Our History?

"In one legendary week on Ben Nevis in 1960 Jimmy Marshall and Robin Smith climbed six first winter ascents on consecutive days, including the mini Alpine-route, Orion Face Direct. They also made the first one-day winter ascent of Point Five Gully, went for a long walk and got arrested over an incident with some dominoes! Exactly 50 years later Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner pay tribute to Smith and Marshall by setting out to repeat all the routes that were climbed in that famous week. This film tells the story of the original events and follows MacLeod and Turner as they discover exactly what an achievement it was."

For those that think Chouinard, Jeff Lowe or Will Gadd invented ice climbing or modern mixed climbing you might want to look further. Tools and clothing have changed to make climbing easier but the beginning of our sport can certainly be traced in part to Scotland. Jimmy Marshal and Robbin Smith weren't the first obviously but they are part of the foundation. Curved tools and Terrordactyls came later and then the Chacal. But the original difficult routes in Scotland and the Alps were often done with a straight axe, a good wool coat and hob nail boots. Hard for most of us to even remotely relate to that beginning. Few could or would suffer through just how miserable and difficult it really was.

The story is well told by the Jimmy Marshal in person and the modern climbers, who 50 years later repeated the same classic Marshal/Robbins winter climbs. But there was no way to duplicate the original experience.

I offer a humble bow to Marshal and Smith for the effort.
7 climbs in 8 days! Conditions much have been in :)

The Great Chimney (IV,5) 6th February 1960
Minus Three Gully (IV,5) 7th February 1960
Smith's Route (V,5) 8th February 1960
Observatory Buttress (V,4) 9th February 1960
Point Five Gully (V,5) 10th February 1960
Piggot's Route (V,6) 12th February 1960
Orion Direct (V,5) 13th February 1960





The film can be ordered here:

http://www.hotaches.com/films.htm#Pinnacle

I've posted about this before but now the entire film is available and there are a number of teasers on you-tube as well.












This final bit isn't from the the original '60s climbs but a good look at what hard modern mixed in Scotland is today. Enjoy!

Premier

Ring ring ring...



Erin: Hello



Emron: Hey sis, want to go to the premier of Toy Story 3 with me on May 8th?



Erin: Are you serious? YES!



Emron: Great! I'll start looking for flights. You'll need to bring a formal dress.



Erin: I don't have one of those...never worn one. Guess I get to go shopping.



Emron: K. Good luck. Excited to have you. See you soon. Love ya!



Erin: Thank you Emron. Love you too!



Click...





I called Alicia Runolfson seeking help in the dress department. She quickly scheduled a time to drive down from American Fork to assist in the search for the perfect dress. We had our work cut out for us. The day she arrived we drove to St George...we had our work cut out for us. Several shops were no longer open. after searching for them way to long we moved on. finally we found one still in business. We walked in...there before my eyes was the most beautiful dress. No way was it going to be my size...everything was one of a kind...and the Manichean it was on was tiny. We perused around and found a few dresses to try on. I found myself going back to this dress and wishing, just wishing it could fit me. In the dressing room trying on the dresses i was caused to have very good posture and to breath shallowly after the 10 minutes it took to zip the dang dresses up. i tried to convince myself i could be comfortable in them for an entire night. Then i had a vision of me passing out somewhere in the middle because my oxygen intake was so low. 20 minutes had gone by and i was already getting frustrated...i didn't know how much longer i could shop. I walked around one last time. Found myself staring at the beautiful bronze dress. I decided to look...oh my gosh it was a size 10...my size...it was pinned in the back to make it fit the stupid doll. It was PERFECT! I found the necklace and earrings to match it all in the same store. The ladies working the story that day said they had only put it up on the rack the day before....I believe it was meant for me!!!!!!







When I arrived in San Fransisco Emron took me on a tour of the city and Pixar.











Golden Gate Bridge





















Read the sign behind me...should i call?



Alcatraz



Our next stop was Ghirardelli:









Over look of San Fransisco



Oakland Temple



Then he finally took me to see Pixar!!!!!!!!





This is my favorite room in the entire building. The Cereal Room. I want one of those in my own house!



Where is Erin?

Tell me this isn't freakin' amazing!'Lego my Woody and Buzz'







Then the Party Began!!!!!!!!





The Paramount Theater Waiting for the show to begin











The 'Wrap' Party

Giant Chair...and it was just right











Bustin' his moves!







Dance...Dance...Dance!





















































AND THAT'S A WRAP!

Mt Rainier storm & flood damage photos - Ohanapecosh

Snow is accumulating at Paradise. I measured 46" total, with 15" of fresh snow this morning. It looks and feels like winter and if the park were open, skiers, boarders and snowshoers would be enjoying the early snowfall. But the floods really did a number on the roads and as the days pass, it becomes more clear how complicated the damage is, especially with the prompt arrival of winter.

Since it's going to be difficult to write about the climbing routes and upper mountain while the park is closed, I will devote more energy to the events surrounding the park being reopened. There will be updates, damage assessments, projected repairs and ongoing weather observations. I'll also pull together photos, when possible, like these NPS pictures of the Ohanapecosh area.

Above left is an interpretive sign in the Grove of the Patriarchs that has been flooded with mud and silt. Normally, this type of sign rests about 3 and 1/2 feet above ground.

The heavy rain also lead to a number of landslides, like this large one near Ohanapecosh Campground. The slide started on the road above (out of image) and swept everything in its path down to the Ohanapecosh River and Campground.

Here is the primary deposition zone for all of the timber that was unearthed in the same landslide.





The river also moved and in doing so, took a couple of the campsites with it. Here is the new loop C of Ohana.

Bicycles and the Human Figure: Do We Look Better on a Bike?

I have never drawn or painted bicycles before, but am now starting a commissioned painting that will include two female cyclists - so I've been making figure drawings and sketches of people on bikes. It has been interesting to study the postures our bodies adapt while cycling - and especially interesting to note the inherent attractiveness of those postures.

When it comes to the female figure, our positioning on a bicycle tends to really accentuate the waist-to-hip ratio - which, according to evolutionary psychology, is the greatest implicit indicator of "femaleness" to the male.



Cycling also tends to make the legs look longer and leaner - another evolutionary measure ofattractiveness,for both genders (researchers believe that long legs may have been indicators of hereditary longevity).



When we cycle, the muscle tone in our arms and legs is accentuated - a general sign of health. In males, this can also serve to suggest strength - which, according to evolutionary psychology once again, females are pre-disposed to respond to.



Finally, being on a bicycle raises the figure higher off the ground, literally making the cyclist seem taller - another advantage for males. The added height also makes the cyclist more noticeable, regardless of gender - placing their body on a moving pedestal of sorts.



Of course, these things aren't simple formulas and there are many factors to consider in addition to the evolutionarily built-in heterosexual responses to each other's bodies. But generally speaking, there is a great deal of evidence that our postures and body language implicitly communicate sexual appeal and social roles to others.Maybe"you look better on a bike"is not just a catch phrase!



One thing my cycling sketches have taught me, is that drawing the human figure on a bicycle is not easy - which makes it especially admirable that Mr. Rick Smith is able to do it nearly every single day with his comicYehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery!



As you may have heard, the folks at the Kickstand are having a Virtual Alleycat Race, powered by cycllelicious. If you are taking part, then you have arrived at theLovely Bicyclecheckpoint. You are probably looking for the link to the next checkpoint, but hang on - you're not getting it yet!



Here is what to do:



1. To qualify for the Best Checkpoint Comment Prize, please leave a comment on this post with your name and registration number. The comment must be left between 10am Eastern Standard Time on December 6, and the same time on December 13, .



2. Lovely Bicycle is having its own mini-contest as part of the Alleycat, and the winner will receive a Mystery Prize. What the mystery prize is I cannot tell you, but if you like bicycles and art you might enjoy it. To take part, tell me what you like best about the way you - or others - look on a bicycle (this does not have to be physical - be as creative or abstract as you like). Please include your name and race number, so that I can identify you! The most compelling comment will receive theLovely BicycleMystery Prize. Only Alleycat racers are eligible for this contest.



3. You would like the link to the next checkpoint now, yes? You shall have it just as soon as you answer a few questions [link disabled - the Alleycat is over, thank you for taking part!].



If you haven't registered for the Kickstand Cyclery Virtual Alleycat Race yet, register here now!

Emotional Landscapes

Two days after struggling through a hill training ride last week, I found myself on the bike again - doing what ended up being a 52 mile ride counting my trip there and back. 50 miles seems to be the magic number at the moment: shorter than that and I am left feeling regretful; longer than that and I become more aware of the difference between myself and the stronger riders I am with. Interestingly, I have not gone on a proper ride on my own for over a month: I've met so many cyclists to ride with lately, that I am always with someone. Among the benefits of this is discovering local roads that I've never ridden before - and noticing what an enormous role landscape plays in how subjectively easy or difficult a ride feels.

Riding with theRide Studio Cafewomen last week, we did a loop that on the map appeared near-identical to a route I usually do alone, only along the back roads. The landscape, bathed in the ethereal late-December light, was so stunning that I did not notice the miles or the hills. Where were we? These hardly looked like the tired suburbs I had become so familiar with. Here moss-covered trees grew out of green bogs under cerulean skies. Sleepy farms peaked out coyly from the mist. The remains of frost on dried grass turned meadows into expanses of delicate lace. The sun shone through black, leafless branches, casting high-contrast shadows upon the road. We rode under canopies of fragrant pine trees, which then opened up to reveal enchanted vistas. Climbing one particular hill, I felt such a surge of emotion from the surrounding beauty, that I could not help but go faster. The desire to reach the top and see what more awaited there, made the bike feel weightless.

Roadcycling for me is not about suffering. It is about this emotional connection. Somehow the feel of being on the bike, the sensation of speed, and even the pain in my legs become associated with the reward of seeing an affecting landscape. Once it forms, the association is difficult to break, and it makes cycling addictive - apparently not just for me. Some of my riding partners are experienced racers and randonneurs, and when I listen to them describe rides I notice that they rarely speak of difficulty or pain. Words such as "epic" and "sufferfest" are simply not in their vocabulary. It's not because they don't feel pain and exhaustion, but because they do not consider these sensations to be the point. It's about fulfillment through a visceral connection with one's surroundings. The rest is not important.

On Mt. Taylor

We saw lots of pretty sights while we were driving up Mt. Taylor. The mountain is the remains of a very old volcano about2 million years old. It has been considered a very sacred place by the Native Americans that are in this area. Pueblo Indians from Acoma Pueblo, Laguna Pueblo, Zuni and the Navajo Indians. Some call the mountain The Sacred Mountain or The Turquoise Mountain, but it was named Taylor afterGeneral Zachery Taylor, famous in the Mexican War, and then became one of our presidents. It can be seen for over 100 miles around it as it seems to sit out in the middle of a large section of flat New Mexico landscape. It is just over 11,000 feet high at the highest peak. We did not get there this time, as the roads were sorough and washed out and because we neededto be back in time to feed the critters their evening meals.

This day we saw two deer, lots of Indian Paintbrush flowers, and aspens just leafing out.