Pangbuk Ri

Lead climbing ranger David Gottlieb and friend/former climbing ranger/Pacific Northwest hard-man Chad Kellogg put up a harrowing, spectacular, and unprecedented ascent of Pangbuk Ri in Nepal (pictured to the right). Starting their climb early on 10/10/11, they summitted and returned to basecamp in an epic 50 hour push.
Read the full trip-report on Chad's blog here, and see some awesome photos and short video from David's blog here.

With decent weather over the long weekend, lots of backcountry snow enthusiasts were out playing. The NWAA (Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center) started posting updates, check them out here.
Have a safe and inspirational holiday season!

Balancing Act

The logs were laying every which away. They were huge logs and some would be balanced on top of others. This big one was proped up on a smaller one. Makes you wonder why it doesn't fall, and when will it happen. I just hope on one is under it when it happens.

Aunt Leah and Tatting

Dave Tabler's post this morning at Appalachian History on Reviving the ancient art of tatting reminded me of my aunt Eva Leah Wiseman Shock (my Dad's sister). Beside Aunt Leah's chair at her home in Goshen, Indiana was a bag full of thread. As she sat there visiting with my parents she'd pull out some weird looking thing and start to work. We weren't allowed to touch anything at her house, especially that bag. And, at the time, we didn't even know what she was doing. Years later my mom would tell us about Aunt Leah and her tatting.

Aunt Leah was born on February 4, 1908 in Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana and was the second child born to Elsie Shuder and Charles Wiseman. The day before Leah's 18th birthday her mother died in a fire that destroyed the small house the family was living in, and from what I've been told, devastated the family as well. There were seven other children in the household with Perry being the oldest at 19 years of age, and my Dad being the youngest, just a little over 2 years old.

In the 1930 Federal Census (Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana, E.D. 43-20, sheet 6B) the five youngest children are enumerated in the household of their grandparents, Samuel and Amanda Wiseman. I haven't yet found Grandpa Charlie or Perry and Leah in the 1930 census yet so I don't know where they were living. It's possible that Grandpa Charlie was in jail. Newspaper clippings show that he was arrested numerous times between 1909 and well into the 1930's for fishing with a net, bootlegging, and other minor infractions of the law. It's no wonder that Aunt Leah ended up in a mental institution for a while. She would somehow eventually be rescued from that place by her future husband, Ervin Shock (we always called him Shocky). They were married on April 13, 1941 in Elkhart County and made their home at 321 ½ First Street in Goshen. First Street was the first street to the east of the Elkhart River, hence it's name. When we were older, the first place we'd head for when visiting Aunt Leah was the river and the park on the other side.

The photograph of Ervin and Eva Leah Shock, with her nephew Bill Conrad, was probably taken in 1941.





Mom says that Leah learned tatting from her grandmother, Amanda Minerva Alexander Wiseman. The skill was not passed down to the younger generation and there are not many examples of Aunt Leah's work left that I am aware of, except for several items that my cousin Caroline was given. Those are shown above. Aunt Leah passed away on January 9, 1967 at her home in Goshen and is buried next to her parents in the North Webster cemetery.

Leics Round 10 - Burrough Hill to Launde Abbey via Owston and Withcote

With Marta. Fine day, cloudy and warm - muggy even. Muddy in little Dalby Wood, muddier in Owston Wood. Quite up and down - 528 ft of climbing. 8 miles and a bit.


Marta picks me up at Launde Abbey, and drives to the Burrough Hill Car Park - the pay machine is working again now! After a couple of hundred yards along the farm road we take the first path signed to the right, heading north across a couple of fields where a farmer on a quad bike was herding sheep - with the help of a dog as well.

I'm familiar with the route from a previous walk, so we walk along the edge of the second field, then downhill to the Dalby Woods Path, which goes east - fairly muddy as usual, and I realise I've left my trekking pole in the car.



We avoid turning right or south at the gap ion the trees, and continue successfully along the Leicestershire Round path, uphill and climbing the two sets of steps to the ridge.

Looking back from the top of the steps

The route ahead has been made good, and it's probably the first time I've followed its line according to the map - a couple of times it's been much easier to use the edge of the field.

A clear path ahead

The route is clearly marked and clear on the ground all the way into Somerby.

Guard dog in Somerby

We walk through a narrow ginnel into the village, and just opposite is Manor Lane - no LR sign, but this is the way. The first sign is when we arrive at the end of the road.

The view towards Owston

We walk up a narrow track between two fields, all clear and easy walking - but it's time for our break as we top the next small ridge.










We carry on down hill through three fields, keeping the hedge on our left. We cross the stream using a footbridge. We turn right along the stream to the corner of the field, then walk uphill. We follow the waymarkers - there's a memorial bench in the corner of one field. Our path is clearly marked until we reach the road, at a bend. We turn left here to walk into Owston.

I'm rather taken with some curved brick walls and a kitchen garden.







We glimpse the church through the houses.



We ignore the road to Lowesby, and then the Knossington Road, and carry on along Main Street as far as the Tilton Road. We pass an old pump and then a well in a field.







We turn right along the road to Tilton, then left along a path to Withcote after about 100 yards. This is well marked, though you could be confused by other marked paths. We follow flattened grass paths which take us through fields and eventually to the way into Owston Woods. The path through the woods is straight and clear, but, as usual, very muddy.

Walking in the footsteps of giants?

We try leaving the path, but it is not much of an idea! Still, my feet stay dry, though the boots are muddier than for some time. Last time I walked this was after snow.



When we come out of the wood we think of having another break, but in this muggy weather there are too many flies around - we give that idea up and head downhill towards Withcote. Last time I was here there were horses everywhere - no longer. We decide to go and investigate the chapel, which is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust.

Withcote Chapel

As we pass the Hall, we ask the owner, who's outside gardening, if it's ok to go and have a look. She assures us that it is "But be careful - you could get roped in to help".

Two volunteers are giving the place a bit of a spring-clean, as there will be a service there in the near future - something that happens no more than once a year or so. They're very helpful and informative, ply us with leaflets, and even offer us a cup of tea, though we need to get moving by then.





We go back to the LR footpath, through the farmyard, then divert briefly to have a peep at the lake, where there is a swan family and other water birds.







Then it's through the gate, aim for the top of the hill, down the other side, over the footbridge, up slightly and down towards Launde Abbey. Once again, I recommend their baguettes with salad and coleslaw, and the coffee or tea - £1.50 for a pot - three cups at least.

White River Opening

So the latest news from White River is that the road to the campground and the ranger station will be opening this Friday around 7:30, barring some unforeseen event. The road to White River Campground is currently clear but still gated at Hwy 410. Climbers can gain access behind the gate by bike or foot to get an early start on the weekend.

Fuhrer Finger Sunrise

For the remainder of the season the White River ranger station will be open from 7:30 - 4:30 Sunday through Thursday, 7:00 - 7:00 on Fridays and 7:00 to 4:30 on Saturdays.



So it seems the weather is taking a break from summer and freshening up the skiing conditions for a bit! Remember to always be careful in stormy weather and bring your map/compass/GPS with you for when the visibility gets low.



Check out a great report on the Fuhrer Finger sent to us by some Utah climbers. Also, many thanks to those who have sent feedback on the Google translate feature. It appears to be a pretty rough translation, which doesn't surprise us, but could maybe be of use in certain situations. We will keep evaluating it.



Hope everyone has some great adventures planned for the upcoming holiday weekend!

Pink Roses

Will's at it again :)

Will Gadd is always up to some generallycrazy shit. "Spray On", on spray ice is no different. Wild stuff even if he does like them funkyfruit boots :)





More here if you missed it on the blog list I follow:



http://gravsports.blogspot.com//01/spray-ice-quick-report.html

Weight? All it takes in money! Dynafit ski porn.....

By comparison Liposuction might be cheaper! I' bet therewould never be as much satisfaction though!



Race parts for the Porscheor the Cervelo ( or just the frames of either to get started) are light in weight and expensive. Also known to have a short life span when used as intended.







My first dedicated "lwt" ski system was a BD Prime, Dynafit Speed bindings and a pair of Fisher Asymmetrical ski in a "stiff" version and 178cms. Even what I don't own now of that kit I'd bet is still going strong.



My favorite system recentlyas a "lwt" ski system was a TLT Mtn (shell is lighter than the P version) with the lighter foam TF liner,DynafitLow Tech Race bindings with a steel spring (no Ti) and a 167cm Broad Peak ski.



Which is a really fun all mountain rig. Anything I can ski with in reason, I can ski on that set up.



Likely pushing my skills this winterI have recently dropped another 20.35 oz PER foot with new gear!



All Dynafit. Same Low Tech Race bindings. All 115g of them









NewEVO PDGboots and the shortest ski but not the skinniest ski I have been on.....are these Snow Blades?














The Dynafit PDG ski, selected over some other -800g skiis for the added durability I hope. A drop of 8oz per boot froma stripped TLT5 Mtn and no tongue. The skis drop 12.25oz.A full 1.25 # per foot. 2.5# (1134g) total weightdrop off the feet. Or like dropping 17.5# off my back.



A tough diet and more exercise would becheaper yet! Just no serious weight to be lost from my feet short of beginning tochop off mytoes :)



More on why the weight on your feet is important.



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//05/the-weight-on-your-feet.html



Short version of Eric's research?



"At a vertical speed of 16m/min for example, with the TLTs my HR would be around
180. With the Evos at the same speed, HR is around 145."



That HR drop is is huge.

Really interested in seeing just what I can ski year around on our maritime snow pack with these kind of dimensions:

Length:	161
Weight (g):	800
Sidecut:	99-65-80
Radius:	25.5/20

It is a rig I have wanted for a while now but could never justify the expense. Really looking forward to skiing them and then writing about the experience. And not getting rid of the TLT and Broad Peak combo just yet. Although I would really like a new pair of the Nanga Parbat ski @ 1000g. per pair. Thatwould be a setup I would really like to try for longer mid winter tours.



Back to the Weight? I could have gone lighter and spent more money. But at some point a 13# Cervelo is wasted on me. Same deal here.....couple of grams isn't going to matter too much for me. And ifit is does? I'll just pass on, or pass, something :)

Spagetti or gallstone?? What do you think a gallstone might weight?

Kasie Cat

Kasie resting after her ordeal.

Hay for Horses

Tuffee helping Lee unload hay for the horses.

Good Skiing and Narada Falls Face Snow Pit

Howdy Everyone!



Afterseveral daysof cooler weather and some precipitation, the mountain has come back out in full sunshine with a good 6" of powder on her flanks. There is some great skiing on the south and west aspects right now; while the eastern aspects are getting crusty.



This weeks snow pit was dug at the top of Narada Falls Face, just below the Steven's Canyon Road. As you can see from the profile, the main layer of concern is between 10 to 20 cm below the surface. Some moderate failuresfor the stability tests indicated that point releases are possible especially on lee slopes. However, no propagation was observed during the stability testing.





CTM(14) @ 12 cm Q3

ECTN(18) @ 12 cm Q3

RB3 @ 12 cm Q2



Keep an eye out for possible point releases on south facing aspects...there's plenty of sluffs coming off all around the Paradise area; especially the face onPanorama Point and the 4th Crossing area.

New Old Moser: a 400 Mile Assessment

Having now ridden Moser 2.0 for about 400 miles, I think it is time for a report. For those who do not feel like reading about the bike's entire history, this is a lugged steel racing frame circa 1978 fitted with niceCampagnolocomponents circa 1999. The Columbus"tretubi" frame is 52x53cm, with an 11cm stem, handlebars 1cm below saddle level (I would like to set them lower, but the stem won't go down any further), 700Cx23mm tires, and 175mm cranks. Gearing is 52/39t in the front and 12-26t (9-speed)in the rear.The complete bike weighs 22lb without the waterbottle. I have been riding it since the end of November, and the individual rides have ranged from 30 to 60 miles. Mostly these have been group and club types of rides, and mostly with riders stronger and faster than me.



I know that people are interested in whether building up an older steel racing frame is feasible for "serious" roadcycling, and based on my experience with the Moser I do not see why not. As far as weight, 22lb is not bad at all for a complete bike - I have picked up new bikes with aluminum frames and carbon forks and they felt heavier. If I want to shave even more weight off, it could be done with some strategic component upgrades, but honestly I did not feel that the weight was an issue for someone at my level of ability.





As far as speed, I was able to ride with strong cycliststhe likes of which I did not think I'd be good enough to ride with,at what they call a social pace (15-18mph on average, depending on the ride), while also feeling some reserve. At no point did I feel "if only I had a faster bike!" while riding the Moser.



When climbing, the bike itself feels "eager" to ascend, and the only limitations I felt were my own and also the high gearing. I would need to get lower gearing in the long run, no question. But the bike itself was fine climbing. When I ran out of gears, I would simply "heave" us uphill. Sadly my legs no longer fit into my jeans as a result of this practice, but we can't have it all.



The ride quality on bad roads has no harshness to it despite the 23mm tires, I am very happy with this aspect. The frame's tubing feels wonderful and just right; perfect amount of flex and all that.



At slow speeds (and I mean very slow - like less than 10mph, when stalling in traffic) the Moser is a little twitchy (compared to my fond memories of the Seven at least, which remained stable even at a crawl), but I do not mind and can still easily control the bike.



The one and only inherent aspect of the handling that is a problem - and the more I ride, the more I realise it is a problem - is descending. I do not entirely understand what is going on and why. But basically at high speeds, the bike is extremely resistant to turning and this was rather scary to discover. At first I thought that I just needed to get used to being on a racy bike again, and that I was holding myself back because I was nervous. But nope, something odd is definitely happening with the high speed turns - not just 90° turns, but even following the curvature of a winding road on a descent. I cannot make the same turns that I know I had no trouble making on the Seven over the summer. So while the bike is capable of great speed, this handling issueultimately makes me slower, since I hold myself back on descents when I do not feel in full control of the bike. I've been trying to understand what is causing this, and what I can do to counteract it, but my instincts are failing me. Naturally I try to take wider turns, but it isn't always possible, and I am just never at a point where I can let myself go on descents.





Exacerbating the descent problem is that I am not entirely happy with the braking power. I did not have a brakeset that would fit this bike, so I bought some CampagnoloVeloce calipers. While I realise that Veloce is not top of the line, I still expected it to be fully functional. I guess with my weak hands, not so much. We have adjusted the brakes this way and that, but coming to a complete stop (like at a stoplight or traffic light at the bottom of a hill) after a high speed descent is problematic.





There are other issues that have surfaced in the course of riding the bike. For instance, there are only braze-ons for one bottle cage, and during longer rides I needed more water. I could get a second bolt-on bottle cage, but it seems a shame to do that to this frame. As mentioned before, there is also quite a bit of rust on the frame that is not visible in pictures (like along the underside of the top tube). It might make sense to get the frame stripped, the rust cleaned up, a second set bottle cage bosses brazed on, and then the frame repainted.





In addition, the rear wheel does not want to stay put in the chromed horizontal dropouts unless the skewer is tightened with a death grip. When initially the skewer was closed with reasonable force, it became misaligned and jammed against the chainstays the first time I rode the bike. It is now tightened as tighteningly as can be and this has not happened since. But it means that I cannot remove the wheels on my own despite them being quick-release; I am not strong enough to budge the skewers.





On top of the too-high gearing, the pedal strike from the 175mm cranks, and the too-tall stem, all in all that adds up to a lot of stuff I would have to replace on the bike (the crankset, the cassette, the brakes, and the stem at least)even without the re-paint and second bottle cage question. I would be willing to make this investment for sure if I was 100% comfortable with the bicycle's handling, but this problem with descents now has me concerned.



And that is where I am right now with my assessment of the bike. More than anything, this experiment has convinced me that I do very much need a fast road bike. Despite the issues mentioned here, I just wanted to ride-ride-ride it all the time, even in the winter. No time to ride? I found the time. Too cold? I got over it. Too early in the morning? Nonsense, the Moser beckons. Tamer, more sensible bikes are wonderful, but for whatever reason they do not have the same effect on me as this bicycle does and as the Seven did over the summer. I want a bicycle that is fast enough for club and paceline rides, comfortable over bad roads, and handles well for a ballance-challenged person like me. Is the Moser it? I love it and I hoped so, but I honestly don't know at this stage. Holding back on descents is a problem; I need to feel in full control of the bike if I am going to improve, not to mention for reasons of safety.

The Estate of Jacob Switzer :: Widow's Allowance

There were three men (actually four, another has been found) with the name of Jacob Switzer who resided in Columbiana County, Ohio during the 1805-1860 time period. This estate file is for the Jacob Switzer who is my 4th great-grandfather and who married first Catherine Brinker (in 1811, the mother of his children) and second Leathy Bricker (in 1853). Jacob died on November 2, 1859.



Text within square brackets [ ] has been added to indicate difficult to read words.



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



The deceased having left a widow, we set off to her the following property, without appraising the same as directed by Statute.

one Lew [?] plate [?] Stove one Family Bible all the Books in Library one Cow all wearing apparel all Beds Bedsteads & Bedding Necessary Cooking Utensils The Clothing of the Family The Clothes and ornaments of the widow The wearing apparel of the deceased one Table Six Chairs Six knives and forks Six plates Six Tea cups and Saucers one Sugar dish one Milk Pot one Tea pot 12 Spoons

Widow's Allowance. Property not appraised.Estate of Jacob Switzer. Probate Packet 4962Columbiana County, Ohio

The following is a schedule of property [illegible word], belonging to the estate of Jacob Switzer deceased, set off by the undersigned for the support of Leathy Switzer his widow,

2 Hog's 21 ½ Ton of Hay 4 Bushels old Corn 4 Bushels Potatoes [???] Cash (there being no other property of a suitable kind to set off [total]	14.00 15.00 3.721 .80 225.00 $258.521

Widow's Allowance. Appraised property.Estate of Jacob Switzer. Probate Packet 4962Columbiana County, Ohio

Paradise and a Scarlet Macaw

As hoped, the road to Paradise opened on Sunday. A predictable onslaught of tourists and backcountry skiers (and even a few climbers) overflowed the parking lot and packed the adjacent slopes this weekend. In all, over 975 cars entered the park on Sunday alone, with an average of 3-4 people stowed aboard each vehicle. The result - "Paradise" was crowded. But that was fine, because every soul that I encountered had a huge smile on their face and were immensely thankful to finally see the sun and mountain again. That's what two months of clouds, snow and rain can do to anyone. The News Tribune pumped up the crowd with a lengthy discussion of the re-opening in their Saturday paper. They even took the time to mention my house, which I honestly feared would collapse under the snow-load (BTW, I have since shoveled my roof).

For climbers, there are no summit reports to immediately share. Three hardy souls ventured up the Tahoma Glacier towards Sunset Amphitheater to ski the couloir (seen left). They didn't reach the summit (due to warm temps) but one member (Sky Sjue) shared a sunset image (above) for our pleasure.

Camp Muir is a windblown place where notably less snow has fallen (or stayed). By all reports, the Cowlitz and Nisqually Glaciers are scoured, there are numerous bare rocks at Camp Muir, and the huts are easily accessible. Either it isn't snowing much or the wind is blowing it all off.

I have often noted that Mount Rainier gets its precipitation in 3-4,000 foot bands. What I mean is, there is always snow somewhere. The question is, where does it stick? For now, the snow is sticking between 2,500 feet and 6,500 feet. So the Muir Snowfield is OK, but at Camp Muir and above, the snowpack seems pretty darn thin. This is particularly the case when measured against the snow-loads at Longmire and Paradise.

My good friend Bruce Barcottt has a new book. So what's his connection to Mount Rainier? Bruce wrote Measure of a Mountain, Beauty and Terror on Mount Rainier , a necessary read for Rainier afficionados. He has since leveraged his journalistic talent into a big-shot writing career with Outside, Harpers, Mother Jones, NY Times Magazine and Sports Illustrated. Anyway, his new book The Last Flight of the Macaw was positively reviewed by the New York Times last Sunday. For those in the local Seattle crowd, we are fortunate, because Bruce will have a reading at Elliot Bay Books on Feb. 29th and Third Place Books on March 1st. Check it out.

Dandilions & Moss

I didn't find any flowers in the mountains except lots of dandilions. I like dandilions but would have liked some other kinds of flowers to go with them. I did find some moss, or alge, or what ever on a lot of the rocks so took soom close up photos of some

Iris

An iris in my garden.

The Grand Canyon :: Moran Point & Hance Rapids

At Moran Point, I parked on the east side of the parking lot, and as I got out of the van this was what I saw! The Colorado River can be seen more frequently on the eastern side of the park because the canyon walls are not quite so steep.





Walking to the western side of the viewpoint, the view was even more breathtaking. If you look closely a little to the right of the center of the picture you can see the Hance Rapids. (Better seen if you double-click on the image to get a larger version.)





There was an area to the left and below the viewing area that provided a better view. The lighting was fantastic and really showed off the colors of the Canyon.





Zooming in a little closer... A small tour group showed up while I was there and the guide explained that the Hance Rapids were the largest in the Canyon. He said the waves were 12-15 feet high and the rapids were 200 feet across! Wherever a tributary joins the Colorado there will be rapids, partly from the debris carried into the river by the tributary.





The camera set at the maximum 30x zoom and from a slightly different angle. It looks a little “rough” but still doesn't look like the waves are all that big. Like many things in life, it's just a matter of perspective...