Fashion Friday. Maximum Style.

Remember Al ? He's been hanging around a bit. Sometimes he needs encouragement. Frey offers a few words.Separation Anxiety starts at the little hobbit hole, so I crawled in for a fresh perspective.Al clowned it up of course.







Do you like either of these shots? Or does the perspective screw with you too much?I like both, but I couldn't decide which works better.You decide. Post a comment. Be firm, but kind.









I could look at Al all day, but over at our sister site Red Phoenix Style the girls have styled up another runway show. This time for the first anniversary ofBrisbane's most wanted hairPanic Hair.jjobrienclimbing sent Sandra Phoenix along to bring back the look.





So much hair, so much colour.All the fabulous jewels are available online from Red Phoenix Emporium or in store at The Tribune.





Climbers, you can celebrate with me as my first jewellery design for Red Phoenix, the Omiyagiwas ordered by an unknowncustomer in New York. Yay for international jewellery sales!





What? You want more Al? OK just one more.



Welcome to our newest follower Bjorn Lyngwa

How do you put that slash through the "o" ?

Grivel? ...What is happening there?

A few friends have climbed on these and everyone seemed to like them dry tooling. My buddy Jack Roberts was pretty excited switching from a Petzl sponsorship to Grivel this winter. I know from our recent conversations that he liked climbing on the new tools as well.



I see Will Simms is now on the Grivel line up. His buddy Jon Griffith off Petzl and on BDs.



"Never the arrow always the Indian."



Anyone climbing on any of theGrivel versions of this onehere in North America?









"Grivel has for nearly 200 years led the development of Ice Climbing equipment, but to move ahead in this rapidly changing “fast &furious” new age of technology and materials, we decided to make a radical improvement in our approach to development. This is the reason we decided to create a new dept. a real Laboratory for Development, a place where we can explore the possible and beyond. With all these recent changes in materials and design we chose to invest in this bright future, brought about by mixed climbing, competition and rising standards. To head this new department we have brought in a new face, Stefano Azzali a man devoted to climbing and climbing equipment, no stranger to high tech radical materials. Stefano’s work in this field of new technologies and avantgarde design qualifies him to lead “Grivel’s Racing Development”. (Grivel Reparto Corse) It’s almost second nature to a man coming from Modena, the home of design, engineering and above all “Speed”. We look forward to the future as we are proud of our past."

Winter Walk on the Superior Hiking Trail

Self-portrait of myself walking down the "lakewalk" section of the Superior Hiking Trail just north of Grand Marais, MN. This was taken yesterday morning, one of the best (photographically speaking) winter mornings that I've ever spent on the shores of the big lake. The lighting conditions were sublime and I came away from the morning with a lot of photos that I really like!

The Patron Saint of Bicyclists

"Here, this is for you."



I put out my hand to receive what resembled a brass bracelet, crumpled and oxidised with age.



"I've rescued a few of these off of trashed roadsters over the years. Lovely things they are..."



And that is how I came to possess aSt. Christopher bicycle medallion - a Catholic charm given to me by a Protestant, in Northern Ireland. "Behold St. Christopher and go your way in safety," reads the inscription.






The patron saint of travelers, St. Christopher has been popular with bicyclists in some cultures. In Ireland, various bike accessories with images of the saint can be found - most commonly bells. Medallions like this one are rarer, but this particular one seems to have been popular in County Donegal in the Republic and adjacent areas of Northern Ireland throughout the 1930s-50s. Every so often, the local priest would hold a "blessing of the bikes," with these medallions made for the occasion. Members of the congregation would bring their roadsters to be blessed, at which time the priest would affix the medallion around their seat tubes. The bikes and their journeys would thereupon be protected.





Soldered onto a bracket, the medallion is thin, lightweight and flexible, with a closure that makes it adaptable to a wide range of surfaces.





Local Catholics seem to hold differing opinions regarding St. Christopher. Some have told me he is a made-up saint, just a lucky charm for superstitious travelers. Others say he was indeed a real saint, but has been "retired" by the church. Others still remember people riding with such medallions on their bikes decades ago.



TheBlessing of the Bikesritual has been revived in recent years, mainly in the US. As far as I know, St. Christopher is not mentioned in the proceedings.

Starry Night in the Maple Forest

This photo was made last night when there was supposed to be a pretty good chance of seeing some Northern Lights. While the Aurora was a no-show, the stars last night were incredibly vivid, so much so that it felt like you could reach up and pluck them from the sky.

The magic of the night reminded me of my favorite quote from Vincent van Gogh:

"For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."

Coronado State Monument

Last weekend we decided to go to see Coronado State Monument which is just to the north of where we live near Rio Rancho, NM. in the town of Bernalillo, NM. First there was a sign telling us that these were the ancient ruins of Kuaua Pueblo. Kuaua is an old Pueblo word meaning 'evergreen'. Kuaua Pueblo (pueblo means 'town') was started in the 1300's and was made out of adobe which is a mixture of mud and straw that makes a good brick. By the 1500's it is thought that the town may have had as many 1200 rooms. This town is within sight of the Rio Grande River (this day we couldn't see the river as there were too many trees). These native Americans survived by hunting, fishing, and farming. They grew many of the same things that I now grow in my garden - squash, watermelons, corn, and beans. Corn was their staple food and was ground into a meal on special flat rocks using round rocks to make a meal which they used for a flat bread. This pueblo may have been a center for much trading among other tribes. The Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
found the village in 1540 while looking for the Seven Cities of Gold, which he never found because they didn't exist. Coronado had about 300 soldiers and 800 other Indians with him as well as about 1000 horses and other livestock. They spent the winter at Kuaua. This is where the monument got it's name of Coronado. It was excavated in about 1930 but many of the ruins that were above ground have disappeared with time and now most of the walls that you can see have been rebuilt to look like what was found. There was a square kiva or ceremonial chamber found underground that had many colorful murals in it. These murals can be seen in one special room at the visitors center but photos are not allowed so that more damage won't be done to them. I did find photos of them on a website and lots of information on them as well as the pueblo at these websites. The kiva can be entered and seen at some times but not on the day we were there. I did get to go into it when I was about 17 in about 1968. http://http://www.100megspopup.com/photo4phood/swarch/coronadohistory.html
http://http://www.nmmonuments.org/coronado-state-monument


My 2nd photo shows one of the signs that you can find on a short walking tour of the ruins with information on the ruins. But the most important sign to see and remember while visiting here is the one telling you to give right of way to all Rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes are found frequently on the cement and dirt trails where they like to sun themselves, but on this day we didn't see any. There are benches made out of logs for those that need to sit and rest and picnic tables with brush shades for resting and picnics. At the Visitors center was a modern-made wood cart like the Spanish would have used when they made the adventure to find the Seven Cities of Gold. The Visitors Center has a wonderfull, cool intrance way with huge yuccas in front of it. There are signs telling what a lot of the native plants are including the barrel cactus in the last photo. The cactus had buds on it but none were open. There was a Pueblo style oven in front of the Center. These ovens are still used to bake bread in at the pueblos.

10 Inch Dream Catcher

Fully Summer

Optimal route condition and great weather systems are starting to line up with one another. Longer trail approaches on the West Side of the mountain are melting out which facilitates access to some rarely climbed gems. The freezing level has been hovering between 12,000 feet to 14,000 feet making for comfortable climbs. Mid-July has historically been the busiest time up high on the mountain - and for good reason.



Crevasses are starting to open wider, and as the summer wears on, the routes that navigate along glaciers become more circuitous. Longer summit climbs aren't necessarily the worst thing, but they can put climbers crossing bridges and overhangs during the warmest part of the day.



Notable events in the last week include a posse of "mono-skiers" on the Muir Snowfield, the opening of the new Carbon River Ranger Station in the often overlooked northwestern part of the park, and black bears starting to make their way into the alpine meadows. Come on up and enjoy prime-time at the park!

Remembering...

My sister Teresa and my Mother. March 11, ...


February 15, .. - My Mother, Virginia Phend Wiseman, died less than two months after being diagnosed with colon cancer. She was 82 years old and has left a void that will never be filled.



February 15, .. – My Nephew Joseph's son, Logan Jeremiah Lynn Wiseman, was born. He lived only a few hours before departing this world. His loss is still felt.



February 18th, .. my sister, Teresa Jane Wiseman Ratcliff Plybon, passed away. She was 53 years old.



February 17th, .. my gentle-souled uncle, Robert Glen Reiff died at the age of 75.



Yeah, February is a tough month to get through.... Remembering the good times helps. A little.








Christmas 1978 with the Grandkids.







May 1978 at Knapp Lake.

Microburst

Wednesday's forecast predicted thunderstorms, and after a sunny humid day a rapid downpour descended on our neighbourhood in the afternoon. Later we learned that the next town over had experienced a microburst - an intense storm similar to a tornado, only with wind patterns in the opposite direction. Over 100 full grown trees were uprooted in the storm in the course of very little time. No one was hurt, but property was damaged.



The next morning I went on a ride and found the Minuteman Bikeway impassable, with huge toppled trees in close succession blocking the entire path. As municipal workers in neon vests surveyed the area, confused bicycle commuters wandered around looking for alternative routes without having to ride on the high-traffic main road which the Bikeway parallels.






The side streets were blocked. Municipal vehicles were gathering from all directions - those huge machines where you feed them pieces of tree and they mulch it up. Finally, I went on the main road and competed with a procession of buses in mid-day heat until my nerves had worn raw. Drivers were especially out of sorts that morning, behaving aggressively and honking at cyclists for simply being "in the way" - probably not realising that we had all been displaced from the adjacent bikeway and had nowhere else to be.



Riding under these conditions, I realised how spoiled I've gotten lately - forgetting how stressful cycling can be when drivers behave like this and there is no alternative route. I was getting honked at continuously for trying to take the lane. But as busses kept cutting me off and car doors swung open with abandon, taking the lane was the only safe option. Eventually a few of us formed a cluster: me, a woman in a yellow sundress on a cruiser, a teenager on a mountain bike, and an older man on a time trial bike. The cars went wild, but at least there was safety in numbers.






The pièce de résistance happened on my way home. I was already back in Cambridge and riding on a quiet MUP when around the bend a municipal carcomes charging at me head-on, taking up the entire width of the path. The guy slammed his brakes when he saw me and I slammed mine, feeling a huge surge of adrenaline. We stopped within inches of each other and I had one of those not-quite-but-almost crashes that I am so talented at. I kept the bike from hitting the ground, in the process contorting my body unnaturally and twisting my elbow. Ouch. But who cares about a little ouch; I am just glad he did not run me over. We had words, if you can call it that. Me: "You could have killed me!" He: "Sorry sweetheart, I didn't see you coming!"



I suppose the take-away lesson here is to stay off the roads after natural disasters? Easy enough for someone doing a training ride, but what about those who commute that way? I don't think the city even announced anywhere that the Minuteway Bikeway was impassable, whereas they certainly would have announced it had a major road become unavailable to drivers. Maybe when there are more of us, things will be different. I hope so.

Glacier Peak

After years of trying, we finally made it up to climb Glacier Peak. At 10,541', it is the fifth highest peak in Washington. It is located northeast of Seattle, way out in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, all aspects of the 15 mile approach are beautiful. It is hard to keep your eyes on the trail. The forest features huge Douglas fir and cedar trees.
The trail goes through about 7 miles of forest and then climbs up to join the Pacific Crest Trail. The hillsides are covered in Heather and numerous wildflowers. We must have crossed 20 small streams on the way.
After almost 10 miles of hiking, we get our first look at the mountain. At this point we are still several hours from our high camp.
The clouds started to roll in during the night. We had to get going earlier than we had planned to try to summit while we had a chance. Our route took us over parts of the Gerdine and Cool Glaciers. This large crevasse was near Disappointment Peak.
Climbers nearing the top.
Emily, Doug and Dave on the summit. The Glacier Peak Wilderness is full of inviting snow covered peaks.
We broke camp and started the long hike back to the car. As we headed out, clouds began to cover the mountain. Pretty soon we could hear distant thunder.
We saw a few marmots along the way.
Tiger Lilies beside the trail.
We made it back to the car before dark. The downpour began soon after that.
With the low elevation trailhead, the long approach and a lot of ups and downs, this climb was as taxing as climbing Mt. Rainier. It was nice to finally stand on top of the mountain that we have seen so many times from other summits.

Esmerelda ..

I got to go out with Steve for what seemed like the first time this year. (I wanted to say Summer, but it is no longer, and I doubt I have been in the mountains with Steve since Spring.)

Due to my long hard day the previous day, and Steve bringing his wife's cousin along, we opted for a fairly mellow scramble of Esmerelda Peak in the Teanaway.

To avoid traffic we started a touch late, and arrived at the De Roux camp trail head after 9:30am. We hiked up the trail and took frequent breaks. After consulting the map we ignored the turn off point thinking it was just a cut off a switch back. We went too far and arrived at Gallagher Head Lake. We hung out a bit on some wooden benches taking in the scenery and getting cold. We altered our approach and headed cross country to the ridge to climb.

With some light bushwhacking we were on rocky slopes picking our way up the mostly solid terrain. With a few sections of third class rock, we were on the summit, taking in the views. We hung out for a while and then headed to the next "summit" on the ridge to the east. We continued to the next and then developed our plan to hike down a different way. A few loose third class bits got us down the ridge where we followed game trails down most of the way back to the trail. The slope was steep and loose and only got easier as we descended. I saw a fat garter snake on the way down and then we hit the trail and hiked out.

Scrambling the second summit (photo by Steve Machuga)

This was a fun trip and a good trip to do after the bruiser I had the previous day. It was fun to be out with Steve, and the summit of Esmerelda offers pretty nice views in all directions. It took almost as long to do the round trip drive as it did to climb the peak. Steve and I discussed how the book listed it as a T3, but we found it to be fairly easy with only a few steps of 3rd class. However, I am beginning to think that the technical scramble rating used also increases for navigational difficulty. But who knows. Yet another nice day out in the mountains.

My pics are here.

Mont Bell Mirage

The conversationstarted like this:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//02/jer-first-bit-of-our-kit-is-on-way.html








And ended like this at 7am @ 10K feet on Rainier. Jerry crashed out and sound asleep at Muir just aftersunrise and aquick 2 hr ski to get there. Some amazing corn skiing to follow gettingback to the Nisqually Bridge.


I suspect I am not the only one to stand in the early morning cold, sweaty and chilled wishing I had the warmth of a nice thick down parka to swallow me up and comfort me while I brewed a warm drink or waited for the first rays of sunlight to heat up the surface of your skin if not the air.



I've used a down parka so seldom in my own climbing career that they are seemingly trivial. Unless of course you really need/want one. And you are cold.



Jerry's relative comfort just made me really jealous on that trip where I didn't think I would need a Mirage. Dumb mistake on my part. Something I won't easily repeat in the future. 15oz of warmth is just too easy to carry when it will pack this small. 900 fill down and a silk weight material on the jacket's body will allow that.



For those that follow such things Cold Thistle started with a search for the "best" cold weather parka as it applied to my own us. If I looked I suspect I could actually tell you how many of the "best" parks I have bought or been given over the past 3 years. I still have 3of them in my closet now.



The Mont Bell is one of them and the jacket I now usethe most.







It is an easy decision when you take a close look at this jacket. It is fully box baffled for one.



My size Large weights in at14.7 oz or 420g on my postal scale.



3.5" of loft made up of 900 fill down loft at the shoulder.









When stuffed this jacket doesn't even fill my lower compartment of the 9oz CAMP Race pack. The Mont Bell Mirage jacket off myback at sunrise and into the pack justbefore leaving Paradise on a cold Spring morning.








The 9oz. 20l ski pack?



The perfect pack for a quick ascent of Rainier on skis. The Mont Bell Mirage is the perfect compliment at the less than a pound of "survival gear" in the pack's lower compartment.



http://www.camp-usa.com/products/packs/rapid-260-1893.asp









Any time I am"alone" on Rainier I like having a little extra security. The Mont Bell Mirage offers that for so little extra energy. Bigger, colder mountains? Even more so.




The Mirage's pockets are perfect for me. Two hand warmers and twobig internal chest pockets. Just enough for my needs. Thehood is simply an awesome design. It is big and puffy. Makes a great high collar as well when a hood is too much. Easy to adjust and a Velcro tab in back to make bigger or smaller depending on what you require at that moment. Cuffs are closed via a Velcro tab. Simple and effective.



















There has to be a down side right? Of course not that I care about any of them or totally agreed with the detractors.



Mont Bell sez:




FEATURES

• 900 fill power goose down
  
• 7-denier Ballistic Airlight rip-stop nylon shell & lining
  
• Standard DWR treatment
  
• Box construction eliminates cold spots, while encouraging maximum down loft
  
• 2-way adjustable fixed hood
  
• 2 zippered hand warmer pockets
  
• Draw cords for waist adjustment hidden in pockets
  
• 2 internal drop-in pockets
  
• Adjustable alpine cuff

TECH
SPECS

• [Center Back Length] 29.3 in. (Size M)
  
• [Weight] 12.8 oz. (Size M)
  
• [Fill Weight] 5.3 oz.
  
• [Compressed] φ5.3’’ x 9.5’’ (stuff sack included)
  
• Size: XS/ S/ M/ L/ XL/ XXL
  
• Color: rust/black

(I'd love this one is a full on BRIGHT red!)



They also say the 7-denier cloth makes this insulation piecea "mid layer".... or as they say "An excellent piece when you’re in need of warmth from every gram of your
mid-layer."



My buddy Jerry thinks using the Mirage as a mid layer is agood idea and didn't think the Mirage warm enough for a full on Bozeman winter. And just think my plan was to take it to theCassin! The 7 denier shell cloth doesn't repel wind like a heavier cloth but for my own use it is durable enough as a outer layer. And a good enough wind layer. So I sized accordingly.

Jerry is also the guy pictured here, sound asleep in his Mirage on top of his skis at Muir on an early spring morning. So go figure! He surely isn't using the Mirageas a mid layer there. And seems satisfied with the performance.



I didn't get to Alaska a this Spring. And may not again. But I do have some really nice down jackets in my closet right now. None being used in the mountains but the Mont Bell Mirage. Some even lighter or close enough to the Mirage but none warmer for the weight. There have beena few stand out products for my own use in the last couple ofyears. TLT5 and Rebel Utra forboots come to mind. Fat, rockered ski and full on race tech bindings are good examples. The Nomic ice tool,Neoshell and Polartec Power ShieldPro garments a few others. The Mont Bell Mirage is one of those pieces. Gear that has set a new standard in performance formy own use. That kind of gear is hard to find and difficult to replace. I'd love to see this jacket with a water proof, breathable outer shell with a little more wind resistance even if it added a few ounces to the over all package. And if they are going to that effort I'd add another 3 oz of that amazing 900 fill down to a size large. Make this one a 20 oz, over stuffed, water proofjacket and you would better anything else on the market. Till that happens I am all in (and very comfy) with theMirage. Not may "heavy" down jackets that you can add to a super lwt ski mountaineering rig and still think you are still "feather weight". The Mont Bell Mirage fits that bill soeasily it is almost a no brainier.Rather amazing really.







If I make it back to Alaska this is the jacket I will be using for any quick ascent. Till then it will keep going into my skimo race pack. And on when I want a little early morning comfort and a hot drink.



More here fromCold Thistle on Mont Bell:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//02/the-mont-bell-permafrost-down-jacket.html



and a outdoorgearlab.com review here:



http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Down-Jacket-Reviews/MontBell-Mirage-Parka