Tuffee & Me Again

Mackinac Island~The Island

Today we drove up to visit Mackinac Island. I have wanted to visit here for years so I was very excited to be finally doing this trip! The weather was just perfect and the island was just gorgeous. This is definitely one of my favorite things we have done so far! We had a great day and lots of fun together.



Mackinac Island is an island covering 3.8square miles in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European exploration began in the 17th century. It served a strategic position amidst the commerce of the Great Lakes fur trade. This led to the establishment of Fort Mackinac on the island by the British during the American Revolutionary War. It was the scene of two battles during the War of 1812.



In the late 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist attraction and summer colony. Much of the island has undergone extensive historical preservation and restoration; as a result, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is well known for its numerous cultural events; its wide variety of architectural styles, including the famous Victorian Grand Hotel; its fudge; and its ban on almost all motor vehicles. More than 80percent of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park.

Meeting of the Roadsters

Last Saturday night, we had an informal get-together to discuss forming the vintage bicycle society I mentioned last week. There were four of us in total: somervillain, Cycler, Astroluc, and myself. I will take this opportunity to showcase my remarkably photogenic acquaintances and some of their bikes:

This is Cycler from Biking in Heels, with her recently acquired Raleigh DL-1. Cycler is an architect living in Cambridge and commuting to work downtown. The Co-Habitant is an avid reader of Biking in Heels - He especially likes it that her posts about bikes are supplemented with descriptions of her cooking.

Cycler's DL-1 is an earlier model than mine, but in better cosmetic condition. I wish I had this earlier model - or at least the decals from it - because the lettering is more attractive than on mine. I also covet her cream-coloured handlebar grips. Cycler is pretty handy at DIY and even made the basket support for this bike herself. The wicker basket is attached with zip ties and seems stable; the headlight is mounted directly onto the basket and reminds me of a camera. Cycler is having an issue with her chaincase, whereby the one she ordered does not seem to fit her bike. Sadly, she discovered this only after stripping the chaincase of paint in order to have it re-powder coated. Not sure what she will do now, and this was a big topic of discussion.

I have already introduced you to somervillain, who has a beautiful collection of vintage bicycles that I am slowly working through photographing. He had things to say about Cycler's chaincase issue and many other DL-1 related things. The resident DL-1 Guru, he knows pretty much everything there is to know about these bicycles; I continue to be amazed.

Here is somervillain's DL-1 next to Cycler's. You have already seen this beautiful bicycle here, in full colour. Somervillain is a research scientist by career who in the past few years has discovered the richly rewarding satisfaction of rebuilding vintage bicycles. He commutes from Somerville to Cambridge year round, in the winter riding his "Cannondale beater".
And finally, I introduce Astroluc: "Hack Artist Extraordinaire ...who also likes bikes". I admit that I was taken aback by how gallant and polite Astroluc is. Not that he is not gallant or polite online - but, well, in person he is even more so. Astroluc does not own a vintage Roadster ...yet, but is considering acquiring one. For now, he commutes around Boston year-round on his sporty Cannondale and reports all sorts of fascinating local sightings on his blog.

We are still fleshing out our ideas about the club and it's moving along nicely. Next time we look forward to meeting several others who could not make it to this meeting, and hopefully the Co-Habitant will be able to join us as well. Just as soon as we settle on a name for the club, we will cobble together a website where our goings-on will be documented for the benefit of members and far-off readers. Stay tuned, and get in touch if you'd like to take part.

Overlook

On the way down the mountain we stopped at an overlook were you could see across the Strait of Jaun de Fuca and into Canada. I didn't get to go there but I did get to see it, even if it was from a long distance. It isn't even very clear but according to the sign there that is what is in the far, far distance.

Mtn Hardware Minus One Glove

This is a retread from last month that got buried so Ithoughtit worth an update after I got more climbing use out of the glove.









I like a couple of glove manufacturers products. But I have to say I have been really impressed with the most recent OutDry products from Mtn Hardware. (and now the same technology is in the Scarpa boots) The newest glove I have been using is the Minus One..which is a thin, technical glove intended for leashless climbing and dry tooling in moderate temps.



It is a perfect fit for those uses.



It is not climbing but the temps dropped here to -10C over night and I had a bunch of outdoor household chores to take care of as we got several inches at snow and the temps continued to drop. This glove was good enough to use hand tools with and get everything done outside before our pipes could freeze up.



Last weekend I used the same glove on water ice with a good bit of free running water. I intentionally stuck my hands in the fire hydrant size spout of ice water on one climb to see just how water proof the OutDry system was. ( I had dry gloves in my pack and it was an easy day out) These guysreally are water proof. Although depending on the glove it may take some time to actually dry the leather out on the exposed side of the glove. I have since water proofed the leather as well on my Minus Ones. You'll still stay warm and dry either way. But no question the wet leather would freeze if it was cold enough.



Newest ones don't have a palm reinforcement that is pictures in the stock photo below but the thinner palm is awesome on a tight Nomic or Ergohandle. I wouldn't want to do a lot of rappelling in them though as it would get expensive quickly I suspect.



I've since used the Minus one in -20C temps on dry ice and a couple of rappels over a weekend and been satisfied. Then out with them again as my only glove (forgot my spares and approach gloves)in temps from 0C to -15C with everything from running water to a full onwet snow storm while wallowing in crotch deep trail breaking. The kind of day every thing gets wet.



Ten full days of climbing, rapping and belaying on these. I am impressed so far.

Best to save these guys for climbing. Knee deep wallowing will get anything wet, the Minus One being no exception.They will handle your sweaty hands and generally stay dry inside but they can be easily over loaded if you allow snow in from the outside. But they did dry over night internally. Theleather palm soaks up water pretty quickly even after being treated but itgenerally dried fully over night. I have 10 days of climbing on this pare and am happy they are holding up much better than expected so far. They have kept my hands warm even on the chilly days -10C.Much warmer that expected for their weight.



Down side besides price? The rubber strap and velcro closure at the wrist. I find it annoying as it could have been done in nylon just as easy and get in the way less. But minor flaw and I suspect Mtn H was trying to give some added wrist support by using the rubber strap.



Buy them on sale for around $80 is the best I have seen or retail at $100. Great glove for the intended use. I am impressed as a light weight, highly technical, cold weather leashless glove and it is a lot warmer than expected.

Ice season '10/11 begins

The warm months have come and gone.I've spent most of the year running countless miles, mostly on the scenic 75+ mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. I ran all over and all distances. Some of the miles were inracesbut most were runfor the freedom it provides and theincredible wildernessexperiences. It was the first year I spentdoing nothing but running.It seemed strange not spending every spare moment seeking out my vertical fix,to make a long boring story short, it turned out to be anecessary break and made my hunger for winter climbing season greater. Here we are on the verge of winter and I couldn't be more excited.

TodayLaura and Idecided to kick off thewinter climbing season andheaded to Ohiopyle State Parkto clear the cobwebs and get a quick refresher onhow to use ice tools.We spent a few hours taking a thrashing on the standard routes in very lean conditons. Seems there isn't much water flowing which in turn isn't prouducing much ice. There is no ice to be had at the start of Season Finale, while the Main flow, Hemlock and the others are slowly building and coming into shape. This weekend will only provide slim mixed pickings for those itching to get out. By next weekend, there should be climbable ice for all along Meadow Run.We were going to check Upper Meadow, but got distracted and completely forgot.Random photosofour day.

Lauracrossing the bridge for the first time of the season

Myself below the iceless start to Season Finale

Laura on Anger Management

After Ohiopyle, we drove to Irishtown to see what we could find. Here's the photo report.

Main flow still very thin

Dynamite M6 looks about ready

The Prow coming in nicely

One of this years projects???

O'Yeah I forgot to metion we checked out some ice yesterday as well. I know we're not as lucky as most of the state and don't have much good ice climbing, but this is what we've got so far. I guess it'll have to do. The temperature at the parking area was 16°, less the ten degree differenceto the bottom which made it about 6° above there yesterday and it sure felt like it. The wind was rippingwhich should help to improve things a bit.

Left End 12/7/10 SW Pennsylvania



Overview of the Cliffs



Laura my ice princesswas pleasantly surprised



A happy ice climbing couple. Hope to see you this season!



Leavenworth Givler's Dome ..

Adam and I discussed an outing, but I had to be back in town in time for my class. So cragging was an obvious choice. I wanted to do something that involved placing gear and not just clipping bolts, so I convinced Adam to head to Leavenworth. Being that it is November we didn't get an early start, as it is usually a little too cold in the mornings to make climbing not fun. When we arrived in the Icicle, the temp was around 36° and clouds/fog were keeping us from direct sunlight.

November morning in the Icicle

Our plan was to hike up to Givler's Dome to climb Givler's Crack. This extra 45 minutes of hiking would give us more time for the day to warm up. Within ten minutes or so we were above the fog and receiving the warmth of the sun. We got off route a few times on the way up and had to scramble a bit to get back on track, but eventually made it to the base.

Since Adam was not up to leading the route, I would lead both pitches. And for whatever reason, the first pitch scares me. Perhaps because I flailed on it the first time I climbed the route. I've climbed it twice since then with no problems though. I placed a nut high and started up. I found the hands difficult as I had placed the piece where it interfered where I wanted to put them. I down climbed to the ground and restarted. After a few moves, I placed a second piece which then interfered with further hands. But I was able to move past it and continue. I finished the pitch feeling like it was the worst I had ever climbed it.

I brought Adam up and he had to hang on the rope to remove my stuck #4 from down low. He then climbed the second half of the pitch not using much crack technique for his hands. He arrived at the belay stating the first section wasn't as hard as I made it look.

Adam on the first pitch

We exchanged gear, and I was off leading the next pitch. I don't recall how I previously climbed it, but this time I wanted to try and keep my feet in the crack as much as possible. This proved a bit uncomfortable, but I persevered. Instead of going all the way to the top, I set up an intermediate belay once the angle eased, so I could see Adam climb. Unfortunately, the best spot for a comfortable belay did not offer a good view of the pitch, and I only got pics of him on the last portion of the pitch.

Adam on the second pitch

When Adam arrived at the belay, he kept going to the top finishing with the easy section to the boulder. We quickly hiked down to our packs. We took a lunch break and basked in the sun before heading to another destination, Rare Earth.

Adam finishing the route

For the second time this year, the Rare Earth crag has eluded me. Adam and I hiked around trying to find it, but wasted all of our time. Even consulting the newer guide book was unhelpful as it shows the crag to be down and right of Mastodon Roof. Turns out it is really down and left of it. After almost two hours of scrambling, hiking and bushwhacking, we found it but not with enough time to complete it and get back to Seattle. So we made note of where it was at, and hiked out.

It was great to be out on such a beautiful November day. It was a bummer that we only climbed one route. And even though we pitched it out to three pitches, it really is only two. I think we'll have a better idea of how to find Rare Earth the next time as well. I think this trip satisfied my urge to get out and rock climb, and perhaps my next trip this year will be to climb snow or ice.

Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens~The Gardens

One of the things that made this zoo awesome, was that it is a zoo and botanical gardens. We visited half of the zoo and then hiked over to the Gardens. Even the walk over there was interesting:

The river was so pretty.

The hike was just beautiful! We were so pleasantly surprised at what a great trail they had to hike on.

Then we made it to the Botanical Gardens. This was one of the nicest Botanical Gardens that we have visited so far.



It is so interesting to watch the boys with each other now. They get along so much better than they used to. There are moments where I think they actually enjoy each other! It's pretty great to see after years of them pounding on each other. I guess the older we get, the more we can appreciate our siblings.

Living the life in South Carolina.

Pennsylvania From My Window

We are in such a beautiful area of Pennsylvania/Maryland. I'm enjoying how timeless it is here.

I'm enjoying being here when the view is full of bright, earthy colors.

I'm enjoying the rich history that is here.

Mostly I'm enjoying small town America and all of her goodness.

Living the life in Pennsylvania!

Mountain Bikes... Approaching the Beast

Of all the lakes in the vicinity, I had to fall in love with the one on top of a mountain, accessible only via a steep rough gravel road. I have been up there in a car with friends a few times now. But what I really want is to be able to go on my own - ideally without motorised help. My tentative plan was to ride up the paved part of the mountain on my roadbike, then hike the remaining 2 miles up the gravel lake road - either leaving my bike hidden in the woods below or dragging it along.




"Or..." said my friend Keith, "I can lend you my mountain bike, and you can ride all the way up through the woods."




Quickly I began to mutter something about it being too much trouble, but Keith saw right through that and laughed."No it's not, we ride the same size bike. Lower the saddle and off you go."




Damn. Quick, say something to make this sound like a bad idea, I thought. But I could come up with nothing, other than the truth - that I feared the mountain bike. That I would rather sit through a root canal than have to ride one 6 miles up a winding forest path with 1,500 feet of climbing, and then - gulp! - back down.








But I said none of these things. And two days later I found this propped against the side of the house when I came home.




So... Oh my God, I don't know where to start. Beefy aluminum frame, suspension fork, 2" knobby tires, narrow straight handlebars, disc brakes, and a drivetrain with a triple crankset and thumb shifters. The bike is a Carrera Kraken- an inhouse brand of the UK department store Halfords. However, this is not a "department store bike," as the concept is known in the US. According to locals in the know, Halfords actually sells very decent quality budget road and mountain bikes. Keith's bike is a good few years old and everything is a little rusty - though it all works fine.







The bike is a Small (16" frame with a 56mm virtual top tube) and the fit feels pretty good to me. I wouldn't mind it if the handlebars were a tad lower, but what do I know about mountain bike sizing (how upright are you supposed to be?).



What took the most getting used to was the super-high bottom bracket.I kept playing around with the saddle height and it took me a while to set it properly; I couldn't believe how high I had to make it in order to get good leg extension. Being on the bike felt a little strange at first as well - so high off the ground! The disc brakes are insanely grippy, especially the front, but modulating them became intuitive with some practice.Slowly, the fear began to turn to curiosity.





I spent an easy afternoon with the bike, just trying to get to know it and get comfortable with the idea of riding it. There is a back road with some steep pitches just outside my door, as well as woodsy stretches of dirt, gravel and grass I could try. Skeptical that on a bike this beastly-looking I could handle the long steep climb up to the lake, one thing I wanted to do was see how it went uphill. As it turned out, not bad - even on pavement, with those knobby tires. The gearing is low enough to climb a fairly steep pitch seated, so I don't have to worry about stalling out. Standing up on the pedals feels different than on a roadbike - like I have to heave myself forward more forcefully to get my butt off the saddle - but once I got used to it, it was fine. And descending felt much, much nicer and less scary than I anticipated - the bike has an easy, tame feel to it when going around bends.



So... I think I am ready to try riding this thing to the lake and back. The path through the woods is winding dirt for the first part (with roots and things, but nothing too bad), then loose rough chunky gravel for the final stretch. There is nothing technical there, so if I can take 6 miles of straight climbing on a mountain bike and then not get scared and do anything stupid on the descent, I should be fine. And look: I will be using this bike for transportation to the lake, not for "mountain biking" as such, so please don't think this is the beginning of an interest in mountain bikes. I mean, that would be crazy.

Long ago Boracay

While waiting for the USB stick to arrive loaded with our Cebu and Bantayan Island holiday fotos–a replacement from the damaged fotos–allow me to muse over Philippine’s famous beach destination, Boracay. (I had my mom on the phone yesterday and she said we should receive the package this week or next week, yehey!)

I’ve only been there once which was a couple moons and eons ago. As you can clearly see my fotos below are already chipped, flawed replicas of the old pre-digital camera age.

I know this is a bit odd, but I don’t really hanker to go back to this numero uno desired holiday spot. I mean really, about every breathing creature in the Philippines raves about this place. No joke, until now the media moguls in the Philippines are still screeching with the headlines – Boracay is (still) it. But, whenever Dutchman and I are in the country, we prefer to discover new places and tread down unknown territories rather than exhibiting and carousing ourselves in trendy places.


Dutchman took this pristine foto (well, these fotos actually) of white beach and the outriggers being rocked by the waves at bay in Boracay.


Typically Philippines, the road master, the jeepney sprouting with passengers like lentils and his little cousin, another Philippine proudly made, the tricycle (other names include trike and pedicab) .

You can find a few more fotos here: Boracay - Aklan, Philippines

This year we didn’t go farther from the home base because the whole family went with us for the island getaway. My mom has problems with traveling far so I thought Bantayan Island on the northern tip of Cebu would sanction an effortless approval from her. And it did.

I’ll post fotos and stories about our stay there when the fotos arrive (in a USB stick!).

On our next Philippine trip, I have a selection of big islands-as per Dutchman’s request-on the list to explore: Leyte, Samar or Negros Occidental (we’ve been to Negros Oriental). So, I guess either one of these. I'll draw lots when the date draws near.
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