Hodgepodge

All photos taken on September 10, .. - - Southwest Montana

We are lazy!

It occurs to me that most of us are lazy. I certainly am. I hate breaking trail. Not all that excited about blowing out my arms on a hard lead.



I want short approaches and am willing to drive 18 hrs straight or fly to another continent to keep them short.



I've climbed in most of the major ranges in the northern hemisphereand a couple in the southern . And it occurs to me that some of the
most fun alpine ice and mixed I've been on is local. 45 minutes to
the parking lot and a hr or so uphill walk for me. Of course when
I lived just 200 miles away from what is now my "local" crags I'd
drive 700 miles one way to avoid the 1 or 2 hr walk and the abysmal
conditions or generally lack of conditions.



I'm not alone. Even when the Ice/mixed is great locally the biggest
weekend turnouts are the local SAR teams when someone gets lost
or is just over due a few hrs. That might make 20 people on the
the local hills and only 1/3 of them actual climbers.



I figure it is Volcano Apathy here in the NW. You know, wait till summer, blue sky and warm weather. Go climb Rainier, Hood, Adams, St. Helens or Baker. Nothing wrong with that mind you.

But then I look around the Cascades, even close to my house! Literally 100s of unclimbed lines, dozens of major climbs. And I'm about to get in the truck and drive 700 miles one way again....yep, sadly I'm lazy.

Monday Mailbox: Treating Saddle Sores

Monday Mailbox is a series of posts dedicated to questions received over email. Here is one that pops up now and again:

This is embarrassing, but lately I've been getting what I think are saddle sores after long rides. How can I tell that is what they are? And do you have any advice for treating them?

Saddle sores are one of those common, yet mysterious problems that cyclists love to discuss endlessly. I am just one voice among many and by no means an expert. Happily, I was spared the affliction of saddle sores for my first three and a half years on the bike. It is only recently, when I started covering longer distances, that I began to get them occasionally.




What exactly is a saddle sore? Part of the reason there is so much mystique and different advice out there, is that there is no single medical definition. But at least everyone agrees about their location. Saddle sores appear on the crotch, where it comes in contact with the saddle. Popular spots include the uppermost inner thighs, the "taint," and that transitional ridge where leg becomes butt.




One opinion is that saddle sores are boils caused by abrasions. Another is that they are some special, horrible type of cyst that forms as a result of fluid buildup. But probably the most popular opinion is that they are infected hair follicles. It is very possible that in fact they can be any or all of these things, depending on the rider and cause - which also means that treatment and prevention methods might differ depending on what type it is. Based on my own observations, the infected follicle theory makes the most sense, so that is what I am going with. And as it happens, I've discovered a fairly quick and simple way to get rid of them. Who knows, it might work for you. So here is what I do:




After a ride, shower as soon as possible using non-perfumed soap. Once the area is clean, you will need two ingredients: tea tree oil and vaseline. It's important that the tea tree oil is just that, and not, say, a moisturiser containing it as an ingredient. Plain tea tree oil is now available in many mainstream pharmacies, so sourcing it should not be a problem.




Using a cotton swab, apply tea tree oil to the affected areas - but be careful not to get it onto any mucus membranes, as that could hurt. Once it dries, follow up with vaseline. Repeat every few hours, washing the area before each re-application.




While the sores heal, either stay off the bike, or ride a bike where the way your crotch contacts the saddle is sufficiently different. Wear breathable underwear made of natural fibers.




Using this method, any saddle sores I get go away within 2-3 days. For anything more serious I have no advice, as I've never experienced it myself. Needless to say, if your sores are not going away, consider seeing a doctor.




As far as prevention, there is of course the common sense advice: Find a saddle and shorts that work for you. Increase distances gradually.Use chamois cream to reduce friction. Be sure to shower before and after every ride. And always, always wear clean shorts. However, this is not always sufficient. Even the cleanest, most hygienic pair of shorts will turn into a bacterial cesspool after 10+ hours of riding. Even the most comfortable saddle can start to chafe eventually. And even if you start a ride squeaky clean, you will soon get filthy. That is to say, I don't think there is a sure prevention method once you start doing long distances. Some riders are more prone to saddle sores than others and some situations (such as hot weather) are more likely to cause them. You just have to deal with it when you get them. Hopefully for most of you saddle sores are just an occasional nuisance and not a serious problem.

Dustin's Cats

My son, Dustin, is a cat and horse person. These are the four cats that he, his friend Rob, and Dustin's girlfriend, Desi, have found over the past few years. The odd marked white cat with gray marking is named simply Kat. She was found abandoned as a small kitten. The vet didn't think she would live but she did with the only lasting problem being she is almost blind. Rob says it doesn't matter as he is almost blind, too, due to his diabetes problem. The next cat is Teddy who showed up about 2 years ago as a small kitten. To me he looks like he is a lot Maine Coon Cat. Next is O.C. (is short for 'orange cat' or 'other cat') who decided I as his new best friend. Last is Fiera, a kitten Desi took in that is a Manx, as seen in the one photo showing she has no tail.

Winking Kitty

Badlands :: Rolling in the Dust

Wednesday, August 24th - - The gravel road continued on for a few miles but I turned around and headed back to the main road. As I passed Sage Creek Basin Overlook the bison that had surrounded me a few minutes earlier had made their way off into the prairie. To my right another small band of buffalo were coming across the road. Traffic was stopped until long after they had passed.



Prairie Dogs provide a service to the buffalo by giving them a place to roll in the dirt! At the entrance to the burrows there is always a large pile of dirt that has been thrown up by the Prairie Dogs digging the tunnels. Hopefully, when a bison decides to roll in that dirt, the little fellows have made it safely underground!





Going down....



Really getting into it!



Ah, that felt good.



Giving it another go.



Shaking off the dust.



Feeling better, I'm sure!

Mystery Photo # 7

This is the sixth post (and 7th photo) in a series of unidentified photographs from the Charles Wiseman Family Bible. See this post for background information. Click on the "Mystery Photo" label at the bottom of the post to see all of the photographs in this series. As always, you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.



Paper photograph on card stock. 2 3/8 x 4 1/16. Printed on back: 1856-1884 H. C. Millice, Photographer. Warsaw, Ind. P. O. Box No. 246.

The date 1884 on the back of the picture may provide a clue - if the photo was taken in 1884 it could be Nathaniel Howard Wiseman, born July 18, 1884 in Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. He died May 14, 1956. I knew Nathaniel Howard as "Uncle Howard" - All of Dad's relatives that were older than him were called "Aunt" or "Uncle" regardless of the relationship. Howard was actually my Dad's first cousin once removed. Howard was the son of Laura Mariah Alexander and Henry Weir Wiseman.
Take a closer look at the top of the picture. . . It's been altered, perhaps hiding the face of a person beneath the coverlet holding the baby?

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger - 1909 and 1910

In Oct. 1909, the families met at the home of Christian Phend in Nappanee, Ind. to re-organize.
Meeting was called to order by Wm. Phend.
A song was rendered.
Prayer by Rev. Walmer.
Talk by Wm. Phend
Talk by Grandpa Phend
Remarks by Rev. Walmer.
The following officers were elected
Pres. - Wm. Phend
Sec'y - Ivy Wehrley
Treasurer - Christian Phend
Song "God Be With You Till we Meet Again" concluded the program.
A good dinner was served to about 40 guests.
Adjourned to meet again at John Ernests, near Dunlap on June 25, 1910.The P.M. was spent in seeing the sights about Nap[panee]




The Sec[ond] reunion of the Phend - Fisher families assembled at John Ernests, near Dunlap, June 25 - 1910.
The A. M. was spent in getting acquainted and exchanging greetings.
At noon a good dinner was served, under the large trees on the lawn. Each one bringing a filled lunch basket. About 70 partook of the bounteous feast.
At 3 o'clock the following program was rendered.
Song by all
Prayer by Geo. Walters.
Solo by Mrs. Belle Miller.
Recitation by Freddie Phend.
closing Song by All.
Adjournment.
Later it was decided to meet at the home of Frank Wehrleys in Nappanee, Ind on June - 1911.The following were from a distance - Sam'l Fisher - Kan.
Mr & Mrs Delvin Phend - Iowa
Mrs. Belle Miller - Iowa
Mr and Mrs. Jno. Ringenberger - Garret
Mr and Mrs Jacob Phend and family - Mich
Mr and Mrs Henery Phend and family - Columbia [City]
Mr and Mrs. Geo. Walters
To view all articles in this series click on the "Phend-Fisher Reunion Ledger" label at the bottom of this post.

Preparing for Long Distance Rides

They say a good rule of thumb when working up to a long distance ride, is to ride in a week the number of miles you plan to do in a day. This morning I looked at my wall calendar (which now resembles a numerology chart) and realised that I've ridden around 200 miles over the past week, Saturday to Friday, distributed over the seven days as 16-60-0-0-24-40-60.




Today I feel all right. A little beat up, but no more than usual. Still, I am not convinced that doing this milage over the course of multiple days means that I can ride even 100 miles in one go. After a 60 mile day I am depleted to the point that in the end I cannot imagine being in the saddle a second longer.




And I take too many breaks. For instance, yesterday's milage was divided into: 8 easy miles alone/ break/ 20 hilly miles with a fast partner/ lunch break/ 24 hilly miles with a fast partner/ break/ 8 easy miles alone. Is it even fair to call that a 60 mile ride? The longest I've done so far in a group without breaks has been a measly 35 miles.




I don't like the idea of "training," and prefer to think of these rides as preparation. I never want to get to the point where I hate being on the bike and have to force myself to ride. What I like about the past week is that I've managed to not only put in 200 miles, but to feel good about it. What I don't like, is the limit I am sensing: After 60 miles I just don't feel that those remaining 40 are in me.




How do you prepare for long distance rides? Is it normal to feel a daily milage ceiling past which you can't seem to advance?

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger - 1913

The Fisher - Phend reunion was held at McNaughton Park at Elkhart Ind. July 24 1913. About 70 being present. A fine picnic dinner was held at noon, After dinner the following programe was rendered.
Opening song.
Bless be the tie That Binds, with Gladys Shaw at the piano.
Prayer by L. S. Fisher pastor of the First Evangelical church at Elk.
Welcome by J. J. Phend
Solo - Walter Shaw.
Piano Duette Gladys & Edith Shaw
Reading Irene Walters.
Duett Fred Earnest & Mrs Fomy [?].
Solo by Little Miss Marie Lusher.
Election of officers. Officers Elected.
Mrs. John Earnest Pres.
Bertha Shaw Sec.Mr. J. J. Phend Tres.

Meeting adj. to meet the last Sat in June 1914 at Rodgers Park Goshen Ind.
Jacob Phend age 87 yrs old was the oldest present
Little Geraldine Lusher 5 mo. the youngest.




[Page 2]
People who attended the reunion at McNaughton Park July 24 - 1913.
Henry Phend Columbia City
Gladys Phend
Berniece Phend
Paul Phend
Garreld Phend
Susie Phend
C C Shaw 870 Tipton St
Vernon Shaw
Surelda Phend Elkhart
Gladys Shaw Elkhart
Leroy A Conrad New Paris
Lulu Conrad
Harley Conrad
Delta Conrad
Lucile Conrad
Ralph Ernest Goshen
Fred I. Ernest Goshen
L. A. Fisher
Samuel Fisher 621 Conne St Lawrence Kan
Jacob Phend Etna Gren Ind
Jacob E. Senff Bremen Ind
Della I Senff
Hilda Seff
F. A. Wehrly Nappanee Ind
Ivy Wehrly
La Mar Wehrly
Evelyn Wehrly
Fred G Phend
Harry Shaw
Sophia Shaw
James Shaw. Elkhart

[Page 3]
Edith Shaw
Grace Walter Hamilton St. Louis
H. J. Ringgenberg Garrett Ind
Kate Mitchel Goshen
Mrs. D. G. Walter
Chester Walter
Esther Walter
Mildred Walter
David Walter
Irene Walter
Mrs. Hazel Burer 317 Myrtle St.
Mrs Walter Slear Jackson, Mich.
Master Elliott Slear
Mrs Nora Lusher
Howard [?] Lusher
Vera Lusher
Marie Lusher
Helen Lusher
Geraldine Lusher
Walter R. Shaw - Elkhart
Mrs. Fred Calkins Crawford St. Elkhart
Mr. Fred Calkins
Mr & Mrs Alfred Kane Bristol Ind
Mrs. C. Gerard 322 S St Joseph St South Bend
Mrs Thomas McGowan New Carlisle, Mi
Mrs. S. L. Little 610 Gardner Court Elkhart Ind
Mrs. C. J. McGowan 610 Gardner Court Elkhart

[Page 4]
Mrs V. R. McGowan Garrett, Ind
Mrs Dora C Walters Elkhart
Mrs Bertha Shaw Elkhart
Jacob Phend Elkhart
Louisa Phend Elkhart
Mrs J W Slear Elkhart
Mrs C. Willson Elkhart
Moses Phend
Katharine Phend
Mr. E. G. Walters
= + = + = + = + = + =
As my research continues on the Phend-Fisher families I am able to "link" more of these people to their families. The entry for "Samuel Fisher 621 Conne St, Lawrence, Kansas" pretty much confirms that the Samuel Fisher I've found in Douglas County, Kansas is the right man. In 1910, he was living on Connecticut St. in Lawrence with his daughters Rachel and Ruth, assuming that "Conne" was used as an abbreviation for Connecticut.

The Phend-Fisher families gathered for a reunion in Elkhart County, Indiana almost annually from 1909 until 1943. Usually held at Nappanee, the events of the day were recorded in an old ledger book, now in my possession. Sadly, the fragile pages have turned brown, separated from the binding, and are, in effect, disintegrating. Some years more information was recorded than in others, but, for me, these pages provide a glimpse into the past. 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.

Another View

This is a view of the Indian Market Place from the other end.

Enchantments Traverse

After a weather delay, we were finally able to do the Enchantments Traverse. We spent the day up in mountain goat country. That area is full of snowfields, steams, awesome lakes, granite boulders, slabs and peaks. With our side trip to Little Annapurna, it ended up being an 18 mile hike. The blisters should heal up in about a week :)



At about 2 hours into the hike, we arrived at Colchuck Lake.



A couple of hours later, we made it to the upper basin and started seeing mountain goats.



Then we ran into a few well-camouflaged Rock Ptarmigans.





We couldn't resist standing on the collapsed snow cave.



Ron and Doug ontop of 8,440' Little Annapurna. Mt. Stuart and Dragontail Peak in the background.



Prusik Peak, Mount Temple and several of the alpine lakes.



Little Annapurna as seen from Perfection Lake.




Some people say that this is the most beautiful place in Washington State. We've been to some amazing places. I can think of several that are close, but none better!

Brooks-Range Cirro Hoody

This is a jacket I should have written up a long time ago.



It can be found here:

http://brooks-range.com/cirro-hoody.html



Last winter when us rookie Americans kept missing the last Midi tram off the mountain at the end of the day we had few options. The Loo or the walk over to the Cosmic hut. Being on a budget we would stay in the Loo unless the tram crew kicked us out because of the bad weather and over crowding.



Even in the Loo it was a miserable night for the most part. Not very comfortable with no gear and colder than I would have liked but not the typical -30C it was hitting outside either.



I think it was the second night up there that I started dropping theCirrus in my ruckas my "last" layer. And it did make a big difference in the grand scheme of things. I was comfortable with that last layer when I hadn't been previous.Less than a pound and worth every penny. I would have used it a lot more this summer and fall if my plans had worked out. My only complaint was this particular one was in black. Hard to get good pictures with a black jacket:) More so if you only use it climbing at night or on an uncomfortable bivy. When and where the jacket did get usedis high praise though for a garment designed just for those exact kind of instances.



Here is why it is so good:



It has a great hood, that does fit over a helmet, and a stand up collar in addition to that hood. The fitis relaxed so I could easily layer under it. Slick as well so nothing to hang up when layered. And it all stuffs into one of the side pockets easily for packing. As good as it gets for materials and insulation when a lot of the 60g jackets have gone to Primaloft Eco, Brooks didn't dummie down this jacket.



•Insulation: Primaloft One®, 60g/m2

•Shell Fabric: 15 denier Pertex™

14.7 oz on my scale for a XL







No joke, layersix is a Brooks-Range Cirro.The Midi upper station Loo, 2am, Feb .60g of Primaloft One and 2 layers of Pertex areenough to make a stark difference when it is cold.

Jacob Wise - Nashville Cemetery

Jacob Wise, one of my civil war ancestors, is buried in Section "J" at the National Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. I had planned on posting these pictures with my previous post on him and his family, but sometimes life gets in the way of good intentions!

The first two photos were taken in the summer of 1928 and are from my grandmother's files. Shown in the photo on the left are Grace Zinsmeister, Maude Wise Brubaker Yontz, Rose Wise Zinsmeister, and (a very faded) Hazlette Wise Burns. Rose, the youngest daughter of Jacob, whom he never saw, was born two weeks after he was drafted in October 1864. Grace, Maude and Hazlette are Jacob's granddaughters.

The photo on the left, below, is one that I took several years ago. On the right is the gravemarker that was put up at the time of the death of his wife in 1901. The stone is in Hively's Corner, now St. Matthew's Church, cemetery in Thorncreek Township, Whitley County, Indiana. The date of Jacob's death on the stone in not correct. The widow's pension records show that he died on May 17, 1865 not on May 7th.

A Look at Kinn: the US-Made Midtail

Before setting off abroad earlier this summer, I had a chance to glimpse the much talked about Kinn - a new midtail utility bike manufactured in Portland, Oregon. Today being the 4th of July, it seemed like a good time to share my initial impressions of this US-made machine.




Relatively new to the scene, "midtail" bikes are characterised by an extended rear end that is longer than that of a conventional city bike but shorter than that of a full-on longtail cargo bike. In , Yuba released the Boda Boda midtail (featured here) andKona introduced its MinUte midtail. At around the same time, following two years of prototyping, Kinn unveiled the Cascade Flyer.






Kinn describes its mission as to be "big enough for family and small enough for you."The company's name is a double reference: to kin, as in family, and to kinetic, as in motion. Designed by founder Alistair Williamson, the frames are manufactured in small batches (around 100 per year) by the Zen Bike Fab. The racks are fabricated at ADX. And the wheels are handbuilt at Sugar Wheelworks. All of these are Portland, OR establishments, so the company keeps it very local indeed. An interesting article on the development and prototyping of Kinn Bikes is worth having a look at here.






The Kinn's frame and fork are welded chromoly steel, designed around 700C wheels and up to 50mm tires with fenders. The geometry is characterised by 72° head and set tube angles, a low bottom bracket and a high trail front end. The frameset is available in the "robin's egg blue" colour shown and two sizes: The Small/Medium fits riders 5'3" - 5'9" and the Medium/Large fits riders 5'8" - 6'2". The standard component build includes Avid disc brakes, a choice of a 9-speed derailleur (Shimano Alivio) or 8-speed internal hub (Shimano Alfine) gearing, fenders, chainguard, city pedals, kickstand, and Velo Orange Milano handlebars with cork grips. Complete bikes are estimated to weigh 34lbs-38lbs, depending on size and build. Prices start at $1,950 for complete bike with derailleur gearing, and $2,200 with internally geared hub. Detailed specifications can be found here.






The integrated rear "multi rack" is rated for 130lb carrying capacity. The pannier rails are designed to fit two panniers on each side (or one on each side if the rack is fitted with a child seat). The rack features a long bamboo deck (21” x 5.5”), hidden lockable toolbox, a platform that integrates with the Yepp child seat mount, built in footpeg mounts. The child seat and little passenger bars (shown) are available as extra accessories.






The bamboo platform is modular: The front part swivels out of the way for the child seat mount. The rear part opens to access the lock box.






I have only done an introductory test ride on the Kinn so far: Around 4 miles, with a single pannier in the rear. Now, I do realise that Kinn's literature focuses largely on child transport. In fact, when Kinn offered me a test ride, I wondered whether I was the right person for the task. I do not have kids and do not plan to cycle with other people's children on board for the sake of a review. They still wanted me to try the Kinn and see what I think of it as personal transport - so those will be the parameters of my impressions. The bike is also available for other locals to try with their own kids on board (at Bicycle Belle in Cambridge/Somerville, MA), and I will later collect their impressions.






As far as my own first impressions: What I liked most was how the Kinn rides. It is distinctly un-cruiserish and un-cargobikish; a fast, responsive, "sporty" bike. Part of that is the positioning: The handlebars are intentionally set lower than those on bikes like the Xtracycle and Yuba, the stem is long, and the front end geometry is pretty tight (notice the way the downtube curves around the front wheel). I like the low bottom bracket and the quick, yet stable feel of the steering. The Kinn is not meant to be a relaxed city bike, but something a bit more aggressive. The ride quality over bad roads was great as well, even with the 35mm tires the demo bike was fitted with. It was simply a fun bike to ride that did not feel like a cargo bike.






For a transportation bicycle, the Kinn's frame is a little tight for my taste. The sloped top tube is too high for me to step over (it is higher than the Xtracycle Radish, or a typical mixte frame), and my toe rubbed the fender a couple of times on slow tight turns. I would love it if the bike's ride characteristics could be retained while providing a little more toe clearance in the front and a lower standover height. An obvious solution would be to go with a smaller wheel size - though I understand that they went with 700C intentionally, aiming for a roadbike type feel.






As far as cargo capacity, the Kinn is visibly shorter in the rear than a typical longtail (shown here next to the Xtracycle Radish). It does not come with any sort of dedicated carry system: You strap things directly to the rack as you would with a regular bike. The rear rack is an intricate design, with lots of rails and support stays onto which cargo could theoretically be strapped. One thing I wonder, is how two full-sized panniers can fit on each side of the rack, as claimed, since the one I used took up most of the dedicated pannier railing. I will experiment with this some more.




Walking and parking the Kinn in the city felt entirely like dealing with a regular sized bike. When an extra degree of compactness is desired, the front wheel can be turned all the way around to fold into the frame (like so), making it compatible with bus and car racks.






The Kinn Cascade Flyer is an intriguing specimen that I look forward to examining further once I am back stateside. The compact design that still offers more carry capacity than a typical transport bike is of obvious benefit to city dwellers who do not want to lock up a cargo bike outside. The invertable front wheel is a useful feature for those who take their bikes on city buses. And for parents who like a sporty ride, the Kinn's rack is rated to carry a kid up to age 12.




Finally, it is impressive that Kinn has managed to produce this bicycle locally at the current price point. They are soon planning to launch a Kickstarter campaign for Kin 1.1 (the next batch will have a few minor modifications) to help fund the continued manufacturing of these bike in the US - I will keep you posted.




If you are in the Boston area, this bicycle (including child seat) is available to test ride at my neighbourhood's new bike shop, Bicycle Belle. I will post a detailed review in August.