Bosque del Apache

From the "Friends of the Bosque" website (http://www.friendsofthebosque.org/):

"The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico is an important wintering home for Sandhill Cranes and hosts as many as 14,000 cranes during the winter months. The Bosque is located along the Rio Grande River south of Albuquerque and provides critical habitat for cranes and other migratory birds such as over 32,000 Snow Geese, dozens of Bald Eagles, Avocets and many other birds. The beautiful refuge is also home to small herds of Mule Deer and families of Coyotes. Seeing the sunset "fly-in" and the sunrise "fly-out" is an experience you will never forget!"



Above: "Blue morning at Bosque" - An overcast, snowy, predawn morning makes for a dramatic image of these Sandhill Cranes.

After leaving Yosemite the next stop on my trip was to be Bosque del Apache in New Mexico. The plan was to meet back up with my friend Roger (http:www.rogernordstromphoto.com) in Socorro then head to the refuge the next morning. For those of you that have been following along with my blog, Roger and I started off my trip together with a visit to the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota. After that portion of the trip Roger had to head back home, but I continued on my journey and here we are meeting back up again near the end of my trip! Roger was visiting his family in California for Christmas, so he stopped in New Mexico to meet up with me on his way back home.

I arrived in Socorro with enough time to head to the refuge for sunset (Roger wouldn't be arriving for several more hours). Not long after arriving at the refuge I was a little disappointed at the lack of birds. I had visited Bosque back in 2004 during this same week, and remembered seeing LOTS of cranes, and LOTS of snow geese. This time, there were only a few. Oh well, I figured... maybe it was just an "off" night, and more would be around tomorrow.



Above: "Red-Winged Rush" - While driving the roads of the refuge, we spotted this large group of Red-Winged Blackbirds that was flying around one of the fields... they would fly around a bit, then land for a moment, then fly around again. I've never seen so many Red-Winged Blackbirds at one time before. Luckily I had my camera and telephoto lens ready to capture this rush of birds!

The next morning we rose bright and early so we could take advantage of the nice breakfast that was offered at our motel. If you're ever looking for a place to stay in Socorro, I highly recommend the EconoLodge... VERY reasonable rate, the room was spacious and very comfortable, the staff was friendly and they had one of the best breakfasts of any motel I've ever stayed in. Coffee, juice, bagels, waffles, cereal, fresh fruit.... it was a great way to start the day!



Above: "Coyotes on the prowl" - A pair of coyotes working their way along the edge of one of the fields. There was a group of snow geese out in the middle of this field, several hundred yards away from these coyotes. The coyotes had their eyes on the birds... not sure if they got any or not, as they ducked into the brush and I never saw them again.



Above: "Safe Zone" - A group of Canada Geese along with a few Sandhill Cranes rests in a field. The fields provide food and a modicum of protection from coyotes, their main predator at the refuge. The birds are usually clustered in the middle of these fields, so they can see the coyotes coming in time to take off and avoid being caught by one.

After breakfast we hit the road for the refuge, which is about a 25 minute drive from Socorro. It started snowing not long after we got on the freeway. Hmmmm.... probably not going to be much of a sunrise, we thought. We were right about that... no sunrise, it was too cloudy. The snow kept coming down, and at times quite heavily. It ended up being a wonderful morning, with the fresh snow providing a perspective on the refuge that not many people are able to enjoy. Being that this is a desert, they don't get much rain or snow. It was a rare treat. Throughout the morning we saw many small groups of birds but as the day progressed we would see more and more. We spent several days at the refuge, and by the time we left we were quite happy with the birds we had seen.





Above and below: These cranes were out for a morning walk on one of the frozen ponds. After watching them for about a half hour, they began to take off one by one from the ice.



Bosque del Apache was my first exposure to Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese. Before my visit in late 2004, I had never seen either of these birds. Since then, I have been to Nebraska several times to witness the massive gathering that occurs there every spring. Sandhill Cranes are amazing birds, and I don't think I will ever tire of seeing them. Sandhill Cranes have one of the longest fossil histories of any existing bird. The oldest Sandhill Crane fossil is about 2.5 million years old, over one and a half times older than the earliest remains of most living species of birds!

If you'd like to see some more images of Sandhill Cranes, please visit my blog entries from Nebraska in March of :

http://travisnovitsky.blogspot.com//04/sandhill-cranes-on-platte-river.html

and from March of :

http://travisnovitsky.blogspot.com//03/gathering-on-platte-river.html





Above and below: Experimenting with some slower shutter speeds, trying to "blur" the wings of snow geese as they flew into the refuge at sunset.





Above: Two cranes out for an evening walk.



Above: "Flight Training" - This trio of snow geese flew over us several times as they looped around the farm deck field. Most of the time it seemed as though the two geese behind were chasing the one in the front. I joked with my friend Roger that the one in front was probably the "flight instructor", and was teaching the two behind him how to follow and stay in formation :-)



Above: A typical "blast-off" of Snow Geese at the refuge. When the geese fly out from the refuge, they usually do so in one large group. When an entire field full of these birds decides to take flight all at the same time, it is quite a sight to see. Its also really something to hear the birds when they all take flight. The whole experience is unforgettable. To see a short video of one of the morning "blast-off" events, click this link to my main website:

http://www.travisnovitsky.com/Video-Clips/Misc-Videos/4207197_KrddQ/1/756102917_Wdjg4/Medium

Below: Sunset over one of the irrigation canals at the refuge (the two lights are the headlights of a vehicle approaching on one of the refuge roads). The staff at the refuge use these canals to divert water from the Rio Grande into the fields at the refuge, creating prime habitat for the birds. If you're into wildlife, you should put a visit to Bosque del Apache at the top of your list!

It is about time! Tech fitting on a Spantik!

A Dynafit tech binding toe piece added to a Spantik at home!



Bravo! Looking forward to the field reports! The info is much appreciated. Hopefully others will be able to follow shortly. Including La Sportiva :)















































"I live andclimb in Alaska which typically requires longish approaches and the use ofskis. I have been using the standard silvretta bindings on a set of Atomic Climber skis (pretty light). I have wanted to use dynafit toe pieces on my Atomic skis for a while now and after my DPS Wailer 112 came in lighter than my "approach setup" I decided I had to try something.



Long story short I have bolted/glued the tech fitting plate I cut out of apair of old Garmont Megarides into my well broken in pair of Spantiks. I'mworking on mounting dynafit tlt speed toe pieces and a custom heel throwsystem (using a crampon wire heel latch). I haven't had time yet to build/test this system, but I will as soon as I get home in a week and a half.



Have you heard of anyone doing this before? Do you/they have any tips orsuggestions? I'm realize not everyone would utilize tech fittings onclimbing boots, but the crowd I run with in Alaska are surprised noclimbing boot manufacture has thought of this yet. Thoughts?



Just wanted to say thanks for being an inspiration to build and try newthings.

I appreciate your time and the sharing of your knowledge."



"I'm reluctant to take them on a long trip right away until they prove there reliability, so I'll start with a couple of short (4+ mile) approaches in variable snow conditions most involving trail breaking.

I don't have the heal piece assembled/made yet but I think I have an idea of what I'm going to do. I'll start on that when I get home next week also.



My most recent climbing trip(that turned into a ski trip) was into the Eastern Alaska Range involving 78 miles on snowmobile and 15+ miles on skis pulling sleds to where we setup a base camp. From there we toured around the West Fork of the Susitna glacier logging 60+ miles. It would have been really nice to have a lighter weight setup than the silvretta 404's I had for that trip though I was unwilling to trust this system having not put it through the wringer. Time will tell."

Fatsia hands

Half moon half tree

Half moon Half tree

Peppermint Candy!

After all that brushing and play all the horses got peppermint candy which they dearly love. (most horses love peppermint, along with carrots, and horse cookies) followed by an afternoon snack of hay. (Of course their not spoiled!)

Anastasia State Park

I didn't quite make it down to the beach for the sunrise, but the sun was playing hide and seek through the clouds when I got there.

It was a chilly morning, but that is sand, not snow.

Surf and Sea Foam.

Sand and Sea Shells.

Wind-blown patterns in the sand.

Trave and Stormy

After Bonita had her fill of running for fun (see previous blog) I let the ponies out into the big pen to play. They ran and ran and then took a good roll. some of the photos are blurry as the camera couldn't focus on them fast enough.

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger - 1914

The Phend-Fisher families gathered for a reunion in Elkhart County, Indiana almost annually from 1909 until 1943. Usually held at Nappanee, the events of the day were recorded in an old ledger book. Spelling has been retained as it was in the original though some punctuation and paragraph breaks have been added. To view all articles in this series click on the "Phend-Fisher Reunion Ledger" label at the bottom of this post.

June 25, 1914
the sixth reunion.

The Fisher reunion was held at McNaughton park in Elkhart. in which their were about 40 present. dinner was served on tables under the trees, near the river. their being no program.

Officers were elected as follows
C. D. Phend. Nappanee Pres[ident]
J. J. Phend Bremen Vice [President]
Mr and Mrs Frank Wehrly Nap[panee] Secrethry

No Births.

Katherine Phend and Rueben Pletcher
Surelda Phend and Barton Thornton
Evelyn Fuller and Walter Shaw.
married.

Samuel Fisher died.
Mrs John Ringenberger died

The People's Choice on shells!

A couple of weeks ago I had asked for your favorite shells and why.  Here is some of what I

got. Please bare with the email cut and pastes. No clue how to fix that. But the feedback is great. Thanks to all who took the time and contributed. Enjoy!

For ice climbing in Colorado, I am pretty happy with this:

1 - Eddy Bauer Accelerant jacket layered over a thin base layer.  It
is surprisingly warm, very lightweight, and has an excellent athletic
fit with long arms.  I sometimes use the thumbholes on the sleeves.
This jacket solves the annoying problem of hood wars.  I like one hood
under the helmet (this jacket provides that) and one hood over the
helmet (the next jacket provides that).  For fast moving in coldish
conditions it breathes adequately and seems reasonably durable.  The
Arcteryx equivalent of the Accelerant is probably just as good, but
more expensive and I do tend to trash these little lightweight
jackets.  Also I really like the thumbholes and lightweight hood of
the Accelerant.
2 - When it gets colder, or for belays, I add a Wild Things lightly
insulated jacket.  That one is compact enough I am happy wearing it
while climbing.  It breathes ok, is windproof and very water resistant
and durable.  It has a good over the helmet hood.  It could be warmer
for belays, but I don't like carrying a garment just for belays.  When
I am instructing and standing around a lot I take an old OR synthetic
puffy instead which is heavier, but toasty.
3 - Whenever I can get my hands on one of the waterproof/breathable
non-woven Dyneema jackets I'll throw one in the pack for hideous
conditions.

Bob Culp

Hi.



I'm Matti from Finland and I'm pretty active all round climber, skier and hiker. And
with ski I mean telemark, cross country and Nordic touring. The weather is normally
pretty severe here in northern Finland, Sweden and Norway where I do most of my
winter activities. -20C is pretty standard day during the Jan - Mar. My coldest ice
climbing week had average of -32C. I'm not very good at ice stuff, but I can lead WI
4-5 so it serves as "feelgood" activity during winter where I mostly climb
multipitch WI3 in Norway and Sweden. My main focus is in summer stuff (7c+ in both
sport and boulder and (well protected) trad up to ~7a). Anyho I get around 200
outdoor days (I also include after work stuff) per year.

My absolutely favourite is old 'Ryx Gamma MX hoody(polartec version). It works in
everything (as long as the weather is below zero degrees) and awesomely. Put thick
merino underwear under it and perhaps light down west (like Patagucci down west) if
it's real cold. You stay warm and dry even if you get totally soaked during climb
and it's -20C. First the stuff might freeze, but in few moments of high wattage
action and you are dry again. And unlike real hardshell the shit really breaths. You
can see the difference as huge cloud of steam :). This is very important fe in
Nordic touring, cross country skiing or when I'm skinning as you sweat up to 12
hours a day.

I must say that I sweat like a pig, but So Far (tm) I haven't tried a HS material
that would actually keep me dry even in dry if I'm active. And in really cold the
water just stays inside the HS jacket. Also they tend to rip.

Also the stretch cuffs are pretty much second best feature in the jacket. Combine
them with gloves (like those stupendously expensive 'Ryx leather gloves) you can
tuck in and you've got seal that's totally water and snow proof. No matter what you
do it doesn't open up. Also it' really robust. Velcros just break down. I know it's
probably not so much of an problem with you as you guys change to new apparel more
often than I change my underwear, but with us regular joe's we really appreciate
garment that lasts. I've gotten 7 years of active use out of my Gamma and now it's
totally destroyed.

Also the cut is fantastic. I love just how the garment fits just so and doesn't
leave any extra material to block my view to harness. Also at the same time it
allows good range of motion.

Regarding most of the stuff above I'm in a bit of a dilemma. New Gamma MX doesn't
just float my boat way old one did. Cut is more average consumer orientated,
material isn't as wind resistant (old one was spot on for my tastes) and seems
somehow less sturdy. This brings the problem that there really isn't any other
jackets with:
1. Good cut and quality
2. same cuffs
3. Powershield
4. Good hood
5. Wouldn't mind if it also looked good.

Ideas?

We've got custom shop here in my hometown (Oulu) that makes tailored outdoot gear
(www.shelby.fi<http://www.shelby.fi>), but polartec powershield isn't available
unless one gets few hundreds of meters of it -> they do not stock it.

-Matti Sillanpää-

Bruno
Schull said...

My choice for a softshell jacket is the Marmot tempo hoody. This is an
inexpensive non-lined softshel. Mot importantly, it fits me really well in XL. I
am tall with long arms, and I find it extremely difficult to find a jacket that
works for climbing. The Tempo has a long back and arms, and is one of the very
few jackets that I can tuck under a harness, and will not pull out when I raise
my arms over my head. The hood works well over a helmet. The cuff closures are
simple and effective. The pockets are located above the harness and out of the
way of pack straps. No pit zips. Simple and clean. It is not as waterproof nor
as wind resistant as some of the lined shells, but it makes up for that by being
extremely breathable; the inside stays dry and your body stays warm. Great,
simple, effective, inexpensive jacket. Also comes in some offensive florescent
colors for Dane! All the best.

Daniel
Harro said...



Arcteryx Gamma SL hybrid is a nice jacket as well as being truly light weight
at 13 oz.


http://arcteryx.com/Product.aspx?EN/Mens/Gamma-SL-Hybrid-Hoody

I
personally think "uninsulated shells" should clock in well under 14 ounces,
anything heavier is too much. My Alpha LT hardshell is 13.5 oz.





brian said...

Great discussion as always Dane. What about the Acto MX Hoody? I switched
last year after climbing in Gamma MX Hoody's and the first gen of the Venta MX
for many years. I find the Acto breathes much better than any other softshell,
and when it gets real nippy, i throw the Atom LT over it. No complaints other
than the "trim fit" versus the "athletic fit" on the mx line.

Andy said...

Hey Dane - totally second the comment by Brian about the Acto MX Hoody. I
agree it's perhaps best to call it a hardfleece rather than a soft shell. But in
terms of the fabrics properties and performance I find it similar to something
like the Rab Scimitar you reviewed above. But better. Very breathable, very
water resistant, amazingly durable, though not very wind resistant. Not too
different from most stretch woven fabrics though I reckon. I too was a long time
Gamma MX Hoody user, I find the Acto way better all things considered and it's
the best hardfleece/soft shell I've ever used.

Ian said...

In my mind the best hardshell is the one that never leaves my backpack. I
have yet to wear a hardshell I actually liked. I have a very lightweight Rab
shell but I've only ever worn it once.

First Place for me: Patagonia Supercell Jacket. Gore-tex paclite material,

weighs 13.5 oz. Great fit (for me - 5' 11'' 180 pounds size large). As

breathable as traditional hard shell gore tex gets in my opinion. Super

minimal design and great hood. This is my new go to shell for just about

any adventure in the mountains but especially for ice climbing. My favorite

shell is the one that stays in my pack until I really need it. In this

case, the supercell performs great, packs up into its hood, provides great

waterproof protection and breaths pretty damn well (vents still needed when

really working hard).



Zach Lees



Until last winter I was

using some lighweight hardshells from Mountain Hardwear and TNF. Neither

of them were really Alpine specific. The MH was too long and always

interfered with ropes and harness access. The TNF jacket was a nice

shorter cut and very packable, but more geared for warmer weather and I

never fully trusted its ability to keep me warm and dry in nasty

conditions. Last winter my goal became to find a high quality, high-value

alpine shell with Goretex Proshell, or equivalent. I ended up going with

the Outdoor Research Mentor

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/or-gear/jackets/mens-mentor-jacket.html

I think the suggested retail price is very fair for a pro shell jacket, and

OR gear always seems to end up on sale or clearance. I scored my Mentor

for about half off. While I have yet to test it in any real nasty weather,

my initial impressions are strong. Seems to be of high quality

construction, and fit and style suit me well. It also feels pretty bomber

and will hold up to the New England granite and whatever else I put it

through. Here is a picture of me on Mt. Osceola (New Hampshire) last

winter. I think OR will be a good source of high-value outerwear for the

next few years as its clothing line expands ahead of its reputation. I

think they have always been well respected for their gaitors, gloves, hats,

etc. and I think their outerwear will follow suit. I am about to spring

for last season's OR Maestro down jacket which is on clearance on several

websites. At least on paper it stacks up to most of the 800-fill power,

quantum pertex shelled down belay jackets.



For a soft shell I wear a Rab Baltoro. I picked it up on clearance as

well. Does SteepandCheap.com ship to Canada? While I haven't used any

others, I can say that I really enjoy the Rab. Originally a soft shell

skeptic, it won me over. For soft shell pants, I am in love with my Wild

Things Mountain Guide pants. On one of my first winter overnights I

experienced some layering errors and ended up sweating into and soaking

much of my insulating layers. Those mountain guide pants wicked and

evaporated everything and stayed dry as a bone. My Rab jacket froze into a

solid lump when I swapped it out for my down hoody and hard shell on the

wind-blown summit.



Regards,

Tony



My weapon of choice is the Haglöfs fang. Sadly as far as I can tell it is

discontinued. I will just give you a short list of features I really liked, the

material, weight, etc. are on the web anyway.



+A huge hood, a meteor 3 fits nicely, is 4 way adujstable

+pit zips for dumbing heat ( I tend to sweat like a pig)

+the most durable softshell I had so far



Not much of a review but worth a look if you see one on sale, I'm 190cm and 78kg

and have L, if you want to wear some extra layers XL is fine too.
Bert

Special editions

It's been a busy week. I didn't mean to stop posting, it just sort of happened. While I was gone, here's what you might have missed:

The lovely young Leigh of Alis Volat Propiis hosted a summery summary: a vacation version of I and the Bird.

Pablo of Roundrock Journal delivered potent quotes while hosting the second Festival of the Trees. (I kept looking for the thong quotes but there weren't any!)

Roger of Words and Pictures, whose beautiful landscape photos I always want to step into, hosted an elegant edition of Circus of the Spineless.

The Scratching Post hosted The Carnival of the Cats, which was organized around a cat's day - sleeping, purring, eating... where was the part about world domination, though?

And of course there was the Friday Ark.

Lamport - Scaldwell - Hanging Houghton - Lamport

With Barry, Gordon and Maureen. 8. 7 miles. Sunny!















We left Lamport on the road towards Old, and shortly after this rather tall and beautifully situated house we took a footpath to the right. The house has decorative brickwork patterns, and displays the initials CEI (Charles Edmund Isham, the local landowner, gardener and reputedly the man who brought garden gnomes to Britain).

The path goes behind Lamport Hall - we caught just a glimpse through the trees from this side, and continues for a while, across a harvested field. In the middle of the field two paths cross and we took the one to the left - not very easy to see now the crop has been lifted.




The photo above is a great example of how not to compose a photograph - how many arms does Barry have?














We walked on and slightly uphill into Scaldwell, by way of a stile close to a row of houses.









It looks as though the tradition of garden figures is thriving in the locality.





























Scaldwell contains several Grade 1 listed buildings, including some of those we walked past before we left the village.



Sundial House has datestones (no not the fruit) from 1650 and 1772."The large sundialdated 1650 between first-floor windows, probably C20 restoration. Datestone 1650

and 1772 to left and right gables"



This is Scaldwell House, though I'm not sure whose initials R S are.










Is the date on the right 1706, 1716 or 1776? »














We walked past some very attractive cottages, and finally the Grange, before taking the marked footpath to the right. This led us across cultivated fields, including one which was full of flowering plants and (for once) some insects, gently downhill and then up into Hanging Houghton.







Why this name? Because it hangs at the top of the hill?

Because it hangs on to Lamport? Anything to do with hanging? I haven't yet found out.

















There we turned left following a minor road which goes steeply down to the Brampton Valley Way. Just off the road and on the disused railway path there was a convenient bench, where we had a slice of Gordon's birthday cake. (Thank you Gordon and Maureen!)





We didn't take the Brampton Valley Way but carried on along the unfenced road which took us very gently up to Blueberry Grange (no blueberries, just sloes). We turned right, north-east to Blueberry Lodge. Just after that we took a bridleway (though it was more like a path) to the right, following a hedge. There is a break in the hedge but it is possible to walk either side as there is another chance to cross after a quarter of a mile or so. Next we had to walk gradually uphill along the edge of a huge field where the corn stubble was shining in the sun, then down to meet the Brampton Valley Way again.



We followed the bridleway up to Lamport.



pausing to admire the view from time to time



until we reached the A 508, and arrived back in Lamport







For details and map