Cycling with a Backpack

After not having owned a backpack for nearly a decade, I recently bought one - mainly for nature walks, which I hope to do more of. The backpack is on the small side, lightweight, with lightly padded adjustable straps. I do not know much about backpacks, but this one is very comfortable for walking and it is waterproof.




Of course having gotten the bag, I was immediately tempted to wear it on bikes that have no provisions for carrying loads. It was fun at first, but now that the novelty has worn off here are some notes:




. I can feel the weight on my back. When I move around on the bike the weight inside the bag shifts and affects my balance.




. The straps rest a little too heavily on my shoulders and their width constrains movement. (Interestingly, I have tried a few cycling-specific backpacks in the store and their straps are even wider - I can hardly move my arms.)




.On an upright bike, it feels as if the weight of the bag pulls me backward a bit.




. On a roadbike, despite being small the bag obscures my vision as I check behind me for cars.




. Each time I have worn the backpack on a bike, my back was drenched in sweat afterward.




. These things notwithstanding,having tried riding with messenger-style bags when I first began cycling, I definitely prefer the backpack. It feels more secure and stable. I've never been able to get a messenger bag to really stay put on my back, even when it's a bicycle-specific design.




In a pinch having a backpack is great, because it makes it possible to carry a load on any bicycle without requiring the presence of racks, baskets or panniers. But if given a choice, I would rather attach things to the bike itself.




On a separate note, I wonder whether there have been attempts to make a backpack for road cyclists to run errands on their way home from a ride. It would fold up tiny, fitting into a jersey pocket like a musette bag but expanding into a large rucksack. It could then be filled with groceries on the way home and would be fine to wear for just the last mile or so. I sometimes wish I could stop by the store on my way home from a ride, without having to switch to my transport bike first. Of course, there is also the issue if locking up the bike...




What has been your experience cycling with a backpack?

Camp Patriot

The LA Times interviewed Incident Commander, David Gottlieb, regarding the most recent tragedy on the Muir Snowfield. The details are heart wrenching.

On a much more positive note, wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are aiming for Rainier's summit. Backpacker Magazine did a story (Shock and Awe) about last year's achievement. That extraordinary effort put a blinded Army Captain on the summit. Look for the team from Camp Patriot on the Disappointment Cleaver later this July.

Speaking of routes, folks are climbing them. We've updated the route conditions page, and posted information about successful attempts on the Emmons and Gibraltar Ledges. Have a great weekend.

Let it snow, let it snow!

As y'all know, Northern Indiana and the Midwest got hit by a snowstorm yesterday. According to the local weather people Whitley county got about 10" and Noble county (where I live) got about 12". I just talked to my brother and he measured the snow in his back yard (in a woods in Kosciusko county where little wind gets to it) and he says they got 15" of snow.

For me, the issue isn't the amount of snow but rather the wind. It whips around the buildings in the complex where I live and causes large drifts. Below is the view from my front window, the first one taken at 10 a.m. and the other at 1 p.m.



The window is about 18" off the ground and the snow is packed onto the front porch. The drift on the outer edge is about 3-3 1/2 feet high. It runs clear across the driveway too. If I get energetic I might go out and shovel a bit this afternoon. Or I might just wait until the maintenance people come and let them shovel it out. My neighbors were out for a while and cleared off their porch and drive.

The delicate lines of the snowdrift outside my front door. It is about 3-3 1/2 feet high.



The view from my front door. Looking south, then looking west.



The sun started breaking through the clouds a little before noon. The day is shiny and bright. And I'm glad I don't have to go out in the cold wind and drifting snow.

Soap meeting

I always have so much fun at our Alabama Soapmaker meetings, and this was our largest ever: 101 attendees. At least a third of them were from out of state this year. There were so many new people that I didn't get to meet them all.



To inspire creativity, we participate in swaps. This year I signed up for the lotion bar swap, figuring that it would force me to work on my formulating. (I've made them before, but hadn't really ever been happy with them.)

Mine was still a bit greasier than what I was aiming for, but it sure worked well on softening my rough elbows. So I called it "Elbow Grease". It still needs some tinkering.



After I see all the swap goodies, I usually end up wishing I'd entered two or three more. This year it was the Shampoo Bar swap that I was especially envious of. Dianne always has such adorable packaging, and her treatment of the swap items was no different.



Cute, huh?



Shopping is one of my favorite parts of the meeting, and this year we had more vendors than ever.



This is one of those times I wish for smell-o-vision.



We also have table space for members' garage-sale items. If you're lucky, you can pay for your meeting expenses this way.



We usually have a mixture of lectures and demonstrations. Carol demonstrated her company's cutter, and Darlene (who's really from Georgia, but we claim her as an honorary Alabamian) showed us how to make sugarcube scrubbies.



There's a camera showing the up-close action during demos. This is Alison's lotion-making class. (Click to enlarge.)



But sometimes you just have to get up close in person.



Theda showed us how to make liquid soap.



Tammy is the "Mud Queen" and sells all manner of Dead Sea salts and mud products. Here she is demonstrating the proper use of gloves and goggles.



That evening, she had a mud party in her room, and I was able to take many incriminating photographs.



I'm hoping my blackmail money will start arriving any minute now.

More Aspen Leaves

Wild Hollyhocks

These little flowers are kin to our tame hollyhocks. I have seen them bloom at all different heights. Here they are only inches tall. In my yard they can get several feet tall.

Angels Landing :: The Finale

By the time I went to bed on Wednesday night (May 5th) I had talked myself into making the climb to Angels Landing. I got up early Thursday morning and caught the eight o'clock shuttle bus to the Grotto stop.

The trail up to Scout's Lookout was just as strenuous as it had been on Tuesday. The uphill grades and switchbacks were still just as steep. It didn't take long before I was huffing and puffing and stopping often to catch my breath. And just like on Tuesday, other hikers started passing me within a few minutes on the trail. I didn't care. I took my time and got there all the same.

Soon I was navigating through Walter's Wiggles and had arrived at Scout Lookout. I stopped briefly for a quick snack, and before I could even think about it was up and over that first peak. Then before me was Angels Landing. Still intimidating. Still awesome. I stopped long enough to get a couple of pictures of the trail, then with a rush of adrenaline, I was on my way. I didn't stop to think about what I was going to do, I just knew that I “had” to try.

The first few steps are the most terrifying. But it is mostly psychological. The trail is several feet wide. The Virgin River is almost 1200 feet below.


Left: This was the hardest and scariest part for me. It was a pretty high step up to the cut-out in that first rock and the chain was down low. And I have short legs. And there was nothing on either side of that rock except air. I “knew” if I could get through this section at the beginning, then I could do the rest of it too.

Right: Going up the “spine” of the peak.


Left: Looking back at where I had gone.
Right: Offering a helping hand.


Left: Getting near the top.
Right: Walking across the ridge at the top of Angels Landing.

This is it! The end of the trail. The top of Angels Landing!

Do I looked pleased with myself? You bet!

The Lower Zion Canyon from atop Angels Landing.

The following four photos were taken on the way down from the top and show a bit more detail of the trail.




The descent down took me about half as long as the climb up. It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it was going to be. You really just concentrate on where that next step is going to take you and you are looking at perhaps ten feet or so in front of you. There were a lot more people on the trail on the way down, everyone was patient and helpful, no one was in a hurry. We all just wanted to get safely down. And we did.

It was amazing! I still find it hard to believe that I DID IT!!

Other posts in this series:

• Angels Landing :: The Prelude
• Angels Landing :: The Overture
• Angels Landing :: Interlude

In Appreciation of John Forester

Browsing theDFW Point to Point blog the other day, I learned about the recent release of the 7th edition of John Forester's Effective Cycling - that classic tome espousing the vehicular cycling philosophy. Thinking about this book, I feel great affection toward my own tattered blue copy.



When it comes to bicycle infrastructure, Metro Boston has changed considerably since I first began riding here. In Spring the majority of my routes involved traveling along streets with no infrastructure what so ever. When I discovered Vehicular Cycling, I thus interpreted it not as something that was a matter of agreeing or disagreeing with, but as a necessary tool for the realities of my environment. John Forester believes that bicyclists should behave like vehicles, sharing roads with motorised traffic. Effective Cycling gives precise and detailed instructions on how to do that.



As an absolute beginner, I purchased an older edition of the book and found it immensely helpful. It educated me about traffic maneuvers from the bottom up: Starting with very basic concepts that I was able to implement right away, then getting into more nuanced ideas that became useful once I gained a bit of experience and courage. And just as importantly, Effective Cycling got me into an "I can do this. I have a right to do this." frame of mind. It seems almost hard to believe now, but at the time I was often the only bicyclist out on the roads and there were no social or infrastructural cues to indicate that it was okay to ride a bike on the street. No sharrows, no "share the road" signs, no other people on bikes. Drivers would routinely shout "You're not supposed to be here!" at me, incredulous at my very presence. Effective Cycling gave me the confidence and the skills to operate in that kind of environment, and to do it safely.



Today there are bike lanes, sharrows and signage along most of my routes through the city. There are also many other cyclists out on the roads. The combined effect of this has been an increased awareness and acceptance of bicycling. The infrastructure here is far from perfect. The drivers are still far from nice. But nonetheless things are much better than they were three years ago. There is less hostility, less stress. It no longer seems abnormal to ride in the city, and cycling feels more accessible to beginners.



Extreme proponents of the Vehicular Cycling philosophy are against bicycling infrastructure of any kind, believing that separated paths and bike lanes are not in the best interest of cyclists. Often they will actively fight against infrastructure, making it a point to attend town meetings and speak out against it. Conversely, those who favour infrastructure tend to position themselves against Vehicular Cycling, viewing it is a discredited philosophy and a lost cause. But from where I stand, this battle manufactures an unnecessary and ultimately damaging dichotomy.



While I have experienced the benefits of cycling infrastructure firsthand, I nonetheless find the principles of Vehicular Cycling indispensable in environments where said infrastructure is unavailable or imperfect - or when I choose to operate a bicycle on the open road for other reasons. I do not agree with John Forester on every point, but I value much of his advice on riding in traffic. I would encourage cyclists of all persuasions to keep an open mind and give Effective Cycling a read.

Ah, Spring!

It's that time of year when Mother Nature can't decide whether it is should still be winter or if she'll let us pass into warmer weather. Last night saw thunder and lightening along with quite a bit of rain come through northeast Indiana. Then I heard it turn to sleet and freezing rain. I looked out the back door about 11 p.m. and there was at least an inch of slush on the patio. By then the mixture had turned to snow. The front of the apartment, which faces the south and which is where the flowers are, didn't get near as much snow/slush as the north side.

So, will my daffodils bloom when their time comes?


As always, click on the image for a larger version...

Everyone draws a line some where....

If you haven' read this and the research behind it you should.



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//05/why-weight-of-your-footwear-is.html



I draw a line at cold feet and heavy boots. Admittedly that is going to be a balancing act generally.



While I was in the Alps a friend who was on the way to Chamonix asked me, "should we bring doubles?"



At that point in my own trip I had beenhanded my ass time wise and by the cold on two separate climbs that by guide book and my "sitting at my desk standards" should have been easy...to the point of casual. They weren't and I was cold. Luckily for me I never had cold feet. But then I didn't have to spend the night out either as clearly I would have if I had been required todo so. One climb was in dbl boots, Spantiks in fact. The other was in Scarpa Ultras.









So of course I suggested they bring dbl. boots. And of coursethey didn't. It worked out fine as the weather warmed up in the couple of weeks it took for them to show up in the valley and get on something big.

When they did climb, they climbed fast which helps :)



Snell's had several dozen pairs of the Scarpa Guide in stock but only 3 pair of the Ultras available. No Ultrasin my size or I would have bought a second pair as they aren't available in NA and easily replaced.



I've already reviewed the Ultra. This is a revisit to that topic.



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//09/scarpa-phantom-ultra.html



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//12/phantom-ultra-vs-trango-extreme-gtx.html



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//11/scarpa-phantom-ultra-and-scarpa-phantom.html



Weights are of a one boot in a size 45.





La Sportiva Spantik 3#.05oz / 48.05oz/ 1362g

La Sportiva Baruntse 3#2.5oz / 1503g

La Sportiva Batura 1st gen. 2#7oz / 1106g

La Sportiva Batura 2nd gen 2#11/ 43oz/ 1219gm

La Sportiva Nepal Evo 2#10.5oz / 1205g

La Sportiva Trango Evo Extreme GTX 2#3oz (35oz) / 992g

Scarpa Phantom Ultra new model 2#3.5oz (35.5oz) / 1006g

Scarpa Phantom Guide new model 2#7.5oz / 1120g

Scarpa Phantom 6000 new model 2#10oz/1190g









I've been trying tohigh light the gear I usedand really liked in Chamonix this winter on the blog and will continue to do so as time allows. I took 3 pairs of "big boots" on this trip. The Ultra the lightest of the three. It fits my feet very well and most importantly it dries easily. They dry faster than eithermy new Baturas or my Scarpa Guides.Part of that is the insulation and inner boot body and part of it is the OurDry liner I suspect. Now both the Guide and the Ultra are using OutDry. My early Guides are Goretex. Not sure what is in the Batura. But the Batura is warmer than either Scarpa single boot.









I had intended to climb in only the BD Sabertooth crampons with these boots as they offer the best fit with the addition of Petzl bales. But it bacame obvious pretty quickly that I had chosen the wrong crampon for the hard ice conditions we experienced early on. (more on that choice of horizontal or vertical front points in a later blog) Not a big deal normally but the Ultra (and its stable mate the 6000) are not the easiest boot to fit a crampon to. Here is why. The sole profile on the toe of the Ultra boot. By far the most narrow toes on a technical boot from the Industry to date.

Ultra and a new Batura side by side here.



I find the Petzl crampons or at least crampons with Petzl front bails seen to fit the Ultrathe best. So I started using a pair of Dartwins in the rock hard ice gullies. The fit isn't perfect but it works well enough and you aren't likely to loose a crampon as a buddy of mine did in Spantiks and Sabertooth crampons in the middle of a a tight mixed chimney. Annoying that,at best.



No real point to this blog other than to say how much I like and used the Ultra this winter. November through April it has been my go to boot. It fits me well and climbs good enough. Not the support of a Nepal Evo or Spantik but they are lighter than either by a fair bitand warm enough. More support and warmer than the Trango Extreme. And I consider all of the boots mentioned some of the verybest available for alpine ice climbing.











All the boots I mentioned are obviously excellent boots. No surprise of the boots I climb in andhave pictured above that I would like one pair better than therest. They all climb well so it eventually comes down to fit. The Ultras fit me the best..even better by a fair margin than the Scarpa Guides.

Down side of the Scarpas? They aren't very durable to date. Which is why I would have bought a second pair in Chamonix. I like them enough and know they aren't going to last long. The inners are coming apart on both pair of my boots, new Guides and Ultras.And I have had friends collapse the toe boxon the new Phantom Guides. Scarpa NA wanted nothing to do with the obvious warranty issue. Thankfully the UK importer took care of the problem with a complete refund.



Nov.



Dec.

For Jan.it was Spantiks in Canada and during Feb in Chamonix as well. March was a toss up between singles and dbls.If nothing else writing a bog post like this reminds me I have gotten some good climbing in this winter season. Nothing spetacular by any count but it was fun ;-)