Travelin' thru Tennessee

As I left Indiana on Sunday morning, I wasn't too concerned with what the weather was doing in Kentucky and Tennessee. According to reports, the ice and snow would have finished falling before I got there. And the reports were right, but it sure did leave a "mess" all along the I-40 corridor from Oklahoma to the Carolinas and Virginia. Interstate 65 was clear all the way but through Nashville the exit and entrance ramps were in horrible shape and from what I saw on the news many of the secondary roads were still snow covered and icy this morning.

When I left Nashville yesterday morning, the sun was shining brightly and blue skies abounded. In the aftermath of the winter storm, Mother Nature left behind a wonderland of ice coated trees, grass, and bushes. These photos were taken as I was driving on I-65 between Nashville and Columbia on Monday morning. The bottom photo was taken through the (very dirty, salt coated) driver's side window. Once over the mountains and south of Columbia, there was no ice or snow and the temperature was a balmy 50 degrees. Nice.

Traffic and Fireworks

Traffic and Fireworks, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Took this a few days ago on the Fourth, of course. We were on an overpass above a busy street...the fireworks were great!

Summer Snowfall and Slush Cup

What do you get when you combine an unsatiable hunger for ski and snowboard "turns all year" (TAY), a slushy snow slope, a pond and some folks dressed up to the nines in costumes resembling some of Stan Lee's worst superhero nightmares? Give up?...You get the 6th annual Snow Cup! Last Sunday, skiers and boarders gathered on Pinnacle Peak to enjoy some of the last remainders of the summer snow atop Pinnacle Peak, then skiing or boarding down the slope into the waiting pond below (Brrr...)

The TAY enthusiasts will be excited to know that this week's stormy weather (though a disappointment for those climbers stuck on the mountain) brought plenty of fresh snow to the upper mountain, coating the routes and improving conditions for more summer climbing and turns. We heard that it snowed about 6 inches up at Camp Muir, and the wind created snowdrifts almost a foot high in spots! Rangers climbing up Disappointment Cleaver on Friday morning report that climbing the cleaver was much easier than it has been over the past few weeks, and the DC remains in great condition.

Slush Cup was a lively event once again - those folks throw quite a party! Participants almost equaled their spectators, and even the climbers perched atop Castle Peak enjoyed the entertainment, as the costumed skiers and boarders skimmed across the tarn at the base of Pinnacle. Afterwards, the crowd gathered at Reflection Lakes for a tailgate party, feeding skiers and hungry tourists alike.

The TAY crew searches out the best that Mount Rainier has to offer, hitting its creamy white slopes every month of the year. The best part of the whole event - they leave nary a trace of being there. They display love and appreciation for the Mountain and respect for the Park...well done! We look forward to the 7th annual event and will keep our eyes open for the invite next time.

Canyon of Color

Canyon of Color, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

I returned to Shell Creek Road again yesterday, the third time in several weeks. The wildflowers were still as beautiful as ever. My friend and I did some hiking up into the hills and found a small canyon whose floor was carpeted in these lupines, goldfields, and tidy tips.

The goldfields are going downhill in terms of bloom, but the lupines and tidy tips are still at their peak! With the upcoming storm, the wildflower bloom should be prolonged a week or two.

The Bicycle-Friendly Workplace

There is a range of opinions among cyclists about what constitutes a bicycle-friendly workplace. Some consider indoor bike parking a must. Others are concerned with shower facilities. Others still feel that bike to work schemes are crucial. More than anything, our ideas of a bike-friendly workplace seem to depend on how we construe transportation cycling.




For me personally, the most important thing about commuting is having a safe and comfortable route. As long as that is in place, I am pretty easy. At my last 9-5 job, the 4 mile riverside commute kept me happy. On arrival, I locked my bike to a pole. I brushed myself off in front of a mirror before facing co-workers.It did not occur to me to lament the lack of indoor bike parking, let alone to wish for showers at work.Once I transitioned to freelance and began to spend the day going from place to place, it made even less sense. "Hello, I'm here to meet about the XYZ project ...But first, do you have a shower I can use? I arrived by bicycle you see."




Others have different priorities, which is understandable. Long, strenuous commutes involve challenges that I do not usually face. Likewise with finding all-day bike parking in unsafe locations.




From an employer's perspective, the question is which priorities it makes the most sense to cater to. Is it the employer's responsibility to offer indoor parking? Many bicycle commuters say yes. Others feel it is the cyclist's responsibility to choose a bike that can be stored outdoors. What about shower facilities? There are those who lobby for them. And there are those who feel that the idea of showers at work conflates transport with sport.




Others believe that focusing on parking or showers is too narrow of an approach. What about calling for employers to open up shop in bike-friendly locations? What about travel compensation, tax incentives, bike share memberships, and the like? Or maybe a different paradigm altogether: What if neighbourhood employers join forces to sponsor bike lanes (and street plowing in winter) within an X mile radius?




Budgets are finite, and often employers get mixed messages as far as what cyclists are looking for. The bike-friendly workplace is a concept worth exploring more thoroughly.

Pancake Ice

So far, this winter has been rather mild with very little snow and days/nights that have been too warm for any serious development of ice on the lake. Last night, however, the temp did drop a bit which meant that this morning there were some nice "pancakes" of ice floating in a couple of areas along Grand Portage Bay. One of these areas (shown above) was very close to my house. How could I resist stopping and making an image of such beautiful ice formations so close to my home?

After photographing the ice I took a drive up to the Mt. Josephine wayside along Highway 61. This wayside was improved by the MN Department of Transportation this year. They replaced the bathroom building, built a new parking area and picnic sites, and last but not least constructed a very nice viewing platform that takes in the view of Mt. Josephine, Wauswaugoning Bay and the Susie Islands. The photo below was taken from this new viewing platform. I have taken many a photo from this location over the years, but I have never seen the trees stand out the way they do in this photo. The lighting was such that it really accented the trees. Even though there isn't really too much snow or ice in the photo, I still think it conveys a strong feeling of winter.

Independent

Be it food, furniture, clothing or bicycles, there is nothing quite like getting things made by people we know and trust. I am lucky to live in a pocket of the US that has a long history of an independent bicycle industry, and luckier still to interact with some of its members. On the occasion of Independence Day, I would like to feature these people here and invite you to have a look at their work.






When I first met Mike Flanigan of ANT, he was introduced to me as "the godfather of the transportation cycling revolution." Long before Dutch bikes and retrofitted Porteurs began gracing the streets of trendy American cities, Mike was making sturdy roadsters and cargo bikes for his customers under the slogan "Not sport, transport." He made custom loop frames at a time when no other framebuilder saw it as worth their while to offer step-through frames for women. He educated the newgeneration of local frame buildersabout the value of transportation bicycles and continues to share his knowledge with them generously. Today Mike also offers framebuilding classes, which have become extremely popular. Every year he donates a cargo bike that is raffled off at the Redbones Bike Party and Benefit in Somerville.There are other builders now making transport bicycles and plenty of mainstream manufacturers as well. But there is still nothing quite like an original ANT bike.






Of course the new generation makes it look so easy. It's not for nothing that Geekhouse Bikes founder Marty Walsh is known as "party Marty" - combining work and fun is their MO. Or rather, they do not see a distinction. Making colourful bikes that range from track to touring to townie, the boys of Geekhouse work tirelessly on their unique frames and have inhouse powdercoating facilities to boot. Hip segmented forks? Bottle cage braze-ons shaped like lightning bolts? Sparkly powdercoat? They are the ones to see about that. Geekhouse also connect with the local community, collaborating with their peers and encouraging innovation. Most recently they've leased a large space to be developed and shared by local artisans, which is looking more and more exciting each time I visit.





Though still a relative newcomer to the framebuilders' scene, Bryan Hollingsworth of Royal H. Cycles can make pretty much anything, I am convinced of that now. A carbon fiber fabricator at Seven Cycles, his true passion is lugged steel and he has been building frames under his own name for the past three years. I was one of his first customers and watching Bryan work was what inspired my own interest in frame design. After successfully collaborating on a one-off randonneur project last year, this summer we are taking it up a notch and trying to develop a do-it-all mixte model.





Another Seven Cycles veteran, Mike Salvatore of the so-called Sketchy Cycles is the framebuilders' framebuilder and a man of mystery. There is no website. There is no order process. There is no price list. Working by candlelight in the company of his enormous pet rabbit, Mike builds frames mostly for friends and only when the mood strikes him. But the deceptively modest-looking bikes are known to have magical properties. Those who own a Sketchy - and it's quickly becoming a cult of sorts - only smile mysteriously when asked what makes these bikes so special. Will the rest of us ever know? We can only dream.






Speaking of dreams, I certainly felt as if I was in the midst of one when I stumbled unexpectedly upon Cantabrigian Mechanics - the shop of Ricky DeFrancisco - earlier this year. What do they make? That is a little difficult to describe, because the answer is "everything." In a sense they are ghost builders - making bicycle frames and parts of frames, and also objects that have nothing to do with bicycles at all, for manufacturers whose names might be quite familiar to you. Intrigued? It may be possible to satisfy our curiosity soon, as Cantabrigian Mechanics are now developing a house brand called Commonwealth Cycles.





The art of fillet brazing is on the rise in Boston and I am infatuated with the fledgling work of Nao Tomii of Tomii Cycles - a sculptor who, after years of learning the trade, has recently become a full time framebuilder. Nao's bicycles look effortless, liquid and floaty as he combines technical precision with an artist's eye. I will have more pictures of his work featured here soon, and this is surely a builder to watch closely.






Another new fillet brazer of note is Armando Quiros of Quiros Custom Frames. A favourite of the fixie-loving crowd, Armando has won awards for his track bike builds and admiration for his sharp urban commuters.






I met the legendary Christopher Igleheart at a local bicycle show a year ago and was lucky enough to test ride a bike of his. Making many kinds of bicycles, from mountain to randonneuring to city, Igleheart is about lightweight steel, long-distance comfort, and quirky touches. His experience in the industry is vast and his customers rave about his bicycles' ride quality. An old school local favourite.






Seven Cycles are the folks who turned me on to titanium and opened my mind to an aesthetic I was not predisposed to like. There are not many independent bicycle factories left in the US, and I feel incredibly lucky to live just 6 miles from one, to be able to visit it, to know most of the people who work there. Seven Cycles sponsor many local events, as well as several cycling teams. I am still waiting for them to come out with a belt-drive titanium loop frame...






There are other local builders whom I haven't had the honour to visit and photograph, but would like to mention: Peter Mooney, Firefly, Circle A, Chapman Cycles,Ted Wojcik, Independent Fabrications, Parlee,JP Weigle. If there are others I have omitted, please remind me and I will include them.






In stark contrast to the framebuilders, as far as accessory makers we admittedly have a shortage. But Emily O'Brien's famous Dill Pickle Bags - not to mention her personality and fixed gear randonneuring adventures - certainly help make up for this. I made Emily's acquaintance recently and have one of her remarkable bags on loan, which I am now reluctant to return.






Thank you for reading along. I admit that I am proud of ourlocal bicycle industry, and I try to do my best to feature its members here. What is it like in your area? Please feel free to mention your favourite frame builders, component manufacturers, and accessory makers, and post links so that readers might visit them. Enjoy your 4th of July weekend!

Snoqualmie Mountain ..

Sammy and I planned a day of climbing something for Sunday and we didn't want it to be too intense. After throwing around a few ideas we settled on Snoqualmie Mountain. I have never been up it, and Sammy had when there was no snow, so it would be a new experience for both of us.

We arrived in the Alpental parking lot a little after 7am and were discussing our route options. Sammy was originally thinking to come up the Commonwealth Basin and then access Snoqualmie from Cave Ridge. We had both done that approach for winter ascents of Guye Peak. The guidebooks tell a tale of going up the trail to Cave Ridge from the Alpental Parking lot. I suggested we try something new and if it went, the distance was a whole lot shorter than circumnavigating Guye Peak.

From the parking lot we picked a high spot below a tree band that we would go up and assess the conditions to see if we could continue upward. We figured on twenty minutes to that point and potentially leaving us with enough time to come down and try the other route if this one did not go.

We entered the snow at the "Transceiver Training Area" and started to head up. Within five minutes it seemed like we were half way to the trees. Then the slope got steeper. Sammy and I stayed in some tree where we were following steps and we felt the snow was a little better. It was still before 8am and the sun was not hitting the slopes and the snow was hard and icy. We wondered why we brought snow shoes and contemplated stashing them. I said it would be a guarantee that we would be in waist deep snow later if we cached them now, so we kept them on our packs. This was Sammy's first time on steep snow this season and he was not feeling great about the snow climbing and lagged behind me a bit. I broke out of our stretch of trees and waited for him at a final tree in a more level area before we were to make the push to the trees above to see if the route went.

At this point, Sammy was having reservations about climbing the steep snow. But we agreed to go to the trees to see if the climbing became less difficult. Since we were on more level terrain, we donned crampons at this time. That decision gave both of us a little confidence boost to make the trees.

Nearing the trees, I went ahead of Sammy to check out the situation. I had to cross a moat with a small ice bridge with the help of an alder grab and then front point up steep solid snow into the woods. I stopped below a fallen log. While I thought the terrain looked easier above the log, I did not see any easy ways around it that did not involve minimal snow on rock or other loose terrain. I relayed the information to Sammy who made the decision to descend.

Sammy downclimbed facing in while I attempted to get out of the trees without having to downclimb over the small moat I came up over. It took me a while to reach Sammy after he returned to the more level area where we had put crampons on. At this point we had probably burned too much time to attempt via the Commonwealth Basin.

Fortunately due to our time wasting, the temps were a little warmer even if the sun was now obscured by clouds. Sammy got a new dose of confidence and started to traverse the slope to our left. Before we knew it, we were following another boot path up into the trees and feeling like we might still have a chance at the summit. At a minimum we were hoping to gain Cave Ridge and get a view.

Then we followed the the boot path to ice. There was about an eight foot stretch of maybe 40° ice. I started to chop steps into it. I made some moves with my left foot on rock and my right on ice. I had to swing my ax just to get the pick in and inch. A few moves up I questioned what I was doing, and Sammy and I set about to find another option up. Sammy set out on a traverse left while I tried a section directly above us. Neither was going to go without spicy moves on thin snow over moats and wet rock with significant shrub pulling only to get onto a similar steep hard snow slope. All the while considering how we would get back down once we got around the obstacle. After checking four options around the ice patch we finally decided to head back to the car. We down climbed through the woods back out to the open slope where the sun was shining and the snow already quite soft. We removed our crampons and plunge stepped our way back to the car.

Sammy nearing our high point

Before the plunge step down, I told Sammy it was our hubris that caused our failure. While perhaps an exaggeration, we both had underestimated this climb and had full expectation of reaching the summit. This expectation of easy climbing affected me (at least) in regards to my head space when the going got difficult. Climbing when not in an ideal head space is taxing, and not why I go out.

The plunge step out

I usually say that you learn more from a no summit climb than from a climb where the summit is achieved. On the way down and in the car we discussed things we took away from this. One was that we waited too long to put crampons on. I guess we succumbed to the boiling frog issue on that one. Because we underestimated the climb and snow conditions, we did not bring second tools or steel crampons, not to mention helmets or any type of rope.

Overall we had a fun time and joked about the situation throughout. It was great attempting a climb with Sammy and now I'll have a better idea for the next time I give Snoqualmie Mountain a go.

James Joslin :: 1837 Sale of Land to Jonas Jr.

On January 10, 1822 Jonas Joslin Sr. and his wife Ruth sold 100 acres of land to James Joslin and Jonas Joslin Jr. with the stipulation that Jonas Sr. and Ruth would have use of the land during their lives. In 1822, James would have been about 26 years old and Jonas Jr. was not quite 15 (he was born on February 25, 1807).

Probably in preparation for moving his family to Whitley County, Indiana early the next year, James sold that same land to Jonas Joslin Jr. on October 28, 1837. It does not contain the clause giving Jonas Sr. and Ruth use of the land. I'm wondering now if I didn't miss a land record. It seems odd that the amount of land in this 1837 transaction is 100 acres, the same as in 1822. Perhaps, it is because James and Jonas Jr. owned the land jointly. The important thing, for me at least, is that the record still shows that James Joslin's wife was named Nabby! This 1837 record was found in Delaware County, Ohio Deed Book 16, pages 249 and 250.

[Bottom of page 249]

Filed & Recorded 28th Oct 1837
A Picket [?] Sr. Recorder. Delaware County Ohio
James Joslin deed to Jonas Joslin Jr.}

Delaware County Ohio, to wit; Know all men by these presents, that we James Joslin and Nabby Joslin, wife of said James Joslin of Liberty Township, Delaware County and State of Ohio for and consideration of the sum of Five Hundred Dollars paid (or Secured to be paid) by Jonas Joslin Jun'r of Liberty Township County and State aforesaid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, have remised, released and forever quitclaim unto the said Jonas Joslin Junr his heirs and assigns all the estate, right, title and interest whatsoever, both in law or equity which we the said James Joslin and Nabby have in and to the following described land namely, lot No Sixteen, in the East tier of lots in the fourth section of the third Township in the Nineteenth Range of the United States Military lands and within the said County of Delaware, supposed to contain one hundred acres more or less, so that we nor either of us, our heirs or assigns or any other person or persons in trust for either of us or them, shall or will have any claim, right, title or interest in and to the same or any part thereof, but that we the said James Joslin & Nabby Joslin our heirs and assigns and every of them from all estate right, title and interest in and to the Same, shall be by these presents forever debarred. In witness whereof the said James Joslin and Nabby Joslin have here

[Top of page 250]

unto set their hands and seals this twenty ninth day of August Anno Domini Eighteen hundred and thirty seven.

Executed in presence of
P. E. Buell
William Hills

[signed by]
James Joslin {seal}
Nabby Joslin {seal}

State of Ohio Delaware County SS. Personally came James Joslin and [blank space] Joslin his wife signers and sealers of the above instrument and acknowledged the same to be their voluntary act and deed for the purposes therein expressed. The said [blank space] Joslin wife of the said James Joslin being by me first examined by me separate and apart from her said husband and the contents of the above deed by me made known to her, declared that she did voluntarily sign seal and acknowledge the same and that she is still fully satisfied therewith. Witness my hand this twenty ninth day of August AD. 1837.
Philaster E. Buell. Justice of the peace
A Picket. Jr., Recorder, Delaware County, Ohio
Filed and Recorded 28th Oct. 1837.

Fork vs Frame

At the D2R2 last weekend I met a cyclist who was riding a hastily assembled spare bike, after breaking the fork on his custom randonneur just before the event. Riding off road, he'd hit a log at full speed and the forkcracked from the impact, right at the Grand Bois crown. However, the frame and front wheel appear undamaged.








His experience reminded me of a conversation about fork vs frame strength the guys at Circle A Cycles were having when I visited them a week earlier. They brought out an older racing frameset that had suffered a similar impact as the D2R2 rider's bike. However, in this case the fork was fine while the front triangle of the frame had buckled from the impact.






Apparently, when a particular stye of Cinelli sloping fork crown came out in the 1980s with its corresponding straight, short fork blades, some framebuilders complained that the resulting forks were too strong - causing frames to suffer damage on impact. A less rigid fork would be able to absorb the impact and save the frame. And it is easier to make a new fork than a new frame.






I just thought all of this was interesting, because the relative strength of the frame vs fork is something that even framebuilders don't always think about. But these dynamics are worth considering. A super-lightweigth steel frame paired with a super-rigid, strong fork may not necessarily be a great idea. The Circle A customer will be getting their frame rebuilt around the intact rear triangle. The D2R2 rider will most likely be getting a new fork made. I am curious and will follow up on both framesets.

Petzl Nomic and Petzl Ergo comments.

As much as I like the Nomic I climbed all of last winter in North America with the new Ergo. And for the most part loved every minute of it. We had the earliest ice and some of the latest ice I have ever seen..



For everything I got on the Ergo was big fun. Even easier to climb with on steep terrain than the original Nomic. With a single exception.



There were a few times (OK be honest more than a few) that I was flagging on. I was getting tired. When that happens I get sloppy. Or it was just really cold. I get sloppy then too.







Somewhere we were soloing easy terrain and I was both cold and tired. And I had big gloves on. When all that happens with a pair of Nomic I now realise that I will often drop my little finger (and sometimes even my ring finger)out of the grip and let them hangbelow the rotation point on the tool.



But let me back up a bit here. Petzl has gone to great lengths to add a serrated stainless blade to the pommel of the newest tools. With varying levels of success mind you over two seasons. But what we have now allows you to use the Nomic or Ergo on moderate terrain easier and just as importantly (may be more so) add some stability to the tool on steep ice after a pick stick.



Call the serrated blade in the pommel a good thing. Except when it is not.





New Ergo on the left with theolder style and smooth pommel piece



New Nomic and the new serrated pommel on the right

I and many others have used the originalNomic in alpine terrain to good effect. You adapt and use the tool differently on moderate terrain. But the serrated pommel allows even more use of the Nomic in the mtns. The pommelchange is an improvement in normal conditions.



But on technical ground not so much in a verylimited circumstance. Here is why I think so. Even if I don't drop a finger out of the grip, I want as much rotation from the tool as possible. One reason I think the Fusion is an inferior tool for most in comparison to the Nomic. The spike of the Fusion and the serrated blade on the Nomic will eventually limit the rotation of the tool in the palm of your hand.



I might accept that in the Nomic and have with the newest tools and while climbing with the new Fusion and the spike attached.. But on the Ergo...not so much. Changing picks today on my Ergos I got to thinking..."the Ergo would be a better tool for me on really difficult climbing with the older,smooth and non serrated pommel". Easy change. Now if I drop a finger or two I won't mutilate them at the end of the swing. The stainless serrated pommel will do that and shred a pair of gloves as well if theyget between your finger and the ice.



That experiencecan be painful and indelible.

Easy answer? "Does that hurt?" "Then stop doing *IT*!" If I worked at it Icould always keep my hands and arms in the bus. But being tired comes with the game as does cold temps and big gloves. Generally if I have my Ergos out I am likely to get bit again. So I changed the pommels to the original style. Depending on what the climb is I might even change out my new Nomic's pommelsas well.



Not the typical response when looking at the old or new Petzl tools but something to think about if the parts are available. Everyone seems to wantthe new serrated pommel on their old tools. I prefer having the option of both style of pommel. And if I had to chose between the two for every condition I'd stay with the smooth, original ones. I know I'll get tired again and I won't keep my hands and arms inside the bus.



Back to the issue of the pommels themselves.



It is not like I am making this stuff up! What happened to the "old days" when a broken grip rest was the rare and onlyissue with a Nomic?



The new improved - tools just became available again recently in Europe and now here in the US and North America. Already I am getting reports in ofloosepommels.



this is typical:



"Interestingly though I've had mine for 1 month now. Bought a brand new pair at full retailas soon as they hit the shops here in Chamonix. The bottom griprest has already started to wobble on me. Pretty annoying but I was just wondering if you knew of anyone who has had the same issue?"



The answer is, yes. Theone pictured below is not the first I have heard about or seen.



photo courtesy of a CT reader



A fewfailures reportedboth loose inserts andinserts coming out early thiswinter soit is already obvious the "fix" isn't good enough. A liberal application of steel based epoxy kept my Ergos going all of last winter. Only one size grip though because of it. I'd suggest doing the same to your new tools. And I really hate adding this...as dumb as it might sound.......but be gentle with your pommels. You can imagine just how careful I am with mine when mixing and matching pommels. Which has to be analmost acertain recipe for failure until Petzl decides to do this right again.



Petzl reports the new pommel at double the last versions strength.



"How strong is the GRIPREST?



GRIPREST strength was doubled to withstand loads of 300daN."





http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/news/events-0//10/12/newly-modified-versions-nomic-and-ergo-ice-axes-are-available





pommel photos courtesy of Dave Searle

Mtn Hardware Minus One Glove

This is a retread from last month that got buried so Ithoughtit worth an update after I got more climbing use out of the glove.









I like a couple of glove manufacturers products. But I have to say I have been really impressed with the most recent OutDry products from Mtn Hardware. (and now the same technology is in the Scarpa boots) The newest glove I have been using is the Minus One..which is a thin, technical glove intended for leashless climbing and dry tooling in moderate temps.



It is a perfect fit for those uses.



It is not climbing but the temps dropped here to -10C over night and I had a bunch of outdoor household chores to take care of as we got several inches at snow and the temps continued to drop. This glove was good enough to use hand tools with and get everything done outside before our pipes could freeze up.



Last weekend I used the same glove on water ice with a good bit of free running water. I intentionally stuck my hands in the fire hydrant size spout of ice water on one climb to see just how water proof the OutDry system was. ( I had dry gloves in my pack and it was an easy day out) These guysreally are water proof. Although depending on the glove it may take some time to actually dry the leather out on the exposed side of the glove. I have since water proofed the leather as well on my Minus Ones. You'll still stay warm and dry either way. But no question the wet leather would freeze if it was cold enough.



Newest ones don't have a palm reinforcement that is pictures in the stock photo below but the thinner palm is awesome on a tight Nomic or Ergohandle. I wouldn't want to do a lot of rappelling in them though as it would get expensive quickly I suspect.



I've since used the Minus one in -20C temps on dry ice and a couple of rappels over a weekend and been satisfied. Then out with them again as my only glove (forgot my spares and approach gloves)in temps from 0C to -15C with everything from running water to a full onwet snow storm while wallowing in crotch deep trail breaking. The kind of day every thing gets wet.



Ten full days of climbing, rapping and belaying on these. I am impressed so far.

Best to save these guys for climbing. Knee deep wallowing will get anything wet, the Minus One being no exception.They will handle your sweaty hands and generally stay dry inside but they can be easily over loaded if you allow snow in from the outside. But they did dry over night internally. Theleather palm soaks up water pretty quickly even after being treated but itgenerally dried fully over night. I have 10 days of climbing on this pare and am happy they are holding up much better than expected so far. They have kept my hands warm even on the chilly days -10C.Much warmer that expected for their weight.



Down side besides price? The rubber strap and velcro closure at the wrist. I find it annoying as it could have been done in nylon just as easy and get in the way less. But minor flaw and I suspect Mtn H was trying to give some added wrist support by using the rubber strap.



Buy them on sale for around $80 is the best I have seen or retail at $100. Great glove for the intended use. I am impressed as a light weight, highly technical, cold weather leashless glove and it is a lot warmer than expected.

Ice Cave Sunrise

There is so much good ice along the north shore of Lake Superior right now, I'm sort of wishing I didn't have a day job so I could spend all day every day exploring and photographing the ice! This is another shot from yesterday morning's sunrise near Cascade River State Park. This cave wasn't very big. I basically crawled into it head first then turned on my side to make photographs of the sun rising behind the icicles. I sure love the color of the ice as the sun illuminated it from behind. What a beautiful sight!

Georgetown by David Arnson

I always loved Georgetown. I remember going for the first time with my parents when I was about 8 or 9 years old and marveling at the hippies, boys and girls strolling down the sidewalks with their bare feet and guitars, the lava lamps in the gift store windows, and the psychedelic poster shops. I still have my "White Rabbit" poster from the East Totem West Company! Georgetown was such a hip and fascinating place. In junior high and high school I would take the bus down Wisconsin Avenue on weekends. I might eat an amazing sandwich at The French Market atop the hill across from Dumbarton Oaks, and then stroll down to the bookstores at Wisconsin and P or the one down by the brick Canal Street mall between M street and the river, to search for science fiction and Conan books.

I would always check out the record stores, the one on Wisconsin above P had (to my teen eyes) the unnerving poster of John and Yoko nude, and my fave was Orpheus Records on M street. I remember (I'd read reviews in Rolling Stone or Crawdaddy or something) asking the bearded hippie hipster behind the counter whether I should buy the new LP by Bob Weir or Blue Oyster Cult. He started to mock me by loudly chanting (his coworkers chimed in) "Blue Oyster Cult! Blue Oyster Cult! Blue Oyster Cult!" which to them clearly seemed like a joke band. I went home with Blue Oyster Cult, and damned if I didn't like it! So what if it wasn't hippie music? Orpheus would host cool Halloween parties, and the most eccentric people would show up, my fave being the striking blond with the albino lil ' ferret climbing around her neck. I remember me and my buddy buying Mott the Hoople's Mott and Johnny Winter's Still Alive and Well on Halloween night 1973. ( I think I was in 10th grade?)

We all knew it was uncool to hang out at Blimpie's on the corner of Wisconsin and M, because "that's where the narcs hang out." Ikaros Pizza on M (where I learned what a gyro was) around the corner was way cooler. Also on M you could see cool arty movies at the Biograph and at the Cerberus 1/2/3 , with its cool art deco neon numbers in its window. Also notable was the always amazing Key, that would screen Rocky Horror Picture Show and Eraserhead- both among the best variety of midnight movies in town.

We were barely (actually maybe not really) old enough to go see Patti Smith at the Cellar Door in 1975, but she was like no other performer I'd seen before: cracking jokes, spitting, arching her back upside down on all fours doing a yoga bridge on Ain't it Strange.

Across M street from the Cellar Door was Desperados, a great club that mainly featured roots music, but later hosted lots of new wave acts like us Insect Surfers. Next door was a multi level army surplus store where I kept myself attired in Italian and Belgian army jackets. If you walked further west, you could find the famous Exorcist stairwell that the priest tumbles down in the movie. And let's not forget The Bayou, at the end of Wisconsin where it hit the Potomac, had some of the best club shows in DC.(photo by David Nuttycombe)

WGTB, broadcasting from Georgetown University, was the absolute coolest station, and I remember attending a rally (unsuccessfully) to keep it on the air. (The Jesuit administration evidently didn't like them running an ad for a clinic that sponsored abortions.) I got turned on to such a wide array of music from WGTB. G.U. had the most beautiful campus with its medieval looking buildings and courtyards. In between college semesters I worked at the university hospital while punk rock was slowly taking the city by storm. You could go to Haagen-Dasz Ice Cream and talk to a slightly goofy Henry Garfield behind the scoop counter before he joined Black Flag as "Henry Rollins" to became a professional angry guy. (photo by Alan Kresse)

I still miss the old Little Tavern Hamburgers ("Buy 'em by the bag!") on the east side of Wisconsin and P, with its white and green 40s style architecture and teeny burgers with oniony lumps o' meat. The Little Tavern chain was a late-night mainstay for me, and I sadly saw them slowly disappear from D.C., then Bethesda, Wheaton, and finally, the last store in College Park.
Also let's not forget: The Brickskellar, a great student haven for a myriad of beer varieties and the sadly mundane tasting buffalo burgers. Commander Salamander- the shop where the punk world clashed with the poser fashion world. AND Kemp Mill Records, The Crazy Horse, Poseurs, Olssen's Record and Tape Exchange, Blues Alley, Up Against the Wall-I know I'll think of more later! All of these places have stories.
I drove through Georgetown recently, and it seemed to have become a lot more upscale and definitely less interesting, but I will always have great memories of its vibrant pop-cultural past. BCC High School Yearbook 1976

Aurora Storm!

With all the buzz about the possibility of strong auroras on the night of August 5th/6th, I was disappointed as sunset rolled around to see our sky filled with clouds. I am always optimistic, however, and as the evening progressed I made 2 to 3 checks every hour to see if the sky was clearing. Sure enough, just before midnight, I noticed a break in the clouds and in that break I saw some nice auroras! I went out the door and headed to my favorite spot to photograph the display. For an hour and a half the sky was filled with dancing lights, some of the best I've ever seen in Northern Minnesota!




Above: Here is a view that shows just how strong this geomagnetic storm was. This vantage point of the Spirit Tree is actually looking East/Southeast. Most of the time when shooting the Northern lights at the tree I have to shoot the other profile of it, which is looking to the North. I've always wanted to get a nice strong aurora so I could photograph them behind the tree from this other angle, which is a more Southeasterly direction. Well, on August 6th, I got my wish!