Friday, July 11, 2008

We the People ...


... spent a couple of days in camp along the Illinois river at Pine Flat. Out in the open grassy flat we found the carcass of a bottle rocket that looked recently used. Fear and anger rise. Fear of being trapped by a fire, and anger that someone would take such a high risk over something so foolish. How could anyone be in this charred wilderness and actually consider using fireworks. To any one that would actually think of doing such an insane thing let me say this: Please don't go into the wilderness to shoot off fireworks, please continue to do that only inside your own house, so the damage will be restricted (hopefully) to only your stuff.

I saw a turkey, and a red fox. The red fox made an cranky, angry, loud, scary, run off your enemies, frightful sound. I have never heard a noise like that except maybe the time I heard the racoon lovemaking -- which is ummm ... really noisy. Anyway -- the fox came by the camp during the night to make that same noise while we were sleeping, or so I heard later.


This is Jim wearing the Albert Einstien hat with grass stuffed underneath it to keep the mosquitoes from drilling through the bandana into his head. I'm an advocate of the Albert Einstien hat, which is a bandana with a knot tied in each of the four corners. Any sculptor or physicist will immediate understand how this turns a flat rag into a bowl shaped hat.




The Sierra Designs Light Year in camp.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Panther Creek to the Illinois River


That sign used to say "Entering the Kalmiopsis Wilderness" or something like that. It was torched during the Biscuit Fire.

The Illinois River.

A carnivorous Pitcher Plant in the York Creek Conservation Area

Ummm ... What is this Yellow Flower? Also in York Creek. Michael Parker of Southern Oregon University has helped me to identify this flower as a California coneflower, Rudbechia californica. Thanks Michael.

Jim shooting a picture

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Day One, Miami Bar to Panther Creek


Day one included a two and a half hour drive from Grants Pass, OR to the Illinois River Trailhead at Briggs Creek near Miami Bar on the Illinois River, and a forty-five minute hike to Panther Creek, where we eeked out a rocky camp. Let's all keep in mind that we are still in the charcoal cathedral.






The camp at Panther Creek, just outside of the Kalmiopsis wilderness.
Next, York Creek Botanical Area, and the trail to the Illinois River near Pine Flat.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Return to the Charcoal Cathedral



In a few days I'll be going back to the Charcoal Cathedral. On this trip I may actually miss the Biscuit Fire. I don't know because this is new. Everytime I have been to the Kalmiopsis wilderness, I have seen the result of the Biscuit Fire. I'll be going in to the Illinois river at Pine Flat. It's a fair piece upstream from my last trip. 4 days, 1 old river, 2 old friends, 2 old dogs.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

What I Did Over My Summer Vacation

Ok -- so ... I have the Real™ job and all that-- and it's new so I don't have enough Staycation™ to cover the Summer; But really -- who cares? I am going to do something, because, well, it's Summer now (almost), and I am in paradise, and I may not live that long. This si all fairly assumptive -- since I don't have any tags yet. And it doesn't even consider pig hunting.

Here's the drill:

Mendocino National Forest, CA -- Scouting -- June 28-29
Grants Pass, Oregon -- Planning -- July 4 -7
Mendocino NF, CA -- Archery Blacktail Deer -- July 12-13
TBD -- California Blacktail -- August 9-10
Hermit Valley, CA -- Archery Sierra Mule Deer -- August 15-18
Kalmiopsis Wilderness, Oregon -- Western Archery Deer -- August 29-32
Hermit Valley -- Sierra Mule Deer -- Sept 27-28

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Bonkity-Bonk

And I just went out for a little short 5 or 6 mile ride to test out all this new power train. A whole Shimano new set-up. A few short hill climbs and racing around like that. pedal hard uphill, slide around the corner ... coast hard downhill. Uphill hard ... push, pedal, pedal. ... Coast. Jump in the car. Drive home ... Seriously bonk. Try to park.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Bike Ride at Russian Ridge Open Space

5.33 miles
A loop that included the Bay Area Ridge Trail, the Hawk Trail, and the Ancient Oak Forest Trail.
Some singletrack and some old vehicular roads.
2 Burritos.









My wounds from last week are healing and my intelligence is developing a bit too. I managed to make an hour and a half ride without damaging any part of my body. I can feel the pleasant effects of a solid cardio workout, and I am thinking, oh yeah, endorfins mixed with the glisten of sweat and dirt, and fatigue, and that lactic acid burn; That feels great.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Tomorrow's morning crash fest mountain bike ride will be at Russian Ridge OSP. I'll try to remember to take some pictures.

1953 Roadmaster Luxury Liner



I saw one of these today. I really did. See.



1953 AMF Roadmaster Luxury Liner. It was sweet.



I saw a few other things too.



Wednesday, April 2, 2008

A Day of It


Ok, so I made this awesome dinner. Fresh Pacific Ling Cod and asparagus with Tator Tots and -- umm -- frozen corn. Then I worked on the Surly.

Before ...

After. Shimano Deore XL trigger shifters, Easton Bar, Ergon grips and some shorty bar ends. I adjusted the derailleurs and fiddled with every other whatnot.

Eco-Credits for sale

1 megawatt hour equals 859845.227859 nutritional calories. At 500 calories an hour, that eqauls 1719.690455718 hours of riding. I think that represents about 20000 miles of riding (at 12 miles an hour) ... which is about what I've probably done in my life. This is equal to 1 eco-credit. I think I should be able to sell this eco credit. If you'd like to buy it, please let me know and I'll tell you where to send the $9.95.

Oh wait. One megawatt hour equals 3412141.63313 BTU's. If I divide that by 125,000 (BTU's in a gallon of gas) I get around 27, or the amount of gas I buy in a week when I drive. If I always ride that means that about 1 eco-credit a week -- what I saved. Over 3 years (not including the rest of my life), that's about 150 credits. Times ~$10 = $1500. Not bad.

Feel free to start buying eco-credits.