Dry pasta vegie alla diavola

Dinner for tonight Friday 21 August...

Ingredients: spaghetti, ground beef (wee bit), courgette, onions, mushrooms, green paprika, tomatoes, pasta alla diavola herb-spices, parsley, garlic, capers, parmigiano-reggiano... to season: balsamic vinegar, paprika, pepper, salt, olive oil.

My own version of what a pasta should be -- loaded with vegetables and very little meat! I use the pasta alla diavola spices and replaced the tomato sauce with just olive oil. Give me dry pastas anytime. Seriously Dutchman and I have been eating this same pasta dish for straight 3 days already!

So I'm looking at a busy weekend: Major cleanup of our 3rd bedroom which I'm using as my walk in closet,... visiting a Home & Garden center (searching for Eucalyptus),... lunch with a friend in Scheveningen beach in Den Haag (I am ordering Fruits de Mer!),... and dinner at home with the Dutch family (I'm cooking! Menu: Gambas green salad; Pasta Genovese w/ courgette, paprika and peas; Greek yoghurt w/ honey, walnuts and dates).

These are actually my updates in Facebook and I've had an interesting discussion there about Italians eating pasta as a primi, meaning first course and not as a second or main course. If that's the case I wouldn't last after a primi.

Cold Weather Victories

When I saw this poster it made me laugh, reminding me of a street scene from the previous day: A woman bundled up in a shearling coat and hat waited for a taxi, while a cyclist in a long sleeve jersey and tights waited at a red light. The woman looked cold and uncomfortable. The cyclist looked ruddy and relaxed, checking his phone for messages with one unclipped toe on the ground.



In the short time window before the cyclist's light turned green and the woman's taxi arrived, somehow the two ended up in a conversation. As I walked past, I caught bits of their exchange. "But how can you... in the cold?," and so forth. By the time the cyclist replied, I was out of earshot. But whatever it was he said to her, they both laughed that special laugh that rings with anticipation. And when I looked back over my shoulder discreetly (I hope), sure enough the woman had her phone out and it looked like they were exchanging numbers. His light had turned green. Her taxi was waiting. They were on the side of the road smiling. "Stay warm!" I thought I heard him yell when he finally took off on his bike. More laughter.



Briskly walking down the street as I fiddled with my scarf, I experienced a moment of longing for my roadbike, and for my technical layers of cycling clothes! It's just so much nicer to be on the bike in cold weather, I caught myself thinking...

The Keweenaw Peninsula :: Is it the End or the Beginning?

The end of the road.



The road simply loops around this sign stating it is “The Beginning of US 41”





Over the years, I've driven on sections of US 41 in all the states it goes through except for Wisconsin. I've been at the beginning on the Keweenaw Peninsula and near it's end in Miami and many points in between...

The 45 Minute Mystery

The furthest I typically travel for transportation is about 10 miles from home, and over time I've noticed something kind of funny: It takes me around 45 minutes to get there pretty much every time, no matter what bike I am riding. I have done the ride on several upright bikes, road and touring bikes, mixtes, single speeds - and it's always the same. If I happen to be a little slower or faster on any given day, it seems to depend more on traffic patterns than on the bike I am riding.

This is not to say that some bikes are not faster than others; clearly there are enormous differences. But when riding for transportation through densely populated areas, I find that more often than not these differences simply do not matter. Because I follow traffic laws and stop for red lights and stop signs, being on a fast bike just means that I am riding faster between those enforced stops. Maybe once in a while I'll make a green light that a slower cyclist would not, but somehow it averages out and in the end I don't really "win" any time.

Of course there are other benefits to being on a faster bike. Hills are easier. Accelerating is easier when going around obstacles or starting from a stop. All things considered, I prefer to commute on a bike that is fast - as long as it's also upright, comfortable, and fully equipped for transportation. But the faster bike does not deliver me to my destination any sooner; the 45 minute rule always applies.

Road to Trail: Speed, Skills and Bikes

Among the people I ride with it is popular to mix stretches of dirt roads, paths and trails into what are otherwise fast road rides (well, they call the rides "social pace," but there is a certain level you have to reach in order to be social at that pace!). At first I would only join the rides that promised not to do any off-road whatsoever, but now I am gradually starting to ease into riding stretches of dirt trails.



Doing this in the company of experienced cyclists has given me a different perspective than riding in similar terrain alone. The biggest difference is that they go fast, whereas on my own I used to see cycling off road as something to be done cautiously and slowly. Now I am noticing that going fast can actually make things easier.Riding on rock-strewn dirt and gravel requires more effort and lower gearing than riding on pavement, particularly when going uphill. Ride too slowly, and the bike can get bogged down. But maintain speed, and the momentum "carries" the bike through sections that might otherwise seem difficult or scary. It's counterintuitive for a beginner, because the natural inclination is to slow down if the terrain gets challenging. And this is where riding with a group is helpful: following their pace means quickly learning the "faster is easier" lesson through experience. Of course partof it is also psychological. When I am focused on trying to keep up with the group, I don't really have the opportunity to worry about every single ditch and rock and root formation - my instincts kick in and somehow I end up riding through sections I would have considered too challenging if given a chance to think.



As far as skills, I am finding once again (as I did with roadcycling earlier) that I improve quickly with others and very slowly, if at all, on my own. I've ridden on dirt trails before, but now I feel that all those rides taken together did nothing for me compared to the single stretch of off-road I did as part of a ride last weekend. It wasn't a long section, but it had a bit of everything that terrifies me: ditches, rocks, mud, a bit of climbing and descending, even a tad of residual snow and ice. We rode through it quickly, and afterward I suddenly felt like I "got it," whereas on all of my slow and cautious lone rides previously I wasn't really getting it at all.



It seems to me that a good bike for transitioning from road to trails and back needs to be fast, light, responsive, and ideally to have wide tires. Last year I would probably have started with "wide tires" and listed everything else as optional, but recent experience makes me reconsider. I have found it easier to "push" a faster, lighter bike through dirt, especially uphill, than a slower and heavier one. And I have found it easier to avoid obstacles on a quick-responding bike than on a stable but sluggish one. And while wide tires would make things better still, it seems to me that those other factors are crucial.



My impression is that for a while there was a tendency in the bicycle industry to associate wide tires with more relaxed, heavier and slower touring-style bikes - the reasoning being that if you want wide tires, you probably do not need to go fast. Therefore, it was difficult to find bicycles that both had clearance for tires over 25mm and were sufficiently fast and aggressive. That began to change with the rising popularity of cyclocross, and with people like Jan Heine reviving interest in the classic randonneuring bicycle. Races and other competitive events with both road and dirt sections have become more mainstream over the past several years as well. I am not sure whether in the long run any of this will be relevant to me, but it is an interesting development. More builders and manufacturers are starting to specialise in fast road-to-trail bikes, and locally this type of riding seems to be all the rage. Whether I have what it takes to take part in it remains to be determined.

Rockies climbs..?

"Josh Wharton following a pitch in the upper gully section of Infinite Patience. Sustained grade 3 and mixed up to M5 for at least 300 m"




Photo courtesy of Gripped, Josh Wharton and Chris Alstrin




Nice write up here:



http://gripped.com//08/sections/articles/rockies-lessons-from-novice-to-intermediate/

Grillin' & Chillin'

Tonight we headed to downtown Wauchula, where they had Main Street blocked off for the Grillin' and Chillin' event. It was a fund raising event that had a grilling contest. There was music and some classic cars there too. We had fun!



I didn't take my camera, so these are courtesy of Aric:

And just because they are so cute:

A Taste of the Radish

As anticipated after our meeting at Interbike,Xtracyclehas sent over a demo model of their Radish long tail cargo bike for me to test ride. I will be picking it up from Harris Cyclery next week, and after trying it for the first time a few days ago, I have a feeling we will get on nicely.Pioneers of the long tail concept, Xtracycle makes two main categories of products: the Free Radical, which is an extender kit that can turn almost any standard bike into a long tail, and a line of integrated longtail bikes. The step-through Radish model has been around since and is available in multiple configurations.The Radish pictured here is the Classic - designed to carry "groceries, cargo of all shapes and sizes, and adult passengers."






As the term "long-tail" suggests, the Radish sports an extended rear end: The back wheel is set back considerably, allowing space for a massive deck to extend along the chainstays. Other than that, the Radish looks like a fairly normal transportation bicycle: lowered stepover, swept-back handlebars, fenders, flat pedals and a chain guard. All it is missing is lights. Current retail prices for the Radish start at $1,220 for a complete bike, bags included.






California-designed and Taiwan built, the frame is welded cromoly steel. The complete bike weighs 43lb.






The 1x9 speed derailleur drivetrain is geared to provide a nice and useful range, including a low 1:1 gear.






V-brakes front and rear.






The cargo deck can serve as a carrying platform for large objects and passengers. It also integrates with XtraCycle's expandable FreeLoader bags, as well as with the optional WideLoader side platforms (not pictured). I am going to experiment while the bike is in my possession and see how well this system accommodates the sort of cargo I am likely to carry.






My initial ride on the Radish was modest. First I rode it completely unloaded, just to see how it would handle in that state. Then I added some photo equipment, my laptop bag, and an armload of random heavy-ish items from Harris Cyclery for extra weight. Here are my first impression notes based on the (4 mile) test ride:




. The unloaded Radish felt surprisingly light to pick up, something the shop staff noticed as well.




. The Radishhandles like a normal, faster-than-average upright bike. There was no learning curve involved in riding it. I would wager that if you can ride an upright bike, you can handle the Radish.




. I could not feel the long-tailness of the bike, even when cornering.




. I could not sense a difference in handling or speed between the Radish unloaded vs lightly loaded. Apparently it will take a lot more than the equivalent of a week's worth of groceries, plus camera equipment, plus laptop bag, for me to feel anything back there.




. Ride quality over potholes was great (26" x 2" tires).




. I like the quick and efficient feel of the derailleur drivetrain.




. The geometry makes full leg extension possible when pedaling, while still allowing me to put a toe down at stops without dismounting.








. The quick release seatpost makes sharing the Radish easy.




. The stepover is pretty low, but still requires leaning the bike toward me in order to step over the top tube. It is not quite as low as a full-on step-through or loop frame.




. The size of the Radish makes it impractical for me to store it indoors (we have a tiny place). I wonder how it will fare when stored outside.




. While my impulse is to say that if the Radish were mine, I'd want a box permanently affixed to the rear, I will give the standard setup a fair chance before jumping to conclusions.



. Aesthetically, I have to admit that I like the Radish a lot; it just looks so darn friendly and adorable.




All of this combined leaves me in eager anticipation of truly putting this bike through its paces and experimenting with various types of cargo. If you are local and interested in taking it for a spin, the Radish remains for a few more days atHarris Cycleryin West Newton, MA, and will return there after my review.

Eddie Bauer BC MicroTherm Down Jacket

BC Micro Therm Down Jacket with a Patagonia Knifeblade soft shell and R1under it @ -18C, Canada Rockies.



If you look at Eddie Bauer's advertising the First Ascent Hyalite Jacket gets some serious play as THE technical "climbing jacket" in their speciality line. On the other hand I couldn't wait to get rid of mine and exchange it for something I might actually use skiing and as a second thought climbing. No stretch that I could discern in the FA Hyalite compared to a Gamma MX for example and no warmer. I have any number of state of the art garments with synthetic and down insulation to chose from. Getting me into an unproven garment to ice climb in is difficult. Getting me into one made of down is even more difficult.



Adding a water proof and breathable shell to a light weight down insulated piece makes a lot of sense. Even more so if you value light weight warmth over the ability to get it dried out and usable again if you are going to be working hard in the same jacket.



I climbed some in Hyalite Canyon using a Patagonia Down full zip Hooded Sweater last winter and loved it right up till it really started snowing hard and I was breaking trail in 4 feet of snow. I stayed warm but the jacket got wet and lost a lot of its insulation. Lesson relearned for the umpteenth time.



I am not a sweat hog. I don't sweat any more or any less than the rest of my climbing partners generally. My adventures arebest equippedwith very breathable and really light weight upper body clothing forwalking into winter climbs. Being able to change out to at least a dry top and then layer up for the climbing in generally mandatory if I want to be comfortable. The last layer will seldom get worn but is generallysome sort of "belay jacket". It's warmth will depend on the temps and moisture involved.



Our last trip to Canada I reverted from my tried and true climbing garment combos and went backwards in some sense to the more durable "soft shell" uppers as an action suit topover and R1 or a Merinowool version of the same hoodyand the required "belay jacket" over all of itto keep me warm once I stopped.



The combo is really a little heavier than it needs to be. But it is a well proven combo and is only three layers.



This trip one of the jackets I use exclusively for belay duty and climbing whilecold was the BC Micro Therm. I even used it on a couple of short approaches just to see how wet I could get it and still dry it out why climbing. Much to my surprise I even liked climbing technical ground in the Micro Therm when I was pretty chilled.



The hood was one reason. Its pattern is intentionally cut prettybig and easily fits over my helmet choices. The other is the sleeve size/length and being able to pull the Velcro cuff tabs and pull the jacket sleeves up past my elbows.











Not something that I could ever do previous to the chemo diet. But the sleeves fit a lot better (bigger) now and allow one to vent some serious heat if you can pull up the sleeves in your size. The other feature I really like is both side pockets are vertical vents straight to the body's core. Unzip the pockets...from the top or the bottom and you can work pretty hard in this jacket and still not over heat. I really like the simple design features and how well they work. Make sure you aren't going to dump your pocket contents though!



As far as I can tell the shell material, which is water proof and breathable 2-LAYER SHELL called

WeatherEdge® Pro, 1.7 oz 12-denier fabric with StormRepel® DWR finish; rated to 20K/20K" really is water proof. And no question it breathes very well from my testing as I could always get the down dried out on the belays from my own body heat. The long sleeves, the hood and the pocket ventsare easy to notice in use. It is a very good mid weigh piece of insulation and physically lwt weight belay jacket. My XL weighs in at 1# 5 oz. May be even a better cold weather ski jacket on the lifts or side country compared to many others jackets available and easily the best of the EB ski specific jackets imo.



It also comes in a women's specific version which I hear gets high ranks on fit and warmth as well.

No question the women's colors options are better!



Here is more of theEB spiel:



WATERPROOF/BREATHABLE 2-LAYER SHELL



WeatherEdge® Pro, 1.7 oz 12-denier fabric with StormRepel® DWR finish; rated to 20K/20K



800 FILL PREMIUM EUROPEAN GOOSE DOWN

Down-packed micro-baffles keep you warm with minimal weight and bulk



DUAL-FUNCTION CHEST POCKETS

Provide storage and double as heat-dumping core vents



INTEGRATED HOOD

Fits easily over a ski or climbing helmet



WEATHER-SEALED ZIPPERS AND CORDED PULLS

Eliminate need for flaps; more durable, slide more smoothly and make it easier to grab with gloves on



ERGONOMIC POCKETS AND ARTICULATED ELBOWS

Harness and pack compatible; facilitate easy movement



LOW-PROFILE CUFFS AND 1 INCH LONGER

Adjust for snug fit; provides more coverage to keep you warmer



SIZED A BIT MORE GENEROUSLY

Looser fit provides more room for layering; works for a wider range of body types



CARE INSTRUCTIONS

Machine wash

100% nylon waterproof/breathable 20K/20K shell; 800-fill down insulation

Center back length: Reg. 29 1/2", Tall 31 1/2"

Weight: 1 lb., 3.54 oz. (1 lb., 5oz. or 595g and 2.5" of loft for my XL)








Louise Falls photo courtesy of http://www.rafalandronowski.com/




After all I have a closet full of "real" mid weight climbing specific jackets. This one is a good fine to add to that list. A decent price (on sale) for a water proof and lightly insulated down jacket. One that I have used a good bit now and will again.



EB sez:



"Combining the microchannel construction of the MicroTherm™ Down Shirt into the lining of this fully waterproof and breathable shell rated to 20K/20K, we’ve built a warm, insulated jacket that is lighter than many non-insulated shells on the market. This jacket is built to be the minimalist, lightweight piece that our First Ascent guide team requires in the most challenging environments where every ounce counts. Highly packable. Two large cross-body vents double as pockets. Harness friendly design. Now one inch longer and sized a bit larger through the torso to provide more room for layering and fit more body types. Across the board, this piece was the alpine guides’ personal favorite, hands down."



http://www.skinet.com/skiing/photo-gallery/shell-games



http://www.eddiebauer.com/catalog/product.jsp?ensembleId=40146&oessoa=6046151&cm_mmc=CSE-_-Google%20Product%20Search-_-First%20Ascent%7CMen%27s%20First%20Ascent%20Jackets_and_Vests-_-1020706&CAWELAID=941026515





The video covers it all again:

New York Landscape From My Window

I've gotten fairly good at shooting pictures from my window in a moving truck. Today I called Diana while out with Nathan so that I could tell her how wonderful it is here and ask her to come and visit us. Nathan wasn't about to wait around for me and my marathon long phone call, so I managed to shoot and talk on the phone too. I'm sharing that to explain why I managed to catch the rear view mirror in almost every single picture today.



This area really is so beautiful. I'm glad we got to visit here. Did you hear that honey? I'm glad we came here. I really didn't want to come to New York this year...but so glad we did now that I'm here.

The colors are just gorgeous here. Not quite fall colors yet, but right on the brink of that change.

I've been fascinated by cornfields this year. Maybe it is because we were out west last year and didn't see any there. Maybe it is because we stayed in one place long enough to see them growing. Either way, it just feels like summer and feels like America to me when we drive by them.

I'm also feeling sentimental about farms since I lived in an area surrounded by them at one point in my life.

I think I'm going to feel a bit sad when summer seems officially over this year. On the other hand, I love Fall when we are in the northern areas so maybe I will just be thrilled to enjoy the fun of that too.



Living the life in New York!

DIY Waterbottle Mounts on the Pashley Roadster

For a while now, the Co-Habitant has been wanting water bottle cages on his Pashley Roadster. I thought the idea was ridiculous, until I received a few comments from male Pashley owners expressing the same desire. I guess men like bottle cages on their bikes, even on a roadster? Fair enough! For those interested, here is the Co-Habitant's DIY solution:



Yes, you are seeing what you think you are seeing: Not one, but two bottle cages mounted on the inside of the handlebars, with twined, flat-cappedKleen Kanteen bottles inside them. The bottle cages are generic bolt-ons that can be found in many bike shops for around $7 (same bottle cages as here). For the Pashley, the Co-Habitant first took them apart, shortened them so that they would not stick out too far past the handlebars (I believe the drill and superglue were used), and bolted them to the handlebars, with the bottles facing inward. Now he has direct access to water, while remaining upright.



Here is the "cockpit view". And yes, that is a cycling computer you see mounted on the stem, in between the bottle cages. On a Pashley. What can I say, the man has his quirks.



My opinion on this project? I think that if he mounted just one bottle and stopped there, it would have been successful.



With two bottles, I think he went overboard with the eccentricity factor and the bottles look like a pair of missiles. What do you think?



And if you are wondering why he did not just use one of those coffee-cup mounts that are designed for the handlebars, he did not think they were sturdy enough, or accommodating enough of different containers. I agree: These bottle cages are super-stable and the bottles do not budge or vibrate at all inside them. It is a very secure set-up, and the flasks can be filled with coffee as well as water.



While I do not agree with the choice to mount two bottles, I think that otherwise this is an innovative and practical solution. I am now considering installing a similar set-up (with just one bottle though!) on myPashley Princess.

Snowflakes at Night

Lee took this shot of my dads elk antlers about midnight the night it snowed. The white dots are snowflakes.

Mt. Rainier, Ptarmigan Ridge

Tina drove Mark and I around to Mowich Lake and dropped us off. We would have to climb Ptarmigan Ridge and descend the easier Emmons Glacier to get to the other car waiting at the White River Campground. This picture shows the northwest side of Mt. Rainier. Ptarmigan Ridge is on the left.
Moss covered rocks by a small creek.
The "entrance" to Spray Park.
Kids playing on the snow at Spray Park.
Colorful rocks and Indian paintbrush on the lower slopes of Ptarmigan Ridge.
This is what we came to climb! A steep 2,000' face, the icy chute below the buttress and a short rock climb.
Our route is shown in red.
The snow was absolutely perfect. It was firm, but not too hard for crampons or ice axes.
The air was about 40 degrees and calm. There wasn't any rock or ice fall while we were climbing.
Mark swinging his ice tool near the top of the face.
The sun rising near the Stuart Range as seen from 12,000'.
After climbing the face, we had two options. One was to go left and cross below a large ice cliff and get right on the Liberty Cap Glacier. We chose to go right, break out the ice screws and climb the icy chute below the rock buttress.
The ice was also in great shape.
The views looking down on the glaciers and valleys were amazing.
The last obstacle was this exit gully. It was a bit of a challenge to climb rock wearing crampons and carrying a large pack.
Our shadows projected onto the rock as we head towards Liberty Cap.
Climbers moving over the sun and wind sculpted snow at about 13,500'.
Mark checking out a bergschrund near the summit.
Doug and Mark on Liberty Cap.
A black bear at Glacier Basin.
It was a nice change to approach a climb on Mt. Rainier from a new area. It was great to finally make it up Ptarmigan Ridge. This is one climb we will never forget!