Christmas at the Golden Gate

Well, I wasn't sure where I would be for Christmas... as luck would have it, I found myself in San Francisco on Christmas Eve. I spent the evening at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. I love the Golden Gate Bridge, and it was one of the things I was wanting to photograph again on this trip. Much to my surprise, when I arrived at the area overlooking the bridge I could see a few stars in the sky! I was certain that the city lights would be too bright to be able to see any stars, but thankfully I was wrong. I managed to make an image of the bridge with the constellation Orion visible in the sky above. It was the perfect Christmas gift.



Even though I was "alone" on Christmas, I felt like you were all with me. I received many emails from my friends, followers and supporters wishing me a Merry Christmas. Thanks to you all who took the time to send me a message. Your wishes were much appreciated and made me feel like I was home. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas as well!

Grandpa Vic and Some Grandkids

A couple years ago, my uncle Bill Phend, sent a few photos he had scanned. Finally found where I'd put them on my hard drive. . . this is the only one that had Grandpa with us kids. Taken in August of 1949 at the home of my Aunt Phyllis in Columbia City. Looks like Grandpa and Kathy are the only ones enjoying themselves! That's me in front, cousin Tom, brother Doug (behind me), cousins Mike and Kathy, and Grandpa trying to keep us all in one spot.

Of Cycling and Cheeseburgers

Before I started cycling I was a vegetarian/ pescetarian for many years. It began by accident: I was on a research trip in Moscow in 1999 and got food poisoning after eating a meat dish at a restaurant. It was pretty bad, though to be fair I can't even be sure it was due to the meat. Could have been the salad or an unwashed fork, who knows. Still, for a whileafterwardI felt sick whenever I looked at or smelled meat, so I stopped eating it. Eventually the effect wore off, but the vegetarian habit remained. I did not crave meat products, and I felt healthier not eating them. Attempts to coax me back into carnivorism were unsuccessful. I could watch others eat meat and even cook meat for guests without being tempted in the least. I was pretty sure this was a permanent lifestyle change.



It was a couple of years ago that for the first time I found myself "tasting" little morsels of the Co-Habitant's food (invariably meat dishes)when we ate together. I did not want any, mind you, I just felt like a little taste. I also began to notice that these cravings coincided with bike rides. Interesting. No doubt what I was really craving was salt and protein - not necessarily meat. So I ate more salt and protein as I struggled with this unfamiliar new attraction to meatballs and burgers and barbecued ribs. And steak. And paper thin slices ofprosciutto. And spicy chicken wings. And hot dogs... One day, after an especially strenuous bike ride we went out to dinner and I just couldn't take it anymore. The smell of meat that had once made me respond with disgust, then indifference, now filled me with longing. I ordered lamb instead of my usual falafel. I still remember how those fragrant, lightly charred bits looked upon my plate. And so ended over a decade of vegetarianism.



I am bewildered by my current love affair with meat. Content for so long to live off lentils, walnuts, vegetable omelets and occasional salmon, I now fantasise about full Irish breakfast, black pudding included. The more I cycle, the worse it gets. The Co-Habitant thinks it's hilarious, but I am rather ashamed. I think vegetarianism is ultimately the healthier diet, and I feel sorry for the little animals. The tasty little animals.... See?! This is terrible. I know there are many vegetarian and even vegan cyclists out there. And they are probably very disappointed to be reading this. But I have to tell it like it is. After riding my bike, I dream of cheeseburgers.

Snowshoeing Reservation River

It seems the flurry of snow storms that we were getting throughout December have stopped. The temps have dropped a little bit but are still quite tolerable. In fact, its perfect weather for snowshoeing! Over the past couple of days I've been snowshoeing along Reservation River, which runs nearly parallel to the western boundary of the Grand Portage Reservation. Its not a very big river valley, but is nonetheless very beautiful and is a great place to spend some time exploring.




One of the neat things about this area is that its littered with game trails on both sides of the river. One can scarcely walk more than 100 feet without a deer or rabbit trail crossing your path. The chickadees and woodpeckers also seem to love the Reservation River valley. I made a path that follows the eastern bank of the river for a while, then drops down into the valley and goes out onto the river itself. The trail then follows right on top of the river for a ways before climbing back up the hill onto the ridge on the eastern bank and looping back around to the first part of the trail. Its great fun and one of my favorite places to snowshoe!

Back in Florida with Friends and Family

It is so odd to go from weather where we had the heater on, to wearing shorts the next day...but that's what happens when you travel hundreds of miles in one day. We have landed back in Florida and it's good to be back. Last year I was a bit sad when we came back because I knew it meant travel would not be happening. This year I couldn't get back fast enough!



We were were tickled pink that we made it back in time to see Zoe. On top of that goodness, Auburn was in Orlando so we got to see her too. Even though I was exhausted from the trip, I still soaked up the sunshine of the two girls that I adore so much.

Emotional Landscapes

Two days after struggling through a hill training ride last week, I found myself on the bike again - doing what ended up being a 52 mile ride counting my trip there and back. 50 miles seems to be the magic number at the moment: shorter than that and I am left feeling regretful; longer than that and I become more aware of the difference between myself and the stronger riders I am with. Interestingly, I have not gone on a proper ride on my own for over a month: I've met so many cyclists to ride with lately, that I am always with someone. Among the benefits of this is discovering local roads that I've never ridden before - and noticing what an enormous role landscape plays in how subjectively easy or difficult a ride feels.

Riding with theRide Studio Cafewomen last week, we did a loop that on the map appeared near-identical to a route I usually do alone, only along the back roads. The landscape, bathed in the ethereal late-December light, was so stunning that I did not notice the miles or the hills. Where were we? These hardly looked like the tired suburbs I had become so familiar with. Here moss-covered trees grew out of green bogs under cerulean skies. Sleepy farms peaked out coyly from the mist. The remains of frost on dried grass turned meadows into expanses of delicate lace. The sun shone through black, leafless branches, casting high-contrast shadows upon the road. We rode under canopies of fragrant pine trees, which then opened up to reveal enchanted vistas. Climbing one particular hill, I felt such a surge of emotion from the surrounding beauty, that I could not help but go faster. The desire to reach the top and see what more awaited there, made the bike feel weightless.

Roadcycling for me is not about suffering. It is about this emotional connection. Somehow the feel of being on the bike, the sensation of speed, and even the pain in my legs become associated with the reward of seeing an affecting landscape. Once it forms, the association is difficult to break, and it makes cycling addictive - apparently not just for me. Some of my riding partners are experienced racers and randonneurs, and when I listen to them describe rides I notice that they rarely speak of difficulty or pain. Words such as "epic" and "sufferfest" are simply not in their vocabulary. It's not because they don't feel pain and exhaustion, but because they do not consider these sensations to be the point. It's about fulfillment through a visceral connection with one's surroundings. The rest is not important.

Can you tell me why?

Why aren't we skiing?




Over the years I've spread my kind of love over a few climbing forums. Enough so that I've been booted off at least one. Not that I give a chit because I don't It is simply entertainmentfor me.



Threeof the funniest exchanges I've had (to me anyway) have been with in retrospect, obviously very young climbers. No matter how good technically they might be or thought they were during the exchanges I was laughing at them and poking fun at their expense. Yes, I know I can be aprick. No need to restate the obvious in a comment.



In no particular order:



"Me Mum bought this fine jacket for me..best insulated jacket ever made"...of course he'd never used or owned any other jacket at the time. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPP! Last I checked he is still a little pissy about the exchange. They simply don't know what they don't know



"Climb can't safely be done without several screws and half a dozen pickets" BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBEP! My answer? "Most anyone could solo that one in decent conditions. And I have never ever placed a picket. Mind you it doesn't mean I haven't wanted to just never had one :)"Original climber sacked up and soloed the same moderate climb a few seasons later. Same thing most of us had been doing for decades now with minimal gear.



"I've skied for years" a most recently famous alpinist tells us in a focus group on new gear. BBBBBBBEEEEEEPPPP! Mind you the "kid" is just 21, no formal education past high school and his experience skiing in the last 15 years (he started at 5) is hard to relate to an uncaring audience of 50+ year old engineers who have been skiing them selves since they were 5 or younger and designing or working in the ski industry since they were 18 years old. Hard not to roll your eyes when I hear I've been skiing my whole life....when the speaker is 17 years old and the topic technical in nature.



"youth is wasted on the young" J.B. Shaw had it right.. :)



Not that I am a rocket scientist myself or know much about anything in particular. My BS meter has gotten better over the years how ever. "Nice ski, but ya the mount point is FUBARED dude."

"Someone might ought to look at that more closely." That stainless and plastic interface? Take body weight? Maybe. Hammer on it? Not likely. Trim the weight by making it smaller? OK. But make it so small it now breaks in the same application? Makes no sense to me.









So, why aren't we skiing?



I've done Rainer by a dozen routes in all seasons, many, many timesand until recently only taken skis on the mountain a couple of times.



Now I have to ask why are you NOT taking skis? You can guess at my age. But in any race I am not going to be in the front of the pack. On the right day if you break down the age groups into 5 year splits I can generally hold my own with what ever amateur shows up. As serious athlete will generally, and easilybury me. I'm lazy and WEAK...there I admit it :)



So if I am doing moderate climbs and skis like Rainier and I am able to catch you and eventually passing you on my light weight gear you might want to rethink your own gear choices. When I can bury you on the up and then drop you on the down in light weight gear it is either time to bury your head in shame or pull out the check book, 'cuz you obviously SUCK!



If you climb and read a winter climbing blog and don't ski? YOU really, really SUCK!



All the spare excuses have been used and you have been found sadly, wanting. If it is a fitness issue, change your diet and get a dog to run with. They are likely the only one that will have you anyway.



I have one myself :) His name is Marley and helikes torun, really likes to go on bike rides and anything related toskiing, plus the occasional cinnamon roll or pistachio.









Marley


No one is really as good as they might think they are or as smart. We generally judge each other much harder than we judge ourselves. Never hurts to brush a little sand off your you friends ass instead of grinding it in. You never know when you might need the same favor.



But I am still going to chuckle under my breath when I skin past you or ski by. Simply because I know I'm the one having more fun...and I'm just the oldprick willing to admit it ;) PS...Marley would be laughing as well he's just a much nicier guy when he sees a human...sucking @ the fun!