Summer OR show SLC 8/3 through 8/7

I'm not posting live from the summer OR show as I have done at the winter shows in the past. But obviously a few things are leaking out. The Blue IceWarthog pack and the Petzl Lynx crampon are two early examples. There is more to come. Old and new technology being show cased. Pictured are some wild ones and some old stand bys from the past and a fewcurrent "game changers" thrown in. Just to get the process going :)

















I am sworn to secrecy for a few more days. But I have to say...some of this stuff I hadn't even dreamed of yet. And that is a long list of gear dreams when you start talking about ice gear and technical boots.



The Summer OR Show gives retailers a chance to see what will be available for Spring delivery and in some rare instances a few things that will be available for Fall 11. But most new Fall items are generally shown at the winter OR show the previousJan. Delivery for the Winter OR show is Fall of that year, a full 9 months later. So Winter OR will show clothing,ski and climbing gear available in the stores the Fall of . Summer OR shows the summer sporting goods and clothing that will be available in the spring of the following year. Hopefully that makes sense.



More to come by the end of the week.

Group of Yuccas

Microburst

Wednesday's forecast predicted thunderstorms, and after a sunny humid day a rapid downpour descended on our neighbourhood in the afternoon. Later we learned that the next town over had experienced a microburst - an intense storm similar to a tornado, only with wind patterns in the opposite direction. Over 100 full grown trees were uprooted in the storm in the course of very little time. No one was hurt, but property was damaged.



The next morning I went on a ride and found the Minuteman Bikeway impassable, with huge toppled trees in close succession blocking the entire path. As municipal workers in neon vests surveyed the area, confused bicycle commuters wandered around looking for alternative routes without having to ride on the high-traffic main road which the Bikeway parallels.






The side streets were blocked. Municipal vehicles were gathering from all directions - those huge machines where you feed them pieces of tree and they mulch it up. Finally, I went on the main road and competed with a procession of buses in mid-day heat until my nerves had worn raw. Drivers were especially out of sorts that morning, behaving aggressively and honking at cyclists for simply being "in the way" - probably not realising that we had all been displaced from the adjacent bikeway and had nowhere else to be.



Riding under these conditions, I realised how spoiled I've gotten lately - forgetting how stressful cycling can be when drivers behave like this and there is no alternative route. I was getting honked at continuously for trying to take the lane. But as busses kept cutting me off and car doors swung open with abandon, taking the lane was the only safe option. Eventually a few of us formed a cluster: me, a woman in a yellow sundress on a cruiser, a teenager on a mountain bike, and an older man on a time trial bike. The cars went wild, but at least there was safety in numbers.






The pièce de résistance happened on my way home. I was already back in Cambridge and riding on a quiet MUP when around the bend a municipal carcomes charging at me head-on, taking up the entire width of the path. The guy slammed his brakes when he saw me and I slammed mine, feeling a huge surge of adrenaline. We stopped within inches of each other and I had one of those not-quite-but-almost crashes that I am so talented at. I kept the bike from hitting the ground, in the process contorting my body unnaturally and twisting my elbow. Ouch. But who cares about a little ouch; I am just glad he did not run me over. We had words, if you can call it that. Me: "You could have killed me!" He: "Sorry sweetheart, I didn't see you coming!"



I suppose the take-away lesson here is to stay off the roads after natural disasters? Easy enough for someone doing a training ride, but what about those who commute that way? I don't think the city even announced anywhere that the Minuteway Bikeway was impassable, whereas they certainly would have announced it had a major road become unavailable to drivers. Maybe when there are more of us, things will be different. I hope so.

Solar Tsunami - Waves in the Sky

From Thursday night's Aurora event, this photo was made at the moment when the Northern lights transitioned from being "so-so" to SPECTACULAR. The colors and movement started on the left side of the frame, and within seconds a line moved very quickly all the way across to the right, then upwards into the sky. Along the bottom edge of the lights was a line of purple and white color, everything above that was green. The bottom edge of the aurora was waving up and down and back and forth. The whole sky was shimmering with waves of light. It is a memory and image that will live in the forefront of my mind for a long time to come!

Star

All the big horses wanted to do today was look silly

Small Wheel Shoppers: Wren and Bobbin

In my recent post about choosing a transportation bicycle one topic discussed in the comments was the available options for those who live in walkup apartments yet want a fully equipped upright step-through transportation bicycle. The thing about transportation bikes is that they tend to be on the large and heavy side, thus inconvenient for hauling up and down several flights of stairs on a daily basis - especially for those without a lot of upper body strength. The solution some might consider is a small wheeled bike. Not necessarily a folding bike, but what in England was at one time called a "shopper" - a bicycle with small wheels and a sturdy frame designed to withstand weight, equipped with fenders, racks and baskets. The Raleigh Twenty was probably the most popular of these and now there are two new bikes from England that channel its features. I rode them briefly at Adeline Adelinewhen I visited New York.






One of these is theWren bicycle shown here. Stiff cromoly frame, 20" wheels with wide city tires, 3-speed hub, swept back handlebars, adjustable saddle height, fenders and front and rear racks with optional enormous wicker basket.






The front rack is attached to the frame at three separate points. It does not move when the wheel moves and it sits low to the ground, which stabilises the weight and does not noticeably impact handling.





With the combination of front and rear rack, this bicycle can carry as much weight as a full sized transportation bike, and the frame is built to withstand that. But the bike itself is not heavy when compared to a full sized upright step-through, and being small it is quite maneuverable through tight spaces. Carrying it up and down the stairs is no problem. The low standover provides the same benefits as a full sized step-through frame. And the short horizontal bar above the bottom bracket functions as a convenient handle for picking up the bike.






While I was not able to get outdoor shots of the Bobbin Shopper, I did ride it briefly. The frame bears a strong resemblance the original Raleigh Twenty, but is lighter with tubing that is not as heavy-duty. Like the Wren, the Bobbin Shopper is equipped with 20" wheels, a 3-speed hub, fenders, a rear rack and an optional front basket. Unlike the Wren, the front brake is a caliper rather than a hub brake, there is a plastic saddle in place of the Brooks, and the handlebars are not swept back. The unicrown fork differs from the lugged crown fork on the Wren.






The Bobbin Shopper's frame is not designed to carry quite as much weight as the Wren and the craftsmanship is not on the same level, but these things are reflected very fairly in the price difference: The Wren retails for $1,150, whereas the Bobbin Shopper is priced at $550.






At these different price points, the basic idea behind the bikes is the same: small wheels,simple frame design, low stand-over, easy to carry,rack in the rear, optional basket in the front, hub gears. Both bicycles are made in Taiwan. And both bicycles weigh around 30lb, depending on how you set them up. One thing I wish is that each manufacturer offered an optional dynamo lighting package and it's a pity they do not.






Having ridden each bicycle briefly, my impressions are not extensive, but I'll share them such as they are: The Wren is undoubtedly a smoother, more luxurious ride. It is simply a higher quality build. But it also felt a little peculiar in both fit and handling and took some getting used to. The frame is very long and I felt quite stretched out and leaned over even with the upright handlebars. The Wren's handling seems optimised for a front load and with the basket empty it took me a bit to get used to it. The Bobbin's fit is more standard and the handling was more intuitive for me on first try. I do not feel that the small wheels are a limitation on either bicycle for city riding. And both bikes felt delightfully maneuverable. For those choosing between the two bikes, I would say it comes down to price point and fit preferences.




Not being folding bikes obviously means that neither bicycle can be made more compact than it already is, save for lowering the saddle. But one advantage of the non-folder is that the bike can be locked up outdoors in the city just as easily as full-sized bikes, whereas folding bicycles can be tricky to leave outside securely. I am a fan of this breed of bicycles and am glad more of them are emerging. What are your thoughts regarding non-folding small wheeled "shoppers"?

Steven's Pass Ski ..

First ski of the season. (Or about four months, ten days since my last ski.) I couldn't get a mid-week partner, but figured it would be safe enough to poach at Steven's Pass. The ski area is planning on opening on Friday, and I had seen a few trip reports reporting an adequate snow pack. The trip reports I saw for Hyak didn't appear as promising.

I left Seattle casually after 8am figuring that would give the DOT some time to clear the road. By the time I got to the pass, it was sunny and there was a bit of slush on the road, so nothing to worry about.

The scene when I arrived

I geared up in the parking lot where there were already 30+ cars! I guess many others had the same idea. I hiked up the stairs and walked in the snow a bit before putting my skis on. The snow was already fairly tracked out from previous days. (Probably Sunday.) So I went in search of fresh tracks by skinning under the Skyline Chair and eventually reaching the top of the Brooks Chair in a half hour or so. I transitioned at the top of the chair. Four months is plenty of time to get a little rusty transitioning. I then turned the skis downhill to go nowhere. The lower angle and deep unconsolidated snow was sticky. (Those factors combined with a need for a wax.) I worked my way to a slightly steeper section and mostly headed straight downhill without turning. It was the only way to keep up speed. Then I jumped back on a cat track for a bit before trying some other slope near the bottom. While I didn't fall, things were not smooth, and I wouldn't exactly say I enjoyed the run. So I decided to try something different on the next lap.

The next lap had me skinning to near the top of the Hogsback Lift. Once near the top, I decided to turn around and head down before getting into terrain I didn't want to be in. On the way up and from where I transitioned, I could see plenty of rocky areas that did not have good coverage, and I wanted to avoid those. So I ended up riding a cat track almost all the way down from my transition with a slight excursion into the powder near the bottom. Once again, the deeper untracked snow proved slow and unenjoyable. The time was now 12:30pm. I wanted to get one more run in that I really could enjoy. So I transitioned to skinning and headed up.

Dork
This time I headed up near the Big Chief Chair, skinning up the Showcase run. It was fairly tracked from early in the day as well as days earlier. (There were about 25 teenage boys with snowboards running up the slope to catch turns. They were also building kickers near the bottom of the slope.) I went up the slope for almost 30 minutes and decided to turn around at a flatter section of slope so I would not have to attempt to ski down this slower low angle area. During my transition I was joined by one of the teenage snowboarders. We had a chat about whether the ski area could kick us out or not and then he took his ride down. I followed shortly afterward on what was my favorite run of the day! Unfortunately, I was looking to get home and get my skis to the shop for a wax as I hope to get out later this week. So I headed to the car after ending on a high note.

Closing shot

Overall, I enjoyed my day out. The weather was mostly sunny, and fairly warm. (High was supposed to be 33°) I skinned in a light base layer and shell pants. I put on a shell jacket for the descents. It was nice to get back into the motion of skinning/skiing as well as working on my transitions without having others to wait for me. I tried out my new ski helmet which seemed to work as advertised and will be anticipating bringing it on other trips in the future.

Northampton Round 2 - Sywell Country Park to Castle Ashby

With Marta. Very hot weather. Quite undulating. 7.5 miles then almost two more walking round Castle Ashby Gardens.

From Sywell Country Park we turn right and take the road uphill past East Lodge Farm, where the footpath is clearly marked. We cross fields with horses, then the path crosses a line of trees and comes out on the A4500.

We turn right along this, and soon left towards Ecton, on the quiet Wellingborough Road. Ecton is a lovely village, with a large church, and attractive ironstone cottages.

The war memorial

Benjamin Franklin visited in 1758 in search of his ancestors' graves.



















Our route takes us along the High Street and towards the end we turn right onto a small path leading to West Street. At the end of this we turn left, and walk south along a footpath.

The footpath joins a road, and we continue south along the road which goes above the A45.



Just after the bridge we turn left, or east, along a byway - as the Northants Round instructions warn us, quite a lot of junk has been dumped here. So much so that we missed our turning at first. Just before a gate you turn to the right away from the dual carriageway, and head south once more.



The bushes are covered in sloes and then haws as we approach fishing lakes and irrigation channels, and finally the River Nene.



































We have a break sitting on the bridge looking towards Cogenhoe Mill Lock. The cows and bull obligingly move away from the pathway. I think they're used to people from the caravan site and boats.

We have walked this way before

The church clock still stands at the wrong time, though it has moved in the two years since I last took its photograph.



We soon leave the short section shared with the Nene Way, and at the Royal Oak pub we turn left and downhill on the Whiston Road.

Near the bottom of the dip the footpath is on the right, and leads south eastwards.



We walk along the hedgerow, under electrical power lines and follow the edge of the woodland. Our instructions tell us to make two ninety degree turns - we manage the first (to our right) and overshoot the second (to our left). This adds a couple of hundred yards to our route, but we find the steps down from the embankment.

Jerusalem Steps, I presume.

The steps take us down to the bottom of the quarry, out of the woodland, then across a field and a track, and over a stream. We turn right then slightly left to follow a track south east to the Denton to Whiston Road. We continue south east, through a short stretch of woodland and more fields to arrive at Chadstone Lodge. On the small road we turn right and walk along to the tiny village of Chadstone. There a man and his daughter have been collecting plums, and he sings the joys of living there and foraging. "You can get a coffee . . ." No he's not offering us one! " . . .at Ashby" he calls as he goes into his house.





We join the Castle Ashby Road, and walk the mile or so back to the car. We take in the "rural shopping yard", fortify ourselves with tuna baguettes and cold drinks, and then explore Castle Ashby Gardens - £4.50 for us oldies, but a lovely place. Lucky Marquess of Northampton.

Castle Ashby House with Latin words around the "battlements".

See next post for a few photos of the gardens.

Acadia :: Another visit to Schoodic Point

Monday, September 17th - - Today was moving day. We were traveling Down East out toward Cobscook Bay and Campobello Island. After a few stops in Ellsworth, and with plenty of time to spare, I decided to stop once again at Schoodic Point. I had checked the tide schedule at the campground and knew it would be high tide at Schoodic about the time I was passing by. Besides, it was yet another beautiful day!




























I had planned to stay for about 30 minutes but enjoyed the sunshine and waves for a full 90 minutes before moving on...

Approach and trail running shoes...Salewa?

As I get back outdoors the gear I am using comes to my mind. Thought along with the previous training thoughts I add some commentson shoes. And one shoe in particular. Where I live here on the west side of the Cascades you can generally run trails for 10 months of the year with little heartache. Some do it year around. But not me.We do get a lot of rain and mud however. But that can happen any time of year.



I use a a combination of protective socks (http://www.sealskinz.com/socksand ) and differing shoes to protect my feet depending on the conditions and weather. I hate cold feet.



I have a couple of friends that make fun of runningshoes. We have a long granite ridge traverse in the Selkirksthat we do in the summer.









http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/819415/TR_Selkirk_Crest_High_Traverse#Post819415Trail



Running shoes without sticky rubber can turn that outing into a "run away" mission if you aren't careful. Adding the protection of a good approach shoe for that kind of adventure is just common sense. A hard lesson learned on my first attempt at the traverse.



My Garmont and Selewa approach shoes are better compared to low top lwt boots than my Nike Free running shoes. But they are the appropriate shoe for the Selkirks in comparison to my Brooks Cascadia.



The new to me Salewa Firetail GTX (bottom right) seems to be a unique blend of technology and construction that is a good match to my ownneeds. I have yet to have cold feet in these no matter the conditions an only regular socks.










Here is the Salewa company line on these:




"The Salewa Men’s Firetail GTX Hiking Shoe represents an evolutionary step forward, the missing link between a technical approach shoe and a lightweight trail runner. Specially-designed Vibram outsoles, climbing lacing, protective rands, and a customizable fit enable the state-of-the-art Firetail to handle approaches and descents on the most technical trails with ease and, thanks to the Gore-Tex insert, in any weather."


•Gore-Tex insert keeps your feet bone-dry on rainy days in the backcountry



•3F System distributes the lacing power over the whole foot for unmatched heel retention, so you enjoy a friction-free, blister-free precision fit as well as excellent ankle support



•EVA midsole and PU Shock Absorber cushion your foot on descents, and the Multi- Fit Footbed allows you to adjust the volume of the footbed in the shoe for a perfect fit



•All-around aramidic fiber and rubber rand protects the shoe from impact and abrasion and provides grip when you climb



•Climbing-style lacing extends further towards the front to allow you to dial in your fit



•Proprietary Salewa Vibram Approach outsole provides maximum grip and edging on rocks and helps you put on the brakes on steep descents



•Armored mesh protects the shoe against abrasion while enhancing breathability on hot summer hikes



There are a gazillion different running /approach and trail shoes available. Everyone has their own favorites and styles. So it is a tough market for them and good for us as consumers. The Salewa version was a new one for me as were the Garmonts previous. I'd rather use a running shoe to be honest and a light weight one at that. But for my own use the Salewa has come up with a good combo of protection, additional ankle support, sticky rubber, excellent fitand may be a link betweena "heavier technical approach shoe and a not so lightweight trail runner". It is worth a second look if you require something similar for those full on, long days in the mountains.












SalewaFiretail GTX Hiking Shoe