Beach Weather

Ever been to the beach on a cold, rainy day?It can be brutal. It can also, every so often, surprise you with a microcosm of serenity. Finding myself in South Boston on a wet afternoon, I stopped by Carson Beach before heading home. Some Greater Boston residents balk at the mention of South Boston beaches. Too urban. Too gritty. Too close to the airport. The water is freezing. The harbor is polluted. But when I visit the 5 mile walkable, cyclable stretch of shoreline, I see an intriguing, beautiful landscape. There are hills, fortresses, turn of the century pavilions. Views of the islands, the Atlantic Ocean and the city skyline surround. There is some difficult history in this part of town. And there are people eager to forget it, enjoying their evenings after a day of work, watching planes take off over the water. Boston-Reykjavic: 5 hours. Boston-Dublin: 6 hours. Boston-Paris: 7 hours. The rest of the world is really not that far.






But on a rainy day in March no one was watching the planes take off or sitting on the beach. The shoreline paths lay abandoned, strewn with wet sand from the latest storm.






On the boardwalk I saw an off duty policeman jogging. I saw a young woman pushing a baby carriage, adjusting the cover when the rain began coming down harder. I saw an elderly man get out of a parked car and stand in the dunes looking straight ahead, then get back in the car and drive away.








Closer to the water, it suddenly grew warmer and the wind quieted down. I stepped out onto the sand and took a few strides forward.The harbor looked still as glass.There was a breeze behind me, but not ahead of me, as if the boardwalk served as some sort of microclimate border that day.





The quality of light was different too. To my right, the sand looked beige and the water a pale gray.But to my left was a patch that almost looked sunny - warm saffron and turquoise.





The dunes looked soft and inviting,I would hardly guess theyhad been covered in snow only days earlier.






A solitary boat stood, tilted, in the shallow water. Later I learned it had spent all winter in that same spot. As I studied its curious presence, the air was still, almost stuffy. This could be a summer sunset.




But only yards behind me it was raining and some degrees colder. The shuttered up snack shack glistened in the fading light as I cycled past.





Closer to the street, the wind picked up, the tree branches groaned, the rain became insistent. I zipped up my jacket and began to make my way home, leaving South Boston - and beach weather - behind.

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!

New Old Moser: a 400 Mile Assessment

Having now ridden Moser 2.0 for about 400 miles, I think it is time for a report. For those who do not feel like reading about the bike's entire history, this is a lugged steel racing frame circa 1978 fitted with niceCampagnolocomponents circa 1999. The Columbus"tretubi" frame is 52x53cm, with an 11cm stem, handlebars 1cm below saddle level (I would like to set them lower, but the stem won't go down any further), 700Cx23mm tires, and 175mm cranks. Gearing is 52/39t in the front and 12-26t (9-speed)in the rear.The complete bike weighs 22lb without the waterbottle. I have been riding it since the end of November, and the individual rides have ranged from 30 to 60 miles. Mostly these have been group and club types of rides, and mostly with riders stronger and faster than me.



I know that people are interested in whether building up an older steel racing frame is feasible for "serious" roadcycling, and based on my experience with the Moser I do not see why not. As far as weight, 22lb is not bad at all for a complete bike - I have picked up new bikes with aluminum frames and carbon forks and they felt heavier. If I want to shave even more weight off, it could be done with some strategic component upgrades, but honestly I did not feel that the weight was an issue for someone at my level of ability.





As far as speed, I was able to ride with strong cycliststhe likes of which I did not think I'd be good enough to ride with,at what they call a social pace (15-18mph on average, depending on the ride), while also feeling some reserve. At no point did I feel "if only I had a faster bike!" while riding the Moser.



When climbing, the bike itself feels "eager" to ascend, and the only limitations I felt were my own and also the high gearing. I would need to get lower gearing in the long run, no question. But the bike itself was fine climbing. When I ran out of gears, I would simply "heave" us uphill. Sadly my legs no longer fit into my jeans as a result of this practice, but we can't have it all.



The ride quality on bad roads has no harshness to it despite the 23mm tires, I am very happy with this aspect. The frame's tubing feels wonderful and just right; perfect amount of flex and all that.



At slow speeds (and I mean very slow - like less than 10mph, when stalling in traffic) the Moser is a little twitchy (compared to my fond memories of the Seven at least, which remained stable even at a crawl), but I do not mind and can still easily control the bike.



The one and only inherent aspect of the handling that is a problem - and the more I ride, the more I realise it is a problem - is descending. I do not entirely understand what is going on and why. But basically at high speeds, the bike is extremely resistant to turning and this was rather scary to discover. At first I thought that I just needed to get used to being on a racy bike again, and that I was holding myself back because I was nervous. But nope, something odd is definitely happening with the high speed turns - not just 90° turns, but even following the curvature of a winding road on a descent. I cannot make the same turns that I know I had no trouble making on the Seven over the summer. So while the bike is capable of great speed, this handling issueultimately makes me slower, since I hold myself back on descents when I do not feel in full control of the bike. I've been trying to understand what is causing this, and what I can do to counteract it, but my instincts are failing me. Naturally I try to take wider turns, but it isn't always possible, and I am just never at a point where I can let myself go on descents.





Exacerbating the descent problem is that I am not entirely happy with the braking power. I did not have a brakeset that would fit this bike, so I bought some CampagnoloVeloce calipers. While I realise that Veloce is not top of the line, I still expected it to be fully functional. I guess with my weak hands, not so much. We have adjusted the brakes this way and that, but coming to a complete stop (like at a stoplight or traffic light at the bottom of a hill) after a high speed descent is problematic.





There are other issues that have surfaced in the course of riding the bike. For instance, there are only braze-ons for one bottle cage, and during longer rides I needed more water. I could get a second bolt-on bottle cage, but it seems a shame to do that to this frame. As mentioned before, there is also quite a bit of rust on the frame that is not visible in pictures (like along the underside of the top tube). It might make sense to get the frame stripped, the rust cleaned up, a second set bottle cage bosses brazed on, and then the frame repainted.





In addition, the rear wheel does not want to stay put in the chromed horizontal dropouts unless the skewer is tightened with a death grip. When initially the skewer was closed with reasonable force, it became misaligned and jammed against the chainstays the first time I rode the bike. It is now tightened as tighteningly as can be and this has not happened since. But it means that I cannot remove the wheels on my own despite them being quick-release; I am not strong enough to budge the skewers.





On top of the too-high gearing, the pedal strike from the 175mm cranks, and the too-tall stem, all in all that adds up to a lot of stuff I would have to replace on the bike (the crankset, the cassette, the brakes, and the stem at least)even without the re-paint and second bottle cage question. I would be willing to make this investment for sure if I was 100% comfortable with the bicycle's handling, but this problem with descents now has me concerned.



And that is where I am right now with my assessment of the bike. More than anything, this experiment has convinced me that I do very much need a fast road bike. Despite the issues mentioned here, I just wanted to ride-ride-ride it all the time, even in the winter. No time to ride? I found the time. Too cold? I got over it. Too early in the morning? Nonsense, the Moser beckons. Tamer, more sensible bikes are wonderful, but for whatever reason they do not have the same effect on me as this bicycle does and as the Seven did over the summer. I want a bicycle that is fast enough for club and paceline rides, comfortable over bad roads, and handles well for a ballance-challenged person like me. Is the Moser it? I love it and I hoped so, but I honestly don't know at this stage. Holding back on descents is a problem; I need to feel in full control of the bike if I am going to improve, not to mention for reasons of safety.

Wagon

I'm sitting on what I think is part of an old wagon for hauling out the logs that were cut in this little canyon all those years ago.

Finally Paint

This is the brown paint we put on 3 sides of the house or should I say Lee painted it. I didn't do much to help. It is a bit darker than I had figured it would be but still looks so much better than the old dirty gray that it had been.

Other End of Tunnels

This is the other side of the tunnels. The canyon with the creek at the bottom is on the left hand side.

Seat Stays, Who Needs Them?

Meet my latest long-term review visitor: the Paper Bicycle! Hailing from Scotland, this unusual city bike has recently become available in the US via Adeline Adeline in New York City.



TIG-welded in cro-moly steel, the Paper Bicycle has a number of unusual features - the most striking of which is perhaps the seat stay-free construction.



When I first saw pictures of this, I found it visually unsettling and intriguing in equal measure. How can such a frame design be stable?

Apparently, by reinforcing the seat tube with a hardy "ghost chaincase" structure on the non-drivetrain side. This is certainly one of the more unique frame designs I have seen. I daresay it officially beats the Urbana?

The Ride Studio Cafe received and prepared the bike for me, and I took the bus to Lexington, intending to cycle the 10 miles home on what I thought would be a geared, albeit clunky bike. Upon arrival I was alarmed to discover that the bike was a single speed. I braced myself for a tedious trip home.

But contrary to my expectations, the ride was terrific. Though hard to believe judging by the pictures, this thing really "flies" for me. It is also not as heavy as it looks - well under 40lb. Of the bikes I've tried so far, the handling reminds me of the Pilen and the Urbana in terms of stability (does this mean mountain bike geometry?), while also possessing an unexpected lightness and swiftness.

As usual, I will be riding this bicycle for a few weeks, then posting a review - after which it will be returned to Adeline Adeline. I will refrain from saying much more until I gain some additional experience with the Paper Bicycle, but I confess that I really like it so far, both the looks and the performance.

What do you think? I am too far gone into design appreciation la-la-land to tell whether my readers will find a given bicycle attractive or not, but to me this one looks downright beautiful. And now I leave you with a picture of Danny MacAskill... "jumping" a Paper Bicycle. Can you do that on your city bike?

Slip slidin' away

A brief glimpse of sun at the turnpike turn around

The last couple days have been sloppy here in the Laurel Highlands. Copious amounts of rain have saturated the area leaving rocks unclimbable and the trails a soupy mess. Long sections of trail are completely submerged others are currently swamped. Don't get me wrong, running a few hours in the rain is no big deal and usually quite refreshing on hot, humid days. Unfortunately the downside to rain is that it sometimes comes accompanied by dangerous thunder and lightning storms. Personally I've been caught in a few truly scary storms. Mostly on the trail or rock, hours from the car. The whole time feeling vulnerable, helpless and scared shitless. I've obviously survived the experiences. When threats of bad weather are present when trying to get out, my mind races to thoughts of two friends killed by lightning on a mountaineering trip some years ago. Is the risk of getting struck that high or were they in the wrong place at the wrong time? I guess those thoughts and experiences are what had me scrutinizing the radar images the last couple of days. I was an armchair meteorologist watching for gaps between storms that provided time to squeeze in a couple wet, but storm-free runs.




Friday 6/28. Route 31 trail head to the turnpike bridge and back, 11.5 miles. 2:02:10, Elevation: gain 1,974', loss 1,971'.

It rained on me most of the way, with the exception of a few minutes when I was able to snap the picture of the turnpike bridge above. Passed one (saturated) couple on tunnel road heading to Rt. 31 shelters for the night. Really humid, lots of water needed consuming after this one.




Saturday 6/29 Route 653 trail head to Grindle Ridge shelters and back, 11.5 miles. 2:07:34, Elevation: gain 905', loss 908'.

Ran accompanied by "Granola" our 4 legged, trail loving, machine. He usually comes with me on easy training days under 15 miles. He's a great pacer and always makes new trail friends along the way. Today we met a family of 5 on an out and back to Bear Rocks, a group of scouts from McCandless and afather and son spending a few days training for a Philmontscouting trip. Granola seems to put a smile on everyone's face... Keep an eye out for us on the local trails (usually you'll meet him first). Below is a picture of him after his run today, tired and content to be back at the car. The trail wasn't as bad as yesterday, but still a mess. Downed trees were plentiful from the high winds during the recent storms. Ran with only a few brief periods of rain. I managed a seriously painful rock kicking that had me stop and wince a few minutes (luckily near the end). I also managed a spectacular fall from a downed tree that I was scrambling over (after the rock kicking). A few squirrels chuckled at my failed "cat like reflexes"... Trail runner my ass! they declared as I hobbled hobbled up the hill. Run miles, climb often and always ignore the rude squirrel comments! They'll most likely end up as hawk dinner...

Today was a good day! "Granola" post run

Frogz

Southern Leopard Frog (Rana sphenocephala)

Hiding in the grass of a sunny bank, just as the field guide specified. The guide also says that this species is hunted for frog legs - but those would be some mighty small portions. I believe that bullfrogs would be the more commonly eaten species.


Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)

Climbing up the back shop wall at night. I wanted to verify for myself that they walked rather than hopped. This one wasn't budging though, except to make himself into as small a lump as possible.

Don't forget to go look at the Friday Ark!

The Simple Life with Issy Morgans

"I live a very simple life" IssyMorgans Where do I start? This girl is complicated. I don't think I've ever received a morebewildering personalprofile from a climber.But lets begin. Issy Morgans is a tight ass. Her words, not mine.

Sheworks for a tight ass, my words not hers, in a climbing gym in Logan on the south side of Brisbane that not only doesn't have the internet but doesn't even have a computer.How tight is that?







Morgan(s) my bad.



Last time I posted photos of Issy I was stuck for a single word to describe her style. Lee Cujesoffered "composed".

The composure runs deep. She not only plans every meal for a week ahead, she plans every little thing she will do for a year. Climbers, I have stopped laughing at driven people and started taking lessons. I admire the dedication I see in people who are working hard on improvement.



Issy doesn't watch TV, hasn't watched a movie for over a year, doesn't eat out.

She says, "I work hard and save hard, I'm persistent and routine".



A fear of leading kept her indoor for nine years. Look at her now.

Let the picturestell thestory.































Here's Issy's answers to the quiz:



Q: Fave crags - A:Coolum and the Blue MountainsQ: Fave music - A: Listen to the radio most of the time jjj and Nova

Q: Fave movie - A: haven't watched a normal movie in over 12 months!

Q: Fave mag - A: I guess this would have to be Rock mag as its the only mag I have bought since I was a teenager!

Q: Fave celeb -A: Couldn't name any apart from Chris Sharma

Q: Fave cafe - A:Grandmas kitchen, I don't eat out!

A: Dogs - The question was "Cats or Dogs"?

A: Rock - The question was "Rock or Rap"?

A: Jeans - The question was "Frocks or Jeans"?

Issy scored 8/9 on the quiz. The correct answer was "Frocks"



The simple lunch - a rice cracker and water.



If I can re-phrase her words just a little, she says one of the things she is planning to do is to be more spontaneous.



Enjoy the simple things Issy.We love your positive style.

jj

Your feet!

This is likely one of the most important blogs I will write on Cold Thistle.



I figure if you are reading this blog you are into climbing. All sorts of climbing, rock, ice and snow. That meansbeing out 12 months of the year on you feet besides just the climbing.



If you are like me, enough miles and you eventually get injured. Major or minor injuries have a way of adding up. Something I didn't really believe when i was 18 and now realise just how wrong I was on that myopic perspective.



"The human foot is one of the best-engineered parts of the body.



Each foot has 33 joints, eight arches, 26 bones, more than a hundred muscles, ligaments, and tendons that all work together to distribute body weight and allow movement. Unfortunately, many people pay no attention to their feet – until they start to hurt.



Foot disorders must be diagnosed and treated early, before they become very painful and incapacitating. In some cases, some painful foot abnormalities are already warning signs of even more serious ailments such as diabetes, circulatory disorders, and nerve problems. Do a self-check while it’s early.."





It looks like this pair of feetwill be loosing 5 out of 10 toe nails. Likely the result of a combination of running andclimbing abuse?







Few things will really slow you down in the mountains. Knees will. But everyone who has had a bad blister on their foot will acknowledge just how disabled you can be when you feet start hurting.



Staying mobile will keep you climbing in one fashion or another. There are other joints that will slow you down but the ones that seem to most easily effect us are the feet, and knees.



If you look the first set of feetwith the taped toe, picturedabove with the title, the thing most obvious is the over size joint at the ball of the foot, base of the big toe. It is called a Bunion.Sad as it seems , your feetchange over time and generally get bigger. Bunions can behereditary, but for climbers it can exacerbatedbyabuse of long walks, tight rock shoes, or rigid soled boots.



I replaced several pairs of perfectly good winter boots last year for just those reasons. Capsulitis of the second toe, Hallux Abducto Valgus (bunions) and a few other issues of simply wear, tear and age means bigger boots and prescription orthotics to slow the progression.If left unattended you will end up with some seriously damaged feet and a long termloss of mobility. Below is a good sized bunion on the left footand hammer toes on the right foot..







Here is a look at just a few of the common foot issues climbers (or anyone might) have. Do your self a favor and take a look at your own feet. Address the issues sooner than later.







"Plantar Fasciitis When there is increased stress on the arch, microscopic tears can occur within the plantar fascia, usually at its attachment on the heel. This results in inflammation and pain with standing and walking and sometimes at rest. It usually causes pain and stiffness on the bottom of your heel.

Bunion







An enlargement on the side of the foot near the base of the big toe (hallux). The enlargement is made up of a bursa (fluid filled sac) under the skin. The term bunion is also commonly used to describe a structural (bony) deformity called hallux abducto valgus (HAV). Bunions can be painful and can be aggravated by activity and wearing tight shoes.



Neuroma



In the foot, a neuroma is a nerve that becomes irritated and swells up. If the nerve stays irritated, it can become thickened which makes the nerve larger and causes more irritation. Pain from a neuroma is usually felt on the ball of your foot.



Corns & Callouses



Corns and callouses are areas of thick, hard skin. They usually develop due to rubbing or irritation over a boney prominence. The hard, thick skin is called a corn if it is on your toe and it is called a callous if it is somewhere else on your foot.



Toenail Fungus (onychomycosis)



Fungi like a warm, moist and dark environment (like inside a shoe). A fungal infection in your toenails may cause the nails to become discolored, thickened, crumbly or loose. There are different causes and it is difficult to treat due to the hardness of the toenail.



Ingrown Toenail (onychocryptosis)







An ingrown toenail can occur for various reasons. The sides or corners of the toenail usually curve down and put pressure on the skin. Sometimes the toenail pierces the skin and then continues to grow into the skin. This may cause redness, swelling, pain and sometimes infection.



Hammer Toes



A hammer toe is also sometimes referred to as a claw toe or mallet toe. It involves a deformity of the toe where there is an imbalance in the pull of the tendons. Either the tendon on top of the toe pulls harder or the tendon on the bottom of the toe pulls harder. This results in a curling up of the toe.



Plantar Warts (plantar verucca)



Plantar warts are caused by a virus. Plantar means bottom of the foot, but warts can occur other places on the foot and toes as well. Plantar warts can be painful depending on where they are located. Sometimes they are mistaken for callouses because layers of hard skin can build up on top of the wart.



Flat Feet (pes planus)



Just because you have flat feet does not mean you will have problems or pain. If you do have pain, there are various treatment options available. If you only have one foot that has a flat arch, it may be due to another problem and you should get it checked out.



Athlete's Foot (tinea pedis)



Athlete's foot is a common skin condition that can affect everyone, not just athletes. It is caused by a fungus. It may cause redness, itchiness, tiny bumps filled with fluid or peeling skin. It is most commonly located between the toes or on the bottom of the feet.



Achilles Tendonitis



Achilles tendonitis involves inflammation of the Achilles tendon. If the tendon stays inflamed long enough, it can lead to thickening of the tendon. Sometimes nodules or bumps can form in the tendon. Achilles tendonitis can become a long term problem or can lead to rupture of the tendon."





















Capsulitis of the second toe, (or any toe)



Hallux Abducto Valgus (bunions), hammer toe, onychocryptosis, and Plantar Fasciitis haveall plague this pair of feet. Much of the damageis a given from hereditary. But much of the damage could have been mitigated by the use of a prescription orthotic early on ( or even a well fitted off the shelf orthodic)and more carefully picking the approach and climbing footwear to be used.

Foot injuries and broken bones from martial arts,accidents,cold injurieswhile working, skiing and climbing,the use of overly tight rock shoes, and rigid soled alpine boots alladd to the long term damage. And slow recovery. But as much as anything your genes, your heredity, will have much to do with how your feet fair over time. That is luck of the draw. A good Podiatrist may be able to limit the damage or fix what you have been given.

More here on what to look for and avoid:

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/slideshow-common-foot-problems



Mountain boots?





I think there should be much more concern with several issues on mtn boots. Firstis the low quality generally worthless, insoles boots are delivered with today. I have $700 and $1000 production boots that come with insoles that sell for less than .10 cents a pair. Come on!

The other concern in recent boots is a super rigid sole and a very flexible ankle. Our feet don't work that way. You are bound to have feet issues with a bad insole and a dead rigid sole.