Monday, December 31, 2012
Purchasing Power
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Going International



Be sure to come by the Guide House up at Paradise, or one of the other ranger stations around the park, and say "hello."
Monday, December 24, 2012
Dachstein Wool
Don't hate me because I still have an original ;-) They made two versions, a "standard" as shown and a Lwt version. Significant price difference back in the day between the two. I first bought the Lwt version telling myself it was "thinner" and more useful.Both were stout versions of a "sweater". But not moth proof which was my sweater's demise. I now think I made a mistake on the thin version as being more useful.

Funny thing about the Dachstein's. I first saw the mitts in the local climbing shop and the early '70s GPIW catalog. Likely the only way to keep your hand warm in really cold weather back then. I went through half a dozenpairs over the years. And I later used them in combination with other mitts (generally Helly Hanson pile lined shells) up till the early'80s.
Dachstein mitts and the luxurious gloves (not the GPIW Walker wool gloves mind you) were the bomb back in the day. Still are if you have a use for them. Fun to see Andy Turner climb with Dave MacLeod whileusingDachstein mitts and Nomics..


My size Euro sized 52 Dachstein weighs in at 3# 4 oz. So it is no light weight. A jacket of comparable performance (well sort of comparable anyway) is the Arcteryx Atom Lt @ ajust over 14.4 oz. Well less than a 1/3 in weight.
But it isn't just the numbers that tell the story here. The Dachstein sweater can be a decent rain jacket, an amazingly good wind shell,a stretchable and extremely breathable layer all in one. Someof the weight just gets ignored. But no question you notice you have something on! Stuck out side for an unplanned over night? The Dachsteinis the garment I'd choose. May be not for all the time use but it is fun once in a while in the right conditions. Cold, dryand windy?
Herman Buhl used one.

Michael Kennedy did as well. Here after thenight out, on the 1st ascent of the Ames Ice Hose.

I dumped mine for the first Patagonia red pile. Now I have all sorts of climbing sweaters I really like. The SherpaAGear, Mantra is one, the E. Bauer Hooded Down Pullover another along with the Arcteryx Atom Lt. All different weights and materials but all useable.
But none of the "sweaters" named besides the Dachsteinwill I throw over a synthetic t shirt (don't believe anyone who tells you boiled wool doesn't itch. It does.) and wearsidehill skiing in marginal NW spring weatheras my only piece of clothing onmy upper body.
And be happy doing it!
Well happy till it is totally full of water anyway ;-) Not sure I could pack the 50# around of a totally soaked Dachstein.. Better used where it won't rain all day on you I suspect. But this sweateris the"original soft shell". It will still do most of what we required and do it better than even the best of the new versions of "climbing sweater". Not everywhere mind you. But not the worn out old war horse to be abandoned either.

The retro kool factor can not be denied. Like how many guys do you know that have actually even seen a Dachstein sweater let alone worn one? EBs in Bard's "hopeful" hands BITD in case you wondered.
All is not lost. The Austrian Armycontracted to havemanufacturedboth pull over and zip front Dachstein sweaters for years. Also known as the "GUIDE" version. Those can be had on the after market for reasonable prices these days. ORTOVOX now sells the gloves and mitts of boiled wool. And they are nice. But they aren't of the same quality as the originals imo. But they are close!
Places to find the "Dachstein" versions still available? Often times a Google search for "Austrian Military wool sweater" will bring surplus military sweaters up as well.. These things rock as the ultimatewool sweater. $40 plus shipping seems to be the going price as I write this on Ebay and online for the surplus version, used and new. Last made in the early '80s I believe. Likely the best $40 you'll ever spend for usable but somewhat funky climbing clothing

Current sources for Dachstein style wool items:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280657136079
http://www.ortovox.com/classic-wool
http://www.bradleyalpinist.com/dachstein.html
MEN'S sizing conversions off the Internet which seems to fit my 52 Dachstein / 42 US conversion
Suits and overcoats
European 46 48 50 52 54 56 58
UK 36 38 40 42 44 46 48
USA 36 38 40 42 44 46 48
size 52 is:
63" wrist to wrist
24" arm pit to arm pit
19" at the waist
The military surplus siz largeI just bought but haven't seen yet is:
62"
22.5"
19"
Close enough to a size 42 to work for me.
A Dachstein sweater won't replace anything I own or get very used oftenbut they are a fun bit of quality kit that isn't easy available today.
A short history of the Dachstein area:
http://www.ramsau.com/en/information/history.html
More on the modern sweater versions here:
http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//12/climbing-sweater.html
http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//04/patagonia-nano-puff-pull-over.html
http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//02/arcteryx-atom-lt-hoodyjust-how-good-is.html
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Petzl issues a statement on the New Nomic and Ergos

copy and paste the URL below for full details:
http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/news/products-news-0//12/21/information-griprest-nomic-ergo
As it was pointed out quickly to me this morning Petzl has not issued a recall. Nor is this a safety issue. (in my opinion and Petzl's) But call it what you will, Petzl will fix the faulty tool pommelsin the short term and replace them with a new version once they are available in the fall of .
Bravo to Petzl! for doing the right thing and doing it as quickly as possible. This response is less than a week after seeing the first pair of damaged tools.
Petzl is also setting up a very quick return and repair program (one day turn around in Utah after Jan 1st)for any effected tools. Call your local Petzl rep for the details. The fix is an additional pin through the handle. Petzl will have a team on site at the Ouray Ice Fest adding the pin and extra pommel support to anyone with the newest tools. How cool is that?
What follows is the text of their message.
"Information concerning autumn versions of the NOMIC (ref. U21 2) and ERGO (ref. U22) ice climbing tools :
It has come to our attention that the adjustment system of the GRIPREST (the lower hand rest at the bottom of the handle) on the NOMIC (U21 2) and ERGO (U22) in some cases may not stay fixed in the desired size position.
This issue concerns NOMIC and ERGO ice tools with serial numbers between 10208 and 10329 and all GRIPREST (U21 GR2)
accessory parts. It does not concern the new QUARKs or the older versions of the NOMICs, QUARKs and QUARK ERGOs.
Following conversations with end users and extensive lab testing, we have determined that this problem can occur when an inward force is applied to the GRIPREST, damaging the adjustment teeth at the base of the tool's handle that mesh with the GRIPREST (see photo). Once this damage occurs, users may lose the ability to fix the GRIPREST in the desired size position.
Petzl has developed a solution to reinforce the GRIPREST, which permanently fixes it in the position of your choice (S, M, or L). This procedure will be expedited to reduce any interruption to your climbing season. Because this solution eliminates the ability to adjust the grip's size, we will replace your tools with redesigned versions of the NOMIC or ERGO once they are available in autumn .
Warranty procedure
Anyone with a damaged NOMIC or ERGO or who has concerns about the durability of the GRIPREST adjustment system, is encouraged to contact the Petzl distributor in their country or return the tools to the store from which they were purchased for further information about the warranty procedure. You will be provided with directions on what to do next, as well as an
estimated time to modify your tools and have them returned to you.
We would like to thank the climbers that alerted us to this issue.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you,
Paul Petzl (President), Romain Lécot (General Manager) and the entire Petzl team"
Friday, December 21, 2012
Rural Cycling: Fantasy vs Reality
The Starship Has Landed
As some might recall, I've had aPaper Bicycle on loan since November - but haven't been riding it for transportation because it lacked a rear rack. Not only did it lack one, but the unique frame construction made it challenging to install one aftermarket. Clearly a bicycle as distinct as this called for a custom solution. Turns out the manufacturer had been developing a special rack all along, it just wasn't quite ready. He asked me to hold off on the review so that he could send me the latest prototype. And sure enough, shortly after the holidays it arrived: Behold the Paper Bicycle "Starship" rack!
Trying to picture a suitable rack for this bicycle, my imagination was failing me. While I appreciate the unique and contemporary design, I do not understand it sufficiently - either visually or structurally - to conjure up a rack that would integrate flawlessly with the rest of the bike. What form would it take? How would it connect? How could it be made strong enough to support a great deal of weight (after all, this bike is all about utility), but minimalist enough so that it would not overwhelm the frame itself? Seeing the prototype answered all of these questions. The "Starship" rack adds utility without undermining the bike's unique design, and it does so by literally plugging into the frame's integrated chaincase.
To install the rack, its tubing is simply inserted into the ever so slightly thicker chaincase tubing, using hammer to really push it in there. The expander screw on the righthand side is then loosened to further secure the connection. The installation is impressively solid, resulting in a rack that looks seamlessly integrated with the frame. Total installation time was maybe 5 minutes.
While not secured to the fender or any other part of the bike, this does not seem necessary, as there is no side-to-side play. The rack is solid, and, according to the manufacturer, can support the weight of a person. My requirements are more modest: I just want it to support my panniers and occasionally some packages.
The rack's tubing is very thick and does not in fact support standard pannier quick-release attachment hooks, such as those byOrtlieb, Jand, Basil, and R&K. It will however support the Po Camposystem very nicely, and of course the double-panniers that hang over the rack's platform, as well as any pannier that attaches via straps and not quick-release hooks. I do not think that the rack's tubing choice can or should be altered, as the thick tubing is what gives it strength. But the bike's owner will have to choose their pannier system accordingly. The Paper Bicyclehas long chainstays, and the rack's stays move it back even further, so that there is no chance of heel strike.
As far as strapping packages onto the rack, attaching bungee cords can be a bit tricky - and not all bungee hooks will fit securely around the tubing. In the final production iteration of this rack, a special tab for bungee hook attachment would be helpful.
The Starship rack is not a lightweight rack - a couple of pounds for sure. This makes the bicycle noticeably heavier to lift, but so far I have not felt any effect on handling or speed. Riding the bike for 10 miles around town in the freezing cold and wind this morning, it felt just as zippy and effortless to pedal as I remember it being pre-rack. I will ride the Paper Bicycle some more (hopefully it will snow again, as I've been trying to test it in the snow) and should have a review soon. In the meantime, what do you think of the rack?
Monday, December 17, 2012
Vintage Raleigh Comes Home

My only concern now, is the size. You can see in the photo how small the bike looks next to a 6'1" male body. I am 5'7" -- will it be a good fit? It will be a little sad if after all this excitement, the Raleigh will be too small for me.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
GreeK Easter
Easter-another big event in our family- at least on the Greek side. When I was growing up, I always got an Easter basket on American Easter Day because my mom is not Greek, but usually Greek Easter falls on a later Sunday. The Orthodox calender follows a different schedule, but what it usually means is that the Greek Easter bunny gets to hit the half price candy. This year, however, much to the dismay of cheap Greeks everywhere, both fall on the same day.
My father recalls the fasting which lasted until the Saturday night before Easter Sunday, then everyone went to church- a midnight mass of sorts, and the fast ended with a huge meal in the middle of the night. A lot of people think of lambs turning on spits when they think of Greek celebrations, and I did, too, but I was lately informed that our Yiya always did a leg of lamb, and the lamb thing wasn’t done until my Uncle Mimi moved to Chevy Chase in the late forties. Yes, as Thanksgiving is my parents’ holiday, and Christmas falls to my Uncle Nick, Easter was my Aunt Catherine and Uncle Mimi’s event. Baseball in the side yard, and tables set up outside on the back terrace. I remember doing the Twist for the first time in their basement, and watching the Wizard of Oz on TV. (It must have rained that year) But the biggest kick for kids at our Easter has always been the tradition of the Egg War.
All Greek Easter eggs are dyed a deep red for Christ’s blood. Some use food coloring. My Yiya used to use red crepe paper. (Go figure- but it worked better than anything these days.) All symbolism aside, the seemingly sole purpose that I, the torch bearer, boil up a vat of red dye each year to color a gazillion eggs is to destroy them. The point is you take your egg, hold it in your fist with one end showing, and hit your opponent or be hit. The egg that cracks is the loser, and the victor goes on until all eggs are broken- usually on both ends- and only one champion egg is left. If you cheat like my father and uncle, you might slip in your thumb or, if really prepared, a marble substitute.
These days my cousins, Dean and Ann have taken on the daunting task of having the hoopla at their house which is a frightful distance from Washington. They keep moving farther away, but it does no good. Many of us are well known for not missing a meal. Some of my family can’t find their way out of a paper bag so they tend to travel in tribes with those that can. The number of children attending this party is alarmingly high,almost out numbering the adults. Egg count this year is up to about 45, and the forecast must have my poor cousins contemplating moving out of state...but until that happens we will persevere. I’ve got to go hit the Safeway and get the eggs. Cronya Polla, y'all.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

The automated beacon of light from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is visible every seven seconds. Over 1 million bricks, baked in kilns along the James River in Virginia, were used during construction between 1868 and 1870.
It is believed that the engineer who was originally assigned to paint North Carolina's lighthouses got his plans mixed up. Apparently, the diamond-shaped figures, which were supposed to warn traffic away from Diamond Shoals, went to Cape Lookout. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse received spiral striping, thus obtaining the nickname ''The Big Barber Pole.''
We enjoyed the visit very much. We did not grab that many pictures though because of the smoke that was in the air today. There is a fire on the mainland and the smoke was courtesy of that.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012
She was the chief cook, I was the dish washer.



Grandma opened the restaurant every morning at 5 a.m. in the summer and 6 o'clock in the winter. While breakfast was being served she made the pies (some of the best!) and preparations were underway for the daily lunch special. Swiss steak, fried chicken, liver and onions, beef heart, ham and beans - just a few of her specialties. Sunday was the really busy day with the after-church crowd starting about 11 a.m. and continuing through until about 2 o'clock.
Closing time during the winter was 9 p.m. while in the summer the restaurant stayed open until 11 o'clock. It usually took another hour to get the place cleaned before we could go home. I did not enjoy working the late shift, or the morning shift for that matter! For the first few years (before I legally became old enough to work) I cleared tables and washed dishes, eventually moving up to waitress and finally grill cook. I peeled a lot of potatoes and did prep work, but grandma and mom were the ones that cooked up the daily specials. It was by no means an easy job.
Notice the prices for breakfast items:
Ham or Bacon & Eggs, toast, coffee 75¢Contributed to the "they worked hard for the family" edition of Smile for the Camera.
2 Eggs, toast, coffee 40¢
a glass of fruit juice was 15¢
Monday, December 10, 2012
Midsummer Storm at the Spirit Tree

Yesterday throughout the day and all through last night we experienced one incredible thunderstorm after another. Some particulars from the weather warnings throughout the day: 70 MPH winds, possible golf-ball size hail, heavy rainfall and flood advisories. To top it off the power was out for most of the night as well. We ended up with anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of rain, depending on where the measurement was taken. The Pigeon River in Grand Portage State Park went from a discharge rate of roughly 4,000 gallons per second yesterday morning to about 28,000 gallons per second today. The storms also produced the best lightning show that we've seen so far this year.
As day turned to night I couldn't resist the light show that was going on all over in the sky. I ended up spending about two and a half hours standing on the Lake Superior shoreline trying to capture photos of the lightning. I went down to the Spirit Tree, which is not far from my home. I've always wanted to capture a "knock your socks off" photo of lightning behind the tree (similar to a shot that my dad captured on slide film years ago), but the photo I dream of still eludes me. I am getting closer, however. Last night's storms yielded my best results yet at photographing lightningbehind the tree. The photo you see here is the result of two hours of standing in the rain trying to capture the perfect bolt of lightning while thunder rumbled all around me. It was definitely one of the most uncomfortable periods of time I've ever spent outside with my camera, but an effort that I consider worthwhile when I view this image.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
His and Hers Bicycles: Matching Looks vs Matching Performance
This particular discrepancy in "his and hers" bikes is something I wonder about when I see a man and a woman cycling together, where he is on an aggressive roadbike and she is on an upright hybrid from the same manufacturer (usually Trek,Cannondale or Specialized). While I understand that the idea is for the woman (who is presumably less skilled) to ride an "easier bike," surely it must make the difference in their skill levels all the more acutely felt?
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Cousins, all dressed up!
Hazlette Wise, Grace Zinsmeister, and Ethel Wise.
Not dated but I'd guess about 1905-1910.
Hazlette Wise (1885-1977), daughter of William P. and Sophia (Dunfee) Wise, married Harlo Burns on October 10, 1911 in Whitley County, Indiana. They had two sons: Maurice Wise Burns who was born on July 31, 1912 and died on October 2, 1912. The other son, Thagrus Burns, was born in 1917 and recently celebrated his 91st birthday. My grandmother, Hazlette Brubaker, was named after Aunt Hazlette, who was in turn named after her great-grandmother Sophia Elizabeth Hazlett Dunfee.
Grace Zinsmeister (1888-1983) was the daughter of Rosilla "Rose" Wise and John Zinsmeister. Rose was the sister of William P. Wise. The Zinsmeister's moved to Lorain, Ohio just prior to 1900 and lived there the remainder of their lives though, apparently, they made several visits to the folks back in Indiana. Grace was a school teacher in Lorain for many years.
Ethel Wise (1882-1966) was the daughter of James Roscoe and Miriam Minerva (Blain) Wise. Ethel married George Weick in 1919, when she was 36 years old. They owned and operated a shoe store in Columbia City.
The parents of the girls (William, Rose, and James) were the children of Jacob and Malissa (Stem) Wise.
Cottontail Rabbit
I finally got a photo of the cottontail rabbit in our little patch of grass. I think this is the same rabbit wat that was in the other photo when it was hiding in the sand. I frequently see it eating grass but usually it hops away to go under the hay shed where I can't see it. It knows where it is safe. The grassy spot is right beside the hay shed. I think this may be a female rabbit as we always have a female that has her babies under the shed each summer. It couldn't have been the same rabbit all these years but I would think it might be a daughter or granddaughter. What I would really like to get is a photo of a rabbit eating hay with one of the horses. Again I see them doing it but I'm never close enought to get a photo or just don't have the camera with me.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Snow Drifts on Hungry Jack Lake

Here is another shot from my afternoon along the Gunflint Trail yesterday. This was taken with my Canon 100-400mm lens from the Honeymoon Bluff overlook.