By the Sea in Dún Laoghaire

Pronounced "Dunleary," with an emphasis on the second syllable, Dún Laoghaire is a provincial seaside town in Ireland just south of Dublin. I am visiting family here before going north to County Antrim, and will return here again afterward before flying back to Boston.






I love small seaside towns and was excited for this to be my first introduction to Ireland. Arriving to a new place, we never really know what to expect. This time the unexpected part was the familiarity. If you can picture a cross between Brighton, England and Portland, Maine with a touch of South Boston's waterfront area, you will be well on your way to forming a picture ofDún Laoghaire. Growing increasingly suburban as it stretches inland, there is a dense commercial center closer to the sea. Streets are generally narrow, with a system of even narrower hidden alleyways that are used as pedestrian shortcuts. The exception is the wide and highly traveled road that stretches along the waterfront. A sidewalk promenade follows the road with occasional interruptions and everything here is built on a large scale: a towering city hall, a string of grand hotels, an enormous modern theater.






Dún Laoghaireis not an old town, and a lot of the design elements can be traced to the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Iron latticework, gilded pavilions, hotel walls painted in pastel hues.




Walking along the waterfront, it is easy to imagine the heyday of this place. I can practically see the ladies in corseted frilly dresses strolling up and down the promenade with their parasols and lap dogs.






Of course now it all looks a little shabby. Peeling paint, rust. And on a drizzly weekday, the only people I saw along the promenade were hooded joggers and a couple of young mothers pushing strollers while talking on their mobile phones.






Not that this detracts from imagining what the place used to be and what motivated people to create things like this elaborate minuscule pavilion.





The distinguishing feature of the Dún Laoghaire waterfront is its two long granite piers. These start on the opposite sides of town, then curve inward until their tips almost meet. There is a red lighthouse on the East Pier and a green one on the West. It's as if they are looking at each other longingly across the water.






This charming view is, however, somewhat subverted by the intrusion of the Dublin Power station towers smack in between the lighthouses. You can see them in the distance here if you look closely.






There is much more toDún Laoghairethan this vast and quaint waterfront area, and in fact I haven't really described the town itself at all. But somehow the presence of the promenade, with its granite piers and rusting latticework and sea air permeates the rest of the town.The people are friendly, but reserved. An elderly man in a pub said to me that those who enjoy living here value anonymity. Otherwise they are miserable and can't wait to leave. So close to Dublin, this town does not feel as if it's anywhere near a capital city. It is its own universe, hidden in plain sight; a closed system.





I have been cycling despite the non-stop rain, mostly for transportation and exploring. The cycling is so-so. No bike lanes at all, but the roads are mostly calm except in the town center. I am not entirely comfortable with the left-handed flow of traffic yet, so I am afraid to ride on busy streets and sometimes take the sidewalk (as do half the cyclists here it seems). Cycling along the endless East Pier in a light drizzle and enjoying 3/4 water views has been my most memorable ride so far. I don't mind the rain and the cold here, but it does make taking good pictures difficult.



Overall I am trying to decide whether I like it in Dún Laoghaire. Is this the sort of place I'd want to live? In theory, it really should be. It's got the sea, mazes of narrow streets, stone houses, lots of wild vegetation, privacy, and genuinely pleasant people. But for some reason, it doesn't quite pull at my heart strings. I am comfortable here and do not even experience my trip as being abroad so far. But I feel a little detached from this town. Tomorrow I take the train to the North of Ireland.

Photos

Laura and I spent the day at Upper Meadow Run last friday. The weather was beautiful, the ice was soft and everyone there was smiling. It was a fun day out climbing...

Tool demo day at Upper Meadow Run

Checking out the creek side boulders

Dr. Bob climbing U.M.P. (upper meadow pillar) WI5-

Double boots, one more time.....

There is no story of a great feat or feet in this case. Just a caution and a a little jubilation of getting away unscathed, again. And another lesson. learned or relearned, taught by a hard, but incredibly beautiful mistress. No technical difficulties to over come or one arm pull ups involved. It happens every day, all year long, in Chamonix. For myself and my partners on this tripjust a small part of a bigger adventure this winter.



I was lucky enough to climb most of Feb, March and a tiny bit in April this year in Chamonix. That after starting the ice season earlier than ever in Nov. in Canada and then Montana and back to Canada again in Jan. And the season isn't done yet. Hopefully I'll get another month yet in Canada again before everything has fallen down.



In all that ice climbing I have used dbl boots once this winter in NA (Canada) and on fourclimbs in the Alps.

But more than once I have regretted my choice in footwear. Never while wearing dbl boots however.



No one dislikes climbing in dbl boots more than I do. They (any of the three best currently available) are big, and bulky and heavy in comparison to the single boots I am using. The up side to that is they offer more support for your calfs and feet and more protection from the pounding endurance alpine ice will give your toes. All that before you get to the added warmth they offer and the added benefits of a dbl boot drying out in a bivy.



Check out the climbers on the S. Face of the Midi.



And for perspective the little bump in the middle of the Massif which was our school room on several occasions. The Cosmic Arete is the sky line ridge, left to right. S. Face of the Midi is the clean wall on the right.



Duringlate Feb and early March in Chamonix my partners and I kept getting bounced between -20 temps or lowerand 20+ cm dumps of new snow up high. All that while trying to get acclimatized on the Midi at 12391 feet(3777 m).



Most every chance I got I would hop on the Midi tram and head to 12K feet or at least to 10K on the GM lift. For a flat lander coming straight from sea level there were some painful days in all that. And the GM had a better lunch :)



One of our first adventures was a little trip out the tunnel on the Midi in a wind storm after a 15 to 25cm dump of snow. The first lift on the tram was late as is typical after new snow but I was pressing to get some climbing in. At that point I was 7 days into a 44 day trip and not done any climbing yet. But the skiing was good :)









In crotch deep new snow (so much for the 15cm) before we even hit the end of the rope hand rail on the Midi arete Josh's noise was white withskin freezing up. It was cold and the wind was whipping. Hard to judge just how cold it would be at 12K from our apartment in town. (and that got only slightly easier in the next month) Josh was smart to turn around as his Rudolf's nosedeclared for the next week or so. He got revenge by coming back on a still and blue bird day for his solo climb as we road the lift down off the mtn.









Matt and I continud and ventured off to "look" at the Cosmic Arete. Two French parties were held up in the old worker's hut at teh basse of the ridge out of the wind. The sun felt good and Matt and I thought, "why not take a look". After all how hard could it be?



Mind you the last tram down is at 4:30 and we didn't even get off the tram till after noon...so the real question should have been, "just how fast are we?"



In good conditions the Cosmic Arete is a awesome alpine romp that generally takes an hr or so. We hit the Midi platform at 5:30 that afternoon. More to that story but not the point thsi time out.







-20C (around -5F) and a strong wind can be pretty cold. At 12K feet it is cold even in the sun if you are not acclimatized. By the time we got to the last 4 pitches of climbing I was full on shivering even in a MEC Tango belay jacket over a Atom LT and two hoodies. Thankfully my feet we not yet cold. I was wearing a pair of Scarpa Ultra single boots. But it was obvious to me that when my feet did get cold...and it was just a matter of time....I would be totally FOOKED. Quick way to end a climbing trip, that.









The good news was the last 4 pitches were excellent and funclimbing in most any conditions, even that particular day. And thankfully no more trail breaking in deep snow. My feet were out of the snow for the most part and my core was finally warming up again from the effort of easy technical climbing.







I made myself a promise after thatfirst climb...."always bring full face goggles and always wear my dbl boots up high here".







Of course I failed to keep that promise and regretted it every, single, time.



By the end of my trip it was early April. Things had warmed considerably up high aroundChamonix.

More storms were rolling through the mountains by the end as well. The power of a good storm in the Alps rivals anything I have seen in Alaska. Impressive. Scary if you have to be out in it.



There is a reason for all the huts in the Alps. Getting caught out in those conditions with out brick and mortar around you, canjust aseasily kill you. The final storm we weathered at the Cosmic Hut would have, if you had been unprotected onroute.







The obviously now happy campers leaving the upper tram terminal after being stuck on the Midi for two days..





When the final tally was made and the tram started down again on day three, half of the 20 passengers were French Mountain Police and Chamonix Guides. Bad weather can catch anyone, even the most experienced. I counted. There were 4 pairs of single boots in the crowd. I felt terribly under dressed. And happy I had a hut and WC to hid in for ourtime up high. Spantiks weren't a fashion statement there...but a survival tool.















It is all about conditions, isn't it :)

Gibraltar Ledges and Ingraham Glacier Direct Route Conditions

Two teams attempted these routes this week.

Tuesday at Camp Muir, two climbers departed in the morning hoping to climb the Ingraham Direct. The pair made it to 13K before turning around. They reported knee deep snow the entire way up the Ingraham Glacier. They also reported several crevasse crossings, most of which went smoothly. They stated that the bridges were in good shape and most were easy to cross. That said, one of the pair did take a crevasse fall at 13K... After a day of kicking steps in deep snow, the pair decided to descend after the crevasse fall.

Gibraltar Ledges was attempted on Wednesday by a soloist (carrying skis). He reported knee deep snow on the Cowlitz Glacier up to the beginning of the ledges. The snow on the Cowlitz was described as powdery, underneath a crust of varying thickness, but "thin" overall.

On the ledges, the climber experienced a lot of soft, sugary snow... Sometimes even waist deep. It took over 2.5 hours to traverse and climb the ledges. After pushing through what you get when you "open a bag of cane sugar," upward progress seemed futile. He turned around at 12,500 feet (about 3/4 of the way up the chute). It took over an hour to descend the ledges, as the footing was still quite challenging.

There is a boot path up the Muir Snowfield. The weather is supposed to be excellent this weekend.

Photo by Mike Gauthier, climber ascending Gib Ledges before the traverse and chute.

The Petzl ICE pick issue

The quotes listed below were found from a quick Internet search on the current Petzl ICE pick. It seems silly to me that Petzl had a amazinglyly well recieved pick, the Cascade, that they have now discontinued for the Nomic. Even more so now that the Cascade pick would fit all three tools, Nomic, Quark and Ergo. When your customers start using another brand's picks I suspect you have an issue that needs to be resolved, sooner rather than later.



None of this is to argue the newest picks are bad, just that some prefer the previous design.



Here is a short discussion on how to modify the newest picks for better ice performance by duplicating the older Cascade pick.



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//10/petzl-picks-again.html



Quotes by various Internet authors on the same subject:

"I've heard rumors that Cassin's X-All picks can be modified to fit onto Nomic or Quark. Any truth to this? I'm a little frustrated with the new Petzl Ice picks (detuning isn't working out that great)."



"The new Nomic Ice pick is hard to clean, but filing it down to closely match the profile of the old Cascade pick worked great for me."



"there are a few things I noticed with the new Ice picks. Durability, cleaning, and ice displacement. Maybe this season is a bad example because how thinner the routes are, but I noticed my Ice picks getting chewed up and worn down significantly faster. I've filed the picks three times already, when I normally do three filings for the entire season on my old Cascade picks. Cleaning on the new Ice picks is harder than before, this is well know."



"When I compare the picks to old style, they are completely different. It has beenpointed out that I can modify the new Ice picks, but I haven't had the chance to test that out."



"I have a big potential issue with the new Nomic Ice pick though. At the gym where I train, it is literally impossible to get a stick in the Iceholdz(TM) on the mildly overhung system board. With adjustments to swing and hand position, I have been able to get good sticks with both Cobras and the old style Vipers. I'm guessing the first tooth is too steep (which is one of the things causing the cleaning problem with Laser picks) so I worry what they'll be like on real ice."



"The new Ice picks, while better than the old Astros, are definitely not as good as the old cascades from my experience using both of them last season on a pair of new Quarks and old Nomics. I'm pretty sure the reason is the same already mentioned: the angle of the first tooth."



In North America if you have a similar thought you can direct an email toPetzlAmerica at info@petzl.com

It is a topic Petzlwants to hear from you on. So the emails aren't going to a round file as some might expect.



I don't have a Petzl France email but if you are outside North America I suspectyour concerns will be relayed to Petzl France as well.

Custom Leather Pannier by Cristobal &Co

Since having written my "short chainstay lament"some time ago, I've connected with a number of small manufacturers and artisans who have developed panniers specifically to solve this problem. And yes, I will be reviewing them all to the best of my ability! This month I bring you Cristobal &Co. I am familiar with the owner of Cristobalvia bikeforums and obtained this pannier in an equal value trade.





Cristobalpanniers are custom-made by hand by traditional artisans in Mexico. They are made ofleather and covered with a thin layer of weatherproof and UV-resistant synthetic fabric. Although standard models are available, the nicest thing about Cristobalis the possibility for customisation. I asked for a pannier that would fit my MacBook without inducing heel strike when used on my mixte. I sent measurements of my bike's chainstays and rear rack, we discussed dimensions, and I also indicated how high I wanted the pannier to sit. Shortly thereafter I received the cute, boxy Cristobalwith honey leather and removable side-pocket. It fits my MacBookwith much room to spare without a hint of heel strike.







Having used a variety of leather satchels in the past, I would describe theCristobalpannier as exceptionally well made. The leather is of high quality and the stitching is precise. There are no loose threads, no botched edges.






The underside of the leather is soft to the touch. There is an option to get a flap that will cover the rivets holding up the hooks on the back of the pannier, and I asked for this feature - making the interior completely safe for my laptop and camera equipment.






The removable pocket can be fitted to either side of the pannier via a built-in attachment system.






It is large enough to fit a mobile phone and a small digital camera at the same time, which is useful.






The extra long leather strapswith metal buckles aredesigned to hold a jacketwhen closed.






However, I usually just leave mine open, because it takes too long to mess with them (a quick release design could work nicely here).






The attachment system consists of straps with buckles and two hooks. The open hooks go over the rack's tubing to keep it stable, and the straps are used to secure it. The hooks are standardly sized - similar to those used by Arkel- and will not fit racks with thick tubing, such as heavy duty Dutch bike racks.






A lower pair of straps attaches to the rack's stays for greater stability. You can see in the pictures that the straps are easily moveable via the slots in the leather, which makes it possible to adjust the pannier to fit different bikes. You could also remove the lower straps altogether if you do not feel them to be necessary.








I found the Cristobal pannier convenient to use in that it makes for a great carry-all. With its rigid boxy shape, it is like a bottomless trunk that I can keep stuffing and stuffing with my personal belongings and groceries. On the other hand, the pannier takes some time to affix and detach, and its hooks are only compatible with some of my bicycle racks. Without a more versatile quick release system, I consider this to be more of a touring pannier than a commuter's pannier. Cristobal is willing to use alternative attachment systems upon customer's request, and I suggest getting something like the R&K Klickfixif you need an easy on-off feature that is compatible with a wide variety of racks (I didn't opt for that, because I was curious what the standard attachment system was like).






It is also worth noting that while leather is more durable than cloth, it is also heavier. If you value durability, waterproofness and craftsmanship over weight, then this shouldn't bother you. But if you are seeking the lightest set-up possible, leather is generally not the way to go.






Cristobalpanniers are starting to appear in bicycle shops across the US, and can be ordered directly from the manufacturer with various degrees of personalisation. Prices vary depending on dimensions and the amount of custom work, so please inquire with them directly. I am impressed with the craftsmanship and design of the pannier, and will consider retrofitting mine with a quick release system.

Pamlico Sound

The resort we are staying at is split into two parts. The one half sits on the ocean, the other side sits on Pamlico Sound. Pamlico sounds is the largest lagoon along the east coast. It is the second largest estuary (Chesapeake Bay being the largest).

Joslin Family :: Irwin Visits Grandma

According to this letter, Grandma had scheduled Irwin's visit for August 2nd and 3rd, 1969. There are no letters in her files between the one she wrote on March 30th and the next one that Irwin wrote on Tuesday, July 29th, after his visit. So apparently the date of his visit was changed. I'm guessing that the visit was the previous weekend, July 26th and 27th.

I don't think that I was even aware of the visit. At the time, I was living in Fort Wayne, working for the Lincoln National Life Insurance Company in the accounting department, and busy with my own life. Family History was the furthest thing from my mind, at least until the early 1980s.

From Irwin's visit, we have two photographs commemorating the event:

Irwin Joslin and his wife Alice.

Second cousins. Irwin Laverne Joslin and Hazlette Ferguson.
July 1969 - Irwin was 47 years old and Grandma was 67.

This letter from Irwin, following his visit to grandma, was written on stationary from the Westinghouse Air Brake Company.

7-29-69

Dear Mrs. Ferguson,

We had a real nice morning in Fort Wayne then a nice drive home. It rained a little but cleared up as we got near home.

We really enjoyed our weekend at your house. Thank you so much for having us. Hope that you can come to Peoria sometime.

We feel like we accomplished something in Fort Wayne - that is a fine genealogical section in the Library. First we looked over the Whitley County history in the newer book - it is about the same as your book. I made copies of the Troy Township section.

Then we found something we didn't know in a book of marriage records of Whitley County from 1838-1860. Did you know Lysander's middle name was Price? That is what it shows. It says Lysander Price Joslin married Lydia Robison on Aug 23, 1843. I thought that was interesting. Of course he was named for Price Goodrich but until we came to see you we didn't know who Price Goodrich was.

Then we also suspected that James Joslin might have come from Delaware County, Ohio since we knew the Goodrichs were from there. So we looked at the 1820 census for Delaware County, Ohio & the only Joslin listed was a Jonas Joslin who had 1 boy under 5 years old & one between 20 & 30. Then the 1930 [sic] census of that county lists both Jonas & James in Delaware County. It shows that James had one boy under 5 (probably Lysander) & one boy between 5 & 10 years as well as 2 girls - one under 5 & one between 5 & 10.

Therefore it looks very much like Jonas is James father. We got out a book on Delaware County & we knew the township was Liberty so we read through that section but never found his name. The 1830 census lists 10 other Joslins but only James & Jonas are in Delaware County.

So we think we have found another clue. We will keep working at it. We also looked over Mrs. Wessler's book - "the Josselin -Jocelyn Family". They have it in the library there. She has a lot of Joslins listed & if we go back far enough we may be able to connect on to someone she has. I was glad to see the book - I may buy one sometime.

Well, that is about all for now. Hope you have no ill effects from your fall - is your foot still sore? Take care of yourself.

Sincerely,
Irwin L. Joslin

=+==+= Some Notes Regarding the Letter =+==+=

There were two histories published on Whitley County at the time, both are now available online. The 1882 history by Goodspeed and Blanchard is at the Harold B. Lee Library and the other, in 1907, by Kaler and Maring is at Google Books.

Jonas Joslin is listed in the 1820 census on page 95a in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio. In 1830 he is listed in the same location, on page 85 as is James Joslin. In that census, Lysander (born in May 1825) would have been the male 5-10 years of age, not the one under 5 years.

Click on the images below for a larger, legible version.



Other posts in this series:

• Joslin Family :: Heritage Tour and Research Trip
• Joslin Family :: First Contact
• Joslin Family :: Grandma Responds to Irwin's Letter
• Joslin Family :: Irwin's Letter of March 25th
• Joslin Family :: Grandma Invites Irwin to Visit

Highland Hammocks State Park

Someone asked me what there is to do around here the other day and in running down the short list of local things, I remembered Highland Hammocks park. After remembering it, I realized we have not been there ourselves in some time so I went home and we made plans to go the next day.



It was, as always, well worth the trip. It is one of our favorite Florida parks and each time we are awed by the beauty there. This time I was struck by how green everything was.

















Doesn't it just scream Spring with all of this lush green?



We really do love this neat place! So glad we did make the trip.



Living the life in sunny Florida!