Harris Hill in Elmira New York

Aric and I went with Nathan to help him work today, so I was able to see more of this area. It is just beautiful here. Here is a waterfall on the side of the road:

And Aric getting close to the action:

We drove all around the area, finishing up with stopping at a park. Nathan was looking for something on the GPS, so I got out to look around at the Rails to Trails bike path there. There was a gentlemen standing there looking at the lake. He seemed so sad, with the kind of heavy grief that is normally from losing a loved one. I told Nathan I wanted to go and just hug him and when I said that, he looked over and waved like he felt our love. It was so neat.



After that, we headed to Harris Hill, in Elmira. We had a client there, so we visited him first. Then we went up the hill to the Soaring Center Museum which was closed. There was an overlook there that was really wonderful. We sat in one of the swings there and watched the sunset.

Living the life in New York!

I Got the Elbow Blues

(Photo: Elbows.)



Just a week ago last Thursday, I was feeling like I'd settled into a reasonably good place from which to start the season.



There were a bunch of new problems on the "Highball Wall" at Brooklyn Boulders. I love seeing the new problems. I know we are just talking about the gym, and that it isn't a big deal. But I always get a little bit excited when I see a wall full of new routes. Judging from the ridiculous crowds that always surround the new problems, I'm not the only one who feels this way. True to past trends, the newly set wall was utterly mobbed last Thursday.



I jumped in, despite the crowds.



After speeding through many of the easier climbs I was feeling pretty good. I made quick work of a couple of the V5's and then with a little bit of concentrated effort I sent a V6. This was by no means a great accomplishment. Anyone can do it. But for me it was not a trivial thing. All winter long I've been trying to get myself into a new mindset in which I think of every V5 as a climb I will send (as opposed to a project for some other day) and every V6 as a climb I can do with some work (as opposed to a climb reserved for someone better than me).



As I finished the V6 and dropped to the floor I heard an onlooker say "that was awesome." It took a second for it to sink in that this person was talking about me! I wasn't accustomed to hearing such exclamations about me. And it's true, it was a little bit awesome. I'd never scoped out a V6 and put it all together so quickly before. A year or two ago I might have been that same onlooker, thinking the same thing, in effect saying "that looks so hard, it is surely out of my league."



But now with the new mindset I was approaching just about any climb as if I might be able to do it.



And maybe this approach was working.



Or maybe this was just an easy V6.



Afterwards I sat down and watched a very strong climber tackle a V9+. This problem involved a series of long reaches between awful slopers. He'd been working the route for a while and shortly after my victory on the V6 he finally sent the V9+. He was ecstatic about it, and with good reason. The climb looked terribly terribly hard, much too difficult for even my new hard-charging persona to consider attempting.



I listened as he talked to another super-strong climber.



"I must have been here for six hours yesterday," he said. "My tendons feel like they could explode at any moment."



The other climber gave him a concerned look. "Do you use ice?" he asked. "I ice my arms after every hard session."



I wondered if this made sense. I'd read conflicting advice about using ice. In any event I empathized with these super-climbers with the sore tendons, because I was growing more than a little bit worried about my own.



Over the last few months I'd gradually noticed that my elbows seemed to be sore a lot. There would be some pain on the inside (medial) edge of both elbows when I warmed up, and then the soreness would go away while I climbed, only to return later at random times. Sometimes the elbows would throb while I lay in bed at night, or while I sat at my desk at work. It was more of an occasional annoyance than an impediment to climbing. I was concerned, but not enough to do much of anything about it.



Until recently, that is. As the outdoor climbing season approached and the problem seemed to be getting worse, I looked to the Internet for answers. I soon found a nice piece by Dr. Julian Saunders, the sports doctor who writes for Rock & Ice Magazine. In the article he describes my recent symptoms pretty much exactly and says they suggest a condition called tendonosis, a degeneration of the tendon cell at the elbow.



Dr. Saunders prescribes some exercises with a barbell to strengthen the tendons. It seemed like a reasonable approach to me so I ordered a set of barbells. I hoped that if I followed Dr. Saunders' program the problem would gradually disappear over time. The best part of the doctor's advice, from my perspective, was that he said nothing at all about taking a break from climbing. The last thing I wanted to do was to stop climbing. The season was just about to begin. I was already planning to go to the Gunks with Gail on March 10, when it was supposed to be 50 degrees in New Paltz.



While I was at it I decided to order a massage tool called The Stick. I came across a testimonial to its effectiveness for sore elbows and decided it might also help.



But I didn't get a chance to start either of these new therapies. Before my packages arrived I realized I had a new, more severe elbow problem.



I went back to Brooklyn Boulders on Sunday, just a few days after my little V6 triumph. As I warmed up I gradually realized my right elbow was sore in a new way. I really felt it when I pulled on holds and the pain wasn't going away as I warmed up. There was something wrong. Eventually I abandoned the session and went home.



Where did this new injury come from? I have no idea.



Once I was aware of the pain, I noticed I was feeling it all the time. It hurt to yank open the refrigerator, or to squeeze a water bottle. I detected noticeable swelling on my arm near the elbow right where the pain was. This was bad, worse than just tendonosis. I feared I must have torn something, somehow.



So I went to the doctor. I got a referral from my GP and luckily could get an appointment to see a specialist within the week. I met with him yesterday. He seems like a good guy, young and smart; understanding of the climbing mindset. I told him the whole story and he agreed with Dr. Saunders' diagnosis. He took an x-ray (which looked fine) and did his own examination. He made me an appointment to have an MRI done so we could get a better sense of the damage. He strongly suggested I stop climbing, at least for a few weeks while we sort out how bad the immediate trauma to my elbow is and start some physical therapy.



I am really bummed out.



And the MRI this morning didn't help matters. Have you ever had an MRI? This was my first. I imagine the procedure would be bad enough if you could lie on your back. Even in that relatively comfortable position, the experience of sliding into that narrow tube and remaining perfectly still as the machine screams like an invading alien army for half an hour would be enough to induce existential terror. Add to this nightmarish scenario a position on your stomach with the bad arm outstretched, the other one pinned to your side, both arms falling asleep... and you get the picture. Not fun.



I still hope to have a climbing season. Maybe in a few weeks I can get back to it, taking it easy. I haven't been climbing outside since November and I am as desperate as a man can be to get out there. But I want to be smart and give myself the best chance to heal. I have a climbing trip planned to Squamish in June and I really want to be able to go. I must take care of myself until then.



I will keep you posted.



Getting old is a drag.

Looking out to Sea

Morning Glory

A picture of a morning glory I took last year.

How much did it weigh, 1984?

In 1984 John Bouchard wrote of his and Titione's, six day, January ascent of the S. Face of Aconcagua with a total of.....".no more than 10# of clothing and 25# packs". The details are reprinted above.



I added up a similar and very specific list a few days ago.The price of this fullkit list today could easilymake a grown man weepto get it under 10#.



Total is 8.9#



* 2 pair of socks liner and a med weight

5.25 oz/ 150g



* boots/inner boots

2# 8 oz/ 1134g Scarpa Phantom 6000 with Baruntse liner



*Long john bottom

166g/ 5.8oz wool blend 166g /5.8oz



*Pants

602g/ 21oz bib in Polartec's Neoshell/ Power Shield Pro/ grid fleece interior



*t shirt

220g / 8oz Patagonia lwt fleece zip T



*shell

340g/ 12oz Westcomb Shift 12oz



(or combine the two with a Arcteryx Venta MX 22oz / 628g and save 1oz. )



*insulation/ wind shelllayer

RAB Xenon Hoody 311g / 11oz



*Belay jacket

Mtn H Nilas 631g/ 22.2oz



*gloves

Mtn Hydra 262g / 9.25oz



*hat

Arc. Rho beanie

36g / 1.25 oz



*helmet

Petzl Meteor

224/ 7.9oz



Lots of different combos available. This is the best I could do for the warmth involved and a systems approach. How does your gear's weight measure upto 1984 standards? And the more specificquestion I think, "how much better/warmer is it?"

More Apple Blossoms

Car Free, Skirt Free and Exhausted!

For the remainder of September, we are staying on Cape Cod - and this year's experience is both a joy and a challenge, since we are getting around exclusively on our bicycles.



We are staying on the edge of Provincetown, about 2 miles from the town center. Two scenic, but hilly miles. The town bordering Provincetown is Truro - which is not really a town at all, but a long stretch of dunes, salt water marshes and beach-front properties. The next closest thing to an actual town is Wellfleet - and that's 15 miles away. Fifteen very hilly miles.



Needless to say, I am pleased with the bicycle I ultimately chose to take to the Cape: "Graham Greene," my Rivendell Sam Hillborne. Though not optimal for cruising through the center of Provincetown itself, it is indispensable for pretty much any other kind of cycling we do here - from transportational cycling to any destination on the Outer Cape (as the tip of the Cape Cod peninsula is known), to the series of long rides we have plannedin our free time. I remembered this area being hilly from the time we stayed here with our bikes last summer, but I convinced myself that I was exaggerating. But now it is clear that my memory had not been exaggerating at all: It is darn hilly here; hilly with a capital "H"!



Although last summer we rode our bicycles on the Cape frequently, they were not our exclusive means of transportation: we simply weren't in good enough shape to handle it. However, this summer it is bikes only - and even now our physical abilities are being challenged.



Every morning begins with our cycling into Provincetown for breakfast, work, and various errands.



Our bicycle bags are packed with everything we might need for the day, including camera equipment (thanks to the Zimbale camera insert I recently received - and stuffed perversely into my Carradice saddlebag) and several changes of clothing to accommodate changing weather conditions and different activities. After that, we go about our day, cycling from one place to another and covering at least 15-20 miles purely as back-and-forth transportation. 15-20 very hilly miles, in case I failed to mention that!



On several occasions, we have had the opportunity to take long rides: We have gone on two 30 mile rides and one 60 mile ride so far (more on that later!). The goal is to do a century (100 mile ride) during our stay here.



For me, the weirdest aspect of riding a roadbike exclusively, is my resulting skirt-free wardrobe. But for a few weeks, I can live with it. Ultimately, my stay here will serve as a test of how well I can manage in a rural, hilly, isolated environment... with only my bike to rely on. While for some, a remote oceanfront location is associated with "Vacation", for me it is associated with "Home" and I miss it terribly. I am finding it increasingly difficult to cope with living in the city, even an interesting one like Boston. Something has to change - including my own endurance, if I am serious about living someplace like here andI want to continue cycling. I won't deny that I am utterly exhausted from the time I've spent here on my bike. But I am also excited by the mere fact that I have been able to do it so far. Wish me luck!



Amusingly, though there is no overhead light at our place, there is internet reception.Lovely Bicycle will continue as always, scribbled by candle light.

Baby Wiley

Baby Wiley has taken a moment to rest. Notice I said a moment. Most of the time he is going full blast and it is almost impossible to get a photo of him. By the time I snap the photo he is gone.

Chicken politics

The hens are on strike! We haven't had an egg in over a month. After they're a year old, most chickens molt and stop laying in the fall. I was under the impression that Easter Eggers laid all winter, but ours must have missed that memo.

This is the first year we haven't had spring chicks, so that's why it's a new problem. (Chicks born in the spring don't molt until their second fall.) My homesteading friends tell me that a light bulb in the coop will keep them laying, but for several reasons we don't want to do that.

So, no eggs for a while. We're hoarding the few we have remaining. (It's amazing how long real fresh eggs will last.)



After Stewpot disappeared, I wondered how the other roosters would behave. Both had been extremely submissive, and Stewpot had let them stay near the flock, as long as they didn't, umm, try stuff.

Big Red, the Rhode Island Red, decided he'd like to be the new boss. It worried me. He began acting aggressively, and though I had so far been able to bluff him into backing down, I feared we'd have to butcher him. An agressive rooster that large was NOT something I wanted to keep.

Then one afternoon we noticed Big Red wandering alone in the yard, past the time that the chickens normally put themselves to bed.



There had been a fight. He'd lost.

The dark spots on his comb are dried blood. I figured he was now blind in one eye too. Plus, there must have been injuries we couldn't see, since he sat in a dark corner of the coop and wouldn't eat or drink. I thought he might die.



But he improved. Now he's eating again -- he loved this treat of chicken scratch I brought him -- and even opens that eye now and then.



Meet the new boss. His name is Eagle.

Throwing out the previously liberal rooster-inclusion policies, Eagle has changed the rules. Big Red is not allowed to stay with the flock. I'm not sure how that is going to work out.



His comb's a little odd. I can't decide if it's a rose comb, pea comb, strawberry comb, or some combination.

But he'll eat out of my hand. He's a very sweet rooster. I just hope he stays that way.

Amsterdam in just a few hours

Three weeks ago, my cousin—Dr. Balin came to visit me in the Netherlands. She’s on a work-related trip here in Europe and I’m so glad she took time to come over for a weekend.


Of course, Amsterdam is in the agenda. I asked Dutchman to bring us to the capital city by car. Going back we will be taking the train to Utrecht, and then the Dutchman can fetch us from train station. With this I do not have to pay a ludicrous amount of money for parking.



Like last weekend, I was in Amsterdam for dinner and I paid 32 freaking euros for less than 6 hours parking. That could be a light dinner for 1 person already.



Anywho, here’s what we did in Amsterdam for 8 hours. From 4 in the afternoon to half past 12 midnight.





Dutch fastfood: Febo food vending machine in Leidseplein. Typically Dutch.





And beside Febo is the 'Wok to Walk' and we ordered this for our additional afternoon snack.





We had some cheese tasting and quickly visited the floating Flower Market.





We checked the lovely canals of course.





Dr. Balin and moi.





I wanted to show her 'Begijnhof' but it was already closed. This is the Spui area.





Cafe terracing and people watching at Spui.





On the way to the Westerkerk in Jordaan.





At the homo monument.





The Jordaan neighbourhood.









We had our nachos with cheese light dinner at Escape in Rembrandtplein.







At the Dam...





The 'Waag' at the Nieuwmarkt (New Market Square) which is formerly a gate and a weighing house is now a cafe restaurant.





The Red Light District.







Cool coffee shop in the Red Light District.





Waiting for our intercity train to Utrecht at half past 12.





Finally in the train enroute to Utrecht. My feet and legs are so tired from walking. It was a lovely 8 hours with Balin in Amsterdam.



Visit Period: September

Destination: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Big Bend :: Snow in the Chisos

It doesn't snow that often at Big Bend but the day after my aborted trek to Laguna Meadows, it snowed. The high temperature reported on the 22nd was 86° though I didn't think it got that warm. But in the early hours of the morning of the 23rd the temperature plummeted. I awoke to snow on the windshield. I stayed in my sleeping bag for quite a while but once my feet got cold I had to get up and moving, which was no easy task since I was stiff and sore from two days of hiking!

I started up the van to get warm while eating some breakfast. Once I got warm and added several more layers of clothing, I actually felt quite comfortable. Until I got into some wind. I went to the Visitors Center and looked at the exhibits, again. Then I went out and took some pictures.

Looking west toward the window. 11:11 am.

Casa Grande. 11:17 a.m.

Creepy tree with Casa Grande in the background.


What do you do if it is too cold to just sit around the picnic table and you don't want to go for a hike? You go for a drive, to lower elevations and hopefully some sunshine.

About halfway down the mountains. 3:11 pm.

The Chisos Mountains, from the northwest side. 4:00 pm.

The Chisos Mountains, from the east side. 5:16 pm.

Casa Grande. 5:57 pm.

The only trace left of the snow in the evening was in the trees in the high elevations.

Photographs taken February 23, ...