Some times I am amazed at just how far.....

behind the outdoor industry is from their consumers and what is available on a limited basis.



Classic examples of what is still missing in a broader sampling or simply still missing.



Tech fitting in a alpine climbing boot?







Universal umbilical attachment point?




















Alpine skiboots that you can *really* climbin?












Ski packs that easily carry skis?












Along those lines:




It takes so little to carry a pair of modern lwt mountaineering skis. Two simple straps is really all that is required. A cut resistant bottom loop. The loop just needs to be big enough soboth ski tails will go through. And a top strap to latch them to the pack. If you want a quick transition ski set up just add a bungee cord and a simple hook (if you are making your own a peg board hook is perfect) to latch the edge of your skis instead of bucklingyour skis tight in the upper position. Camp and Dynafit have had this one figured out for a while now. I've been using one or another ffor the past 3 seasonsand really like them!




50+ year old ski carry technology









Still a good working arrangement are simple side or sidecompression straps. Again 50+ year old technology. But there are better, more simple answers, now. And a much easier system to use in the mountains.









Start with a cut resistant bottom loop that will take both ski tails at one time.

This one is Kevlar cord and a plastic tube over the top of the Kevlar. Perfect use of materialsimo.











Add a simple strap or a hook as thetop strap (or better yet, both)depending on what you require for ease of transition or security.







strap here with a Fastex buckle fixed atthe shoulder harness






Hook here with a bungee going to the shoulder strap.

I broke my original aluminum hook, catching it on a chair lift. Fretted about it for days until I found that a peg board hook again, covered in plastic tubing, made a perfect replacement.









Even with a super light weight and small (-20L)you can carry some good sized, modernskis in comfort..




Off you go now!"a happy clam" ;-)




















Both Dynafit and Camp offer a limited selection of ski mo packs that use this kind of ski carry system. These packsaren't for everyone and certainly an acquired taste. But no reason the ski carry system can't be Incorporated into other packs. It is a system we'll eventually see more of. Be nice if it were sooner than later.




http://www.camp-usa.com/products/categories/camp-packs.asp




http://www.dynafit.com/products-winter/backpacks-bags.html

Crevasse fall - Climber Injured on Kautz Glacier

Kautz Glacier, Mount Rainier

On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 1, a climber fell approximately 15 feet into a crevasse at around 11,400 feet on the Kautz Glacier of Mount Rainier while descending the Mountain. The injured climber, Mitchell Bell, was rescued from the crevasse by his four teammates. Bell had injured ribs and visible lacerations to his head and face, but he was conscious and in stable condition. A doctor in the team quickly determined that due to his known and potential injuries, Bell could not continue the descent without assistance. Two members of the party climbed down in search of help, leaving the doctor, another teammate, and the patient at the scene. Back at Camp Hazard about 1,000 feet below, they found Alpine Ascents International (AAI). Several AAI guides responded to the request for assistance and contacted the National Park Service. A plan was put in place for two AAI guides to travel to the accident scene that evening to assess the injured climber’s condition and bring with them materials for an overnight stay on the Mountain. Based on their assessment, the Incident Commander, David Gottlieb called for air-lift/hoist extraction the following morning.

Within an hour of take-off on Wednesday morning at approximately 6:45 a.m., a US Army Reserve Chinook helicopter from Fort Lewis successfully extracted the injured climber from the Kautz Glacier. The patient was transported to Madigan Hospital for further medical evaluation. He was released later that day.

You can find more in the ST and PI.

~ Monica Magari

Moose Meadows, Pigeon River

(Click the photo to view a larger version)

This photograph was made from the Pigeon River Helipad and Overlook on Otter Lake Forest Road in Northeast Minnesota. Ever since the forest service created this helipad and overlook, I've been stopping there whenever I'm in the area in the hopes of seeing a Moose down along the river. Being quite familiar with the river from the seat of a kayak, I knew that this bend in the river was quite popular with the Moose. However, I had never seen one from the overlook until today! I watched through my telephoto lens as the Moose moved throughout the shallows for several minutes. Eventually he turned and gave me a nice profile of his body. It was cool to finally see a Moose from this vantage point! This marks my 18th Moose sighting of this year!

All Legs

Well, I finally watched the Triplets of Belleville. For those who have not seen it, this is a French animated film about cycling, music hall singers and sinister men in black - surreal and somewhat disturbing (in a good way). No subtitles required even if you do not understand French.



There are many fascinating details in this film, but I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't watched it. Instead I just want to note one hilarious element: the caricatured cyclist's body.



Ah, the gaunt, emaciated cyclist. Sunken eyes, protruding cheekbones. Head bobbing up and down as if the straining tendons of the neck can barely support it. Hunched back and shoulders. Spaghetti arms. Non-existent waist, narrow hips...And then, suddenly - bang! An explosion of thigh muscle, bulge upon bulge, tapering at the knees before exploding again into freakishly well defined calves. I have seen such exaggerated renderings before, but none as expressively done as in this film. The half-soulful, half-dead look on Champion's face completes the archetype.



I have now met a few real-life cyclists with similar body types. They disguise it surprisingly well when wearing regular clothing, but once in lycra the leg explosion is revealed.Seeing such marvelously distorted proportions in person,I try not to stare. But it's kind of awesome, and awe-inspiring. Gives "all legs" a new meaning.



PS: You can tell it's winter, because I'm falling prey tocycling movies. Any recommendations besides the usual suspects? For now, I'll just have to live with "Belleville Rendez-Vous" stuck in my head...

La Sportiva? Back at ya, with the CUBE!

Just when I think there is a leap aheadfor alpine boots someone else jumps back in and does a flash burn.



Many have asked me when will La Sportiva update the aging Nepal Evo and Trango Series of boots. Like I'd have a clue. I hadn't heard a even whisper out of La Sportiva. And didn't expect anything new at the up coming summer OR show for Spring 2014 delivery.



Clueless again, guess I got that wrong!






New Trango Cube GTX




"the new state-of-the-art mountaineering boots - Nepal Cube GTX and Trango
Cube GTX - set new standards in lightweight and waterproof properties for
this sector. Trango Cube in particular has been made using the new and
exclusive Thermo Tech Injection method, a thermoplastic coating that
eliminates traditional stitching, making the boot even more water resistant than
ever before."



http://www.lasportiva.it/news_approfondimento.html?&L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2398&cHash=d153fab90d5a36947a2e9e2d146f8253

Passion and Mediocrity

Prior to my interest in bicycles, I seldom seriously pursued activities that I wasn't good at. Mostly this was because I did not enjoy them. I always hated mathematics, chemistry and physics in school - subjects I was bad at, while I loved literature, history and art - subjects I was good at. Playing most sports was living hell, whereas performing in plays was exhilarating. Once in a while it would happen that I was good at something, but did not enjoy it: chess, tennis, leadership roles, jobs involving sales. But it almost never happened that I enjoyed something I was bad at. Doing something that we cannot do well is discouraging, embarrassing, and literally painful in the case of sports. Even if we like the idea of the activity, it is difficult to enjoy actually performing it, when all it does is highlight our weaknesses and make us experience failure again and again.



As a teenager I fell in love with Chopin, and got it into my head that I had tolearn how to play piano or life was not worth living. So I learned. For a late starter (I began at age 15), I wasn't bad. My teacher said that my ability to communicate emotion was ahead of my technique - which she meant as encouragement, since in her view the emotional part was more difficult. But I was terribly disappointed in myself. The more I practiced, the more aware I became of my technical limitations. I was sloppy, my fingers were not flexible enough, and I could not grasp music theory. For my 2nd year recital my teacher agreed to help me prepare two beautiful pieces that I had no business playing: Chopin's Prelude in E-minor and Tschaikovsky's Autumn. As far as "serious" music, these pieces are not difficult. But still to play them well required experience I did not have. I made no blatant mistakes. But I just didn't have sufficient control over my hands for the more nuanced passages and as I played in the recital I felt this acutely. The parents in the audience were thoroughly impressed by my performance. But after the recital one of the guest instructors approached and shook his finger at me: "Young lady, that was beautiful. But you should not be playing those pieces until your technique improves." And as he spoke, I knew that I did not have it in me: that I would never improve beyond mediocrity and would never be truly good enough for these pieces, no matter how much I slaved over the keyboard. I could use my ability to play "emotionally" to mask poor technique, but I would feel like a fraud. It was painful to be aware of this and my personality was not strong enough to withstand it. I quit piano within a year and took this as a lesson to save my energy for things I could truly excel at. Piano would never be one of them.






And, of course, neither would skating. No matter how much I loved watching the figure skaters on television and wished to be one of them in my younger years, it seemed stupid to waste my time to pursue something where my natural ability was so far below average. Yet now something's changed, and I find myself putting my self-esteem to the test at local skating rinks - shuffling around like an injured duckling as others around me execute graceful spins, jumps, and other displays of skill. The Co-Habitant tried to skate a week ago, and turned out to be a natural. Others too get on the ice for the first time in their lives, and after a half hour they are already gliding easily. Clearly I am a special case of ineptitude when it comes to skating. I am trying to decide how this makes me feel, and oddly it's not too bad. I am not even embarrassed, I just accept it. I also accept that even if I throw myself into learning how to skate with an obsessive passion, the end result of my dedication and hard work will be mediocrity, at best. Maybe I am older now and my ego can take it, because knowing this feels okay: I want to learn how to glide smoothly, how to turn, and how to stop without falling, and maybe if I am lucky, to eventually execute a leg lift like the girl in the picture. Those are my meager aspirations, and somehow they seem worthwhile despite the fact that I will likely have to work 10 times as hard as "normal" people to achieve them.




Watching the figure skaters practice at the Skating Club of Boston reminds me of my first visit to the Velodrome in Vienna. Seeing how unattainable the track cyclists' level of skill was for someone like me did not put me off road and fixed gear cycling. I realised then that I saw value in pursuing cycling as a sport independent of my ability to succeed in it. It was good for my character to have to work hard at something I loved, even if it yielded disappointing results, rather than to accept praise for being "talented" at things I was naturally good at. Talent, after all, is not an achievement - it is simply there.






My pursuit of cycling over the past 3 years - starting from a place where I didn't know how to turn other than using the handlebars and needed to have both feet flat on the ground while in the saddle - has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. This may seem ludicrous to those who know me in person in light of my other "achievements" and life experiences. Nevertheless, my passion for this activity that I am at best mediocre at, has taught me more about myself than I probably wanted to know. It broke down some of my defenses that kept me from understanding my true goals in life and it has made me more comfortable with myself overall.




It is hard to say whether, generally speaking, there is value in pursuing things we are bad at. Sure, we can make the argument that facing one's limitations and attempting to work through them - whether successfully or not - builds character. But we can also make the argument that it is more worthwhile to pursue the things we are good at, in the hopes of achieving true excellence - which could benefit not only ourselves, but in some cases society as a whole. In the end it is about the individual's life journey. During mine I found that passion and mediocrity can co-exist.

Gazelle, My Belle!

With my Pashley Princess having transitioned to a new home, it is time to ring in a new era.

This is my new friend, as well as the reason the Pashley has left me: an olderGazelleI unexpectedly acquired last week.

This Gazelle is most likely from the mid-to-late 1990s (which, frightening to think, was 15 years ago!). It was made in Holland, purchased in Germany, and brought to the US some time ago by the previous owner. It feels like a modern bike, but handles similarly to a vintageRaleighDL-1.After riding it for several days, it became clear that it suited me better than either myPashleyor my vintageRaleigh, because it combined my favourite features of both. Thus, thePashleywas set free, and the vintageRaleighwas moved to our photo studio (to replace theMerciermixte, which has been set free as well). The decision was swift and ruthless, as I did not want to dwell on it too much. TheGazelleis not quite as elegant as thePashleyand not as rare as the vintageRaleigh -but as a transportation bicycle it just suits me better.

This Gazelle is the A-Touren model, which I believe is the predecessor of what is now the Toer Populair. It looks similar to the Toer Populair, but comes with a coaster brake (yes!) and front drum brake, whereas the current model has rod-activated brakes.

This bicycle is enormous. The frame is 57cm (22.5") with 28" wheels and wide tires, and I am just barely tall enough to get on and off comfortably. In fact, I had to remove the original saddle (which had monstrously huge springs) and borrow the flatterBrooks B18 from my vintage Raleighin order to ride it.But that is fine with me, as the large frame feels very comfortable.

Indeed, the enormousness of the bicycle seems to be an asset while cycling. Riding this Gazelle feels like sailing a ship - a huge and initially unwieldy ship that surprises you with its agility and power to accelerate once it is in motion. It sails through flat stretches and then glides uphillonce you get it going,seemingly on its own accord. To be sure, it is a dauntingly heavy bike - but I do not feel the weight once I am in motion, and it does not pull me backwards when stopped at hill-top intersections.

Everything in the pictures is native to the bicycle, except for the saddle, the pannier, and the coiled cable lock on the rear rack. It has a (Sachs) 3-speed coaster brake hub that works perfectly, and the gearing is just right for me. The front drum brake is activated by a lever mounted on the right handlebar. The headlight and tail light are bottle-dynamo activated. They work nicely, but eventually we might rig up a system to make the headlight brighter. The fenders, full (vinyl) chaincase and solid (vinyl) dressguards are in excellent condition. The rear fender has not only the white edging, but also the matching Spanniga tail light I so love that was specifically designed for these. The rear rack is enormous and sturdy. It is the only part of the bicycle that shows signs of wear - a small patch of rust where some paint got scraped off.

What I love about older Gazelle bicycles, is the overwhelming amount of proprietary insignia with a gorgeous Art Nouveu feel to it. This is the headbadge.

And a tiny badge underneath the tail light. Who does that anymore?

Tiny gazelles embossed onto the chrome on the flat fork crown!

A gazelle on the front fender!

A gazelle on the stem bolt.

Even a gazelle on the kickstand bolt! And of course you already saw the gazelle on the bell in the first picture.

Another design feature I love about this bicycle, is the lugged connector between the downtube and the curved toptube. Most manufacturers no longer do this, and I do not remember whether the current production Gazelleframes are still made this way. Anybody have one handy to check? It would have to be a post-2006 model, which is when I think they changed production methods.

I hope you enjoyed this introduction to my new-to-me bicycle, and I will write more as I get to know her better. I do not see myself making too many adjustments to this bike, other than eventually replacing the tires with cream Schwalbe Delta Cruisers and maybe getting some nicer grips. I don't think the absence of my Pashley has fully sunk in yet, but I am pleased about the home she went to - they are a beautiful match. Hopefully, I have now met my match as well! Now, to think of a name...

Nene Way 5 Wellingborough Embankment to Irthlingborough

With Marta. About 11 miles in all. Weather variable - some showers, but mostly warm and dry. A test of map-reading today!





We followed the original Nene Way route, which meanders into and up to various places of interest along and above the valley.





A shaky sort of start - the map and the signs on the ground were at odds, and the directions in Mia Butler's book left us confused! Near the car park at Wellingborough Embankment, across the river from the Victoria Mill the Nene Way signs indicated following the river, either up stream towards Northampton, or downstream towards Irthlingborough. On the map the Nene Way crosses the A45 towards Little Irchester. But how?

Victoria Mill from the Embankment

Quarter of an hour's wandering - back to Upper Wellingborough Lock, then downstream for a while, and we were not a lot wiser. Though we had met the biggest collection of swans I've seen in one place:

Swan lake has nothing on the Nene

Eventually, after much thought, consulting the map and the guide, we went back to the London Road, and took the road to Little Irchester, which crosses the Nene. When we reached the bridge we could see a path coming up from the river - the spot where the signs directed us along the river bank. Maybe an alternative route has been developed, along the river, rather than with the diversions. The meandering path marked on the OS map is more varied.

The path leaves the riverside just before the bridge on this pic. Then you walk over it!






So, over the bridge and under the A45 into Little Irchester.

At this point we knew we were going the right way, as the instructions and the map now made sense! We walked down Daniels road, to the end, just after Newtown Road, where we turned right along the path which follows the railway cutting into Irchester Country Park. After a few minutes we passed the Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum(open only on Sundays).



























When we got to the Cafe we decided a coffee was in order -

BIG coffee cups





According to our book the path is clearly signposted, but, alas, not clearly enough for us! More map study, and we made it to the next reference point - where the path almost touches the layby on the A45, before making further fools of ourselves - this time because we'd failed to check instructions.Navigating by nose, weheaded off on a very clear path, too far south, and failing to notice we should have crossed an open field! All the same, our native intelligence (hmm), judicious use of map, instructions and even a compass, put us right, and we found the track with steps leading out of the quarry at the northern end.

As we emerged from the quarry the view of St Katherine's church spire was impressive.

Pathway to heaven?

The weather vane is a catherine wheel - the way St Katherine was tortured to death, so not too jolly.

We followed the path as far as the cemetery, then went down St Katherine's Lane as far as the main street, where we turned left.





The path runs alongside this road, Chester Road, right up to the A45.

We had to cross the busy road on foot - there is a central reservation, but it's not ideal.

















































Obstacle overcome, we crossed a field next to Chester House, which is dilapidated, but clearly being renovated - maybe this will be the latest health spa and hotel?

The field is full of the bumpy remains of the old Roman settlement of Chester-on-the-Water, a village which existed in the fourteenth Century, but was deserted by the eighteenth. Chester House was the manor house.



(Update October - there are plans to open this as a heritage site)

Deserted village of Chester on the water

The bridge was built when the Nene Way was opened.

We crossed the two wooden footbridges, then walked through two large grassy areas where horses were grazing, in spite of what looks like vast amounts of ragwort, which, it appears is not normally a great danger unless incorporated in silage,and under the viaduct which carries the mainline railway to London.











We followed the Nene downstream to Ditchford Weir, and crossed the bridge over the weir, but soon realised that the path was too overgrown to be much use. The path we wanted ignored the bridge and continued to Ditchford Mill, which is labelled simply Works on the OS map. We crossed Ditchford Road, to a somewhat overgrown area. The blackberries were good! It looked like a rather odd smallholding, with a few sheep and some chickens, some out-buildings and notices about fishing in Isabelle's Lake. One of the fairly rare signs for the Nene Way was stuck to the side of a shed.





The path took us past sewage works, and an abandoned caravan, where someone had clearly spent a bit of time. Skew Bridge Water Ski Club and lake was hidden by trees. The path was easy to follow through Higham Ferrers Pits Nature Reserve , eventually taking us over the river and the A45 via a striking footbridge, with views over the noisy road and the tranquil fishing lake beyond.











It's clearly too tempting for the local motorcycling youth, in spite of barriers! Now, in my day . . .





On the other side of the bridge we soon came to a road leading up-hill, and letting us know that Higham lives up to its name. We left the Nene Way itself in search of food, and explored the main street, ending up in a small cafe and deli - 'Savour the Flavour'. Great £4 meal deal - sandwich, drink and a 'treat'.

Not sure about our morals, but food improved our morale

The town itself is very attractive, with its church, market place and further down the hill the remains of Chichele college.











The Nene Way follows Saffron Road, parallel to the main street, passing the cemetery, and Vine Hill Road.







We continued behind the Kings Meadow estate on a rough track which took us to another footbridge over the A45.





Straight ahead across the valley, then climbing up towards the odd-looking church tower of St Peters.



We went past the church to have a quick look at Irthlingborough market cross in the High Street, before returning to walk through the churchyard and along Nene View. Then it was downhill across fields to the A6, and we finished the walk outside Kettering Town Football Club's new ground.





Total so far - 50 miles - 5 separate days - average 10 miles per walk. I think we have three walks left to make it to Wansford, though the whole Nene Way in Northants is 70 miles. We did cover 5 and a half miles twice on the second leg.





, including our deviations from the route:You can work out where our coffee stop was, and our lunch stop, by the criss-crossing lines, like scribble!