.

Check out this website

2010-08-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

Mountain Man Tackle:

www.mountainmantackle.com

Some pictures of Wyatt...

2009-11-18T00:02:00.001-08:00

Pretty self explanatory...

College Football

2009-11-17T22:53:00.000-08:00

So I watch quite a bit of college football. In fact, thanks to the DVR (and frequent rebroadcasts on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN U, Fox Sports Pacific/Atlantic/North/Southwest, Mountain West Sports and Versus) and ESPN.com I average 10 games a week. For some reason however, I have only been able to catch two Wisconsin games despite watching nearly every Air Force and Miami game.
A few of my thoughts on this season:
-The instant replay situation is out of control. It is employed entirely too frequently and rarely results in a reversal of the on the field call. Games are lasting too long, and the flow is disrupted way too much. Last week in the Notre Dame/Pitt game, I counted 7 reviews even though I was watching a rebroadcast that skipped through much of the third quarter and large portions of the first. The only call that was reversed was an initially incomplete pass that was scooped off the ground by a Pitt defender, but whistled dead immediately. "On review" it was ruled a fumble, but the defender could have easily scored a TD if it wouldn't have been blown dead. It was also one of the most questionable reviews I have seen yet this season.
-The number of dropped passes this year is the most I have seen. In the Wisconsin/Purdue game, Purdue QB Joey Elliot went 5 for 23, partially due to nine dropped passes. In the Florida/SC State game starting Florida WR Riley Copper dropped (two passes, in the end zone alone. These are just a few examples, but it is pretty bad this year.
-The "East Coast bias" Pac-10 coaches and fans like to whine about so much seems to be just the opposite. USC was overrated all season, and despite being BLOWN OUT by Oregon and Stanford, remains in the top 20 in all polls and even in the BSC rankings that coach Carroll is forever haranguing. Stanford's win over USC vaulted them to 14 in the AP poll and 17 in the USA Today poll, despite losses to unranked Arizona (6-3)and unranked Wake Forest who is 4-7! They also lost to Oregon State (who took USC to the wire losing 42-36), yet are ranked higher in all the polls. The Pac-10 seems to be riding the wave of emotion sports writers seem to still maintain for USC.
-Still don't understand the hype over Miami QB Jacory Harris. He makes terrible decisions in important situations (19 TD's 16 INT's) His stats are buoyed by the huge game he had against Georgia Tech, but they seem shockingly good when you watch him play.
-Don't even get me started on the Heisman "favorites" this year...

See next post...

2009-10-27T00:40:00.000-07:00

Wyoming trout

2009-10-27T00:25:00.000-07:00

Also stopped at a mountain pond in WY. Still had a double willow spinner bait tied onto the heavy rod. (Ran over the light action one over in IA, don't ask).
Figured (hoped)some Northerns might be in there so I was casting it and ripping in in pretty fast over the shallow weeds.
Not sure why this guy has so hungry. He looked stuffed full of food to me. Heavy and hard fighting fish, photos don't do it justice.

Nebraska bass

2009-10-27T00:21:00.001-07:00

Stopped at a little lake near the NE, CO, WY border on the way home from IA.

Hello?

2008-12-23T00:49:00.000-08:00

Hello me and you,
Just a quick one before I go to bed, but I plan on updating this at least once a week again. I haven't been ridding much lately, but I did do a ride/hike up into the peaks behind my house to check out the snow. LOTS of snow. I will report back with a report and pictures.

Missed my weekly goal

2007-10-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't hit my goal. I kinda off expected it, because my body was just not cooperating. My knee was aching really badly and for some reason the arches of my feet have been killing me. I really don't know what is causing it, but they hurt and are visibly bruised. It might be my bike shoes, the soles do not seem as stiff as they used to be. To top it off, I managed to pick up a killer headcold. But I did ride a lot of dirt and the rides were much more fun than the same old road route over and over.
Other than that, I am taking the day off of work today due to a fire which is burning near our house. Last night Amy and I went to Costco and as we were leaving we saw the huge plume of smoke. The road to our house was closed by the sheriff's department so we spent the night at Amy's parent's. This morning they were letting residents only in, and I decided to stay home just in case they evacuated. The fire is about a mile away and the wind is blowing away, but it is gusting up to 30 miles an hour and is shifting a lot. I don't feel any real danger from the fire itself, but I don't want to be stranded if they close the road or evacuate.

Quick one before bed...

2007-10-13T03:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I missed 165 by about 15 miles. Not too bad, not too great. I finished up with 25 really hard, fast paced miles last night. I set my Friday to Friday goal at 170 this week. I rode an easy 9 miles today. Amy's triatholon is on Sunday....
Blathering,
sleepy,
3:30 am,
wake up in 3 1/2 hours,
dhfksl;fh;;lkd,

Getting close to 165...

2007-10-10T23:26:00.001-07:00

So I have one more day left to hit my goal of 165 miles this week. The last three days I was thinking I was going to just miss it, but I only have 40 miles left. Whooo-hoo!! My ride plan actualy includes close to 40 miles of riding, so I will probably end up with almost exactly 165.. or I could add some extra exploring on the way into work, but that is doubtful because it is 11:38 and I am still awake and active because I just spent hours doing homework. My only non-working/riding hours of the day thus far.
I did squeeze in a three hour, easy pace dirt trail ride on my Surly 'cross bike. It was a blast to ride skinny little 1.25" tires on dirt and hit some fun, flowing and fast singletrack.
Anywise, I am off to the showers and then beddy-bye.
Bye.

I'm back

2007-10-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

We just returned from Iowa. Amy and I flew into Milwaukee, rented a car and drove to visit family. We spent a ton of the time hanging out with my grandma, my sisters, their husbands and my niece. I went hunting with my brother in law and saw ten to twelve deer including some nice bucks. He passed up on all of them hoping for a larger buck, which never appeared. It was still a blast. I also toured the back roads in route to a nearby river which was high thanks to the thunderstorms from the night before, (I had forgotten how much I like lightning) but I did catch a petite smallmouth bass.
I have logged in 65 miles over two days of riding since Thursday. I also purchased a day planner and carry it everywhere I go to log my food, water and riding, as well as work and school notes. Having everything consolidated is so much easier than multiple notebooks, etc. and I am already staying on track more consistently. My goal by next Thursday is an additional 100 miles.
My geared bike’s rear wheel is shot so I have been riding the single speed exclusively lately. I love that bike and it is only about ten minutes slower than my geared bike over the trip to work. Only having one gear forces you to pedal at both extremes, slow powerful pedal strokes up the hill as well as high speed spinning on the downhill. If I can manage to make up that time, I will be more powerful as well as improving my cardio by upping my cadence. I think I will be spending a another few weeks on the single speed until I can afford to build new wheels, and swap most of my geared parts to new frame I have had for months now. It should be a better fit and ride, plus its lighter. I have putting the swap off because I want the parts to due the bike justice, and some of my current parts are showing some wear and tear and need replacement. Even at wholesale cost, longwearing, quality components are not cheap.

At school today

2007-09-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

I tried to make it in to work early today and considering riding in the entire way, but I hitched a ride with Amy partway. It is nice to spend time with her because my riding and work schedule is so different than her work schedule. I ended up riding into work about 12-13 miles in 45 minutes, only to realize I had left my keys at home and no one was at the shop yet. It was fine because I used the time to study for a test I have tonight (which I should be studying for now) and also forced me to take the train towards school and then ride 5 more miles. I had planned on driving my car (which I left parked at work the night before) but this time my disorganization lead me to add miles unlike times in the past where it cut into my workouts.

Back to the books.

Report on last night's ride home

2007-09-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

So I skipped out of 10 miles on the ride home last night. I have been scouting a route that cuts through the foothills between my home and school instead of going around them. It involves riding through land owned by a development company which they set aside to meet required "conservation" leases in order to receive huge tax breaks. In reality, as soon as the "conservation lease" expires the land will be promptly developed. To make matters even worse, the land (and the paved roads throughout) are gated and off limits to anyone. I finally gave them the figurative middle finger and rode on a paved road that basically runs due north to my house. While it was ten miles shorter, the climb was brutal, both due to the grade and my lack of planning. It ended being an elevation gain of about 1,300 feet in four miles. Add to that the ass kicking I gave myself on the 25 miles to school, and the fact that it was 7:00 pm when I left school and my last food intake was at 11:00 am and it equals me making noises similar to that of a pig shitting a football and fleeting feelings that crapping my pants was a distinct possibility. I actually stopped pedalling at one point to fart because I didn't think I could work both my leg and sphincter muscles at the same time. I also felt like I was going way, way to slow to make it home in the two hours I told Amy to expect me in, so I kept pushing. It turns out I made it home in an hour five or so over the 14 miles.
I am not sure if the threat of overtraining is becoming a possibility now or not. But at this point I am just happy in being able to push myself so hard. And I didn't work out at all today, so in this case I am sure I am fine.

Arrived, under goal

2007-09-18T17:22:00.000-07:00

I am at school right now. I am not sure exactly how long it took because I couldn't find my stopwatch, but based on the time I left and the clock at school, it looks like 1 hour 30. Not too shabby, especially since I had to change a flat!
I went at a quick pace, and added a bunch of sprints to stoplights, both to avoid sitting at them wasting time and to build my acceleration. It really worked me. The last portion of my ride is a long false flat that is really a gradual uphill. I spotted another rider a couple miles distant and poured on the juice to try and catch him. I ended up within 30 yards before I had to turn left, while he continued straight. It really helped to finish stronger than I would have otherwise.

Off to school

2007-09-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

I skipped the ride to work today (I have Tuesdays off, but I was going to pick up some extra hours) but I still have a 48 mile round trip to school. I am going to time the ride and use the MP3 player to distract myself from the pain that sometimes occurs when I try to make it under a certain time limit. I am shooting for an hour and twenty minutes on the way there and one hour fifty on the way home. I have a half hour to get ready so I need to pack a change of clothes, hit up the ol' toilet, charge up my light and fill water bottles now. I'll report back.

2007-09-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

No rides in the last three days. I attended a wedding on Saturday, I wanted to ride into work, work for a half day and take the train to meet up with Amy. But the train was canceled over the weekend for rail maintenance. Luckily I noted this valuable info the night before, thus driving in to work instead. Sundays have lately become my days off the bike and it remained that way again. Today I was all set to ride into work and then ride home, but realized my shoes were in the car, parked at Amy's parent's house. I thought I could jump to the backup shoes, then remembered pillaging a cleat from them last week. I was upset that I was disorganized and missed a ride, but at least I remembered two minutes before Amy left so I carpooled to the train station.
I will no longer be able to leave things in my car, I am selling it. I had planned on buying a cheap motorcycle and saving up my car payments for awhile. But I may be buying a nice roadbike instead. Banning (the shop owner) offered me a spot on the race team, which would also mean a free carbon frame. I would still have to put a few hundred dollars of parts into it, but they would be at wholesale prices and could be paid off interest free over a few months. This off course means I would have to start having to taking my riding rather seriously. I wouldn't have to change my mileage by a huge amount, but I would need to stick to a regular training schedule. Of course if I have no motorcycle, then well...
I worked out a schedule:
Mondays I would ride at a hard pace into work (1 hour 20 is my best time right now, 25.5 miles) and them hard home (1 hour 40 thanks to climbing the hills.)
Tuesday is my day off and I normally don't ride much lately due to school, but I would add a long mountain or road ride of 3 hours or more at a moderate pace.
Wednesdays I would drive my bike into work, but leave it there and ride home at an easy pace. I think it will be about 2 hours 10 a night.
Thursdays I would ride into work at a moderate overall pace but turn certain sections into mini sprints or climbing each hill as fast as possible to keep my time within 1 hour 35. Then I would drive my bike to school (Or pedal) an d then home (or if pedalling, have Amy pick me up after her workouts).
Fridays would be an easy ride into work, taking about 1 hour 50. Then I would probably have Amy meet me for dinner or a ride home. I took Friday nights off for years and it is hard to ride or workout still.
Saturday i would leave open to either the motorcycle or a ride at "Saturday pace."
If I have a motorcycle, I would still have to pedal every other Saturday. "Saturday pace" varies and depends on the other bike traffic. There are always more rides on my route than normal, but sometimes I still only see riders on the opposite side of the road. But sometimes I see four or five riders and end up chasing them down. And I never like to be passed. Saturdays on the way home are the same, but I generally back off the pace, but the other riders out seem to be doing the same.
That adds up to a weekly total of 230 miles plus another dirt ride or 40 road miles if I don't end up with a motorcycle, which is actually pretty close to the amount of miles I should be riding to compete at the level I want to.
Anywise, I need to get some sleep and ride in tomorrow morning and then off to school.

This looks like a fun course...

2007-09-13T00:06:00.001-07:00

Back on track

2007-09-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

So since my last my last post I have been back on the bike. The very next day I rode into work. It was a good ride, I felt strong and pedaled well. I wasn't sure what time I left the house, but I thought it took about an hour forty. I took the train and met Amy at the station. The next day I rode in with a watch on. I kept it running as a stopwatch. It was awesome, but I think I will have to limit myself to that once a week. I ended up pedaling my ass off. I kept glancing down, estimating my mileage (I refuse to use and computer, and this reinforces that decision) and then trying to make up the time to get to work in an hour and a half. When I was about five miles away, I noticed I might be able to make it an hour and twenty minutes. Which I did… with twenty seconds to spare. I was very excited, especially when I realized I averaged over 19 miles an hour including stoplights and other road crossings. That day a coworker asked if I wanted to go watch speedway motorcycle racing, which is racing smallish single cylinder motorcycles on a very tight oval. It sounded like fun which it was, a lot. Check it out:

More details on the wacky, brakeless, bikes later.
But getting to the races involved another ten miles of riding in under forty minutes. I did, but I was dead at the end of the day.
I didn't ride on Sunday, but I rode partway into work after carpooling with Amy. It was only ten miles and I kept the pace slow. That night I took the train and met with Amy.
The next day I was all set to ride the 40 mile round trip to school and back but I broke a spoke within five minutes of starting off. That is the one drawback to rough commuting miles, it really beats up your stuff. I fixed the wheel tonight, did some homework, and got my mountain bike ready for some dirt tomorrow morning.
Woo-hooo

Redhook ESB (Redhook Brewing; Seattle, Washington)

2007-09-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

I had it for lunch today on tap. Smooth with maltiness and hops, but not bitter. Not as malty as Fat Tire and much hoppier. It's awesome.

Blah

2007-09-06T21:55:00.000-07:00

So I was a lazy ass this morning and didn't pull myself out of bed in time to complete my checklist, and therefore ride. I felt down about not getting out to ride, but I managed to make a healthy breakfast of whole grain hot cereal for Amy and myself.

Ended up driving my car in with my bike in the back. Work went really quickly, and I looked at the clock and realized I had 15 miles to change a tube and get to the train station...

My plan was to leave my car at work (also forcing myself to ride in the next morning) take the train a few miles closer to campus, and then ride my bike the remaining five miles at a wicked rate of speed, sit in class, and then continue once again at a blistering pace a few miles further and carpool with Amy homeward.

I swapped the tube and hauled ass out, got jammed up and at a street crossing thanks to the two ton death boxes, missed the train and ended up driving to school.

Leaving my car at school invited logistical nightmares and possibly financial consequences, so I drove home as well.

One last chance invited itself once I finally did make it home, saying, "ride up the hill, out to the end of the road." I turned it away.

So, I rode: 0 miles

In the morning...

2007-09-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

I will wake up early, shower, eat breakfast, pack a change of clothes, change he flat on my bike and ride to work. (Total: 25.5 miles)

Then I will ride the train from work to the train station and ride to school. (3 miles)

Then to eat free pizza and beer with Amy's softball team. (7 miles)

I need to wake up by 6:00 AM, at the latest!

I am putting this in print to make it so.

The reward is 35 miles in, spread out over 12 hours so it is a soild way to build mileage.

WAKE UP!

I wish I was a diurnal creature, but I am wired to stay up all hours of the night typing and clicking away in front of this computer.

Results

2007-09-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

So I rode after I set my goal last post. I only ended up riding 20 miles or so. I did a three mile warm up in 8 minutes and 17 miles in 50 minutes. I felt really good about my time. It is one of the first ocassions I have timed myself. I also did an eassy pace 10 mile ride with my sister last week and a 5 mile sprint. Yesterday I rode 24 miles but without the clock. I was glad to be riding despite it being 104 outside.

Today I will ride home 25 miles from work.

Training plans

2007-08-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

So I am committing myself to posting my training log and plans for the upcoming race season. By race season I mean the cyclocross season. If you don't know what 'cross racing is, it is basically riding a road bike through a park with obstacles that require you to get off the bike and run. I plan on racing on September 29th, and three to four others into the month of December. It can be wet, muddy and cold in most parts of the world during this race season (check this out: http://youtube.com/watch?v=PXQMw4n29qU ) but in southern California it is pretty tame.
I was inspired to post my plans by a good friend who tracking fitness goals on his blog: djeepp.blogspot.com

SOO...
For Tuesday, August 21st:
Ride 31 miles and record my time.

Woo-hoo

Blah.....

2006-06-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

Sooo...
'tis been a mighty while since I have posted to this damn thing, not that many may care. However, it has served as a useful outlet in the past, sorta like a diary I guess. Firstly, (as the title may suggest) I am physically, mentally and emotionally drained due to a multitude of reasons.

The short list reads as follows:
The death of a very close friend
I am planning a wedding
I just moved, BUT
I am house hunting
Working 55 hours a week at a rapidly yet inefficiently expanding small business
Catching a shitload of flak from a future bitcher in law as well her daughter for reasons that I have no control over

I dunno, I am really really down right now, at a time in which I should be very happy. I guess life sucks sometimes, but it sucks much worse when it feels like you have no one to turn to. I know I always have God to turn to, and I should fell comfort in that but it seems as even if that connection has been strained to the limit. (Add that to the upper end of the list)

A death is always tough, it especially hurts when you are just starting to understand the true nature of a person. It while it sucks no matter what the age, to lose someone when they themselves are just understanding that they are a unique and mature person is crushing. I had always considered Galen as sort of a little brother, but was realizing more and more that he was teaching me more things about life than I was him. It is funny how younger brothers have a way of doing that.

It was also difficult for me to look inward and find that I have neglected so many others that I should have an even closer relationship with. I realize that all the bullshit about "being busy" or "not having time" is just a fucked up way of saying I am lazy and desire to emotionally detached. While I still reject the cliches spouted at memorial services like "time is short" and "live every day as if it was your last" Galen's death has made me realize I am too out of touch just because I don't want to feel the pain that sometimes results from other people's decisions, illness or deaths. Basically, I have been hurting others, and myself because I am self-centered. (That is a hell of an oxymoron)

Wedding planning sucks. Sorry to all you future brides who have spent you entire life dreaming about "the day" but it S-U-C-K-S for this groom. The combined effects of constant conflicts with soon to be family as well as the strain of coordinating the visit and attendance of my own family are just way too much for an affair which I had always considered to be a simple day of celebration and recognition of a bond sealed with God's blessing and has placed a very bitter taste in my mouth. Kinda like coco powder mixed with chewed acorns. It sucks to say, but I just want the whole thing to be over, NOW.

And I am too tired to type any further (severe emotionally stress has always induced drowsiness for me) and I am going to end this on a whoa is me note. (Yeah, that shit is spelled wrong, I think)

Life sucks, sorry.

The proud new owner of a Crosscheck!

2006-04-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

Yes I am!
I set the bike up as a single speed super sprinter. It is gerared with a 52 tooth chainring (the biggest road ring) and a 18 tooth rear. It can be a pain to pedal up long steep hills, but I mainly use it for the 20 mile, hour and fifteen minute haul ass to work. Pictures to follow...
The welding also started on my full custom 29" wheeled single speed mountain bike. Oh yeah, two new bike in one year! I guess this makes up for riding the same bike for the last five years.

Pictures below...

2005-11-16T22:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, before this turns into a bike only blog, a little update on what is new and exicting off a bike and outside of the shop...
School is sucking, which is especially disappointing since it is the first semester I have been enrolled Bio-only classes. Nothing great to report; no papers, no research, no projects, basically no challenge.
The wedding plans are moving along. The wedding party has been set, bride and bridesmaids dresses have been selected and invitations choices have been pared down to a chosen few. Amy says hello to the three people that may end up reading this. We are thinking we are flying home in early to mid May, we'll start planning that trip soon.

Below are some pictures of a ride two Sundays ago. It was an epic ride, that included many crashes, tacos and beer, and me on a bike with no gears or suspension riding the shit out of it.
The bike is a singlespeed 29" wheel size (the same as road bikes) mountain bike. The group started a dozen strong and worked its way down to 6 guys on five and six inch travel full suspension bikes and one hippy on a steel rigid. I outclimbed everyone, but I even think I did a great job keeping up on the downhills. But Amy did an even better job staying with the group and rode a bunch of sections that suprised me, anf maybe even her.

Enjoy the photos!

2005-11-14T20:47:00.000-08:00

Tacos seemed like a good idea... until the 4 mile climb up a giant hill.

2005-11-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

It's really steeper than it looks!

2005-11-14T20:38:00.000-08:00

Amy picking up some speed.

2005-11-14T20:37:00.000-08:00

Joel already had some speed .

2005-11-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

Rolling the Kona Unit 29" singlespeed through some rocky stuff.

2005-10-31T13:46:00.000-08:00

Me at Interbike on a funky titatium bike built by Jeff Jones

The Dirt Demo

2005-10-31T12:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, time for some more.
Vegas was a blast. I had to take a test and a quiz on the first day of the riding demo, so I ended up leaving here at 10:00 pm, driving to Vegas by myself and then sleeping in my car at the parking lot of the site. The guys from the shop had been up partying the whole night so I they slept in, then woke up and got breakfast, etc. I was anxious to ride so I headed in as soon as the gates opened. The first bike I rode was a Surly Crosscheck cyclocross bike. Basically, a 'cross bike is a heavier version of a road bike that you can ride on dirt, gravel, and easy trails.(http://www.surlybikes.com/bikes.html) I rode it on the 3 mile closed road loop they had set up fopr road bike riding. After that brief warm-up I returned to the Surly tent and checked out the most unique bike at the show, the Pugsley. This bike has giant 3.7" tires (I run 2.1" or 2.3" tires on my mountain bike) so you can ride it on sand, snow, loose gravel and if you pedal really, really fast it can probably go across water. I took it out for a really short ride, but it was fun to ride across loose gravel that would sink a normal bike. And you CANNOT burnout the back tire, no matter how hard you try to pedal. The Surly guys were really fun to hang out with and after talking about riding around the Cities (they are in Bloomington) I headed over to the Redline booth to ride another cyclocross bike. It was ok, but I liked the Crosscheck much better.
Now that I was warmed up, I headed over to the Turner booth to ride the newest version of their 5 Spot mountain bike (dual suspension with 5 inches of travel) I wanted to try out a 19" bike (which is generally considered too small for someone who is 6'3", but I like smaller frames.) The woman working insisted on a 22", so I took it out. The dirt riding consisted of 3 loops of varying distance and difficultly, with the number 1 loop being about 1.5 miles with rollercoaster type hills, some pretty sharp corners and some fast banked turns as well as a few little jumps.
The very first turn, I came into it too fast and the long ass bike did not react like I am used to, so I went straight through it. I wasn't hurt, but I felt like a dumbass, especially since I had sat and waited at the start for some chubby dude to get a headstart, thinking that I was faster than him. Anyways the 5 Spot experience sucked, due to being unfamiliar with the trail and the bike feeling really big and unresponsive. From there I headed over to the GT booth. Our shop does not carry GT but I wanted to try them out. I rode a I-Drive 5 4.0 which has the same 5" travel, dual suspension set-up as the Turner, but costs the about $300 less as a complete bike than the Turner frame alone costs. After climbing up a gravel road for a mile or so I turned around and took it out on loop #1 and ripped through it twice, even catching some air on the jumps. I liked this bike and it was really easy to jump. I went back and picked up a I-Drive 7 2.0. This bike has 7" of rear suspension, and a triple clamp front fork like a motorcycle, meaning the front fork is held in place by three clamps, not just one like most bikes. This thing is heavy and is meant to go fast and jump high. I peddled it up to loop #1 and did a lap. The jumps at the end were so sweet, (I was higher than I have ever been on a bike, which isn't saying much but it was a awesome feeling.) I decided to do the loop and again and really hit them. The first one was fine, the second bigger one wasn't so fine. I pulled up on the bars at the lip of the jump and realized right away that I was way too sidewise. I tried to correct it but pretty much fell 6' out of the sky going 20+ mph and ejected myself off the sidewise bike. I didn't get hurt too bad other than some nasty shin and arm road rash and a big bruise and sore ribs. It must have looked bad because the rider behind me dropped his bike and came running up to me as I was dusting myself off and laughing. My jersey, shorts and the bike all suffered though. Rips in the clothes and I twisted the fork and handlebars pretty badly so I rode back with the wheel pointing straight, and the handlebars about 40 degrees to the left. I located a booth that had good old plain water and not some new fangled sports drink, washed my wounds out and took off on a Norco Shore 2. http://www.norco.com/ts/pass/templates/bike_model.php?lang=en&loc=fs&sloc=fr&tabloc=1&id=shoretwo&col=matteblack
I thought I was getting on a 5" travel bike that was just built heavily. It pedaled around very well, which surprised me because it looked and felt very heavy. I did the #1 loop and yes, I did try the jumps, and felt so good on the bike I took off on the 4 mile #2 loop. I stopped at one point to let some riders on lighter bikes get a headstart down a hill and noticed I the bike I was on was actually a 7.5" travel beast! And I had been catching people going up hills while they were on hardtails and short travel bikes on this thing! Needless to say, I was impressed. Going down hills and into rough sections was unreal. It was like a motorcycle, and I could FLY. I went back to the booth and talked to the reps and met some of the guys from the shop who were getting ready to ride the shuttle truck up to the top of the big downhill run. I didn't have and pads, and the thought of waiting in line for 2 hours to ride a truck up a hill and then come down really didn't interest me. I like to pedal bikes, that's why the have them. So I wandered around, grabbed some bars, gel packets and sports drinks, tried to choke down a beer and then rode the Redline 'cross bike again. I was starting to feel tired and hot (I wonder why, riding for 4 hours non-stop in 90 degree weather.) so this little "break" was nice. After that I found a booth serving some turkey dogs so I chowed that as I walked to the Marin booth. I took out a lightweight, four inch travel Mount Vision. I climbed the long gravel road that lead into the canyon and the steep, twisty trails back there. This bike was a a lot of fun and really is the only mountain bike that I rode that I would consider buying. It is was a real climbing machine and you can lock the rear shock and front fork so it doesn't bounce around (and rob power) when you pedal hard uphill. It was a lot of fun and I rode it probably 50 minutes or more before heading back. The wind had picked up at this point and there was only about an hour left (some booths were already closing) so I picked up the Crosscheck again, but this time took it out on the #1 loop. Once again, I was surprised. I could ride this bike very fast on a rough, winding mountain bike trail. Fast enough to catch other riders and have them pull aside to let me pass. Fast enough to pull away from some leg-shaver on a hardtail racing type bike. It was a kinda scary experience riding through corners on dirt all hunched over and using the drop bars of a road bike, but fun. And yes, I did jump it! I even hopped off a 3' drop-off with it. After two laps, I was tired, dirty, bloody, and was ready to go home. BUT, I am buying a Surly Crosscheck.
Bye for now, I will report on the tradeshow and other events next time.

Another mostly worthless update

2005-09-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hmmm.... what's new?
Not a bunch work is going very well. I really enjoy working on and selling bikes; this week is the InterBike trade show in Vegas. After class tonight (a quiz and a test, I should be studying) I am driving out there. The rest of the shop is already there and spent today riding on the latest '06 bikes and gear. The riding is held Bootleg Canyon (one of IMBA's "Epic Rides) has become the meca of product testing for the industry. Tuesday is more of the same, so all and all it adds up to two days of great trails, open roads, and thousands of bikes and products. The trade show portion opens on Wednesday and fuses 1,000+ brands with 10,000+ buyers from 60+ countries - the ultimate blend of industry leaders with innovative products in the bicycle business, should be a lot of fun.
I spent the day in Sacramento last Friday for a wedding. It was short but very fun. We flew in early in the AM so we had time to explore a bit and grab some lunchg before the wedding which was held in a converted Victorian mansion right near the governor's mansion. No, the Governator doesn't live there, it is now just a museum.
Other than that... school is going well, nothing exciting though. The wedding plans are moving smoothly. While in Sacramento we stopped in a sweet jewelry store and looked at some very unqiue rings for myself. Nothing else to report, back to hitting the books. And I am so sick of studying, I probably will punch and possibly punt them.
Later

Beer

2005-08-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

OK, I have a couple minutes before class, so here is a lit of beers that are wonderfully tasty:

Redhook ESB (Redhook Brewing; Seattle, Washington)
Fuller's ESB (Fuller's Brewery; London, England)
Molson Canadian (Molson Brewing; Somewhere in Canada)
Shiner Bock (Shiner Brewery; some town in South Texas with a German sounding name)
Papst Blue Ribbon (Pabst Brewing; Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

I will review and describe this in my next post, I promise.

More wedding woes...

2005-08-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

Well, at last notice I have not attacked the woman in charge of events at my wedding site with a tire iron... not yet anywise. But I am going back down there on Wednesday of this week to "discuss" things more. But it is not looking good, and I would prefer not to deal with the bitch. This means that we may be forced to change the date. If that happens, it will only be one or two weeks after the original date of August 6th.
Other than that, not much to report. School starts today. I am taking three biology courses, athletic training, and an online math class.
I also have an interview at The Home Depot tomorow. The management at the gorcery store is just tooo much to deal with, especially when you consider my 42 mile daily commute and the $2.84 per gallon gas prices here in Southern California. The owner of a the local bike shop also offered me a job today, and I was only there to buy a new pair of gloves. I am going to talk to him tomorrow also.
Off to class...

Proposal night

2005-08-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

Proposal night

Yes, that is an original River Falls Girls Softball t-shirt, minus the sleeves. I actually proposed during a rest break on a mountain bike ride, hence the sanzy duds and slick 'do.

The big day...

2005-08-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

The date is set for my wedding, Augst 6th, 2006. The ceremony/reception venue was set but the management tacked on some additional fees; fess which were never discussed in four separate meetings and which were handwritten on the contract we were given. We have gone back to complain, but now it is a wait and see type thing.

2005-06-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

What a view from the tent, huh?

2005-06-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

Laurel Lake area, south of Mammoth Lakes.

2005-06-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

Last year I camped at this lake near the end of May. Stopping here for lunch this time and continuing 4 miles past.

Kersarge Pass Trip

2005-06-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

My June 24-26th trip is on. I will be hiking over Kersarge Pass (11,000') and then a lake 8 miles in at an elevation of 10,400'. The snow is melting pretty quick, but we are still going to see a lot of it...

2005-06-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

I am off to a ponderous start, but least it is something. Not much new to report, my mom and sister are drving back to Wisconsin tomorrow. They are going to spend a few days in the Yellowstone area, lucky shits. The three of us just came back from riding horses. It was fun, but my horse kinda sucked.
Off again already...

Trip Mammoth Lakes area

2005-06-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

This is near the begining of the hike. The trail is visible on the hill in the foreground as a brown streak in the snow. We ended up in the valley past the peak on the left.

My girlfriend Amy, sister Steph and myself hiked just south of Mammoth Lakes, CA to do some camping. The weather was great, almost too hot even and we stayed overnight. The trail lead us up 3,000 feet and four miles into the Sierras.
More pictures are below

2005-06-11T16:57:00.001-07:00

Looking back towards camp.

2005-06-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

Heading back

2005-06-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

Sunset over the mountains.

Some recent pictures...

2005-06-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from my last backpacking trip:

2005-06-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of brook trout in this little stream.

2005-06-11T16:16:00.001-07:00

Setting up camp.

2005-06-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Another view.

2005-06-11T16:15:00.002-07:00

Nearing our campsite.

2005-06-11T16:15:00.001-07:00

Amy and Me

2005-06-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

Looking back towards the town of Mammoth Lakes

It's been awhile

2005-06-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hello to each and everyone of you who have been wating with bated breath for my return to blogdom. Who am I kidding, hello to me and whoever actually visits this blog after I tell them that I added something. Anywise, everything out in California is going great. School is over until the 20th of June, then I am back for my summer classesI had a bike race last weekend. Technically, it wasn't a "race" because it was on an open course in a National Forest, but everyone involved considered it a race. I did pretty good, I finished in the top 20 out of the 120 that entered. It was a pretty wicked course, 27.5 miles and 5,000 feet of elevation gain. The first 17 miles was all up hill. Here is a write-up http://http://warriorssociety.org/Events_And_Results/Writeup_Toad2005.html
Here I am on a cool looking section of trail; I knew I had my seat set kinda low near the start, it looks really low in this picture.

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So that is about all for right now. I have to go out and ride my bike before it gets late and I start to turn lazy. I will keep the posts more up to date (and more interesting) from now on.

Coming Soon....
A report from my last trip into the Sierra Mountains, lots of snow and pictures to share.
More about school
My thoughts on the newest Star Wars (Which I have only since once so far, I will post after my second viewing)

The big hill.

2005-06-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

Part of the course. This section of trail was not much fun because it was a big climb, in the 95 degree sun.

2005-06-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

Weight loss, but at what cost?

2004-10-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

All it takes is a stroll through a grocery store to realize our society has become low-carb crazy. Healthy products targeted towards dieters which were once developed and adverstised as low fat have now been reworked and marketed as the newest low-carb option. Sales of bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta are dwindling as they are being replaced by ever increasing sales of much more expensive dairy products, processed meat snacks such as jerky, and nuts. While the large food manufacturers are watching their bankrolls swell, wheat and potato farmers, as well as small bakeries and pasta manufacturers are going belly-up. True to form, the American public is eager to jump on the quick fix bandwagon and the sales numbers show the increase. In 2004, U.S. consumers are expected to spend an estimated $30 billion on low-carb products, up from $15 billion in 2003.

Despite the popularity of low carbohydrate diets, critics of the low-carb craze -- including most of the medical establishment -- claim the diets are difficult to follow and sustain, nutritionally deficient, and most frightening, medically dangerous.
Besides the most obvious goal of weight loss, proponents of low carbohydrate diets claim many health benefits including increased energy, better digestive function and most commonly raising of HDL, the "good" cholesterol. They point to two recent studies which seems to have proven that obese people can raise their levels of HDL while maintaining the same levels of LDL, the "bad" cholesterol. Two recent studies conducted at Duke University (funded by a vocal proponent of low-carb diets, The Atkins’ Foundation) compared two groups of dieters, one group followed a low carb meal plan, the other a more traditional low fat diet. After six months the low carbohydrate group increased levels of HDL cholesterol by 5.5% while the low fat dieters HDL levels fell 1.6%. While the levels of good cholesterol rose among the low-carb dieters, their LDL levels remained nearly the same. The low-fat group experienced a marked decrease in the LDL levels.

The main reason people follow a low carbohydrate is to lose weight. In his book Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, Robert Atkins, founder of the Atkins diet, claims that depriving the body of carbohydrates forces the body into a fat burning state called ketosis, as well as diminishment of hunger pangs. Whatever the biological reason, it seems everyone knows someone who has lost weight on a low carb diet such as the Atkins Diet, the Zone, or the South Beach Diet. Even my girlfriend subjected herself to weeks of cheese, mashed cauliflower (Which I assure you, is a sorry substitute for mashed spuds.) and sugar free jello while following the South Beach method, and there is undeniable evidence that followers do lose weight. But at what health cost?
A diet low in fat and cholesterol has generally been accepted as the healthiest approach, even for people not seeking to lose weight. There are many reasons for this, including evidence that such a diet lowers risks serious consequences such as cancer or heart disease. But there are many hidden risks to a high fat and protein diet as well. Elizabeth Poletti, the nutrition manager of Duke University’s Diet and Fitness Center explains,

"We do know that if you eat fewer carbohydrates, you're going to replace them with protein and fat," she says. "And eating a high-protein diet can raise your risk of cancer. There are already some studies that have suggested that. It's definitely not good for your kidneys, because your kidneys are the only organs in your body that can break down and dispose of extra nitrogen from the protein you're eating. If you're also not eating the same amount of carbohydrate as before, you're also probably eating more fat. And we know that a diet high in saturated fats is linked with an increase in heart disease." Her views are echoed by the National Diabetes Association which urges individuals with injured kidneys, as a result of diabetes or other wise, to avoid the excess nitrogen produced a diet excessively rich in protein.

But what of the claims of increased levels of HDL cholesterol when compared to more traditional weight loss diets? It seems that claim is also unsubstantiated. The results of the Duke Univeristy study mentioned above were mixed. Yes, the HDL levels in low-carb dieters increased while LDL levels remained nearly the same as an overall average, but nearly 33% of the participants did in fact, experience an increase in LDL levels. One participant’s levels of LDL spiked so dramatically they were removed from the test and the diet.

During the same study, the individuals who followed a reduced calorie, low fat diet as advocated by medical organizations as the American Heart Association experienced an overall reduction in LDL levels. While the levels of HDL levels present in their blood was lower, the gains achieved by the lowering of LDL was more than enough to offset the lowering of unhealthy cholesterol levels.
It should also be noted that the two recent studies have both been six month studies. Six months is a very short period, especially when diseases such as hearth disease and cancer take years to develop. Doctor Eric Westman of Duke University administered the Atkins’ Foundation funded research projects and admits there may be problems in using such a s short-term study. He explains,
"There are people who have done the diet for years, but not in a large enough number and not with monitoring to know that they're healthy by all of the parameters that we can measure. In both of these studies, I closed up shop after six months and told the patients, 'I'm not even sure you should be on this diet.'" Professor of medicine Howard Eisenson agrees,

"The decent studies on low-carb diets are in their infancy," he says, and he directs those in his care to follow the more traditional low fat approach. "Our low-fat diet has the greatest weight of scientific work behind it. We've been doing it for a long time. We feel most confident in this as a way of life," Eisenson continues.

While the current low carbohydrate fad may in fact be helping many lose weight, it is troubling to think millions are following a diet with little or no long term research into the effects on the body. American’s search for the newest way to lose weight fast may be leading us towards disaster. Remember Phen-phen or ephedra anyone?

Let's start with some praise for the Forest Service

2004-09-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

Everyone in America recognizes Smokey the Bear, and most realize the Forestry Service fights forest fires and regulates logging. But few are aware just how far reaching the influence of the Forestry Service is thanks to the transparent nature of their governance, a credit to an agency based on the democratic ideals outlined in the Declaration of Independence.

The mission of the USDA Forest Service (USFS) is to sustain the health of hundreds of millions of acres of forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Achieving this goal requires everything from road building and maintenance to thousands of annual research projects. As a world leader in research, the USFS studies the health of nearly every plant, animal and fish species living in forest and grassland habitat.

"Caring for the land and serving the people," is the USFS’s mission statement and highlights the importance they place on serving the needs of everyone while responsibly maintaining authority. The USFS depends on several important principles, involving the public, employed to achieve quality land management, while insuring the policies meet the diverse needs of people. But what sort of regulations evolve as a result of this focus on public involvement and how effective are they?

Because I ride mountain bike, backpack, photograph wildlife, rock climb, and fish I am affected by the Forestry Services nearly every week. Every trip to a national forest requires research on what permits are required, and of course how much those permits cost. But sometimes no amount of planning is enough. I remember an August backpacking trip to northern Arizona, which I had no other choice than to spend two nights in the bed of my pick-up truck, hoards of mosquitoes and all, because the entire Tonto National Forest was closed due to the possibility of fire. Through other trips into USFS land, I now know that special bear-proof food containers are required in Kings Canyon National Forest (and only models which are approved after USFS experiments and research), that no open fires are allowed above 11,00 of elevation in many areas of the Sierra, and that a fire permit is currently required for even cookstove use in all California and Arizona national forests. Thanks to my interaction with rangers and USFS officials I am also aware of the restrictions placed on entering areas where plant or wildlife research is taking place. Since nearly all of my free time activities revolve around the outdoors, the Forestry Service plans play a major role in my private life.

The general public as a whole benefits from my relationship with the Forestry Service. By charging me access fees and then spending the funds collected on research and management programs, every other user benefits. Often times the road and trail conditions, snow cover and current weather information the Forestry Service shares are a result of phone calls or visits from private citizens such as myself who report back to the local ranger station. I remember calling the ranger station in Lone Pine, California last winter to inquire on snow conditions while planning a trip in the Eastern Sierra, only to be told no rangers had been into that area so they were unsure. They ranger I was speaking to made a point of asking me to please report on the snow cover as quite a few other forest users had inquired. When I returned from the trip I was more than happy to call back and check in with a ranger. As a "thank you," I was mailed a special application for a drawing to access Mount Whitney.

Despite the power the a federal agency such as USFS holds through threat of fees and other penalties, the regulations the Forestry Service creates are largely self-enforced, because there are only so many rangers to enforce the laws in the remote and sprawling forests. I have spent over three weeks this year in the backcountry (as the forest areas are commonly referred as) and have yet to see a ranger outside of the ranger stations. This obviously limits the power of the Forestry Service somewhat and if it did not successfully promote a sense of ecology and sustainability among forest users, the USFS would have a difficult time using the self-policing tactic.

The USFS also maintains authority through protection of property. The Forestry Service is responsible for the planning and implementation of fire prevention and management plans. By providing a benefit to everyone by protecting their homes, land and even their lives, the USFS earns the respect of those who live near the forests and grasslands. Due to their proximity, these people are also the most likely to responsibly utilize the land under USFS management.

The reason the Forestry Service is so successful and well respected is due to a philosophy outlined on the their website, involvement of the people and that philosophy is. Central to the USFS is "Listening to people and responding to their diverse needs in making decisions." This is often done by encouraging grassroots participation in decisions and activities through the scheduling of public meetings. Every national forest is required to publish a quarterly newsletter that lists all public meetings and comment periods as well as workshops, special events and proposed projects. To in effort to promote high level public involvement, most national forests also have formal advisory committees that the general public can serve on.

Similarly, a focus on public involvement and consideration of their opinion is a central ideal in the Declaration of Independence. While the Declaration of Independence focuses on the transgressions of the British government, the USFS has successfully employed several methods to encourage input from the public and avoid oppressing public sentiment, averting a situation where "repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury"
While Thomas Jefferson decried the King of England for calling "legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures," the USFS often schedules meetings in "schools, community centers and other non-federal sites" near public transportation and are "held during hours convenient for most people" This insures that everyone is able to voice his or her opinion. The meetings are also held near the affected forests or grasslands, as well as in nearby urban centers so concerned citizens do not have to trek out to the rural areas in which the forests or grasslands are found.

Individual property rights are also central to a successful democratic government. The USFS states on its website that they "are good neighbors who respect property rights" While many agencies make similar claims, the Forestry Service continually demonstrates a commitment to meeting the economic and property needs of the public in a "fair, friendly and open way" (USDA Forestry Service). Because of their focus on the needs of the people, the USFS undergoes an involved process that begins with environmental study, moves on to meetings with landowners, and finishes with public hearings on such matters as purchase proposals before redesignating or regulating potential and existing forestland. This ensures property owners are not forced out and are allowed to continue to live normally on their property. In fact, many forests allow livestock grazing and even the building of new homes. This is in contrast to the government which Jefferson claimed abolished "the System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries"

The Forestry Service exercises a great deal of authority over me, as well as millions of others who are sometimes completely unaware. Fortunately, the one-hundred year old agency remains viable because it enacts and enforces regulations in fair manner and with the input and acceptance of the general population.

Coming soon

2004-08-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

I hope to have a new post by tomorrow afternoon. I thought the recent fires near Sequoia National Monument would be timely, and I have spent time hiking and camping in the affected areas.

The first post....

2004-08-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hello all,
I hope to have sufficient time available to give this blog, and its subject matter, justice. As the description implies, I feel that the environment is being severely damaged by the actions of humans. Unfortunately, the methods which are in place to combat the ravaging of our resources are out-dated and misguided. Even more frightening are the commonly expressed proposals which are touted as a cure all.
We have all heard about the supposed effects of greenhouse gases and global warming, but I also hope to shed light on environmental issues which the media seems to ignore; improper forestry management and the depletion of our ocean fish populations.