made advancements to most of his children of unequal sums, in order to equalize each as near as possible, the above balance was distributed as follows between the six heirs who have received the least by way of advancement, as per receipts filed.”

The above statement implies that there were possibly other heirs that did not receive a part of the final distribution... Census records seem to show that there may have been other children not named as having received a distribution.





The heirs that received a distribution and the amount they received were:

Ann Switzer – 194.60 ½

Sophia Switzer – 194.60 ½

Benj. Switzer 134.60 ½

Lydia Keck – 194.60 ½

Eliza Crook – 94.60 ½

Isaiah Holloway agt for Susan Holloway - 94.60 ½

Probate Judges & Attorneys fees – 10.00

Equal balance in Admr's hands $917.63

In the sale bill for the estate of Jacob G. Switzer, which was very difficult to read, there were several entries for a Tobias Switzer but none for Isaac or Benjamin. Is Tobias a son? Tobias also owed several notes to the estate amounting to $452.07 and it was reported in the final account that T. Switzer had paid $456.28 to the estate.



This Jacob Switzer does not appear in Columbiana County census records until 1830 and then he is listed in Fairfield Township from 1830 through 1850. See the above-mentioned previous post for details on the census records and well as the land ownership information.



From the census records it was determined that the family of Jacob and Catherina Mummert Switzer seems to have consisted of at least:

one male born 1826-1830

two males born 1821-1825

two males born 1816-1820

two females born 1826-1830 [Anna born 1829 + one other]

one female born 1821-1825 [Sophia born 1822 and Lydia born 1824]

one female born 1816-1820 [Eliza born 1818]

one female born 1811-1815 [Susan ?]

Known children of Jacob G. and Catharina Switzer (they received a distribution of his estate):

• Susan (Switzer) Holloway is probably the Susan Switzer who married Charles Holloway on March 10, 1839 in Columbiana County (v3 p208).

• Eliza/Aliza (Switzer) Crook. Aliza was born October 4, 1818 and died April 20, 1903. She is buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio. Eliza married James Crook on September 12, 1844 in Columbiana County (v3 p382). James Crook was born September 17, 1820 (calculated from age at death) and died October 23, 1895 at age 75y 1m 6d. He is buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio.

• Anna (Switzer) Grove was born December 25, 1825 in Fairfield Township, Columbiana County, Ohio and died March 16, 1910 in Columbiana, Columbiana County, Ohio. The Ohio Death Record of Anna Grove gives her parents as Catherine Mummert and Jacob Switzer. Anna was widowed at the time of her death. Since she was named as Ann Switzer in the distribution record or her father, it is likely that she married “Mr. Grove” after 1860. The informant on the death record was Valentine Grove.

• Sophia Switzer was born May13, 1830 in Ohio and died April 27, 1916 in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio. She is buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio. The Ohio death records give her parents names as Catherine Murmmouh and Jacob Sweitzer.

• Benjamin Switzer was not found in a quick search of the marriage records or census records for Columbiana County.

• Lydia Ann (Switzer) Keck was born April 27, 1837 and died March 11, 1870 and is buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio. Lydia married to Peter Rick [Reck/Keck] on 27 April 27, 1858 in Columbiana County (v38 p333). Peter was born October 17, 1834 and died October 6, 1900. They are buried in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio.

Other possible children of Jacob G. and Catharina Switzer:

• Isaac Switzer was the Administrator of the Estate of Jacob G. Switzer. He may be the Isaac Switzer who married Christina Zimmerman on January 2, 1840 in Columbiana County (v3 p226). He was found in the 1850 census in Lexington Township, Stark County, Ohio (page 462): Isaac Sweitzer was 37 years old (born about 1813 – doesn't quite “fit” the ages of “sons” in family of Jacob G). He was a farmer and was born in Ohio. In his household were Christina Sweitzer, 40; Silvenus Sweitzer, 8; Henry Sweitzer, 6; and Benjamin Sweitzer, age 3.

• Tobias Switzer was the only Switzer that purchased goods from the estate. He also owed several notes to the estate, which he paid on April 6, 1860.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

I do not plan to pursue this family any further. The information is being presented here because I have it and hopefully it will be of some use to another researcher someday.

The Toadstools

We had planned on camping last night but thanks to the rain and high wind from the thunderstorms we instead decided to stay at a motel in Kanab, Utah.Since we werein Kanab, we figured we would head over to the BLM visitor center in the morning and sign up for the daily lottery to try and win a spot for a hike to "The Wave" (google "The Wave" and you'll see how cool this area is). Basically, because The Wave is in a designated wilderness area, access is strictly controlled by the BLM. Each day they allow only20 people to hike to The Wave. 10 of these spaces are reservable online 4 months ahead of time and 10 spaces are given away each day in a "lottery". So, basically, you go to the visitor center in the morning and sign up, then wait as they literally conduct a lottery using bingo balls. You are assigned a number that corresponds to one of the bingo balls, and they spin the balls in a cage. If your number pops up, you get to do the hike the following day. There were 108 people signed up for the lottery the day we were there, so needless to say, our chances weren't very good and we didn't get a spot. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of other cool things to see and do in the area and we already had a backup plan in place.







































After the lottery let-down, we hopped back in the truck and headed east towards Page, Arizona. Along the way was the first hike in our back-up plan, an easy walk to an area known as "The Toadstools". This certainly was an easy walk, much less strenuous than most of the hikes we've done on the trip so far. It was not quite a mile from the parking area to the Toadstools area, and it was pretty much a flat hike. In case you're wondering, a "toadstool", according to the park literature,is "a spire-like feature with a boulder perched atop a pedestal rock, like a mushroom. It forms when softer rock erodes away, leaving a column sheltered from the wind and water." We had a great time exploring the Toadstool area and as the norm has been the past few days, we had beautiful clouds which made for great pictures!

Road Trip for the Country Bumpkins

The other day Nathan and I drove up (and over) to Clearwater. On the way back, I missed the exit for the interstate so it took me through downtown Tampa instead. I am not sure if we have ever been in this particular section of Tampa. I saw some new buildings there that were really cool. Since it was very busy traffic wise, it allowed for me to take my phone out and snap a few pictures at each stoplight.



I didn't realize how funny this probably looked to others, me sitting in my huge truck snapping pictures of building like I'd never ventured into the big city before. Then I noticed people just staring at me like what on earth is she doing? I started to feel a bit self conscious. Not that this stopped me you, but I did want to add a disclaimer to my activities. At one light, I almost rolled down my window to let the girls in the car next to me know that I see cool buildings all the time. My picture taking was not an indication of me not being exposed to things, but rather my neurotic need to photograph everything no matter where I am.



You gotta admit, this is a pretty cool building, right?



I decided not to worry about it and just take my pictures.



Living the life in interesting Florida!

Serendipigoat

What are the odds?

In Georgia last month, I visited some relatives and searched through photos for ancestors. I came across this instead.



A pint-sized Valentine!



-----
Updated:

Ang mentioned in comments that heart patterns on livestock aren't completely uncommon. So I did a little searching and found these online:

British piglet, also named Valentine, beyond cute.

Japanese chihuahua, named Heart-kun, exceedingly adorable.

Cat and another cat (not quite as well-defined, still charming).

-----

Updated again:

Check out Northview Diary's cow, Mandy, who has a cute little white heart on her side.

Thinking About Cities

Though I've lived in many different places over the course of my life, they have been mostly in Europe. Within the US my travels have been limited to the East Coast, and my trip to Las Vegas for Interbike was the first time I'd ventured west of Pennsylvania. Popular culture is saturated with images of Vegas, and I thought I knew pretty well what to expect: casinos, bright lights, neon signs, drunken merrymaking... If in the right kind of mood, I could see the kitsch appeal. But what I did not expect were unfinished construction projects, miles of empty parking lots, and a funny sense of being in the middle of a Broadway production that had its funding cancelled before the set could be completed. Maybe I wasn't supposed to arrive during the daytime (or be awake during daylight at all while there?), but the Vegas I saw looked not unlike the outer boroughs of former Soviet bloc cities, with their faded concrete high-rises and muddy vacant lots.

Equally fascinating was that Las Vegas seemed to be intentionally "anti-pedestrian" in design. I have no background in city planning, so it's hard to explain exactly what I mean. But with the exception of the smallish main strip - which is indeed walkable and feels like Disneyworld on crack - the city is made of these self-contained complexes accessible either by car or Monorail (they really try to push the Monorail, but it was mostly empty every time I used it).

Even in the city center, the roads are multi-lane and highway-like. Sometimes there are sidewalks, but they are lined with tall guard rails and there are no provisions for crossing the street except maybe every mile or so.The hotel I stayed at was technically around the corner from the convention center where Interbike was held, yet it was recommended I take the Monorail to it. Well, one night I had this crazy idea to walk. I could clearly see the hotel right in front of me - how bad could it be? It took about an hour and a half, because there was no way to walk to it in anything resembling a straight line. I had to walk around stadium-sized empty lots surrounded with chainlink fences, and when I tried to take shortcuts through hotels, I was forced to navigate along winding paths designed to maximise my exposure to slot machines. It was surreal. As for riding a bike, I remember someone posting a ridiculous statistic on twitter, claiming that 100% of Las Vegas residents who cycle report being hit by a car at least once. Having now been there, I no longer find it implausible.

While of course I've known that places like Las Vegas exist, I guess I've done my best to avoid them - choosing to live in areas that are walkable, which for me equates with livable. Being faced with the reality of what a city like this is actually like was jarring. I know that places like Boston comprise only a small fraction of the American urban landscape, while a model similar to Las Vegas is more common. I know it, but I try not to think about it, because the realisation fills me with a dread that I don't know how to overcome.

As I write this, I am waiting to board a plane to yet another city: Vienna. Design-wise, it is pretty much the polar opposite of the Las Vegas. And the public transportation and cycling infrastructure putevenBoston to shame. It is fascinating that such contrasts are possible in the way human beings create living spaces. What motivates the various designs? And what to do when the original motive is no longer relevant, or was a mistake, or turns out to be harmful to the population? Huge questions, I know. But sometimes you have to ask.

Leather Saddles from Cardiff and VO

A few years back, both Velo Orange and the Merry Sales/ Soma/ IRD group began releasing Taiwan-made leather saddles, which have been available as less pricey alternatives to the racing, touring and commuting models from Brooks of England. The saddles from Velo Orange are VO-branded, and the saddles from Merry Sales are sold under the Cardiff brand. Though both companies use the same manufacturer (Gyes) and offer equivalent models, they are not identical; subtle differences in specs are apparent. Still, the overall construction and design are the same. Since many have been wondering about the feel and quality of these saddles, I thought it would be useful to describe my experiences.






My first experience with a VO Saddle was when Velo Orange donated one for the vintage touring bike give-away I was doing last year. The model is what they call the Model 3 Touringandis equivalent to a Brooks B17 in width and general shape. The VO Model 3 features chromed rivets, side lacing, saddlebag loops, and a pebbled surface.






When the saddle arrived and I took it out of the box, I was initially not impressed. I thought the feel of the leather was somewhat "cardboard-like." To the touch it felt both stiffer and more brittle than a Brooks saddle. The underside had a grid-like surface to it, almost as if the material was some sort of compound. I did not have high hopes for what something like this would feel like to ride.






However, my expectations proved wrong once I started test riding the bike on which the saddle was fitted. Saddle preferences are highly personal, so I can only say that I found the VO Model 3 extremely comfortable. It did not need breaking in. In action, it felt neither too stiff nor too soft. The width and shape felt just right for my sitbones on a roadbike set up with the bars level with saddle height. The nose did not dig into any sensitive areas. My first ride on the saddle was 20 miles without padded shorts and it felt great. It felt equally great on subsequent test rides. As this was not my own bike, I was not able to provide feedback as to how the saddle felt on longer rides and how it held up over time, which is why I did not post a review. But based on my limited experience, I was impressed and made a mental note to go for this model next time I needed to buy a touring bike saddle. The VO Model 3 is not as luxurious as a Brooks B17, but to me it felt more comfortable out of the box.






When Soma offered to send me a Smoothie roadbike for review earlier this spring, we discussed specs and I asked them to include a green Cardiff Cornwall saddle. I was curious whether this saddle would be suitable for a more aggressive roadbike set-up, and I also wanted to see how it compared to the VO version I'd tried earlier. Overall, the Cardiff Cornwall looks very similar to the VO Model 3, except for the colour choices. Also, the Cardiff has a smooth surface, whereas VO's is pebbled. There might be other subtle differences in design, but I have not noticed them.





Like the VO saddle, the Cardiff Cornwall features chromed rivets, side lacing and saddlebag loops. The width and shape of the Cardiff Cornwall saddle feels just as I remember the VO Model 3 - perfect for my sitbones. It needed no breaking in. Nothing hurts, the longest ride so far being 30 miles. The Soma Smoothie is set up more aggressively than the vintage touring bike I'd test ridden with the other saddle, with the handlebars 1" below saddle height. However, the Cardiff Cornwall does not feel too wide for the bike. The saddle feels great to ride on.







As far as the quality, look and feel of the leather, my impressions are the same as with the VO: cardboard-like to the touch, with a general sense that the materials - including the leather, the rivets and the rails - are not as high-end as what Brooks uses. Additionally, the green dye on the Cardiff has begun to rub off after some use. Good thing I wear black cycling shorts.




All things considered, my impression is that yes there is a difference in the quality of materials used in the Velo Orange and Cardiff saddles versus the equivalent Brooks models. However, the real consideration for me is how a saddle feels in action. While I have good luck with Brooks saddles on upright bikes, for some reason I have bad luck with them on roadbikes. On the other hand, the Velo Orange and Cardiff saddles work surprisingly well for me in that context. This, combined with the reasonable pricing, make them attractive alternatives to the other leather saddles out there. If you are having trouble with the fit of other saddles, these are certainly worth experimenting with. It is good to have options at different price points.

Polartec Neoshell "Soft"? The real game changer?

Out of the box and onto the ice. The first Neoshell "Soft" garments from NWAlpine.

NWAlpinist Salopettes and a Big 4climbing jacket.





Last fall we were having a discussion here aboutsoft shells as I was trying to source garments for an up coming review. I had used the Westcomb Polartec Neoshell Apoc hard shell jacketand had been impressed with the performance in every condition. Other Neoshell "hard shell" garments followed. All equally impressive for performance as a hard shell that had a little stretch added. They did breath well. No doubt about that!



The first I heard of the newest Neoshell "soft" was from a reader here at CT. Not believing the comments actually I searched out the only two garments that were being produced at the time, one from Marmot and the other from Mammut.



I seldom really try to get garments for review and tests. But these two I REALLY did try to obtain but to no success. No pro deals, no freebees or demo loans were going to happen. And at $400 and $500 retail per garment I was stuck. No money for this one! I didn't have the money for that kind of test on something I really figured wasn't going to be all that impressive anyway. Love the blog and finding new groovy gear for my on use but throwing down close to agrand in short order wasn't going to happen.



Little did I know. (which seems to happen on a regular basis writing a climbing gear blog)



After giving up on the usual suspects for getting any deal on the newest Neoshell I went to the source. Polartec of course! RA you know who you are and I want to sincerely "THANK YOU!"

Best "new" product for imo.



In short order a couple of yards of the newest material, I like to call it Neoshell "Soft" was on the way to my "local tailor", Bill Amos the owner of NWAlpine. No clue what this stuff is really called.

My reasoning behind my manic behavior (this time) was I wanted a warmer pair of NWAlpinist Salopettes. Way more a "want" thing than a a "need" thing in this case. And to be honest I wasn't expecting much. I have lots of nice climbing pants. And they reall yare warm enough. What else was I going to get to play with?MWA'sclimbing specific jacket called the "Big 4" was sew up with Neoshell SOFT at the same time. In this casewhat I got was atotal surprise!



Here is a short comment prior to a full review and comparison coming in April.



"Compared to the three versions of Arcteryx pant fabrics and the current NW Apline fabric the Neoshell SOFT is the warmest and most breathable but least stretchy. But it is just stretchy enough for pants, salopettes ora shell top. And as tough or tougher than most fabrics I have mentioned and not any heavier. May be not the best material for warmer weather use though from what I have witnessed so far. But then again smart garment design work would solve that problem as well I suspect.



My NWA salopettes are 1# 6oz in the NWAlpine fabric which Arcteryx also uses. It is a lwt to mid weight very stretchy fabric which isn't very durable in the long run. Same salopette is 1# 5oz in the Neoshell soft which is much warmer, water proof, very breathable and no question more durable.

And I find the Neo Soft more comfortable to wear.



I have both a NWA Big Four Jacket and the Alpinist Salopettes in the Neoshell SOFT and will be doing a full review and comparison on the blog in April after the next trip north.



Short version? The Neoshell SOFT garments are changing the way I dress for winter climbing and the physical comfort level while doing so. All while wearing less and being better protected from any weather.



And it was not easy to get me off that dime.



Big claims I know but true to date. I have used a few of the current state of the art soft shell tops. And 3 of thehard shell Neoshell garments and been impressed with all ofthem, Currently I think the Neoshell SOFT is THE fabric that will change how we dress for cold weather climbing.



More to come in April.








NWAlpinist Salopettes in Neoshell "Soft" and lovin them









Both versions of the NWAlpinist Salopettes on the walkin.

Wordless Wednesday :: Another Icelandic Sunset

Near Keflavik, Iceland. Summer of 1973.Copyright © 1973/.. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger (1934)

25th Anual Reunion of Phend & Fisher Familys Sunday Aug 26, 1934

A fair cowd [crowd] gathered at the Nappannee park for the 25th Phend & Fisher reunion.

Prayer was offerd by John Earnest and the [then] every body enjoyed a good feed after which time was spent in a social visit.

The business meeting was called to order. Pres. Henry Phend. A song by the group after which Barton Thornton led in Prayer.

The Entertainment program as follows
Piano Solo Richard Thornton
Encore number "Honey"
Piano Duet Mrs Cecil Phend & Daughter Madylyn

Buisness meeting
Sec Report Read & approved
Officers elected for following year
Henry Phend Pres
Ruben Pletcher Vice Pres
Cecil Phend Sec & Treasure

[page 2]
Treasure Report
$2.17 Balance
1.60 Expences
.57 left in treasure

Entertainment Committee
Mrs Evelyn Werely Bechtold elected chairman

Moved that we have meeting held in building in Nappannee Park

Death report
Mrs Claude Poole - Mishawaka
Mrs Jacob Phend - Granger

Birth report
Shirley Ann Phend daughter of Mr. & Mrs Victor Phend


The Phend-Fisher families gathered for a reunion in Northern Indiana almost annually from 1909 until 1943. The events of the day were recorded in an old ledger book. Spelling has been retained as it was in the original though some punctuation and paragraph breaks have been added. To view all articles in this series click on the "Phend-Fisher Reunion Ledger" label at the bottom of this post.

Patagonia Piton Hoody?

A Euro like conversion in the Cascades for winter use? TLT Ski boots with crampons, Dynafit ski-mo lycra tights and a bright '80s retro colored Patagonia Piton Hoody. The perfect combo for that day!




I've likely had more info requests about this sweater than any one piece of clothing recently. As a reference this one will likely become just as popular at the Atom Lt imo. It is that good. Mind you I originally thought the Patagonia video was purely hype by paid actors. It is not. May be I shouldn't always be so cynical. These guys are not kidding you in the video. The Piton is everything they are saying it is..









I really like and almost always use the R1 Hoody. Have since the first versions. Part of me really accepting a garment is finding a place in my system of winter clothing where the garment easily fits in. The Piton is so versatile it immediately fit in. The Piton sat on my gear table in a bag for a few weeks before me actually trying it out. Once I did it has now gone every where with me much to my surprise. I wasn't expecting much to be honest. The Piton will workwell as a base layer. It will work well as a moderate weather "shell" or a piece of insulation under a shell in colder conditions. I have used it as all three at different times already. And I really like this garment. No problem taking this one out 12 months of the year.



Only down side Isee is I wish it had two chest pockets and while they are there a hidden zippered fanny pocket would have been a great idea as well. Just the 2nd chest pocket would add a lot to this one used as yourouter garment. A fanny pocket, done right, wouldn't be felt with a harness and would add some extra cross over advantages off route. Done right you could easily use that fanny pocket with a harness for gels and bare essentials. Even a lwt wind shell easy enough.



Easy to find right now around $120. delivered on the Internet. Trust me on this one. If you own a R1, use it and like it, this one you'll love.



Back story?



Remember that I only write about things I think are stand outs. Which is the reason you see a post about the Piton and not the ORRadiant Hybrid Hoody. My first impression of the Patagonia Piton was it was a expensive version of a sweater I already owned, theRadiant Hybrid Hoody. In the black color my Piton sat unopened on my table for a few weeks. Then since I didn't think I would ever use it I exchanged the black one for the blue and green color which would make better photos on the blog. Glad I did. I have used the ORRadiant Hybrid Hoody a lot over the last year. First purchased along with 3 other hoodies to find a replacement for my now stinky R1s. Out of that bunch of hoodies only theRadiant Hybrid still survives in my gear closet. I use it for cold and wet weather running mostly with nothing under it. So while good for running I found it pretty limited in my own use, compared to say the R1.



They could almost be made from the same pattern. Pocket is reversed on the chest. Neck zipper is off set on the OR and it has thumb cuffs. But the material is slightly different. And the "vents", wrist to waist on the OR don't seem as comfortable or as stretchy to me as the Patagonia does over all. I like it but nothing I would have ever written about either. I have been wearing theRadiant Hybrid Hoody all day just to see if my original impressions were still true. They are.








Among other things I prefer on the Piton is the fabric mix and the center zip which makes a usable collar on the Piton with the hood down. A left and right chest pocket would have been better imo than just the one. At least it is on the left side. OR's Radiant version has it on the right hand pec......which is backwards for anyone right handed.




The hood is good over a helmet. And you can get an idea from the picture of just how high the collar will come if the hood is left down. One of the "big" features that really turned my head past the Radiant's off set zipper.











I was originally going to make a ripping comparison of the ORRadiant Hybrid Hoody to the Patagonia Piton. Where the OR piece was to be the landslide winner and @ a better price point. Imagine how surprised I was to NOT have "just another runner" in the Piton! I have plenty of gear to run in but few bits of gear I really like to climb in. Once I realized just how good this piece of clothing was for me and more importantly how easily I could incorporate it into my clothing system, I ordered a black one as well on line at a discounted $116. price. I'll wear them both out eventually I suspect.

Whitethroat and Orange Tip and good morning viewing

A good mornings viewing with Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Orange Tip, Large White and a Speckled wood.