Jacob Wise - Nashville Cemetery

Jacob Wise, one of my civil war ancestors, is buried in Section "J" at the National Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. I had planned on posting these pictures with my previous post on him and his family, but sometimes life gets in the way of good intentions!

The first two photos were taken in the summer of 1928 and are from my grandmother's files. Shown in the photo on the left are Grace Zinsmeister, Maude Wise Brubaker Yontz, Rose Wise Zinsmeister, and (a very faded) Hazlette Wise Burns. Rose, the youngest daughter of Jacob, whom he never saw, was born two weeks after he was drafted in October 1864. Grace, Maude and Hazlette are Jacob's granddaughters.

The photo on the left, below, is one that I took several years ago. On the right is the gravemarker that was put up at the time of the death of his wife in 1901. The stone is in Hively's Corner, now St. Matthew's Church, cemetery in Thorncreek Township, Whitley County, Indiana. The date of Jacob's death on the stone in not correct. The widow's pension records show that he died on May 17, 1865 not on May 7th.

After the Fire

This is how it looks now after a fire was stopped right here at this road through the mountains about 3 years ago. Some aspen seedlings are starting to grow and a few wildflowers but still lots of dead trees. Standing dead trees, commonly called 'widow makers' can be dangerious to walk near as you never know when one is apt to fall down. This fire had come across the top of a ridge and down into a rocky area that helped stop it as well as little rain.

Upper Meadow Project

Winter is our favorite season here in the Laurel Highlands.

Laura and I spent a wonderful snow filled day at Upper Meadow Run in Ohiopyle State Park. It was my day to pick where I wanted to work out and Laura was my belayer. I decided to spend a little time working on the project that was bolted last year. After it was equipped I spent 2 or 3 days working on it, until the pillar fell and it went out of condition. This season I've spent one day on it about a week ago, but didn't have much success. It was like being on it for the first time again. I had to refamiliarize myself with the moves, which was a workout in itself.



Here's the route description:It begins with about 15' of ice and dry tool moves to the roof. From the roof you work horizontal about 20' while moving up about 5' clipping as many bolts as you can along the way. From there you exit out the cave onto the largest free standing ice pillar and climb it to the anchors at the trees. Sounds easy enough...



I can't remember, but it takes either 6 or 7 draws and an optional ice screw. All of the draws are now prehung, except for the first and last. Its a pretty strenuous climb (at least for me) and has yet to see an ascent. Todays session went much better than the last. I managed to link the line together in about 3 goes and felt better now knowing most of the moves. Laura did a great job keeping me moving while on the route. She was giving me the encouragement only she knows how. While resting between goes, the large falling snowflakes made for an incredible view. The landscape turned white and fresh throughout the day which was a nice contrast to what started out as a drab and overcast day. Sorry "butt" our climbing shots weren't that good since it was just the two of us today. You'll have to be amused by what we did get. Happy climbing!

checking out the view

Eyes closed flipping a tool around? Not good sending technique.

Starting out into the upside down

in the middle somewhere

Exiting and happy to be on ice...

L found these critters crawling around the ice

Laura killing time between laps

Laura standing beside the pillar that the route finishes on

Laura walking back to the car after our fun day!

Notes After 40 Miles

Apparently I can go on a 40 mile ride just several days after having gone on a 36 mile ride, with shorter (12 mile) rides in between. This gives me hope that I may be able to handle consecutive longer-mile days soon.

If I pace myself, I never get out of breath and experience only anaerobic (leg muscle) strain. Oddly, cycling reminds me of yoga and pilates in this regard, which I used to do in my twenties. I had never made that connection before.

I am absolutely fine without padded cycling shorts for 40 miles. But next time I will remember to pack warmer clothes, even if it's hot when I set off.

This one was surprising: Cycling long distance is more tiring for me with a partner than alone. The Co-Habitant and I seem to have different cycling rhythms. He may disagree with this, but my impression is that he starts out going as fast as he can, then slows down when he grows tired. I am the opposite: I start slow, then gradually gain energy and speed up as the ride progresses. Still, cycling together is of course more interesting.

Cycling to a beautiful and meaningful destination is highly motivating; the feeling of exploring holds my interest. I think I am ready for 50 miles. But where to?

More Orchids

Been trying different locations, lights, and shadows on the orchids I got recently. Here are a few.

Madrid tapas walking lunch: Iberico bellota ham, grilled octopus, smoked salmon, oysters and anchovy

Blondine and I succumb to our gastronomic desires on our first day in Madrid.




We had late lunch at the Mercado de San Miguel. The gourmet market was packed, and I mean elbow to elbow PACKED while ordering during lunch period (12:00 – 16:00). It was a bit overwhelming for us because we visited the place in the morning and it was quite busy but the crowds were nowhere near the size as during lunch time.




What I loved about this place is it’s like a walking tapas fast food utopia. We hopped from one delicious food stand to another with our wines in our hands and we ate as we went along. I pigged out big time. See the shameful proof below:




For starters, we had grilled octopus on a toast and I had smoked salmon with almond on a toast as well. Blondine's other starter was a sardine (not in foto).




Paired with fresh special sorlut oysters and a glass of chilled chardonnay. Blondine had another toast with ham on top as well (not in foto).




Yours truly, the glutton.




We walked to the seafood stand and ordered a plate of grilled octopus sprinkled with paprika and sizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Blondine and I shared this.




After our chardonnays were done, we decided to go red. This time a Rioja.




We ordered the Rolls-Royce of all Spanish ham, the bellota. Here is the server busy carving our bellota ham.




Bellota means acorns because these select swines are only fed with it. This is just heaven. 100 grams costs almost 20 Euros. We shared this as well.




For my dessert, since I am not a sweet tooth type, I settled for an olive wrapped with an anchovy and topped with green pepper.




Verdict: 5 stars!




I am going back to Spain next week (but not Madrid though) so I can’t wait to eat tapas again, and perhaps bring home stuff as well =)

Heatwave Climbing

Longmire may still be a snowy icebox (3-4 feet of snow in some places and cool down-valley...katabatic... winds) but the upper mountain hasn't been. On Thursday and Friday nights, the low at Camp Muir "dipped" (!) to a balmy 50 degrees. Former climbing ranger and famed speed climber Chad Kellogg found a sea of slush on his way to Camp Muir. Chad left Paradise around midnight (60 degrees) using (needing) snowshoes to plow through snow on the Muir Snowfield. I've posted a photo and an upated description of the Disappointment Cleaver on the Updated Route Conditions page.

Under bright sunny skies, the newly remodeled Paradise Inn reopened without a hitch (TNT) last Friday. The only complaint that I heard was that somehow, they forgot to reinstall the historically significant "Glacier Lounge". What, no bar?! Other than that, the new floors look pretty darn good and everyone was happy.

An evening in Duluth

Duluth is a beautiful city, and whenever I come to Duluth (if I have the time) I do the good "tourist" thing and make a stop at Canal Park. My brother and I have some appointments tomorrow, but we decided to come down tonight so we could see a movie and not be so rushed tomorrow. As we came into town we noticed an ore boat out on the lake, heading towards the ship canal. We decided to check in quickly at our hotel then go to Canal Park to watch the ship come through.



When we got to Canal Park, it looked like the ship's passing was going to be timed perfectly with the setting sun. However, the ship was moving so slowly that by the time it entered the canal the sun had gone down and the ship was no longer in that nice, warm evening light. Oh well! I still snapped a few pictures as it went through. The image below was shot with my 17mm lens, which allowed me to fit the whole ship in the frame at close range, but also distorted the look a little bit.



After hanging out at Canal Park for a little while longer, we went to see the new "X-Men" movie. When the movie was over, we took a walk along the harbor past the Vista dock, and I took a few pictures along the way. I loved the reflections in the water in the image below:

Clipless Pedals on a Fixed Gear

For the final phase of my transition to clipless pedals, I've now installed them on my fixed gear roadbike. I knew that clipless would be trickier on fixed gear than on a freewheel bike, since you have to clip in and out while continuing to turn the pedals.I expected to have two specific problems: getting my left foot clipped in once I got going (I start with the right), and unclipping. For obvious reasons, the latter one worried me especially: What if I could not unclipwith the pedals revolving constantly?




Now that I've done it, my impressions of the whole process are different from what I'd imagined. Clipping in my left foot is not as tricky as I thought. Yes, the pedal keeps going. But at least I no longer have to fish aroundfor a strapwith my toe as it rotates. Instead I just hang on and keep pressing into it even if the cleat doesn't engage right away; eventually it does. And clipping out is fine. Some cyclists say that they can only unclip when the pedal is in a specific position, but I guess I have been spared that problem. Sure, some positions are more awkward than others, but I can still unclip from them.




So that's the good news. The bad news, is that starting is surprisingly challenging. I guess I didn't think this part through very well ahead of time. On a freewheel bike I clip in my starting foot on the downstroke, then pull the pedal up to start. Within a fairly short amount of time, this process has already become automated. Of course on a fixed gear you can't pull the pedal up without lifting the rear wheel, which I've never managed to learn how to do. So when I try to start I nearly topple over, because I automatically try to pull up on the pedal and all this does is jerk the bike violently. It's kind of funny that I do this every time, even though I knowthat you can't pull up on the pedal in fixed gear. Habits form quickly!




Anyhow. So I am not quite there yet with clipless in fixed gear, but I am enjoying the challenge. I either need tolearn how to quickly lift the rear wheel while pulling up on the pedal, or reprogram my brain to clip in my starting foot on the upstroke, the way I used to do with Power Grips. Suggestions from fixed gear cyclists most welcome. Is there a way to make this easier on myself?

Scaring Away the Cold with a Balaclava

Of all the winter cycling accessories out there, none can match the formidable powers of the balaclava. I daresay few garments will make a "cycle chic" photographer withdraw his camera faster. And what other article of clothing is capable of striking fear into bank tellers?As universally unflattering as it is terrifying, the balaclava is not an item one would purchase casually. You've got to get to the point where you really, really needit.For me that point came one December morning. As I pedaled my roadbike against a brutal headwind with temperatures in the 30s, I felt ready to give the dreaded balaclava a try. The one you see here is from Ibex, sent to me for review.

Broadly speaking, a balaclava is a garment that covers the entire head and neck in order to protect the wearer from the cold, exposing only small parts of the face. The Ibex balaclava has an opening for the eyes and nose, but covers the mouth completely. It is form-fitting, closely hugging the contours of the back of the skull, browbone and cheekbones. It is made in the USA of soft and lightweight merino wool (18.5 micron) with flat seams, one size fits all.

My interest in a balaclava is specific to roadcycling. Going at speeds of over 20mph in a leaned-forward position, my face takes the brunt of the harsh winter wind and this can feel extremely uncomfortable. The close fit of the Ibex balaclava is an advantage here: the opening is so tight that it feels almost elasticised; wind does not enter through it while cycling at high speeds. The thin fabric and close fit also make it comfortable to wear under a road helmet when I don one for organised rides: There is no bunching up or slippage. I would say that Ibex's take on the balaclava is designed for athletic activities, such as skiing and winter cycling, rather than for casual wear. Everything stays in its place, and the technical merino fabric forms a tightly woven layer of protection against the wind that feels feather-light and pleasant against the skin.

The inevitable downside of such a precise and form-fitting design, is that there is no versatility in how this garmentcan be worn. While in some balaclavas the lower portion can be stretched down to expose the mouth or pulled up to cover everything but the eyes, this is not possible with the Ibex version. In order to expose my mouth, I have to stretch the opening forcefully and as soon as I let go my mouth is again covered. Likewise, covering the nose would not be possible. For me that is probably a good thing, because covering my nose with fabric in the past felt constricting and uncomfortable. Even having my mouth covered feels somewhat restrictive and will take some getting used to.

Like most balaclavas, this one is profoundly unflattering - particularly to a face like mine, that becomes all nose and eyebrows once the other features are hidden. So if you're going to rock this, you basically have to not give a straw about how you look for the time being. Also, consider that drivers will be seeing less of your facial features and hair, which, in theory, could interfere with them fully processing you as a real, vulnerable human.

I am not sure yet whether I will be keeping the Ibex balaclava. Current retail price is $30, and I consider that a good deal for a US-made 100% merino product. As a roadcycling-specific garment I think it works well, but the sensation of having my mouth covered might just be out of my comfort zone. Have you worn a balaclava for cycling in the winter? Your thoughts, experiences, and recommendations appreciated.