Intense Lady Slipper

Intense Lady Slipper, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

These lady slippers are so interesting. The flowers are shaped exactly as the name would suggest. This particular flower was much richer in color than others nearby. Seen in the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Anybody been there?

Crystal Springs ..

Got out on the skinny skis for the first time this season. Jennifer and I were originally planning a trip to one of the MTTA huts but were not able to on short notice due to their archaic reservation system. (That and our hut of choice was already full.) We decided on one day of skiing but where would we go? While the state was already charging to park at Sno Parks, no grooming had actually occurred except on the MTTA trails. I checked with the ranger stationed in REI and he told me the I90 Sno Parks would be groomed starting December 5th. Since this information was not online I took it because it was all we had. Jennifer and I were still going to head that way because we didn't know where else to go.

Meany snow cats awaiting more snow

Signs were good when we arrived at the pass and it was snowing. We continued east and stopped at the Crystal Springs Sno Park. We figured with the snowmobile traffic, it would resemble groomed and be good enough to ski on. To our dismay, the parking lot was not plowed and a high clearance vehicle was needed to negotiate it. So we drove down the highway to Cabin Creek to see what was in store. When we arrived, we saw a few guys digging a spot out in the parking lot so they could park. I wasn't particularly interested in that kind of workout, so we went across the highway to check on the trail condition. It certainly was not groomed. There was a small trail trench in the middle and that was it. We decided to head back to Crystal Springs.

The road

From our earlier trip to the parking lot we knew there was a spot to park just outside the lot where the road was plowed and we would not be in the way. We parked there and geared up. Jennifer was excited to use her new skis for the first time. We skied through the parking lot and onto the trail while keeping a close eye out for snow machines. The snow coverage wasn't great, but we didn't have to ski on dirt anywhere. Once we hit the road, there was low coverage from wheeled vehicles driving on it, so we kept to one side. We decided to head down the road to Trollhaugen as they had run their snow cat on it but did not groom. (That, and it was off limits to snowmobiles.) We skied down that way on what was nice compacted snow from the cat. Once at an intersection, the cat had turned around and we ventured out into untracked snow on the trails there. We made a small loop and returned back out to the road.

Skiing in the untracked forest

On our way out we stumbled upon ski tracks heading into the Erling Stordahl trails and we followed them for a loop. While not quite as nice as skiing on the trails the cat had driven on, it was nice having the track in there for us already. After that loop we called it quits and headed home.

Faster skiing on tracked snow

It was fun getting out on the skinny skis for a change. They'll probably make me better on the fatter skis, because I find it more difficult to balance and ski with them. Jennifer had fun and cannot wait to go back. Unfortunately, the trails will not be groomed until December 5th. Which makes sense to me now that I saw that the coverage probably wasn't enough for a proper grooming. And they wouldn't want to start grooming on Thanksgiving Weekend for obvious reasons. (Although I bet the state could have earned more money if they did.)

Indoor Bike Activities

Now that it's getting colder out, it's time for some indoor bike activities.

Like wrapping and shellacking handlebars. These are the new Nitto Noodle bars on the Co-Habitant's roadbike. We have wrapped and shellacked bars so often at this point, that it's become second nature. He is the wrapper. I am the shellacker. It is satisfying to smear the amber shellac onto that pristine white tape and watch it transform into a warm caramel colour. Makes me think of candy apples.

And in case you are wondering, yes those are reindeer pajama bottoms. Très chic, non?

Ice-Covered Shores

Here is a recent shot taken at dusk looking east along the Lake Superior shoreline in Grand Portage. It was a wind-stricken shore with big waves on this particular evening of January 3rd, . The lines in the foreground ice are what really caught my eye here, but I think the frothy waves in the background add a lot to the image as well. Enjoy!

Gunks Routes: Obstacle Delusion (5.9) & Teeny Face (5.10a) ...but still no Insuhlation (5.9)

(Photo: Maryana tackling the crux move at the first set of overhangs on Obstacle Delusion (5.9))




I found myself at the Obstacle Delusion/Insuhlation buttress again with Maryana the other week. Maryana wanted to lead Obstacle Delusion (5.9). I'd never been on it but she'd done it once before, taking a hang at the first hard roof, then getting lost and bailing off to the right.




I was excited to try it out, and of course being in this location made me think yet again about heading back up Insuhlation, the climb on whichI broke my ankle in . As it happened, while we were getting ready tostart Obstacle Delusion another party was finishing up the short first pitch of Alpine Diversions (5.8). This other party was planning to do pitch two of Insuhlation, so from my belay stance on the ground Ihoped towatch Maryana and at the same time get another look at Insuhlation.









(Photo: She may not know it, but having grabbed the jug,this climber hasdone the tricky startingcrux of Alpine Diversions (5.8).)




Maryana decided to do Obstacle Delusion as a single pitch. She ran right up the traditional 5.4 first pitch, placing almost no pro. Immediately she was below the big first roof. This was where she'd previously struggled, and unfortunately she struggled again and had to take a hang. I could see the hold she was going for-- it looked like a pretty big move. After she rested she got through it.







(Photo: Maryana in the steep series of overhangs that make up the second crux of Obstacle Delusion (5.9).)





The second crux of Obstacle Delusion seems to involve two different skills: (1) endurance and (2) route-finding. Maryana told me that her first time on the route, she'd wandered too far to the right and found herself lost in the 5.10 territory of the variation climb Teeny Face, then moved further right to Insuhlation, and finally bailed to the finishing moves above the roof on Alpine Diversions. This time, from the ground, we'd looked carefully at the guidebook and she found whatI believe is the correct 5.9 route. In the photo above she is just below and to the right of the shallow orange right-facing corner mentioned in Dick's book.




You won't get lost, I think, if you stay in the numerous overlapping overhangs. If you find yourself venturing to the right into the flatter, lighter orange-colored face, you are leaving Obstacle Delusion.




Maryana successfully negotiated the second crux through the series of overhangs, and after she put me on belay, I started up the route just as the leader in the other party was reaching the crux of Insuhlation.









(Photo: Climber following pitch two of Insuhlation (5.9); it is the same woman who is pictured above leading pitch one of Alpine Diversions. I regret that I have forgotten her name!)




This climber on Insuhlation seemed like a very competent fellow, but he was struggling with the final roof problem. And his pro was several feet below the roof.




I stopped climbing for a moment and watched him. I imagined his pro was exactly where mine was when I fell there two years ago. But I had pulled above the roof without finding another placement. He, more sensibly, was trying to place another piece before going any further. He worked a nut in at the roof, but I heard him say it was junk. He didn't clip it. Instead he warned his partner that he was coming off and let go.




As I watched him fall, swinging down andinto the wall, I thought he'd been so much smarter than I had been at that same location, and yet still this was a fall that could easily tweak an ankle. (Luckily he was fine.) I decided once again at that moment not to get back on Insuhlation.




But then as I negotiated the many overhangs of Obstacle Delusion-- finding them straightforward and well-protected, but pumpy and sustained (nice lead, Maryana!)-- I arrived at the top to to findthe leader on Insuhlation hadmade it to the top as well, finding other pro and finishing the route. Once he went back up,he said, he found both the pro and the climbing reasonable.




The mysterygets deeper again.









(Photo: Another climber leading Obstacle Delusion; shot with my phone from the High Exposure ledge.)




After we finished Obstacle Delusion Maryana and I dropped a toprope over Teeny Face (5.10a) and gave it a whirl. It too is steep and unmysterious. It isdefinitely a step up in difficulty from Obstacle Delusion,and it does not havethe same obvious protection opportunities. We both sent it on the first try with the comfort of the toprope, but I don't know if either of us will be leading that one any time soon. It features very good climbing, and it is totally worth the few minutes' effort to drop the rope over it if you find yourself at the rap tree and no one is coming up the route.




I'd love to go back to lead Obstacle Delusion. The line is a little indistinct, but the climbing is classic Gunks. Steep reaches between good holds, with great horizontals for pro wherever you need it. And Insuhlation, well.... I'm still scratching my head about it.

Wille Nelson Concert

Today Nathan and I decided to head over to Sea World to use our passes. They are going to expire in April, so we are hoping to use them a lot before then. When we arrived, we noticed it was packed. So packed that we could not even park in the Priority Parking lot. I like parking in the Priority Parking lot. But more than that, I like going to Sea World when it isn't packed.



I couldn't figure out why so many people were there until we got inside. Well, I could have figured it out, had I listened to Nathan but instead I didn't figure it out until I got inside. I saw on a poster that they had special entertainment and food. When I saw who was there, I got OMG giddy about it. Giddy enough that I didn't even mind that so many people were there.



We headed over the stadium where the concert was at...about two hours early, and sat with all the other people already there waiting. Then I sent a text message to my sister. I said: Guess who I am about to see in concert? Hint: oh that lucky old sun ain't got nothing to do....but roll around heaven all day....

Once we established who in fact I was talking about, we discussed why I sent her a text message about it. We love music, but I had to let her know that I was going to see Willie Nelson live because of a childhood bonding experience over Willie.



When we were teens, my Mom left her regular music menu of all gospel, all the time, and went down the wild and wicked path of the likes of artists like Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. I'm still not sure what this was about, since this is the same woman that told me Nathan was not someone I should be dating because he took me a Billy Joel concert. Whatever the reason though, she would sit in her rocking chair at night while we were trying to go to sleep and listen to the records.



Picture three teenage girls lying in bed at night listening to Willie Nelson records. Against their will. What could we do...well, what we did do is take the attitude "if you can't beat them, join them". So we started to join in and sing at the top of our lungs with our best Southern drawls (those years in Texas paid off!) and sang right along with Willie. Which cracked my Mom up. Or maybe it was we girls who were cracking up. Either way, laughter replaced groans.



All of that came in quite handy today, because now I'm old enough to appreciate that Willie Nelson is a legend. And it's an honor to see him in concert. Especially when you still know all the songs!

Let me tell you, Nathan and I have been to a lot of concerts together. And this was one of the best ones we have been to. There are people who can sing.

There are people who can entertain.

A select few can do both. Willie is one of those people.

His voice is incredible for his age (77 years old) and he has so much expression in his face when singing.

Did I mention, he plays a mean guitar?He plays a seriously mean guitar.In honor of my sisters, I sang with all my heart. Oh, and Mom...he even played a couple of gospel songs for you! They were even old time country gospel songs. It was awesome!I am so grateful we got to see this legend while he is still with us. I loved seeing someone do what they love and do it well. My favorite shot and my Project 365 pick for today...thanks for rocking with us, Willie...then and now!Living the life in music filled Florida!

Redwood Canyon

On one of my stops at the Kings Canyon Visitors Center (in the western side, near Grant Grove), I asked the Ranger on duty if he had any favorite day hikes. He suggested Redwood Canyon saying that there was a 2-mile dirt road down to the trailhead without providing any other details besides asking if I had a large RV (and I didn't think to ask either).

So, the next morning I ventured a few miles south to the turnoff to Redwood Canyon. Once beyond the turnoff and around the first curve, there is no turning back! The narrow, steep, winding dirt road was carved out of the side of the canyon. There were several places wide enough for two cars to pass by each other but most of the 2-mile road (using the term loosely) was wide enough for just one vehicle.

I crossed my fingers and said a little prayer that I would not meet any vehicles coming up while I was going down! The dust flew up behind the rear wheels quickly covering the back windshield so that nothing could be seen from the rear. After a 25-minute harrowing drive, I made it safely to the parking lot, which was nearly full (and all of the vehicles had dust covering their rear windows).

The trailhead was easy to find. Going by what the Ranger had told me I took the trail to the right which gradually went up the ridge, through groves of “young” sequoia trees.

I have no idea what kind of pine tree the large cone belongs to but the cone is about 14 inches long. The three small cones belong to the Giant Sequoia. The medium sized cone is about the size of a chicken egg. The largest trees in the world have the smallest cones! But within those cones are hidden several hundred seeds which are released during fires – they require the heat in order to open up. Pretty amazing.

Once on top of the ridge, it was an easy walk through open meadows and pretty vistas. That's Big Baldy across the valley.

Once on top of the ridge, it was an easy walk through open meadows and pretty vistas. That's Big Baldy across the valley.

The trail (a 7 mile loop) went down into the valley via a series of long, somewhat steep, switchbacks. It followed a river for a short distance then went uphill the last two miles to the parking lot. Portions of the hike were somewhat strenuous (especially the last two miles) but it was mostly a nice, easy, pleasant walk through the forest, which I enjoyed immensely. Even though there were a lot of people visiting the area and the parking lot was full, I saw only four people on the trail and that was on the final uphill trek.

Photographs taken June 19, ..

Lazy Week in Gloucester

We are settling back into a routine with Austin being back home with us. I got my staples out and am finally feeling somewhat normal. Ava is thrilled to have another guy around which means I have been bumped down to third on the list of people she adores. We bought an island to put in the space where our dining room table was. Beyond that we are doing the normal, everyday things in life like laundry.



In other words, it has been a very laid back, lazy kind of a week. We are loving our campsite still even though it has rained quite a bit so we haven't sat outside like we normally would.

Sonoran Desert Museum

Picked up the Puppy and headed back into Tucson

Did the Sonoran Desert Museum

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden all in one!



Paths wind through various desert plants

Cactus Wren on a Saguaro Cactus





Several native animals in their natural surroundings.Bobcat

Harris Hawks in flight



a Javelina (not a pig - a peccary)

Prairie dogs

Mountain Lions



and wolves

We looked for the Coyotes and didn't see any. I gave my best coyote howl and a head popped up briefly. He was hidden in the brush.

Does this jacket make my ears look big?

They even have a realisticcave replica you can walk through



and a Hummingbird Aviary





We spent over 4 hours there and still didn't get to see it all, guess we'll just have to come back!

Till Later,

Meanwhile, we keep on Trek'n

Melissa, Gary and Tucson