Sunday, August 15, 2010

A Look at the Rawland rSogn

Rawland rSogn
A week ago, I spotted a Rawland rSogn at the Brevet Season Kick-Off Party I wrote about earlier. Never having seen one in person before, I was extremely excited by the sighting.




Jon's Rawland
Turns out this rare specimen belongs to local cyclist Jon D. Generous and trusting, Jon offered to lend me the bike to photograph and test ride. Long story short, Jon's Rawland is now staying over for a visit.




Rawland rSogn

So what is so special about this bike? The Rawland rSogn is a production randonneuring frameset, made for 650B wheels and wide tires, with low trail geometry and standard sized tubing. Currently priced at $725 and available without a wait list, it is the most accessible frameset with this combination of characteristics available on the market today, as far as I am aware.




Rawland rSogn

Not everything about the rSogn is "classic randonneur." The dramatically sloping top tube, mostly welded frame, and threadless steerer mark it as a modern bike. But for anyone interested in trying out the low trail/ 650B handling characteristics, this is a comparatively affordable way to go. And it's not just about affordability: rSogn owners seem very pleased with this model - describing it as fast, responsive, and comfortable over long distances. It is reputed to be a fast brevet/road-to-trail bikethat fits cushy tires and is optimised to carry a front load.




Rawland rSogn
Rawland Cycles is a tiny operation based in Danville, California. Owner Sean and his spouse Anna run the company and design the frames, which are hand-made in Taiwan. Sean is of Norwegian heritage and he pays tribute to this with the Nordic theme that runs through everything from the company name, to bicycle model names, to the graphics and even frame design.




Rawland rSogn
The story of how the rSogn came into existence has become almost legendary in bikey/internet circles, as apparently Sean asked for feedback in an open forum and tweaked the specs based on popular suggestions.




Rawland rSogn
The result was a frameset with cantilever brakes, no toe overlap, massive tire clearance, eyelets for racks and fenders, and a variety of braze-ons including a pump peg on the left chain stay. Full specs are available here.





Rawland rSogn
Aesthetically, my favourite part of the bike is the massive, double-plated fork crown - difficult to photograph because of the front rack attachment, but in person a commanding presence for sure.





Rawland rSogn

Here is a side view. The flat top of the crown is engraved with Rawland's Nordically-stylised "R."




Rawland rSogn

The decorative motif on the seat tube complements the font used elsewhere on the decals.



Rawland rSogn

The bicycle's owner built up the frame with a needle-bearing headset, dynamo lighting, downtube shifters, cantilever brakes, a wide range double drivetrain, handlebars set slightly above saddle level, and a large custom front rack. The build is heavy on Velo Orange, mixed with Shimano, IRD, Grand Bois, Berthoud, Cane Creek, and other usual suspects. If you have a question about specific components, please ask in the comments.




Rawland rSogn

Jon rides clipless, but he switched the pedals out for flat ones so that I could ride the bike. For tires, he switches between the 42mm cream Grand Bois Hetres for road-to-trail riding and 2" knobby Pacenti Quasi-Moto tires for rougher off-road stuff.




Rawland rSogn
The front rack is designed especially for the Rawland rSogn by Haulin' Colin. It is 12" wide and can support a great deal of weight.





Jon's Acorn Handlebar Bag
Jon uses the rack to carry heavy loads when cycling for transportation, but for road rides and brevets he attaches a small Acorn handlebar bag.





Jon's Acorn Handlebar Bag
The bag is attached to the rack alone and does not require a decalleur; it appears to be pretty stable. To carry it off the bike, Jon uses a long Surly toe strap as a shoulder strap. Walking away with the bag slung over his shoulder, he left me alone with the Rawland.




Rawland rSogn
While I love having the Rawland around to photograph, unfortunately I cannot review it - it is just too large for me. The frame measures 53cm x 57cm with a sloping top tube. Not only is the reach quite long, but even if we were to flip the stem and move the spacers, the handlebars would still be several inches higher than what's on my other bikes right now. Additionally, I am not comfortable using downtube shifters on serious rides, and there is no easy way to change this aspect of the build. All in all it just wouldn't be fair to attempt a review out of this. But what I can do is provide some feedback that is not test-ride-dependent.




Rawland rSogn
On the positive side, I find the frame to be well-made and well thought-out. The joints are clean and do not call attention to themselves, the braze-ons precise, the fork crown beautifully executed. I really like the paint colour and the general frame aesthetics. I like that there is no toe overlap (though it's close and could depend on your shoe size and pedals). And the low trail design with clearance for 650B x42mm Grand Bois Hetres is what drew me to the frame in the first place.



As for drawbacks, the main one for me is weight: As shown, the Rawland rSogn weighs about as much as my similarly built Rivendell Sam Hillborne - close to 30lb. I am told by those who've ridden both bikes that the Rawland is more responsive and faster, particularly uphill, and that is good to know. But I'll be honest: I am a little tired of heavy roadbikes. I would like something lighter, and I know it's possible.Aside from this, I would of course prefer it if the frame were lugged, but that is a matter of personal taste. The double-plated fork crown and the decorative lugwork on the headtube do create sufficient visual interest to keep me from dwelling on this for too long.




Jon's Rawland
Similarly to my Rivendell, the long and sloping top tube makes the fit of the rSogn somewhat tricky: Assuming that the rider wants their handlebars at or below saddle-height, they must pay attention to the top tube and head tube measurements, and not to the seat tube measurement in which the sizes are given. And judging by those measurements, the rSogn is not currently available in a size small enough to fit me well.



Coincidentally, Rawland has a new model coming out - the Nordavinden - that could address both of the above issues. It is a lighter, sportier frame, with an almost level top tube, and they are offering it in a size equivalent to the size I normally ride. While the larger frames are designed for 700C wheels, the smallest (my size) will be 650B with clearances for 42mm tires. If I were to consider a Rawland for myself, I think this model might be more appropriate for me than the rSogn. [Edited to add: There is now a review of the Nordavinden.]




Rawland rSogn
For those interested in trying a low trail 650B randonneuring bicycle without the wait and expense of a custom built frame, the Rawland rSogn is a great deal. There are many happy owners who ride long brevets on these bikes. The Chasing Mailboxes couple each have one. Chris Kostman of AdventureCORPS has one and it is his favourite bike. And here is another owner's in-depth review.




Jon's Rawland

And of course there is Jon, this particular bicycle's owner. Jon is only a little taller than I am and does not have the bike set up in a particularly aggressive manner. But according to his riding buddies, he is super fast on it. Jon has other bicycles, but the Rawland rSogn is his favourite - both for commuting and for brevets. Last year he completed a good chunk of the Boston Brevet Series on this bike, and hopes to do more, longer ones this year. He also rides quite a bit off road, and his rSogn turns into a mountain bike when fitted with fat knobby tires.




As usually happens with bicycles I am excited about, there is too much information to fit into a post without making it ridiculously long. If you have any specific questions, please ask and I am sure a number of owners reading this will be glad to give you feedback. My sincere thanks to Jon for being so nice and loaning me his bike. It is doing well here and making new friends. Full set of pictures here!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger - 1921

The 12th Annual reunion of the Phend - Fisher families was held at the home of John Ernest at Elkhart. The morning was spent in a social way and at noon a basket dinner was served, after which a short business session was held and the following officers elected for the ensuing year.

Henry Phend. Pres.
Jacob Phend. Vice Pres.
Christ Phend. Treas.
Fred Ernest. Sec.

It was decided by vote that the next annual reunion would be held at the home of Henry Phend. Columbia City, Ind on the 1st Sunday in September.

Fred Ernest,Sec.


The Phend-Fisher families gathered for a reunion in Elkhart County, Indiana almost annually from 1909 until 1943. Usually held at Nappanee, the events of the day were recorded in an old ledger book. Spelling has been retained as it was in the original though some punctuation and paragraph breaks have been added. To view all articles in this series click on the "Phend-Fisher Reunion Ledger" label at the bottom of this post.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

A Most Excellent Adventure :: Humpback Whales!

Friday, August 27th - - On my way to Juneau on the Alaska Ferry on Wednesday several people offered their opinions on the best tours there. The overwhelming consensus was that the Tracy Arm Cruise to the Sawyer Glaciers with the Adventure Bound was the absolute best. So the first thing I did when I got to Juneau was to stop by their office, which was very easy to find, and make my reservation.

Our cruise was aboard the little boat on the left, which is owned by Steve and Winona Weber. Steve is also the Captain of the boat and he promised us it was going to be a great day – especially since it was his birthday!

Departure was right on time at eight o'clock. Not quite filled to capacity there were about 40 passengers onboard. As you can see, it was another cloudy-gray day and we all had our fingers crossed just hoping that it would not rain.

Because of the overcast skies, the first portion of the cruise was a little dreary. The clouds generally covered the mountain tops, or rather they hovered over them and everything was rather grayish and dull looking. Some of us would occasionally go outside for a little while but when the boat was moving at full speed it was very cold.

Not quite an hour into the cruise, Captain Steve made a sharp turn to starboard (right) and broadcast over the loudspeaker that whales had been sighted. He went on to say that he usually doesn't stop for whale sightings on the way to the glaciers but that these were too good to pass by.

Everyone was excited. We couldn't see them in front of us yet but could tell that the Captain was excited too. After what seemed like a long time, but in actuality was only about 15 minutes, the boat slowed down. Still in the distance up ahead we could see three whales spouting off. Wondering why he didn't go closer, we were directed to look to the right and there was a pod of seven Humpback whales – and they weren't very far away! We had all been so intent on looking at what was ahead of us that no one had seen the second group of whales.

They were amazing. After about ten minutes they disappeared beneath the surface of the water. When they resurfaced, Steve moved closer towards them. The first group of three that we had seen had moved south while these seven were going north. Then we saw another group of three coming towards us. Several times the whales went beneath the surface and each time Steve went after them. At one time the whales were quite close to the boat. It was so much fun watching them. It was incredible. None of the whales breached – jumped up out of the water – but they were so cool to watch. Everyone was on the outside decks, moving around, trying to get the best shot. You could feel the excitement.

Three in a row.
Going down.
They were so close together! One spouting and another going down.
They were coming right towards us! But they turned before they got closer.
Three of them together.
A few more tail flips...

Then there were at least four of them together!
Huge and amazing!
And then they were gone... Awesome!
We spent about half an hour with the whales and when they came up the last time they were way, way off in the distance. Steve turned the boat around and we resumed our journey to the glaciers. It was one of those “WOW” moments (many times over). Talking with several other passengers, one of them made the comment that nothing could top that! But he was to be proven wrong...

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Tree Burl


A burl is a large knot that has formed on a tree on the trunk or on a branch. It is formed when the tree is slightly injured or damaged in some way usually by the wind, or a break or cut in the bark, or by insect damage; and it is nature's way of putting a bandage on the wound. But the burl keeps growing with the tree and some of those in the northwest are huge. Here is a large one that had been cut off of the tree and was displayed near the beach at Seaside, Oregon

Monday, August 9, 2010

Adios, Big Sky Country

And this is why they call it Big Sky Country!
The Crazy Mountains, dwarfed by the sky and clouds.

You may have noticed that things have been rather quiet here at Kinexxions. I've been busy with the photo project, which I'm happy to say has been completed. In the process I was able to free-up over 55gb of hard drive space on the netbook and have sent an external drive with all of the photos to a friend for safekeeping.

The ladies at the library have been very nice, helpful and friendly. The wifi has been wonderful and it is greatly appreciated. I've spent a couple hours there every day that it has been open.

Sadly, I haven't done as much sightseeing here as I would have liked. Which means that I'll probably have to come back... which wouldn't be a bad thing, it has been VERY NICE here. The weather has been pretty good. Most days there has been sunshine. In the evenings it seems to get a little cloudy. There have been a couple of rainy days, but not an all-day rain. Temperatures have been very pleasant – in the upper 70s and lower 80s with a couple of days in the low 90s.

The van has been emptied and cleaned and a few things were discarded giving me a little space for some of the things I'll need for the next portion of the journey. I'll be leaving here Sunday morning and heading North... through Canada and into Alaska!

Yes, Alaska! A place I've wanted to go to for a very long time... my friends Sue and Fred (the same folks who got me down into the Grand Canyon) notified me less than a month ago that they had added Alaska to their fall trip. I took advantage of their generous offer to join them anywhere along their journey so we're going to meet at Denali National Park for several days then go down to the Kenai Peninsula for a few days. I'll be spending additional time in that area while they head on over to the Inner Passage to Haines, Skagway, and Juneau. I'll be going there too, just not at the same time. And so, this is why I haven't done much sightseeing here in Montana! I've been spending a great deal of time at the library looking up information about activities and making reservations. There is so much to see and do! It is overwhelming.

I'm excited but nervous at the same time. It is a long drive but from what I've read, the roads through Canada and into Alaska are similar to our secondary roads here in the lower 48 so I'm not overly concerned about that aspect of the trip. It is just a very, very long ways away...

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Not One, Not Two, Not Three, but Four of Them!

My apologies in advance. This is going to be a very long post. I thought about making it into four separate posts but the information seemed “fractured” that way. It has helped me to compile this “report” and to see all of the information together in one spot. It is my hope that it may help others in sorting out the Switzer families of Columbiana County. If you are a descendant of any of these fellows, please contact me at kinexxions@gmail.com and let me know how you are related. I'd love to hear from you, especially if you have any documentation to prove or disprove my theories.



In my previous post The Three Jacob Switzers I identified three men by the name of Jacob Switzer who lived in Columbiana County, Ohio at the same time. I was having a bit of a problem deciphering the census records for 1820, 1830 and 1840 as they didn't seem to make sense in regards to what little information I had. It appeared that families were being enumerated in townships that were different from where their land was located – and they were! The Ohio Tax Lists added somewhat to my confusion. As it turns out there were actually FOUR Jacob Switzers in the county but only three living there at any one time during those years.



A “breakthrough” of sorts came with an application for First Families of Ohio on Jacob Switzer who married Polly (Mary) Skelton and also with the Estate File of the “other” Jacob who was the same age as “my” Jacob.



As a recap, with corrections, and adding the fourth Jacob (he's actually #3), here are the “players” involved.

  1. Jacob Switzer, born February 28, 1761 and died October 27, 1841. His wife was named Elizabeth (maiden name possibly Hoke and possibly married February 19, 1786).

  2. Jacob Switzer, born January 4, 1788 and died November 2, 1859. He married Catherine “Caty” Brinker on February 26, 1811. [This is my family. I am descended through their daughter Elizabeth who married Jacob Yarian.]

  3. Jacob Switzer, born December 25, 1794 and died August 29, 1849. He married Polly Skelton January 11, 1816. He is in Columbiana County by 1817 and is gone by 1830.

  4. Jacob Switzer, born November 8, 1788 and died March 25, 1859. His wife was Catharina Mummert. He appears in Columbiana County in 1830.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

The Ohio Tax Lists for 1816-1838 at FamilySearch were downloaded and compiled into a spreadsheet. (In the land description, R=Range, T=Township, S=Section.) It should be noted that the spelling of the surname in these records was usually Switzer, but occasionally Switser or Schwitzer.



The Tax Lists were then compared to the Deed Records and abstractions that I obtained in June while at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City as well as some Deed Records that were viewed and abstracted earlier this month at the Recorders Office in Lisbon, Ohio.



Comparing the information from the Tax Lists, Deed Records, and Census Records I came up with some semblance of an idea of who lived where and the makeup of their respective families. In three out of four cases, Deed Records and Estate Records were instrumental in the identification of family members, though not necessarily all of their family members. For various reasons, for this initial analysis, I chose not to rely on the various online family trees for these families, especially those for the elder Jacob Switzer, which are numerous and for the most part sourceless.



=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

From 1816-1831 Jacob Switzer (#1) was taxed on 156 acres in the NE ¼ R3 T15 S25 (Salem Twp). Patent Certificate 883 was issued to Jacob Switzer of Jefferson County, Ohio for this land in 1804. The final certificate number 1976 was issued in 1808. In 1832 this land was sold by Jacob and Elizabeth to Daniel Switzer, presumed to be a son, with provisions, which were quite interesting. I may have a future post on that transaction.



Jacob and Elizabeth had another parcel of 20 acres in the SW ¼ of R3 T15 S23 (Salem Twp) which they purchased in 1812 from Baltzer Kulp and sold in 1820 to John Pepple.



Census records show that Jacob and Elizabeth lived in Salem Township.

  • 1820 p65: Jacob Switzer with one male 16-25, one male 45 and over, one female 10-15, two females 16-25, one female 26-44 and one female 45 and over.

  • 1830 p435: Jacob Swetser with one male 60-69, one female 40-49, one female 60-69

  • 1840 p116: Jacob Switzer with one male 70-79 and one female 70-79

Making the assumption that all those listed are children of Jacob and Elizabeth, their family may have included, among others (keep in mind they were reportedly married in 1786, and if so, there are likely more children):

  • one male born 1795-1804

  • one female 1805-1810

  • two females 1795-1804

  • one female 1776-1794

  • one female 1781-1790

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

From 1820-1838 Jacob Switzer (#2) was taxed on 213 acres of land in the SE ¼ of R2 T12 S12 (Fairfield Twp). This was the land that Jacob's wife Catherine inherited from her father, Andrew Brinker, who was the original proprietor. As I understand it, Andrew had deeded this land, as well as various lands to his other children, some years before his death as mentioned in his will. Numerous Quit Claim deeds were recorded in 1832 between and to each of the heirs. (Yes, future posts!) Jacob and Catherine owned this land until 1849 when they sold it to Thomas McCoy.



Apparently, Jacob and Catherine did not live on the land in Fairfield Township the entire time until it was sold. In 1838 they purchased 80 acres in the south half of the NE ¼ of R3 T15 S33 (Salem Twp) from John Froth. They sold the Salem Township land to their son-in-law Daniel Deemer in 1847, with specific provisions and a little twist, which will of course be the subject of a future post.



The final account found in Jacob's probate file listed four daughters as heirs. Biographies of several family members indicated that Jacob and Catharine did not have any sons. Based on that premise, I believe this family in 1820 in Centre Township (p83) is the right family. I have no idea why they would be listed in Centre Township but Andrew Brinker (Jacob's father-in-law) was also enumerated there on the last line of the previous page and his lands were also in Fairfield Township. It's possible that he also owned land in Centre Township but I haven't reviewed his records yet.

  • Jacob Switzer with one male 26-44, three females under 10, and one female 26-44.

Even though there is a male age 20-29 included in this family in 1830 in Fairfield Township (p345) I'm pretty sure it is the family of Jacob #2. The 20-29 year old male is most likely a hired hand or other relative, possibly even a brother.

  • Indexed as Jacob Smither with a correction to Jacob Switzer: one male 20-29, one male 40-49, one female under 5, one female 5-9, two females 10-14, one female 15-19, and one female 40-49

The 1840 (p118) and 1850 (p14) census records show the family residing in Salem Township, probably on the land that was purchased in 1838.

  • 1840: Jacob Switzer with one male 50-59, one female 10-14, one female 15-19, and one female 50-59

  • 1850: Jacob Switzer, 65, Farmer, Real Estate valued at $1700, born Pa. with Catharine A. Switzer, 65, born Pa. [Note: The Daniel Deemer family is listed immediately following Jacob.]

Again, disregarding that one male age 20-29 in 1830, the family of Jacob and Catherine (Brinker) Switzer seems to have consisted of:

  • one female 1826-1830 [Susan born abt 1826]

  • one female 1821-1825 [Sarah born 1823 and died 1842]

  • two females 1816-1820 [Elizabeth born September 1815 and Rebecca born abt 1820]

  • one female 1811-1815 [Barbara born abt 1814]

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

In the 1819 Tax List, Jacob Switzer (#3) is taxed on 50 acres in the SE ¼ of R5 T16 S14 (West Twp). He purchased the land in 1817. In 1824 Jacob Switzer and Polly, his wife, sold the land. I have no idea why he is in the tax lists only in the year 1819. The deed for this transaction was included in the First Families of Ohio application along with information that stated that Jacob came to Ohio in 1815. After selling the land in Columbiana County, Jacob and Polly moved to Wayne County, Ohio and settled in Orange Township, which became part of Richland County which later became part of Ashland County.



Although enumerated in Fairfield Township in 1820 (p62) I believe that this is Jacob and Polly Switzer, even though their land was located in West Township. The family makeup more closely resembles what was found in the First Families of Ohio application.

  • Jacob Switzer with one male under 10, one male 26-44, two females under 10, and one female 26-44. There was also one Foreigner not naturalized.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Jacob Switzer (#2 or #4 ?) was taxed on 80 acres in the W ½ of the SW ¼ of R2 T12 S16 (Fairfield Twp) from 1830 to 1838. Jacob was issued a Patent in 1833 from the state of Ohio (given the year it was probably the date the final certificate was issued). I did not find a record of the sale of this land in the grantor index going up to the year 1897, therefore I cannot conclusively state which Jacob owned this land. And even if I had found a record of the sale by Jacob I may not have been able to determine which one it was – they both had a wife named Catherine!





Above is a portion of the image from the 1837 Property Tax List for Fairfield Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. It shows two listings for Jacob Switzer (2nd and 3rd from the bottom) with the second entry being “Do” for ditto. I know for sure that the 213 acres in R2 T12 S12 was owned by “my” Jacob (#2). If I'm reading this correctly (and I could be wrong), the 3rd column from the right indicates that there was a house on the property in Section 12, while there was none on the 79 acres in Section 16.



In the years 1830-1838 the tax lists show the two properties on the same page usually consecutively as shown above and in each case there is no value in that column 3rd from the right.





This is the upper half of the 1841 Atlas (referenced below) that shows “Switzer” in Section 12 (to the right of the “2” in 12 on the right side of the map) and “J.S.” in Section 16 (above and to the left of the “R” in Fairfield).



If Section 16 was also owned by Jacob #2, then where was the land located that was owned by Jacob #4? He obviously had land somewhere... the 1850 census (see below) shows that he had Real Estate valued at $2400 while Jacob #2 had Real Estate valued at $1700. The land records noted thus far are the only ones I found for “Jacob Switzer” during this time period.



The “Combined Atlas of Columbiana County 1841-1860” published by the Columbiana County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society in 1984 (compiled from previously published works) shows that in 1861 the 79 acres in the W ½ of the SW ¼ of Section 16 were owned by “Keyser.” Obviously, I've got a little more work to do in regards to this land.



=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Jacob Switzer #4 did not show up in Columbiana County until 1830 and then he is listed in the census records for Fairfield Township from 1830 through 1850.

  • 1830 (p353): Jacob Switzer with one male under 5, two males 5-9, two males 10-14, one male 40-49, two females under 5, one female 5-9, one female 10-14, one female 15-19, and one female 40-49

  • 1840 (p229): Jacob Switzer with one male 10-14, one male 15-19, one male 50-59, two females 5-9, one female 10-14, one female 15-19, one female 50-59

  • 1850 (family 492): Jacob Switzer, 61, Farmer, Real Estate valued at $2400, born Penn. with Catharine Switzer, 61, born Penn, and Anna, 21, Sophia, 18, and Lydia A., 16, all three born Ohio.

The family of Jacob and Catherina Mummert Switzer seems to have consisted of at least:

  • one male 1826-1830

  • two males 1821-1825

  • two males 1816-1820

  • two females 1826-1830 [Anna born 1829 + one other]

  • one female 1821-1825 [Sophia born 1822 and Lydia born 1824]

  • one female 1816-1820

  • one female 1811-1815

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

In addition to the four Jacobs there were other Switzers in the tax lists for Columbiana County: John 1820-1838 with several properties in Elkrun Township, Martin 1829-1838 with various properties in Elkrun, Fairfield and Salem Townships, and Daniel 1830-1838 in Salem Township (the land purchased from Jacob and Elizabeth). They were also recorded in the census records for the county.



=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Do John, Martin and Daniel fit into the family equation? If so, how? Are they sons of Jacob and Elizabeth?



All three of the younger Jacob Switzers are of the right age to be a son of the elder Jacob and his wife Elizabeth. Is one of them their son? If so, which one?



=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

See Switzer Families :: Index to Posts for additional information on the Switzer Families of Columbiana County, Ohio.



Friday, August 6, 2010

Kautz Glacier, Muir Snowfield, and Access

One of the neat things about this site is that climbers (just like you) send me their route reports and photos. Thankfully, Nick Bratton sent some information on the Kautz Glacier route. At the same time, Brent McGregor also contributed a few great photos (including this nice one of Mount St. Helens). Also worth noting is Ian Litmans' update on the Disappointment Cleaver. If you're up on the hill and want to share your stories or photos, definitely drop me a note with your thoughts.

Those visiting Camp Schurman will find one of the most scenic high camp toilets on the continent (seriously)! Why? The toilet door has blown away (3 times this year) leaving the user an unobstructed view of the Winthrop Glacier, Seattle and Puget Sound. Be prepared, however, the spacious decor potentially comes with blowing snow and wind as you take that personal break. We hope to get this problem resolved this weekend, but in the meantime, enjoy the view.

For those more concerned with access issues, here is the round up:

The Sunrise Road will open this Friday, June 15th. Paradise shuttles will resume this Friday (June 15th) too. If you can't get a parking spot near the Jackson Visitor Center, you may want to consider this free shuttle service. And over on HWY 123, a contract to repair the road has been awarded. The state highway should re-open by mid-October. There is even a chance that it will open to "one lane of traffic" sometime this summer, so stay tuned.

Southside aerial by Mike Gauthier (6-13), centered on the Nisqually Glacier and Fuhrer Finger route.