Dachstein Wool

Don't hate me because I still have an original ;-) They made two versions, a "standard" as shown and a Lwt version. Significant price difference back in the day between the two. I first bought the Lwt version telling myself it was "thinner" and more useful.Both were stout versions of a "sweater". But not moth proof which was my sweater's demise. I now think I made a mistake on the thin version as being more useful.







Funny thing about the Dachstein's. I first saw the mitts in the local climbing shop and the early '70s GPIW catalog. Likely the only way to keep your hand warm in really cold weather back then. I went through half a dozenpairs over the years. And I later used them in combination with other mitts (generally Helly Hanson pile lined shells) up till the early'80s.









Dachstein mitts and the luxurious gloves (not the GPIW Walker wool gloves mind you) were the bomb back in the day. Still are if you have a use for them. Fun to see Andy Turner climb with Dave MacLeod whileusingDachstein mitts and Nomics..















Mil Spec version above.

Mitts "shrink to fit with use".



My size Euro sized 52 Dachstein weighs in at 3# 4 oz. So it is no light weight. A jacket of comparable performance (well sort of comparable anyway) is the Arcteryx Atom Lt @ ajust over 14.4 oz. Well less than a 1/3 in weight.



But it isn't just the numbers that tell the story here. The Dachstein sweater can be a decent rain jacket, an amazingly good wind shell,a stretchable and extremely breathable layer all in one. Someof the weight just gets ignored. But no question you notice you have something on! Stuck out side for an unplanned over night? The Dachsteinis the garment I'd choose. May be not for all the time use but it is fun once in a while in the right conditions. Cold, dryand windy?



Herman Buhl used one.







Michael Kennedy did as well. Here after thenight out, on the 1st ascent of the Ames Ice Hose.





Photo courtesy of the "Lou Dawson, Steve Shea, and Michael Kennedy" collection found online.











I dumped mine for the first Patagonia red pile. Now I have all sorts of climbing sweaters I really like. The SherpaAGear, Mantra is one, the E. Bauer Hooded Down Pullover another along with the Arcteryx Atom Lt. All different weights and materials but all useable.



But none of the "sweaters" named besides the Dachsteinwill I throw over a synthetic t shirt (don't believe anyone who tells you boiled wool doesn't itch. It does.) and wearsidehill skiing in marginal NW spring weatheras my only piece of clothing onmy upper body.



And be happy doing it!



Well happy till it is totally full of water anyway ;-) Not sure I could pack the 50# around of a totally soaked Dachstein.. Better used where it won't rain all day on you I suspect. But this sweateris the"original soft shell". It will still do most of what we required and do it better than even the best of the new versions of "climbing sweater". Not everywhere mind you. But not the worn out old war horse to be abandoned either.

Mountain 33 (March 1974.) No photo credit given.More here on that story:http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?tn=20&topic_id=395619









The retro kool factor can not be denied. Like how many guys do you know that have actually even seen a Dachstein sweater let alone worn one? EBs in Bard's "hopeful" hands BITD in case you wondered.



All is not lost. The Austrian Armycontracted to havemanufacturedboth pull over and zip front Dachstein sweaters for years. Also known as the "GUIDE" version. Those can be had on the after market for reasonable prices these days. ORTOVOX now sells the gloves and mitts of boiled wool. And they are nice. But they aren't of the same quality as the originals imo. But they are close!









Places to find the "Dachstein" versions still available? Often times a Google search for "Austrian Military wool sweater" will bring surplus military sweaters up as well.. These things rock as the ultimatewool sweater. $40 plus shipping seems to be the going price as I write this on Ebay and online for the surplus version, used and new. Last made in the early '80s I believe. Likely the best $40 you'll ever spend for usable but somewhat funky climbing clothing

Current sources for Dachstein style wool items:



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280657136079



http://www.ortovox.com/classic-wool



http://www.bradleyalpinist.com/dachstein.html





MEN'S sizing conversions off the Internet which seems to fit my 52 Dachstein / 42 US conversion



Suits and overcoats



European 46 48 50 52 54 56 58



UK 36 38 40 42 44 46 48



USA 36 38 40 42 44 46 48



size 52 is:

63" wrist to wrist

24" arm pit to arm pit

19" at the waist



The military surplus siz largeI just bought but haven't seen yet is:

62"

22.5"

19"



Close enough to a size 42 to work for me.



A Dachstein sweater won't replace anything I own or get very used oftenbut they are a fun bit of quality kit that isn't easy available today.



A short history of the Dachstein area:



http://www.ramsau.com/en/information/history.html





More on the modern sweater versions here:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//12/climbing-sweater.html



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//04/patagonia-nano-puff-pull-over.html



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//02/arcteryx-atom-lt-hoodyjust-how-good-is.html

Bee-Happy

Though I have a surprisingly good track record of notcrashing my bike, that does not mean I haven't gotten hurt cycling. And for whatever strange reason, the main cause of that hurt has been bees. That's right, bees.



For the record, until 5 years ago I have never had a problem with the stripey, fuzzy, industrious, winged little creatures. They are handsome. They are useful. And they make delicious sweet honey. But no sooner had I put foot to pedal than our relationship soured.



In Spring I was cyclingalong the Danube Bike Path outside Vienna, when a whale of a bumble bee flew directly into my face. When our worlds collided, I was going 12mph on an upright bike and it was going full bumblebee speed. It didn't sting me. It sort of bounced off my eye, just beneath the right brow bone. But the impact had such force, that I walked around with a black eye for a week. This was back when I had a 9-5 job, with an office and Important Meetings and everything. Explaining this incident - in English and German and sometimes other languages too - never failed to delight, especially when I had to resort to pantomime. Pedal-pedal-pedal... bzzz... smack, I would gesture. My audience would positively beam with understanding. Aaaaaah, yes-yes, oop-pa!



I submit to you some statistics. Before I began cycling, I'd only been stung by a bee once, maybe twice in my life. Since I began cycling? At least half a dozen times. In fact the number might be closer to 10. The first time was a shock, the second time an annoyance. After that I began to take it in stride. Still, there are a few memorable stings. Like that beautiful spring day on which I first exposed my ankles, donning 3/4 shorts instead of full length tights, only to be stung in one of said ankles, causing a baseball sized swelling. Or that time I first rode to the Fruitlands with Pamela, and, just before reaching the top of the big climb, was stung in the fold between thigh and crotch. Or the time I was stung on the palm of my hand whilst holding the handlebars and wearing cycling gloves. I admit that continuing to hold the bars for the last 20 miles home caused some whimpering.



And then there was yesterday. Just 4 miles into a 40 mile ride, I am bombing (well, okay - proceeding cautiously) downhill, when smack! A bee flies directly into my sunglasses, bouncing off the lower edge of the right lens, then off my cheekbone, before falling to the ground. At first I don't even bother slowing down. But then I realise that the creature managed to actually sting me whilst performing its death throe acrobatics. The pain is sharp, then piercing, then downright unbearable. Finally I pull over and get off the bike. By this time the right side of my face feels like it's going numb. Of all the symptoms I know associated with bee stings, this one surprises me and I calmly wonder whether Something Bad is Happening. I pull out my phone and send a text message to my husband (who has ER experience and is great for quick unsentimental feedback). I try to be precise:"stung by bee below right eye. side face numb. keep riding or seek med help?"



Unfortunately this happens in a spot with poor cell phone reception and I am not able to send the text. Or search for "bee sting, numbness" on the internet. So I decide to keep riding until I find an establishment with a bathroom where I could clean the sting and get a better look at it. This does not take long, as the area is chock full of ice cream shops and lobster shacks placed every 2/3rd of a mile or so along the coastal roads.Despite the morning hour, the nearest lobster place is already open. They have not only a bathroom but also one of those first aid ice packs that doesn't become an ice pack until you activate it. The waitresses observe with interest, elbows on the sink, as I luxuriate in their cool bathroom, washing the sunscreen and sweat and grime off my face, then applying the ice pack to the now-swollen area.



At length the numbness wears off and now only the pain of the sting remains. I reason this means I'm okay and decide to keep riding. Maybe the pain of the sting and the pain of the cycling (I plan to practice standingagain - hoping to beat my 1/2 mile at a time record) would cancel each other out. This proves a good strategy and I proceed to have a lovely ride. Later in the day the swelling and pain subside and by the time I go to bed the incident is nearly forgotten.



Alas this morning I open my eyes and discover I cannot open the right one completely. The area beneath it looks like a misshapen tomato. Apparently this is pretty normal for a bee sting under the eye; it can take up to a week for the swelling to go down. Bees!



But you know how the song goes... "when the bee stings/ my favourite things" and all that? So I went on a squinty early morning bike ride and didn't feel so bad. The Advil probably helped too.

The Incredible Journey :: Favorite Places

September 1, .. through December 19, ... One year, 3 months, and 18 days. 58, 727 miles. 38 States and 4 Canadian Provinces. 23 National Parks-Monuments-Seashores.



It has been an amazing ride! “What's your favorite place?” is the question I've been asked the most. It is a difficult question to answer but some places and “adventures” do, for various reasons, stand out from the rest. But I can honestly say that there hasn't been anyplace that I haven't enjoyed. Sure, the weather is sometimes uncooperative, the facilities might not be the greatest, and weird things that you have no control over do happen. But it is all part of the adventure! Even if I could, I wouldn't change any part of it!!





Niagara Falls. New York. I played the part of the perfect tourist by going to The Cave of the Winds and riding on The Maid of the Mist. And I had great fun doing it!











Maine. Visiting my cousin whom I hadn't seen in over 15 years. Kayaking. Acadia National Park. Driving along the beautiful coast.











Assateague Island. Maryland. The horses. The Sunrise. Quite simply, a most wonderful and relaxing place.











Big Bend National Park. Texas. It was here that I got my first taste of “real” hiking. And it was here that I discovered I was physically capable of more than I thought. And it was here that Mother Nature really turned it on – 80 degree temperatures one day and snow the next! I loved the range and diversity of the landscape. The mountains and the desert.



Chiricahua National Monument. Arizona. A delightful surprise with challenging trails. I was so enchanted by this place that I visited it twice! The first time was in the second week of March with a return visit six weeks later.









Death Valley National Park. California. Beautiful wildflowers. Sand dunes. Desert. Mountains. And a surprising up-close encounter with a coyote.









Grand Canyon National Park. Arizona. Specifically The Bright Angel Trail. I met my friends Sue and Fred for an unforgettable journey into the Grand Canyon. It was my first night sleeping out in the open, beneath the stars. And my first overnight backpacking hike. It was challenging and at times I wasn't sure I would make it back up to the rim!









Zion National Park. Utah. Angels Landing Trail. I surprised even myself with this little hike! Challenging. Frightening. Thrilling.













Hovenweep National Monument. Utah. There was a mystical quality about this place that captured my imagination. Thought provoking.









Mesa Verde National Park. Colorado. The cliff dwellings were indescribable. Not far from Hovenweep, they too had a mystical quality about them. At times I felt that the Ancient People were walking alongside me.







Montana. After ten months on the road, I was in need of a break. Thank goodness for friends! Susan and Don allowed me to rest and relax in their vacation home in southwest Montana for almost the entire month of July! Then it was north to Glacier National Park before heading even further north.







Alaska! The culmination of a long-awaited dream. The Big Adventure. A seemingly never-ending drive through Canada. Soggy weather. Denali. Kayaking. Glaciers. Whales. Bears. Unforgettable.







A special highlight of the Journey was being able to meet other Genealogy Bloggers in person: Apple in Snowville. Denise in St. Augustine in .. and again in ... Carol in Pensacola. Kathryn, Steve, Sheri, and Craig in California. Sheri for a second time in Stockton. A bunch of bloggers at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree and at the Family History Expo in Pleasanton. And, last but not least, Miriam in Spokane. There was one other blogger that I met with but for some reason it never got posted and for that I apologize – you know who you are!





left photo: Miriam, footnoteMaven, Becky, Kathryn, Cheryl, Denise, Elyseright photo: Thomas, Joan, Becky, Randy, Miriam, Craig, and Susan



A "Page" for "The Journey ..-.." has been created that lists the States and some of the places I've visited. It can be accessed directly from the tab at the top of the blog.



I know that a lot of you - my readers - have come along with me on this journey across our marvelous country and I'd like to know if YOU have a favorite place, adventure, or photograph that I've posted. What did you like the most? Was there something specific that didn't you like? Tell me about it!

Peach Tree

With the weight of peachs and some wind the top of the tree broke. We proped it up with sawhorses and boards. But then the birds started eating on the peaches and the apples. We tried hanging plastic bags in the trees thinking the moving bag would scare off the birds. NOT. They are still taking a good peck out of each one. How do the people that grow them for market keep the birds out. Oh but our little bags look like cute little ghosts in the trees after dark.

Tear Up A Pillow!!!!!

Wiley, our youngest cat of 1 year, decided the other day that he would tear up one of the pillows I keep on the couch. I have had dogs do this a lot but this is the first cat. Of course it could have been because there was a small tear in it. But who knows. Maybe it is because Wiley is just a fun loving wild cat.

Red Phoenix Emporium

Climbers, you know I'm a style watcher. And you've seen a couple of my photos from various fashion launches.

This year I have been honored to become more involved in Red Phoenix Emporium.

RPE is a family business and I can't tell you how proud I am of their progress so far.



Getting to the point of shooting for the new collection has taken a whole year and I can't help but share of a few scenes from the day with you.

Here's a peek at Red Phoenix Emporium Autumn/Winter Collection

The collection is on the website. It's the "All that Glitters" collection.



Kristen is on fire modelling our newpure silk dress, a photographic print of a Thai sunset, repeated and reflected. The necklace hangs three slabs of Agate from a string of Tibetan Mountain Coral







Jo wears silk with a photographic print of ruined monasteries on frozen ground, takenon our recent trip across the Tibetan Plateau.






You already know these abs. They belong to Nate

He sports the new dude wear from Red Phoenix,An addition to the usual RPE, this is my influence.

The "Double Dragon" pants in Chinese brocade featuring the double dragon motif. Necklace: "They Only Come Out at Night" Lava stone, obsidian skulls, dyed turquoise skulls and a suspended central Pyrite skull and black onyx crucifix. Lusciously dark.















Heloise is a stunner in the silk Chili dress, a photographic print of dried chillies from a roadside eatery on the first bend of the Yangtze, of all places.









This collection includes the sequined shift dress, here in black. Also comes in bronze and silver.














Double Dragon again.









We are delighted to haveWinona the intern on board!!!






Thanks Nate, for standing in the middle of the city in pyjamas.

You pulled it off well.












Here's the stylist team,Lotus and Willow on the shoot, working under a heavy burden of gems.










No one got arrested, mercifully.



Wear RPE and stay out of fashion prison.



jj

Loon with baby in morning fog

As you are already well aware (thanks to previous posts on this blog), I've been monitoring and photographing a Loon family for the past few weeks. On Friday, July 1st I discovered a Loon nest completely by accident on a local lake here in Grand Portage. I was with my friend Roger and we were looking for turtles sunning on logs, which is a frequent sight on the same lake. No turtles on that day, but while walking a small part of the shoreline we soon spotted a Loon nest out in the tall grass across a narrow channel of water in a protected corner of the lake. Right then and there we made plans to come back the next day and watch the nest all day in hopes that the chicks would hatch while we were there.




We returned at 9:00 AM the next morning and saw the adult was still sitting on the eggs. This was the beginning of what would end up being almost a two-week stretch of daily checks of the nest. After a week of visiting the nest and still not seeing any babies, I was starting to get a little worried about the eggs and whether or not they would hatch, since most Loon babies are born before mid-July. Finally, when I visited the nest on the morning of July 14th, I noticed right away that one of the babies had been born and was hiding behind the adult on the nest. I watched the nest for part of that day and eventually got some shots of the baby in front of the adult on the nest.




When I returned the next day the other baby had been born and the Loon family was already off the nest and out in the middle of the lake. This was when things got really interesting! Since the 14th I haven't quite been making daily trips to the lake, but almost. Watching the adults interact with their chicks out on the lake has been the most interesting wildlife experience I think I've ever had. It is amazing the care that is given to the chicks by the adults. Most of the time during their first week of life the chicks ride on the backs of the parents. This is done mostly for protection from predators, but also because the chicks get tired easily and need to rest. Now that the chicks are already almost two weeks old they are diving on their own (although their dives only last for a few seconds), they are learning to preen themselves, and soon they will be catching their own food, which consists mostly of minnows (small fish).




These photos were captured this morning just after sunrise, which so far has been the day with the most incredible conditions for photographing the birds during all my days of visiting the lake. We have been having daytime temperatures of almost 90 degrees with very high humidity, but the night of the 18th and early morning of the 19th the temp dropped into the upper 50's which meant that in the morning there was a lot of fog on the lake. The conditions for picture taking were phenomenal to say the least. I hope you enjoy these images from this morning!