Sunrise

Sunrise over the Sandia Mountains this morning. And some morning glories.

The Estate of Dederick Hoffman :: Widow's Allowance

Dederick/Detrick Hoffman and his wife Susannah are my 5th great-grandparents. Descent is through their son John who married Catherine Coy and their daughter Susannah who married John D. Berlin.









Estate of Dederick Hoffman (Packet 805) Columbiana County, Ohio

FHL film 2032459 accessed June 8, ..

A Schedule of the provisions and other property allowed to Susannah Hoffman Widow of Detrich Hoffman late of Salem Township Columbiana County Deceased for her Support for one year by us the Subscribers duly appointed appraisersers to the Estate of the Sd Deceased to wit:

one lot of meat, one hog, a Small lot of Kitchen furniture, one Cow, twenty Bushels of wheat, five Dollars in money, eight Bushels of oats, three lbs of Wool, one bushel and a half of Salt, a lot of Soap, twenty lbs of Sugar, two twiled bags

We the Subscribers do certify that the foregoing is a correct Schedule of property allowed to the above named Widow given under our hands this 12th day of May 1826.

George Urick, John Yoder, Andrew Altman } Appraisers

Updated Route Conditions for Mount Rainier

Lots of climbing reports. Here's a scary image of Rainier's north face... A serac falls off the Liberty Cap Glacier down the Liberty Wall.

It was a very warm this weekend. Thankfully, most climbers had a great time and there were no accidents... Reports to follow soon (i.e. TONIGHT.)

Image by David Gottlieb

Feather River Snake

Feather River Snake, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Here's a small snake we found on a hike along the Feather River near Lake Oroville. The lake was very low - the area where we were hiking would normally have been submerged. Anyone know what type of snake this is?

Wordless Wednesday :: Standing By

The Great Forest Park Balloon Race, St. Louis, Missouri
September 1994Copyright © 1994/.. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Cycling Indoors: the Kurt Kinetic Trainer

Last month I asked for advice about bicycle trainers, but after reading all the comments decided not to get one after all. It was the promise of horrific boredom that dissuaded me: I didn't want to get a trainer and then end up never using it. But several blizzards and several yards of snow later, I once again found myself climbing the walls and thinking that any way to be on my roadbike would surely do. My birthday is coming up, and so I asked the Co-Habitant to get me a trainer as an early gift - requesting that he do all the obsessive gadget research himself, and just present me with it as soon as possible.



He was suspicious at first."You want a trainer. For your birthday? Are you sure that's a sufficiently ...romantic gift?"



"It's a fine gift. Totally romantic. Just get it for me, please."



And so, since last week I have been the owner of aKurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer. The model was on sale at the Wheelworks in Somerville, MA (they had four left as of last week), and the opportunity was ceased. It is lime green and in no way blends in with any normal household decor. It is a good thing we have a "bohemian" apartment where pretty much anything goes, including a bike plugged into a neon contraption in the middle of the bedroom.



To set up the trainer, you have to attach the rear wheel of the bicycle using a special skewer, so that the tire rests firmly against the mechanism which provides resistance. I would describe the set-up process as somewhat tricky: You have to align the wheel just right and tighten everything just so.



As you pedal, the resistance from the trainer is similar to the resistance you feel when cycling on the road.Beyond that, I admit that I have no idea how it works, and am not particularly curious as long as it does the job.Some prefer to put a block or a riser under the front wheel, but I feel fine without it.



To me, using the trainer emulates the cycling experience realistically insofar that I am on an actual bike, and that the sensation of pedaling really does feel like being on the road. What's different, is that the bicycle doesn't lean, as would have been natural on the road, and - oh yes - that I am in my bedroom, staring at a wall and going absolutely nowhere. After the first time I used the trainer, it became clear that I needed visual stimuli - music alone was not sufficient to counteract the mind-numbing effect of looking at nothing.



So I rigged up this "tower" using two wooden chairs (don't worry, they are very stable), which allowed me to place my laptop at eye level.



Thank goodness for Netflix and enormous earphones. The trainer is fairly quiet to begin with (the sound it makes is a sort of low hum - not high pitched or annoying), and if I had a TV rather than a tiny laptop, I don't think earphones would even be necessary. But the nice thing about using them, is that they drown out the sound of the trainer entirely, making it easier to get absorbed in the film and put my legs on autopilot.



It took me a couple of days on the trainer to learn how to pace myself. I guess on the road, there are factors that control my speed - traffic lights, obstacles, turns, and even just fear. With these factors gone, I had to keep forcing myself to slow down, so as not to get exhausted immediately. Watching a movie helps, because my pedaling starts to sync up with the highs and lows of the film - slowing down during the quiet parts and speeding up during the exciting parts. At the moment, I am able to keep going for 40 minutes at a time before needing to stop, but I am hoping to make it an hour by next week.



I don't want to give the impression that the trainer is anything other than what it is - a device that allows you to pedal your own bicycle as it remains stationary. The experience does not even begin to compare to "real" roadcycling, which to me is much more about exploration than about exercise. But if I approach it from the other end, and start with the given of wanting indoor exercise that emulates cycling, this trainer pretty much fits the bill. Having never tried others I can't compare, but the Kurt Kinetic trainer does everything I imagined a trainer doing, and it is quieter than I had hoped.



I think I have to face it that something in me has changed over the past year, and I now feel that my body "needs" strenuous exercise. I never thought that would happen to me, and I don't understand human physiology well enough to know how that works. All I know is, that I've been on a roadbike every day for the past week and I am feeling a little more like myself again. It's indoors, it's stationary and it's not real cycling - but I'll take it.

One Last Chance...

Thursday, March 15th - - As I was driving east along Interstate 40 I decided to take the time to visit one of my favorite places – after all, I might not get back this way again, at least not any time soon. The Grand Canyon is only about 60 miles north of I-40 and it was simply not possible for me to pass it by, especially after I checked the weather report and found that it was going to be a beautiful day!



It was about 11:30 in the morning when I arrived to find the parking lots nearly full. I certainly wasn't expecting that!





Like most visitors, the first place I went was to Mather Point. As you can see, it was a bit crowded.





But the view from Mather Point is worth bumping elbows with other visitors or having to wait until someone moves away from the railing so you can get that “perfect” shot. The weather could not have been better. The temperature was in the low 60s and there was barely a breeze blowing. Also, the “blue haze” wasn't too bad either.



Because there were so many people and I had only a few hours, I decided to skip the western end of the rim trail. You had to walk or take the shuttle buses to see that side of the canyon and I had walked much of it the last time I was here. Instead, I went to get some lunch and then take the drive along the road to Desert View at the eastern end of the park.



While in the cafeteria line I learned why there were so many people here – it's Spring Break! I should have known but the thought just never crossed my mind.



It was a leisurely drive to Desert View (over four hours to drive 30 miles!) with stops at nearly every viewpoint along the way and spending as much time as desired at each one. The further along the drive, the fewer people there were. I took lots of pictures, but I also took time to simply sit in the sunshine and enjoy the gorgeous day and the awesome views.





The view from Grandview Point near the beginning of Desert View Drive.



This tree is amazing. Beyond words.



It looks so close, but 'tis far away. I think that foreground area is Cedar Ridge!



There will be a few more posts on my short visit to the Grand Canyon... so many pictures, and such a beautiful day!

The Southerner's return to ice

Day 1 (Saturday)What a weekend! Hope everyone got out to enjoy the current fatness. Ice climbing conditions were perfect in the Laurel Highlands. Longtime climbing friend Matt Johns finallymade the drive up from Kentucky for some ice climbing. It'd been about 9 or 10 years since Matt has climbed ice. For many years the conditions seemed to have thwarted all attempts Matt has made to come climb ice. Well this was the year.Laura and I were in need of another restday andMatt needed a slight refresher on the art of ice climbing. Schoolhouse was our destination for Saturday. After a delicious breakfast at Valley Dairy, we drove to Ohiopyle. The road into Mitchell parking hadn't been plowed so we had to park at the main parking area in town andsnwoshoe 4 miles into the climb. Matt's an adventurous guy and Laura likes to hike so we decided it was a nice way to spend the day.Laura and Matt starting the day. Photo TA

We set off from the parking area and the going wasn't bad the first 1.75 miles. Snowmobiles hadbeen down the rail trail packing the snow and making for easy travels. Stopped by a downed tree, the easy goingended there. Breaking trail in the deep snow was the norm the rest of the way. I was pulling Laura's and my gear on a sled and Matt was packing his own. It took about 2 hrs for us to reach the crag. I had been worried about the ice conditions with all the sun beating down.Matt and Laurahad slowed down a good bit in the final 1/2 mile push to the climb. He was very excited upon his arrival at the cliff. We found the ice in snowcone condition. I quickly geared up and climbed the route. I belayed Matt up as Laura took some photos.

Matt had a good time seconding the climb and getting back onto ice after so manyyears. We left it rigged on the shuts and walked down. We took turns climbing thequickly deteriorating ice. We finished up a little before 3 o'clock. Whilepacking up our gear Dr. Bob and Regina camewalking up thetrail to the cliff.We briefly chattedthen let themget to climbing as the routedidn't appear that it would be climbablemuch longer.Surprisingly the hike outfelt a little better than the hike in.At one point Laura hopped on thesledwith all the gear to take the easy way out. She was grinning ear to ear duringher 1/2 mile of sleighing through the woods.She was surprised I could manage the load and her. It was the least I could do since I didn't get hera valentines present this year.At the car we snapped a photo and made our way to dinner atTall Cedars in Donegal. We all agreed that the day was a lot offun. The weather was warm and it was great to getMatt on the elusive route. Remember Matt, the cliff is always 10min. away!

Laura climbing Flying Dutchman. Photo TA

One of many bent trees on the way out. Photo LH

Laura's viewon the Schoolhouse shuttle. Photo LH

The happy crew

The southerner says -mmmmmm good eatin'. Sneak photo LH

Day 2 (Sunday)We enjoyed our "casual day" Saturday saving our energy for a climbfest on Sunday. We met Joel Torretti, Dr. Bob, Regina, Mike, and Kenny atanother local cliff. I think Matt was impressed at his first sighting of the crag. We stopped at the top and I pointed out the different lines while Laura took some pics.Matt & I checking out the routes. Photo LH

We made our way down to the climbs. Matt and I decided to start the day on Called on Account of Security. It was in thebest conditions I've ever climbed it. The normal mixed start was buried under about 12' of snow. It was still thin through the bottom, with a huge middle pillar and a slightly thin finish. It was a lot of fun.



The super fat middle of Called on Account of Security WI4. Photo LH

Matt Johns seconding Called on Account of Security. Photo LH

Laura was giving Joel a belay on G Gully. He led the initial pillar and threaded off.Mike and Kenny did the same on the Central left pillar. Ropes were left on all the lines while we all took turns climbing each of the lines. After our warm ups, Joel racked upfor theline he tried last week. He quickly made his thread and pushed up the nextstep to below the crux. He went upto thecrux,poked around a bit and backed down to the rest stance. This happened severaltimes before commiting to the moves. He worked up through on thethird try, placing several screws and looking solid.He did a great job of keeping it together and finishing what he startedthe week ago. Congrats on the send Joel! What's it called?



Joel Torretti on his new unamed line. Photo LH

My goal for the weekend was to get back onmy attempted routefrom Valentines day.Regina and Bobfinishedup on Called on Account of Security andit was "Go Time"The route looked slightly better or should I say "wetter" than last weekend. Some new blue ice graced the top of the climb concealing the V threads from the week before, all the while making the final bulge abit bulgier.The water was really running on the route. Temps were on the rise and I wasn't sure if I would get another shot next weekend or even the rest of the season.I figured it might be my last chance. I tied in and started up the route with Matt on the catch.



A cool perspective of me startingup the route. Photo LH

Climbing through one of the earlier crux sections. Photo LH

I found the climbing to feel a tad easier than the previous week. Still very commiting, but not as much work clearing the rotten shit as I had on last Sunday's attempt. Knowing the route, I utilized all the possible rests andthings went well (except for dropping my lucky BD stubbie in the snow. Gone forever!)



Finishing up the FFA of World of Pain WI 5+ Photo LH

Matt instilled great confidence as my belayer. I placed nowhere near the number of screws as the week before.Pulling the final bulge and not being pumped gave me a great sense of accomplishment. I placed an anchor screw, clippedin and relaxed.The view from the top was sweet.In a fine show of style Matt offered Laura to second mysend. ThanksMatt!She didincredible showingsmooth, effortless climbing.Matt was 3rd up the line doinga great job and enjoying the climb. I'm gladmy sweetie and old buddywere in on my send.



Laura seconding World of Pain. Photo MJ

"The Southerner" Matt Johns enjoying SWPA ice. Photo LH

Mike led The Awakening with Kenny as the last lineof the day. We hiked out to the cars satisfied as the day was drawing to a close.With some luck and cold weather we'll get in another weekend of climbing.

Positively Biketastic

When I look back at (I know it's been a while, but I needed time to take it all in!) I remember it as the year when I started to notice a lot of positive changes in the cycling world around me. Positive changes not only in the widening selection of transport bikes available in local shops and not only in the public perception of bicycling, but also in the increasing amount of rapport, cooperation and even overlap between different "camps" of bicyclists. And I think this latter point is just as important as the others. We cyclists can be tribal and divisive; we can be each other's harshest, cruelest critics. But if we insist on identifying within rigid parameters and lashing out against each other's choice of bike, attire, and riding style, how can we hope for positive changes for cyclists as a group?




When my cycling club, the Ride Studio Cafe, began to blur the lines between the randonneuring and racing cultures, I remember it felt as if a paradigm shift was taking place. They threw a big party, where cyclists of different stripes interacted with each other with a degree of enthusiasm that showed a genuine eagerness. Dynamo lighting, racks, and wool were discussed. Unexpected common interests were found. It was truly an exciting thing to be witnessing.




At this same party, I finally met Maureen Bruno Roy, a Massachusetts-based professional cyclocross racer. In her off time Mo leads a regular life, and part of that regular life involves riding her pink mixte for transportation. For me, seeing Mo so happy and casual on her city bike was an encouraging moment: I had not encountered an athlete-cyclist outside of Europe before who saw value and usefulness in such bicycles. But to Mo the value is pretty clear, and she credits her attitude to her time racing in Belgium. "There were these Dutch bikes, and I rode them to get around when I wasn't racing; it was great!"




Around the same time, a local man named Jeff Palter got himself a Brompton folding bike and began commuting on it, posting excitedlyon Twitterabout how much he enjoyed that. If you're outside New England that name might not mean anything to you, but Mr. Palter happens to be the CEO of the Northeast Velodrome and theowner of Cycle Loft -one of the biggest roadie shops around. CycleLoft is also the main sponsor ofthe Northeast Bicycle Club - the largest local racing club and the very club that offers the "infamous" paceline ridesthat so divided my readership two summers ago. Until recently, it would have been difficult to imagine anyone associated with this camp entertaining the idea of riding around on anything but a racing bike with a backpack. I was more than a little surprised when Jeff approached me about sponsorship, explaining that CycleLoft was expanding into the city bike market.




"Looks like the war is over," said a local cyclist when I shared this news with her. I guess sometimes, with all the insults flung about, it can indeed feel like a war - especially when some are described as "riding tanks" and others as being "weekend warriors." With a chuckle, I pictured an army of speeding Cervelos clashing with an army of menacingly rolling Workcycles (incidentally - a Dutch bike company founded by an American, who got his start at Fat City).




Some time in December, I was approached by Bicycling Magazine and invited to write a weekly online column about "city bikes and gear." I was initially skeptical about what they had in mind, but it seemed pretty straightforward: They wanted to expand their coverage beyond racing, to encourage people to commute by bike, introducing them to a variety of bikes and accessories for the purpose.I agreed to writethe column. It's a short-term contract and I may not be the one doing it in the long run, but I hope to give it a running start. Or rather, a re-start: Historically, such coverage is not new for Bicycling. A 1978 copyI found of the magazine includes articles such as "Choosing a Three-Speed Commuting Bike"and "Road Test: the Bickerton Folding Bicycle."These things are cyclical. Hopefully the current cycle, with its interest in transportation and city bikes, will be around for a while.




A few days ago I read a story in the New York Times about a man who, a couple of times a week, commutes from the suburbs outside New York City to his office in Manhattan on his racing bike. It's a 40 mile ride and he uses the milage for training. He does it year round, sometimes in snow. I thought it was a cool story, especially after the cyclist himself provided additional details on Velocipede Salon. Then today I read astory in Atlantic Citiesin response to it, about ordinary New Yorkers commuting. The author mentions that some readers criticised the NYT piece for "alienating [ordinary people] who might want to ride to work," but I am glad the author herself did not go that route. Instead she gave examples of some interesting New Yorkers who rideand urged cyclists to unite in promoting their shared interests.




For those of us who have been cycling in major North American cities over the past few years, it is hard not to notice that things are changing. Now more than ever, I feel there is room for everyone who loves to be on a bike to promote their style of riding without criticising others in the process. Whether 4 miles or 40, whether in a business suit or a skin suit, whether on a cheap or expensive bike, bottom line is: It's all positively biketastic. The more we understand that, the better off we will be.

Regaining ground in the park, the NPS makes its move

The skies parted for a while today and the mountain finally revealed itself. Plastered ice and snow coated the upper 3-4,000 feet, seen here from a recently improved view point near Kautz Creek. Everything below 9-10,000 feet appeared thin and icy, i.e. very little winter snowpack, see below. Rumor has it, another storm is on the way. I hope it brings colder temps.

I snapped this image late today before the clouds returned. That is the Nisqually Glacier on Mt Rainier, the trails of the Paradise area in the foreground. The glacier ice looked really blue after the intense rain, and the mountain looked awesome.

For 24 hours, this was a place that people simply left. Today, the NPS resummed its plan to restore facilities and order to the park after 18 inches of rain fell at Paradise in 36 hours. The level of the primary rivers and tributaries remains high and it's very easy to note the newly scoured banks and freshly deposited log jams along the river corridors.

There was a noticeable change to the silence as the restoration effort moved forward. Electricians, water treatment specialists, and heavy equipment operators returned to Longmire and other parts of the park to assess the damage and begin the repairs. Highway 410 will open soon (probably Thursday) but the Carbon River road, Highway 123 and the Nisqually to Paradise road will remain closed (probably for a few weeks).

We surveyed the storm damage from the air this afternoon. The main hits were taken at Sunshine Point, Stevens Canyon (in somewhat predictable locations, see photo above-left) and on Highway 123 (left) where the road washed out entirely. The damage to Highway 123 looked severe given the time of year; I wonder if it won't be fully sorted out until 2007. At the Sunshine Point washout, I saw earth movers in the remains of the campground (now river bed). They were trying to make things happen for the road to Longmire, but the job seemed large because the road was entirely gone.

The sound of silence approaches, as soon the generators will be turned off for the evening.

Sunrise at Schwabacher's Landing

After spending a full day, sunrise to sunset, in Yellowstone yesterday, we drove to Teton Village just outside of Jackson, Wyoming where we would be spending the next couple of nights. We got in pretty late, but that didn't stop us from getting up early and heading out to shoot the sunrise. Today's plan was to shoot sunrise at Schwabacher's Landing, one of the iconic photo locations in Grand Teton National Park. Schwabacher's Landing overlooks the Teton Range, with a very photogenic beaver pond in the foreground.



Upon our arrival at Schwabacher's Landing, we saw right away that we certainly weren't going to have the place to ourselves (if that's even possible!). The parking area was already full of vehicles, and we saw what looked to be about 30 photographers already set up along the first couple of bends in the trail. We squeezed our way in between the other photographers and waited for the sun to hit the peaks. After only a few more minutes the tops of the peaks started to glow as the sunlight washed down them from top to bottom. All of a sudden the silence was broken by the sound of dozens of camera shutters clicking one after the other.



Once the sunlight had worked its way to the base of the mountains I started working my way upstream, finding myself stopping again after only traveling a few steps, having seen another composition catch my eye. The going was slow in this special place, as each bend in the trail presented a whole new batch of photo opportunities.



Part-way up the trail I actually ran into someone I know from back home... Don, who owns the camera store in Duluth. He and his wife were there with some friends. I snuck up alongside Don and exhaled rather heavily, then said "Well.... its not Lake Superior, but I guess it'll do!" Don started to mutter a reply, then turned and saw that it was me. "Hey! How are you?" It was a priceless moment :-)