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.