A Quick and Healthy Diet

I don't usually pay attention to my weight unless I start to feel uncomfortable. Well, a week ago that day came. I've been super busy and not riding as much as I'd like over the past month, without changing my eating habits to accommodate. It was fine for a while, until one day I got on the bike and... well, let's just say I felt my tummy jiggle and fold in on itself as I pedaled. It was disconcerting. So I decided to go on a diet and get myself to a state of feeling comfortable again. The healthiest version of a crash diet I know is a low-carb, high fiber, high nutrition diet. It works extremely well, because in addition to making you eat healthier it also acts as an appetite suppressor. Here are the rules for anyone interested:



Things to cut out completely:

alcohol, sweets, junk food, bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, soda, most juices



Things to eat:

vegetables, lentils, nuts, eggs, milk, fish and meat (or tofu and quorn),high-fiber oatmeal, apples, berries, cheese, butter, unsweetened carrot and cranberry juice



How much to eat:

For a woman my size not engaged in strenuous exercise, around 1,200 calories a day will work. But this is ballpark; adjust for size/gender/exercise level. Go heavy on the vegetables, light on the fatty stuff, and medium on the protein.



How long will it take?

I see results in 1-2 weeks when I follow this strictly.



Sample Day's Menu:

breakfast:

oatmeal with butter and blueberries

lunch:

steamed spinach with sesame seeds and sliced almonds

dinner:

grilled salmon and asparagus, lentil soup

snacks:

apple, nuts, broccoli florets, baby carrots, coffee and tea with milk



So... I have been doing this for 5 days now. It was difficult on the first two days, then it got much easier. The fiber, the reduced carbohydrates, and the elimination of alcohol are the key here. I already feel a difference and in another week my body should be back to normal. Then I will have a good look at my schedule and try to get more riding in, so that I can eat whatever I want again (kidding, I will try to generally eat healthy from now on is what I meant to say)...

Foothill Blue

Foothill Blue, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

I hope you like wildflowers, because you're going to be seeing a lot of them very soon...

These flowers are baby blue eyes. They grow in small patches along the Hite Cove Trail near Yosemite National Park. If you can get to Hite Cove, do so now, as the conditions are spectacular!

Winter!

As the season wraps up for the remaining climbing rangers here at Mount Rainier, we would like to thank everyone who came out to enjoy Mount Rainier this year. Whether you were climbing, skiing, camping or just day hiking into the alpine, we hope your trip was enjoyable, even if it was during one of those seemingly frequent stretches of stormy weather.


Remember the park doesn't close, just some roads and buildings do. So if you want to come out and enjoy this wonderful area over the winter please do! The road to Paradise is maintained year round and open, weather permitting, throughout the winter. The other roads in the park close as the snow comes, but for the hardy few who aren't turned off by the longer approach these more remote areas of Rainier can lead to some incredible climbing and skiing opportunities all winter long.


Stay tuned to this blog throughout the winter for updates (although less frequent) about conditions on Rainier and happenings related to climbing. Check out the route conditions pages for pertinent winter information about the mountain and high camps before you come out to climb.

Have a safe and enjoyable winter!

Into the U.P.

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.July 31, ..

The first stop was at Brimley State Park, about 15 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie, on the shores of the St. Mary's River. Several pleasant days were spent in the area. Blue skies and sunshine were abundant. Daytime temperatures in the mid-80s with lows in the 60s overnight. Very nice!



Of course I visited the Locks at Sault Ste. Marie. A very large freighter had just entered the locks from the higher Lake Superior side. It took quite a while to get it lowered so it could eventually make its way to Lake Erie and eastward. Movement was imperceptible. Only when you looked away for a few minutes then looked back at the ship could you tell it was sitting lower beneath the top of the locks. Eventually the gates of the locks opened and the ship was on its way. I overheard the Park Ranger (Sault Locks is a National Historical Park) telling someone that the ship that went through was 105 feet wide while the locks were 110 feet wide. A rather tight fit overall.





A few minutes later, a small tourist boat came through. Entering from the east side it had to be raised in order to exit on the west side and into Lake Superior.





The top of the boat is below the top of the locks.



Twelve minutes later, the little boat was on its way. It didn't take nearly as long to raise this little boat as it took to lower the large freighter.



A very nice visitor center has displays on the history of the building of the locks as well as a very informative 20-minute movie.

Hoya Vine Flower

My hoya vine is blooming again. It has a sicking sweet smell to me. Don't know what the cat thinks of it. But sure are pretty little clusters of flowers.

Forty-Nine Palms Oasis

The signpost for the Forty-Nine Palms Oasis trail, located in the north-central part of Joshua Tree National Park, identifies the three-mile round-trip as moderately strenuous. And I would have to agree with that description!

The trail goes up one side of the mountain, circles around to the other side, going up and down (of course) then goes down into a canyon where the oasis is located.

A view from along the trail to the Forty-Nine Palms Oasis.

There may have been forty-nine palms at the Oasis at one time, but no more. These are Desert Fan Palm trees, which can grow to 75 feet in height and live for 80 to 90 years. The Cahuilla Indians (pronounced: Ka-wee-yahs) used palm thatch to make their homes wind-and- waterproof. The leaf fibers were woven into ropes. Baskets were made with the palm fibers and sandals from the palm leaf fibers.

There weren't many flowers in bloom yet at Joshua Tree, but the few that I saw, were gorgeous! Found along the trail, this Canterbury Bell was about 12 inches in height and was nestled against the rocks.

A closeup of the Canterbury Bell. Beautiful.

Heading back. You go up, then down, around, up, and down... definitely a good workout!

Spring Blooms

Cherry, Apple, and Redbud blossoms before the wind hit them.

Chicken chronicles

The hens have decided to shun their handmade nesting boxes. The only place to lay an egg is in the kitty litter box. It's where all the best chickens go, you know.

I've decided to publish some overly grainy (a.k.a. Enquirer-quality) photographs, since the public deserves to know the full story.


Your reporter arrived late to the scene.
A Leghorn was already in the box, when interlopers appeared.


Ms. Lakenvelder scoops Ms. Dominique.
A recycling flash prevented blow by blow photographic evidence, but proof is visible in the tell-tale tail.


Room for one more?


Why not.
Ms. Lakenvelder's twin sister also arrives on the scene,


and is joined by Ms. Americauna.


No room at the enclosed kitty litter box.
Forced to wait in line.
Nothing to prevent a chorus of vociferous sqawking the whole time though.


The chicken version of "how many people can you cram in a phone booth"?
This week's answer: three.


You're kind of in my way.

Beartooth Highway

Yesterday I took a break from sorting and deleting photos from my hard drive and decided to follow U.S. Highway 212 from Red Lodge, Montana south into northern Wyoming. This route is also known as the Beartooth Scenic Byway or the Beartooth All-American Road, and, according to an acquaintance, Charles Kuralt put this highway on his list of the top 10 spectacular drives in America. It is also the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies. And, it definitely lives up to its reputation!

Looking northeast from Rock Creek Vista Point (elevation 9,190 feet) in the Custer National Forest, Montana. The highway is that ribbon of white way down in the valley.

Looking northwest from Rock Creek Vista Point. The speed limit was 25 mph along this stretch of winding switchbacks that traveled up the south side of the mountains.

The view to the north, a short distance from Rock Creek Vista.

From Rock Creek Vista, the road continued upward and into Wyoming where the peaks were viewed from across wide-open meadows.

Stopping at almost every overlook along the way, I was taken by surprise when I saw this view as the lake was not visible from the road. The wind was quite strong and several times I had to brace myself when a big gust came along.

Taken from near the summit (elevation 10,947 feet at Beartooth Pass) in Wyoming, looking towards the north. It was windy and cold, and the short walk to get this picture was quite exhilarating.

Upper Meadow Project

Winter is our favorite season here in the Laurel Highlands.

Laura and I spent a wonderful snow filled day at Upper Meadow Run in Ohiopyle State Park. It was my day to pick where I wanted to work out and Laura was my belayer. I decided to spend a little time working on the project that was bolted last year. After it was equipped I spent 2 or 3 days working on it, until the pillar fell and it went out of condition. This season I've spent one day on it about a week ago, but didn't have much success. It was like being on it for the first time again. I had to refamiliarize myself with the moves, which was a workout in itself.



Here's the route description:It begins with about 15' of ice and dry tool moves to the roof. From the roof you work horizontal about 20' while moving up about 5' clipping as many bolts as you can along the way. From there you exit out the cave onto the largest free standing ice pillar and climb it to the anchors at the trees. Sounds easy enough...



I can't remember, but it takes either 6 or 7 draws and an optional ice screw. All of the draws are now prehung, except for the first and last. Its a pretty strenuous climb (at least for me) and has yet to see an ascent. Todays session went much better than the last. I managed to link the line together in about 3 goes and felt better now knowing most of the moves. Laura did a great job keeping me moving while on the route. She was giving me the encouragement only she knows how. While resting between goes, the large falling snowflakes made for an incredible view. The landscape turned white and fresh throughout the day which was a nice contrast to what started out as a drab and overcast day. Sorry "butt" our climbing shots weren't that good since it was just the two of us today. You'll have to be amused by what we did get. Happy climbing!

checking out the view

Eyes closed flipping a tool around? Not good sending technique.

Starting out into the upside down

in the middle somewhere

Exiting and happy to be on ice...

L found these critters crawling around the ice

Laura killing time between laps

Laura standing beside the pillar that the route finishes on

Laura walking back to the car after our fun day!

The durability of ice tool picks?

This is just an observation not a condemnation of any manufacturer's gear. I have a reputation of bitching on the blog about every one's gear. This is just a reality check. Ice climbing gear breaks and bends and fails. It is also a reality check on what is acceptable and what is not. This is the kind of stuff you expect to see from differing manufactures.



When you start measuring there is alwaysgoing to be someone who comes out on top. Fact of life.



I had a chance to visit with a lot of climbers and manufactures this winter both in NA and Europe.



I have made high quality picks for my own tools and BD tools in the recent past and still make the Petzl lwt weight hammers. My real job involves working in metal every day and making a "better" pick is no doubt the most difficult project I have taken on in that arena.



This isa commentary and photo essay of what does happen to picks.



Everyone, if you climb enough,will eventually have a pick failure. I have broken tools but never broken a pick. I have how ever bent any number of them, starting with the Terrordactys.





Photo credt to: Eric Dumerac photo from Grav Sports of BD picks going back several generations and a decade or so. BD seems ot have solved that problem with a redesign of the picks last winter

('09/'10)



Then my partners started bending Grivel picks as they switched from BD tools to Grivels five years ago or so. And finally I bent the last generation Petzl picks on this trip.



That was a new one to me. But then I have never really put any effort into dry tooling either.

Come on I still have an adversion to putting good steel on rock instead of ice. Old habits die hard :)



I had heard of it happening but never thought I'd actually see it in person.



The pictures below come from Jon @ http://climbs2high.blogspot.com/ Pretty much what mine looked like though before I took a hammer to them in the tunnel on the Midi. They (Jon and crew) generally bend them by doing figure 4s off the first couple of teethwhile on full body weight upside down.I try to never to get upside down! I did the same by pulling full weight (200+#s ) on my Nomics in some knife bladecrack in the alpine.. Having a hammer is critical to straightening these guys out. But easy enough to do even in the field. Blade is never going to be the same again though. My bent ones are now straight but used only for dry tooling at road side crags

.



So it happens, failure, on some level, to all of them.



I've included some photos of the wear you can expect tosee climbingmixed.





Petzl....





Old and new BD C/Ts from Chamonix..









Current BD from last year on Mt. Bradley http://huntingtonsouthface.blogspot.com/





Old and new BD Aermet off the Cassin







The two used picks above were new 2 short Chamonix mixed climbs earlier. Granite and a foot of new snow is like taking a grinder to a set of picks...any pick. No file used on these two and "good" by some of the standards I saw in Europe as "usable picks". Set is compared to a new Cascade Petzl pick in this picture . Trust me...picks in that condition really suck on ice. And now I ama beginning to understand why no one wants to bring a file on route. Why bother?

A well worn Nomic with an old QuarkQuad pickinstalled. Theolder 4mm Quark Quad mixed picks have some distinct advantages on alpinemixed ground.



The wear on C/T (top)and BD Aermet (bottom) from one trip up the Cassin. New picks in profile under the used picks.

If you happen to have some good pictures of well worn dry tool picks send them along and I'll post them in this thread with what ever credit you'd like tosee along with them.