Cruising Kenai Fjords

Two days in a row without rain was, apparently, too much to ask. It began raining once again shortly after leaving Homer on Sunday morning. We drove about 180 miles, north then east, to the seaside town of Seward on the northeast side of the Kenai Peninsula. The skies cleared a little towards evening, as it had done the previous few days, but the rain continued.

And yet another rainy day dawned on Monday (August 16th). We drove the short distance to the Seward Small Boat Harbor - on the agenda for the day was a cruise through the Kenai Fjords and a portion of the Kenai Fjords National Park, which is mostly inaccessible by land.

We occasionally moved in close to shore looking for otters, seals, whales and puffins.
The fog and clouds provided an eery aspect to the landscape.
For me, the highlight of the cruise was seeing Aialik Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in Alaska. It is a mile wide and extends four miles back to the Harding Ice Fields. At least I think that is what the captain of our cruise ship said. He was providing so much information that it was not easily absorbed if you weren't paying close attention, which I wasn't always doing! At this point we were still quite a ways away. The top of the glacier was hidden by the clouds and fog and chunks of ice were not yet visible in the water.

This little boat was about half a mile away from the glacier, along it's left side.
The Kenai Star was similar to the cruise ship Tanaina, which we were on. The smaller boat on the right is the same one as in the previous photo only it has now moved across to the right side of the glacier.

Towards the end of our short stay, the fog lifted briefly so that we could actually see the top of the glacier. Quite a few chunks of ice fell off (calved) while we were there. The sound when they broke away was awesome, rather like really loud, close thunderclaps. Not rolling thunder, but quick, short bursts. And it was pure luck if you got a good shot of the glacier calving (I didn't).

The Kenai Star is pulling away from the glacier. It is difficult to comprehend the massiveness of this glacier, even with boats in the picture.

Despite the rain and cloudy, foggy, overcast skies, the cruise was quite enjoyable. We saw several Sea Otters leisurely floating on the surface of the water, as well as some Harbor Seals and Steller Sea Lions. Several Humpback Whales were sighted and I saw one of them spouting water and got a glimpse of its body and tail fin as it was diving below the surface. There was also a mountain goat high up on a mountainside. Pictures were taken but most of them are either out of focus or so far away that the subject can't be distinguished from the water! Weather conditions were horrible!

Steller Sea Lions resting on the rocks.
We saw this black bear on the beach, not far from where a group of campers had their tents set up. They hadn't yet noticed the bear and one of the campers was waving back at us while we were trying to point out the bear to him.

The camper didn't have a clue there was any danger until one of the other campers finally saw the bear when it crossed over the top of the rocks. Luckily, for the campers, it headed straight into the forest.

Yes, the weather was awful (Have I said that before?), but our table-mates were a nice couple from Massachusetts and we had a good time talking with them and sharing adventures during the 8.5 hour cruise. The tour included a dinner of grilled Salmon and Prime Rib at Fox Island, and that was pretty good too!

Native orchids

Scouting around one day the first winter we moved here, we found what we later identified as Puttyroot Orchid leaves. They're easy to find in the winter, or at least easier than in the summer when they bloom. I thought so anyway, until we started trying to find them again.

We found lots of Cranefly Orchids (Tipularia discolor) instead.


Like the Puttyroots, the Cranefly Orchid leaves remain green throughout the winter. Sometimes they have a few bumps or none at all.


Most of the time they have several.


The underside of the leaf is purple.

The Cranefly Orchid is fairly common. I was happy to find them, but it wasn't what I'd been looking for.

We searched and searched in vain.

I couldn't find them in the area where I thought I'd seen them before. I was ready to give up. Then of course we found them somewhere else.


Several Puttyroot Orchids (Aplectrum hyemale) all together!


The leaf in winter feels dry like parchment.


The back side is green.

The blooms of these orchids are nothing to write home about, I suppose. They bloom in the summer, and this time I made note of their locations so I can find them again when the woods are dense.

The Shell Shoot off, mano mano

A couple of months ago I started a project that has grown into a much bigger gorillathan anything I have done beforeon the blog.



A month ago I made my intentions public to do a side by side comparison of the newest high tech shells/jackets that I find most appropriate to my style of climbing...which is generally cold, not wet.



Once the blog readers got interested in that post, so did a few of the clothing companies. And even more gear showed up at my door.



This all started becauseI have been so impressed with the Neoshell Apoc by Westcomb that was given to me as a writer's sample. The Apocwas free so I figure if it is good as I think it is, no problemdoing side by side tests against all comers. The first side by side was with a MarmotHyper jacket. Those reviews were posted to the blog earlier in the year.



But with so many hard shell, soft shell, stretchy jackets available today I had to do more. Polartec is the culprit here producing all sorts of fabrics that make some amazing garments to climb in. Think Shoeller on steroids when you think Polartec. Not sure if I hate them or love them yet but I know they are costing me and the rest of those involved some seriouscoin. More on that in a minute.



I don't want to spoil all the fun for the field test so I'll just give you some high lights. First there will be three of us using all thejackets over a 4 day period. We'll be carryingat least3 jacketsa piece and we'll rotateover the trip so everyone gets into every jacket. Hopefully thiswill include some decent climbing and at least onegood day's walk. But I am still not sure just how many jackets we will be taking.



Besides myself, Doug Klewin, well known for the 1st complete of the North Buttress of Mt Hunter will be giving all the gear a once over. As willlong time UK alpine climber and Chamonix resident Lee Clark. Both better climbers than I and maybe even more critical of gear. Our comparisons and opinions of like gear should be really interesting.



There are a number of things we'll be field testing on just this one trip that I will eventually write up as well, crampons, ice tools, helmets, new gloves, sleeping pads, packs, boots, approach shoes,and more clothing among them. But that will have to wait for now.



The jackets I havecurrently for the field tests and reviews are:



Outdoor Research's AXIOM jacket cut froma stretch water proof breathable version of*Gore-Tex’s Active Shell* 13.7oz Large



Westcomb'sAPOC jacket cut fromPolartec's stretch waterproof breathable *NeoShell* 17.4oz XL



Marmot's HYPER jacket cut fromstretch waterproof breathable technology, *MemBrain® Strata 100% Nylon Stretch* 13.4oz XL



Patagonia's KNIFEBLADE pullover made with*Polartec Power Shield Pro*20.8 XL



Eddie Bauer's FRONTPOINT jacket that isnow discontinued, ahybrid of hard shell and soft shell technology. 17.8oz Large



Mountain Hardware's DRYSTEIN jacketcut fromtheirstretch, water proof, breathable *Dry Q Elite* 18.7 oz XL



Arc'teryx VENTA HOODY in *Gore Wind Stopper* 22.9 oz XL



Arcteryx SQUAMISH pullover•Gossamera™—100% Nylon ripstop fabric with water repellant coating

5.6oz XL





Arcteryx SQUAMISH pulloverin use



A few more may yet show up before we take off. If they do we'll give them a fair shake as well. Interesting to me when I explained what I was planning and what I wanted to test, several manufactures wanted me to test garments I didn't think suitable to judged side by side with the original coregroup. I took all comers any way and added a few of my own (at my expense) because I think it will make a better side by side comparison.



I am likely more interested in the results of our little field test than you are! Other weight comparisons can be made here:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//04/weights.html



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//02/useful-metric-weight-comparisons.html

Bike on the T: a Mini Adventure

A couple of days ago I happened to visit a bike shop in downtown Boston and the owner had an interesting bicycle in the back - very unusual to see in the US. I commented on it, and he uttered this fateful reply: "Oh this thing? Take it, please!Get it out of here!" And he made me an offer I could not refuse - dared not refuse. Before I knew it, I was standing by the Boston Harbor with the bike, grinning like a madwoman at my unexpected acquisition.



But once the euphoria subsided, the reality of it hit. Missing a saddle, seatpost and front brake, the bike was not ridable and I lived 4 miles away. There was no way I was rolling it all the way home. It was time to try the dreaded "bike on the T." I had heard horror stories about it from others, but now I would find out for myself.





In Boston, bikes areallowed on the subwayon weekdays before 7am, between 10am and 4pm, and after 7pm. It was now 3pm, so I was just in the nick of time before the evening rush hour ban.I walked the bike to South Station and looked for an entrance that indicated the presence of an elevator. I could not find one, and rather than try every single entrance decided to carry the bike down the stairs. It was on the heavy side, but easy to hold by the top tube - overall, not too bad.





Once underground, I headed for the extra-wide handicapped entrance, slid my "Charlie card" along the electronic reader, and like magic I was in. The bike got a lot of looks from passers-by, and a couple of people asked me sympathetically whether my saddle had been stolen. The station was not too crowded, and rolling the bike along did not present any difficulties.





Knowing that a series of staircases awaited in order to reach the platform, this time I made it a point to look for an elevator. I found one pretty quickly.





It was a roomy elevator, with plenty of space for bikes, wheelchairs and baby strollers. I pressed the button that indicated the platform I needed to get to, then disembarked when the elevator stopped at that floor.





Immediately there was a sign for the platform, but then... more stairs despite having taken the elevator! It is possible that I did something wrong, but the elevator did indicate that this was the correct place to disembark. Confusing, though I was fine carrying the bike down some more stairs.





Finally I was at the platform, waitingwith a decent-sized crowd of othersfor the train to arrive. I began to strategise: I would try to enter so as to get in the corner of the car, where I could stay close to the door and have some space. As the train pulled up, I could see that some of the cars were emptier than others, and quickly walked toward one of those.





As planned, I was able to get into the corner of the car and stay close to the door. There was even an empty seat, and I positioned the bike in front of me at an angle, so that the people in the seats next to me could come and go without the bike blocking their way. The ride was bumpy, and I wedged the front wheel between my knees in addition to holding the bike, to keep it stable. The other passengers steered clear of the bike and did not bump it or brush up against it, which was nice (whenI mentioned this to the Co-Habitant later, he suggested they were probably afraid to get their clothes dirty - the bike looked filthy!). Once the train reached my station, I got up and rolled the bike backwards out of the train - not difficult as we were right by the door.





At the station, I decided not to even bother looking for an elevator and took the bike on a series of escalators.Then I rolled it home, which was a 12 minute walk.



Overall, I would describe my experience of taking a bike on the T in Boston as unproblematic. It is of course crucial to pay attention to the rules regarding which trains allow bikes and when, and to plan accordingly. If your bike is so heavy that you cannot carry it up and down stairs, I would also suggest looking at station maps beforehand to familiarise yourself with the locations of elevators; they are not always obvious. As the train arrives, keeping an eye on the cars and aiming for one of the emptier ones is a good idea, and looking for a spot in the corner of the car will ensure proximity to the doors. If you find that the car is getting crowded as your station nears, you could warn people that you are getting off at the next stop and will need to wheel your bike out. Other than that, I cannot really think of any additional advice.



In close to three years of cycling in Boston, this was my first time taking a bike on the subway and I am glad it went well. Now, to find a seatpost for this bike...

Pinched Moon

I was leaving work today when I noticed the full moon rising over the Pigeon River. The moon was so big and clear that I had to take a picture of it. This Birch tree is right behind our visitor center at work and I noticed that the moon was lining up with the tree and it looked like two fingers "pinching" the moon. Pretty cool :-)

Ijzerenleen: Champs Elysees of Mechelen

Because of my Fine Arts degree (I secretly wished I finished Economics or Business Management) I am appreciative of art and architecture.

I love creativity. During my elementary and high school years I used to be the artist of the class but nowadays I dabble in IT sales-marketing-promotion-incentive types of creativity for work. Not really the same but creativity is in the mind, in the personality and character of the person. One cannot argue that it’s in the DNA. A creative person will make creativity happen.

So anyway, while walking around Mechelen, I quickly noticed the lovely guild buildings on Ijzerenleen. They really stand out and I must take pictures of them.

Belgian (and Dutch) architecture is based on Gothic Renaissance architectural character. Belgian architecture though has more Baroque influence than the Dutch and one can see it clearly on its facade details.

Later, I found out that the locals dubbed Ijzerenleen street as the ‘Champs Elysees of Mechelen’. Hah cool! I was indeed correct with my hunches =)

On the Ijzerenleen you can find many traditional and specialty shops selling cigars to cheeses and wines. It is one of the main streets that leads to the Grote Markt or the big main square.

Dressed Up and Ready to Go

Marianne's new handlebars are now wrapped, twined and shellacked. You can see that the bars do not look quite so wide and wing-like once they have been wrapped.

The hand position is similar to a classic mountain bike position - but achieved more elegantly. I feel that I have a lot more control with these bars than I did with the drops, and now cycling in traffic on this bicycle is no longer an issue - even though I am not any more upright now than I was when I had my hands on top of the drop bars. This must mean that the fear I previously had of riding the bike in traffic had more to do with balancing and braking than with being hunched over.

From a utilitarian standpoint, the best thing about the new set-up are the brakes. The new Shimano levers have made them the best functioning brakes I have on any of my bicycles. I cycled all around town and on some trails yesterday, and the experience of riding this bike has been completely transformed for the better. I am so thankful to Open Bicycle in Somerville, Mass. for the wonderful job they did on this. They did not just replace parts, but worked with me to "troubleshoot" and design the new set-up based on the problems I was having with the old one. Those guys know what they are doing.

French Experiments Continue: Belleville Handlebars and Inverse Brake Levers

Spare bicycle parts, a restless spirit, and a willing "guinea pig" can make for a dangerous combination. In her latest reincarnation, Marianne sports VO Belleville handlebars and Dia Compe inverse brake levers - a practice run to determine how a similar set-up would feel on the Royal H. mixte.



Here are the bars and levers in all of their French glory - on a Motobecane mixte with an Ideale saddle.



The Belleville handlebars are similar to the Porteur handlebars shown here. Both are a classic style of upright bars found on vintage French city bicycles. These bars are narrow, with long gripping areas that are nearly parallel to each other - placing the rider's hands in a position similar to holding a tray. The Bellevilles are 5cm narrower than the Porteurs (43cm vs 48cm) and are completely straight across the front (whereas the Porteurs have a slight forward sweep).



It is typical to see handlebars like this fitted with inverse brake levers. My assumption is that this is done to maximise the gripping area of the bars. Because the levers are installed at the ends, there are no interruptions along the handlebar's surface and the cyclist is free to move their hands pretty much along the entire bar.



The inverse brake levers you will find today are most likely either Tektro or Dia Compe. Here I have installed the latter, and you can see that their brown rubbery tips go nicely with twined handlebars. It surprised me to learn that some dislike the Dia Compes because of the brown tips and prefer the Tektro levers instead - which are all-metal. To me, the rubbery surface felt nice, but I suppose it isa matter of personal preference. If you have used either of these levers, I'd like to hear your thoughts.



Braking with inverse levers. I have found that I am able to get pretty good leverage almost no matter where I hold my hand along the bar, with the exception of the very front.



Can't brake from here, near the corners. But if I move my hands 1-2 inches back, it will work. This set-up is amazingly versatile in terms of the hand positions it allows.



The inverse levers are set back from the bars far enough so that they do not interfere with the grip. You can see in the pictures that they are nowhere near my knuckles. Truly a neat design.



If you are curious about this type of French set up, both the bars and the levers are surprisingly inexpensive. You will like them if you are a fan of narrow handlebars, and if you prefer to hold your hands to the sides rather than flared out or straight in front of you. I certainly fit that description, so both the Belleville and the Porteur handlebars feel as if they were made just for me. The super-wide Albatross bars were comfortable enough, but with the Bellevilles and the Porteurs I get that "spot on!" feeling. I also think that they are better match for French bicycles - especially for the Motobecane's aggressive handling.



I will pause and confess here, that this is the last change I will be making to Marianne...because she no longer belongs to me. Yes, I did sell her after all - to a lovely local woman whose acquaintance I had the pleasure of making this morning. Riding the Motobecane with the French handlebars and inverse levers yesterday, I finally felt that this bicycle was "perfect" and experienced a calm sense of satisfaction - not dissimilar to how I feel when a painting is finally "finished" or when a photograph looks just right. And after that, it finally felt appropriate to let her go. I hope the new owner enjoys her as much as I hope to enjoy my Royal H. mixte - which I will most definitely fit with a similar handlebar set-up.



Oh - and if anybody wants someNitto Albatross bars (the alloy version) or VO Milan bars, drop me a line. Thankfully, I have no more "spare" bicycles to put them on.

Cycling in Lower Manhattan

I am in New York City for a few days, with all sorts of nice cycling people who have gathered here for the New Amsterdam Show this weekend and the Bobbin Bicycles/ Adeline Adeline party last night. One of the first familiar faces I encountered was the beautiful Julie, of the Julie blog. This lady works in the fashion industry and rides all over the city on her white and pink Linus loop frame named Kate Middleton... which I think speaks for itself: Cycling in New York has certainly become more accessible over the past few years.






On my way down here on the train I realised that I had not been to the city since maybe - which is almost 4 years ago now. I have to confess that I don't love New York. It's not that I hate it. I just fail to see the magic and romance in it that everyone gushes about. Maybe it's because my family briefly lived in Washington Heights at a time when it was anything but romantic and my impressions are forever coloured by those childhood memories. Whatever the reason, I just see New York as a very large, very crowded city where you have to watch yourself despite all the art galleries and coffee shops and lofts and trendy boutiques that have popped up in neighbourhoods that used to be considered "dangerous."






And despite hearing about all the new cycling infrastructure here, I couldn't easily picture myself riding through the streets of New York, at least not right away. What about the dense traffic? The notoriously aggressive drivers? Walking from Penn Station to Tribeca it was hard to imagine myself sharing these busy streets on two wheels.





But an hour later I was doing exactly that - on a beautiful Retrovelo, courtesy of Adeline Adeline. While my travel radius was mostly limited to lower Manhattan, it was still a surprise to experience how relatively easy riding in the city has become.





I started out on the West Side Highway bicycle path, which is quite impressive. The 5.5 mile stretch of major road along the Hudson River has a protected greenway running through it the entire way, with somewhat frequent but well designed interruptions where bicycles even get their own green light.






The lanes are wide, allowing bicyclists to pass pedestrians and each other if need be. Cyclists were courteous and used their bells. Pedestrians behaved predictably. With views of the city ahead and views of the river alongside, it is a great path.





Many of the piers in this are have been renovated and developed with all sorts of little restaurants an recreational complexes. The weather was pretty terrible on Thursday afternoon - heavily overcast skies and cold temperatures - but there were lots of people strolling along the piers and enjoying their day.





One great thing about New York City, is that no one found it strange at all when I would stop to photograph the bike. In Boston passers-by will sometimes comment how wacky it is that I am standing there and taking close-ups of a bicycle, but here no one batted an eye.






Having had my fill of the West Side Highway, I took to the streets. Some streets have bike lanes and others don't, but honestly I found that it did not matter hugely. The bike lanes were so frequently blocked by double parked cars and delivery vehicles that a degree of comfort with vehicular cycling was necessary regardless. There was a lot of traffic, but it was slow moving and drivers seemed accustomed to cyclists. I got honked at a couple of times, but so did everyone else around me - honking just seems to be a way of communicating here. When I needed to make a left turn and didn't change lanes early enough, a taxi driver saw my predicament and let me squeeze in ahead of him with an impatient but not unfriendly wave. Overall it was entirely manageable and not any more stressful than riding in downtown Boston.






I will not be in town long enough to experience riding in the city as a person living here would, but my Thursday afternoon jaunt was a nice introduction to cycling in New York. After 4 years away it was certainly the best "welcome back" I could have hoped for. I will eventually be posting about the New Amsterdam Show and all the other things I am doing here, and you can check my twitter feed for "live coverage" snapshots of all sorts of neat things. Have a good weekend!