Goathead Weed

This is another of the horrid weeds we have here in the desert. I have no idea of any other name for it besides Goathead which really makes people that don't know what it is wonder until they experience the terrible thing. It doesn't look that bad. Doesn't seem to cause allergies. Has a cute little yellow blossom. Grows in a circle that some people, at first, think is a nice growncover as it will grow with no water what so ever. Until you find the seeds which give it it's name, Goathead. The seed are round with two 'horns' that want to break of into the food or hand of what ever encounters it. And it HURTS. Boy does it hurt. I have known of several people who have had to have the 'horn' off of one of these seed surgically removed after it has become infected. One man I know of almost had to have his foot amputated. I was unable to find a seed to take a photo of as I try to keep them all picked up and all plants pulled. They are easy to pull and will die when it freezes, but leaves the seeds to sprout next spring. And each and every seed will sprout. I fight them constantly. Each seed is sent to the trashcan and each plant without a seed is pulled and turned with the root up to die. Several of my neighbors fight them but a lot of people don't fight them and they will stick to anything and make their way back to mine or your yard. They love to hitchhike of car and truck tires and on the rubber soles of shoes, as well as bike tires. They are death to bicycle tires. If you ride a bicycle in the desert you are sure to go buy the special tubes that can't be punchered by the 'goathead seeds'. And of course dogs and cats hate them as well as those of us that try to get rid of them. Again this weed is not native to the desert but I don't know where it did come from

Winter, dry, both or none?

Obviously, the dry tooling route I did on the CIC cascades under the Ben Nevis north face last week was going to provoke a bit of debate. In my mind it’s perfectly suited to climbing in this style and it’s no threat to the traditional Scottish winter routes because it’s so clearly different from them. It did make me wince when I saw UKclimbing.com include a Scottish winter grade in their headline reporting the route. I didn’t give it a Scottish grade for a good reason! I should have seen that coming I guess, although it was hard to foresee that a casual comment by me comparing it to a similar piece of climbing terrain with a winter grade would mean folk would then take this one as a winter route. A bit like saying an E8 trad route has 7c+ climbing - it’s still different from a bolted 7c+! This seemed to fuel a bit of debate about how it related to the traditional winter climbing game. To me, it’s totally clear the route is a tooling route, not a Scottish winter route. Clear and simple.






Some folk argued that maybe it should be left alone in case it dilutes the Scottish winter conditions ethic. I personally don’t agree with this. My feeling is that a one size fits all ethic for anything climbed is unnecessarily simplistic. It’s a shame not to climb that crack just because it doesn’t get rimed up. It’s an excellent climb.




More so than any other climbing discipline, Scottish winter climbing seems to be awful scared of losing what we have. Of course it’s special and worth defending. Perhaps because I like going for the steepest routes I’ve spent more than my fair share of days walking in and turning on my heel because the project is not white enough. It’s natural to resist any changes (even if they are only additions) to the status quo, but not always good. Balanced against the fear of losing what we have must be a fear of losing what we could have. To me, the diversity of British climbing has always been it’s greatest asset. A strict and narrow focus on what can be climbed with tools is a strength in upholding a strong ethic, but a weakness in undermining the diversity of climbs that can be done. I just don’t see that the threat to the Scottish conditions ethic is real. Rather than diminished over the years I have been a climber, I feel it has strengthened. The ethic is so strong, it has room to accept some ‘outliers’. However, that is of course just an opinion of one and may be outweighed by those of others, which is no problem. If other folk thought the tooling route was a good idea, very few have come out and said so.









Winter condition or not? What do you think?



A further interesting twist came when the other new route I wrote about (The Snotter) was questioned for not being in winter condition. I must say that took me seriously by surprise. I’ve done plenty of mixed routes that were on the borderline, but it didn’t enter my head that this one wasn’t in good condition. Simon Richardson wrote a particularly below the belt post on his blog which is here. For some reason he didn’t mention my name in it, and is was a little weird that he wrote such strong words and then reported another new route of mine in the very next post. Anyway, the reason it took me so by surprise was the focus on the section of overhanging wall to get between the ice grooves below and the hanging icicle above. I deliberately went on the route because the recent sunny conditions has been good for helping the grooves below the icicles to become iced. In the 55 metre crux pitch, around 47 metres was climbed on water ice, with 6 metres crossing a grossly overhanging wall underneath the roof to get to the icicle. The 30 metres of grooves below the roof were climbed on ice, initially stepped iced slabby ledges, then a thin ice smeared rib and groove, apart from a few hooks on the right of the ice. Once on the icicle, there was a long section (15 metres at least) before the angle even started to lie back.The downside of this mix of conditions was that the overhanging wall itself was pretty dry. My thinking was that this is par for the course for this type of route. The sun helps more ice form, but at the expense of the rime. My interpretation (which may be ‘wrong’ if such a judgement can truly be made) of Scottish winter conditions is that basically the route must be wintery in appearance. If it was nearly all dry mixed with a little ice, it would be outside that definition and I would have come back another time. But the reality was the pitch was nearly all ice with a short section of dry rock.




A central view in my own new route climbing has always been that I don’t want it to be at the expense of anyone else, even if I don’t agree with their position or motives. Clearly, some folk feel that way. So I have taken away my blog post about the routes and recommend that folk forget about them, if that is what they want to do. They still exist of course, in my memory as great days out and two of the most fun climbs I’ve done in a while. Nothing more ultimately matters. Anyone else is welcome to climb them as first ascents if they feel those ascents are more worthy.

Blackberries

My brother-in-law Jim was unable to go on our trip to the Park because he had to work, and he seemed glad to have us back, too. The next morning he fixed us a wonderful breakfast of biscuits and bacon, with lots of blackberry jelly that he and Jan had made the previous summer. Not only was there the delicious homemade blackberry jelly there was fresh picked blackberries. Jim, with the help of his dog, Paddy, had risen very early and ventured into the blackberry patch to pick fresh blackberries. It had been years since I had eaten fresh berries, just picked from a thicket. I remembered doing it as a teenager when we lived in Sandpoint, Idaho but had not had a chance to do so after we left there. I love any kind of berry - blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, elderberries, and especially huckleberries - and I will include cherries in that list, too. You might just say that I love fruit, but berries are best. I recently received a care package full of blackberry jelly from my wonderful brother and sister. In the photo are blackberry blossoms.

ATV Time

We took the ATV's out the other day after a rain, to see how bad a shape the roads were in. Nothing to bad but a few were washed out some.

15 Swoonworthy Velo-Valentines

Just over a week ago, I announced a Give-away for Valentine's Day - inviting readers to submit bicycle-themed Valentines for a chance to receive a beautiful, bright red Bobbin Birdie. Over 70 submissions were made, and I have looked at and read them all at least twice. All were beautiful and thoughtful, and I sincerely thank everybody for sharing them. I would now like to present 15 Valentines that, with difficulty, have been selected as the final entries. They are numbered (in no particular order) and your feedback is welcome. While this is not an outright "readers' choice" vote, your selections will be taken into consideration in the final decision. Thanks for looking, and enjoy!




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1. "Be Mine" Submitted by Park Girl: "'The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets' - Christopher Morley".




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2. "Together We'll Go Far ... On Love & Bicycles." Submitted by Stephen Lee Ogden.




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3. "Bicroscopic Valentine." Submitted by Jessi: "Portraits sourced from the Commons, Bobbin Birdie bike, and original photograph of silk threads under glass slide, taken with a Nikon 1970's microscope mount. Everything but the silk fibres are halftoned, because that is how I roll."





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4. "Diamonds are a girl's best friend. But my valentine is a mixte."Submitted by Mindy: I wanted to draw a picture of my bike, because I do love my mixte! The text still works even if you're not familiar with the mixte/diamond frame thing (see what I did there?)."







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5. This evocative poem was submitted by Robin.




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6. "A day with... is better than a day without..." There is another side to this card, and it is shownhere. Submitted byWillie Bailey.



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7. "Hip hoppin' & Bobbin' for you, Valentine!" Submitted by Julie: "My dog, Bonnie, is a little shy and eccentric, and is always the star of our "family" greeting cards. She was going to make a Valentine anyway, but she decided to go with a flashy Valentine theme in hopes of winning her dear mother, me, a pretty new Lady Bike."




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8. "All I want to do is make tricycles with you." A collage submitted by Michelle B.




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9. "The story, context, high-res sharable files (including vector) for anyone who wants to have fun and make their own for someone can be discovered here." Submitted by nandapocentric.




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10. An embroidered Valentine! Submitted byyn0405:"My entry, inspired by the little Birdie"




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11. "The two things in this world that are true: my sturdy lugged frame and my love for you!" Submitted by LT: "When I read your latest post this morning I thought immediately of my favorite old family photo, so I added a few bits to the photo to make it a vintage-themed Valentine."




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12. A poem submitted by William B. The text reads:



"Said the front tire to the rear

Follow me; I’ll lead my dear.

Round and round we’ll roll together.

‘Cause when you push I steer better.

If miles from here the road’s not fair

We’ll just let out a little air.

I will not shimmy, I will stay true;

That is the promise I make to you.

At dusk, to emphasize our genders,

We’ll slip into some silver fenders.

Your tread is slick; your spokes are fine;

You’ll always be my valentine."




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13. "Sending you... Love." Submitted by Margaret.






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14. "I wanna ride with you."Submitted byAinsleyW:"Happy Valentine's Day!! Here's my entry, designed specifically in the likeness of mine and my sweetie's bicycles."





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15. Submitted by Audrey W., the poem reads:




"true love

discouraging, tiresome
amassed frustrations
quick release–
escape
restore sanity?

true love, loyal to
youth, to health, to
the beating-
heart

celebrating curves,
bearing pain and
bliss–
eternal"





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So, what do you think? List the numbers of the Valentine(s) that appeal to you in the comments, and your feedback will help determine the recipient. There are no rules by which to judge the Valentines, these things just sort of have to "hit" your love receptors. How much work went into making them is, of course, worth considering as well. The recipient will be announced on Valentine's Day, February 14th. Please feel free to contribute to the comments up to the eve of that date. Thank you everybody for looking, reading and participating. Have a lovely weekend!

Where's Waldo?

Every kid has played that game I suspect.









I spent just over half a decade to the exclusion ofeverything including climbing, physically tracking down and findingmen and their financial fortunes. The thrill of the chase,finding afugitiveand where he had hid his moneywas as much sport as soloing 5.11 cracks and steep ice.






I'm thinking this is a guy likely guilty of something ;)

A long over due bar bill at the Fairview maybe?




Finding aBrit from the '80s, SimonMcCartney, should be easy by comparison. Easy because wehad some things incommon.



"Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world."



Well that was mythought process anyway while on a 18hr non stopdrivewith Jack Roberts.Simon McCartney had been Jack's partner on two amazingly difficult and dangerous Alaskan climbs from the late '70s and early '80s era.



I met Jack later in life. Still a wild man on any sort of terrain even with totally trashed and painful feet. He was good at his chosen craft. But when he and Simon climbed the Timeless Face on Huntington, they were my climbing heros. And at least to me, much larger than life.



Roberts and McCartney? Hell even their names made them sound like rock stars!



Quoting tea bags, Aldous Huxleyand suffering seemedas natural ascold hardice to them. Or so it seemed by the trip reports.



Anyone who climbed seriously at the time will never forget Tobin Sorenson's, "Witlessly Bold, Heroically Dull" in CLIMBING magazine .Thestory ofJack's and Tobin's climb on the GCC,Mt. Kitchener, in the dark of winter."Cold had already taken our light. It had taken our strength andit was trying to take our lives". Grim stuff indeed from a guy known to do some pretty hard climbing on the "edge".



Gave rein to wrath and drown'd them in the Flood.

Teeming again, repeopled Tellus bore

The lubber Hero and the Man of War;

Huge towers of Brawn, topp'd with an empty Skull,

Witlessly bold, heroically dull.

Long ages pass'd and Man grown more refin'd,

Slighter in muscle but of vaster Mind,

Smiled at his grandsire's broadsword, bow and bill,

And learn'd to wield the Pencil and the Quill.

The glowing canvas and the written page

Immortaliz'd his name from age to age,

His name emblazon'd on Fame's temple wall;

For Art grew great as Humankind grew small.

Thus man's long progress step by step we trace;

The Giant dies, the hero takes his place;

The Giant vile, the dull heroic Block:

At one we shudder and at one we mock.

Man last appears. In him the Soul's pure flame

Burns brightlier in a not inord'nate frame.

Of old when Heroes fought and Giants swarmed,

Aldous Huxley



Jack was around. He was easy to find guiding in Colorado or Chamonix. Or at any Ice Fest mid winter representing a climbing company or twoand while gladly introducing new players to the sport..



But Simon was lost. Not to befound! Shortly after theill fated trip and a new difficult route on Denali, Simon had "gotten lost". Or may be he was just hiding out from Jack. What ever happened on that trip, Jack still wanted to climb and Simon was done with it. No hard feelings on ether's part, just a parting of the ways for 30 years. By their own admissions,both would eventually regret that decision immensely.



Simon had literally disappeared for the climbing community by 1982. From England to Australia and finally to Hong Kong. Jack had looked for him with no results and thought Simon dead. As did others. Rumor and comments had the story growing and getting darker over the years. Until the actual ascent itself became a question to many that knew Jack and had looked closely at the North Face of Huntington.



I was interested in the two climbs andin the partnership. After all Jack and Simon inspired my own climbing and my first forays into "fast and light" as much as anyone. As did John Bouchard's climbing in the Alps just prior. And the magical "Stone Master" 1977 season in the Alps. Steve Shea, DickJackson, Jack Roberts, Tobin Sorenson, Todd Eastmanand Mugs Stump among others had been a part of that season in Chamonix..Bouchard's Wild Things packscaught my attention in Mug's tent on the Kahiltna after the Moonflower in '81. That small group of climbers and Bouchard's Wild Things catalogs would have a lastinginfluence on the International alpine climbing community. Much like Chouinard and his contemporaries had earlier and Chouinard Equipment's now classic 1973 catalog.



Before there was "fast and light","disasterstyle alpinism" or even before "night naked".



"Night Naked"?"The last stylistic climax in alpine climbing came in the mid- to late 1980s when many of the 8000- meter peaks were climbed in single-push style, often by new routes. Such climbing was termed "night-naked" by Voytek Kurtyka; he, Jean Troillet, Pierre-Allain Steiner and Erhard Loretan were at the center of adapting this bivouac-less style to the peaks of the Himalaya."



1980 – A four-man team consisting of Polish climbers Voytek Kurtyka, Ludwik Wiczyczynski, Frenchman René Ghilini and Scotsman Alex MacIntyre climb the east face, topping out at 7,500 m on the northeast ridge. After a bivouac they descend in a storm.....one of the first clear examples of "night naked".



Jack and Simon had already done Huntington.






Jack Roberts high on the Timeless Face of Huntington, 1978




Truth is these two guys influenced an entiregeneration of climbers long before logos and self promotion popped up in the ever growing climbing community.






Jack again, on Huntington

Simon'sphoto was featured in both Climbing magazine and the AAJ in 1979



http://c498469.r69.cf2.rackcdn.com/1979/robert_hunting_1979_70-80.pdf



http://www.alpinist.com/tcl/email/jr/038.pdf


Much likeSimon, Ihad simply lost touch with all that. I had forgotten who I had first tried to emulate. Who I looked at for "what could be done"and who I REALLY wanted to climb like. Funny how life seems to run in circles if you let it. And not in a bad way. Actually insome of the best ways possible if you can be open to it.



I had beeninterested in the Huntington story. The "Timeless Face" July 2/6 1978, Alaskan Grade 6, 5.9, WI4/5, 5740 vertical feet. And likelyas scary and dangerous as any route on the planet that had actually been climbed.



Rob Newsom, no wall flower himself or one to back off a hard lead commented recently ofseeing Roberts and McCartney high on the face, "as the craziest, most dangerous damn thing ever!" Newsom was skiing down the Ruth whensaw Roberts and McCartney climbing high on the face. He had been directlybelow them and had a box seat to the alpine spectacle. Robhad seen themclimbing on the face, well over halfway up. Thenwhile in camp for several more days with no sign of Simon and Jack by the time his crew flew out, heworriedabout what had happened to them. Roberts and McCartney would losetheir ropes descending the west face, Harvard route, after their North Face climb. The ropes had hung up just below the Nose pitch and abandoned.Turning a difficult decent from analready really difficult climb into a suffer fest of epic proportions. Those same ropes Mark Westman would find years later. Leftjust were the North Face 1st ascent party haddescribed. Westman took note of the find andrecognised that they were verylikely fromRoberts' and McCartney's decent down the West Face. And sure enough,Charlie Porter's original 1978 photos shows Simon and Jack holding ropes of the same colors as the onesfound by Westman in 2005.



Mark Westman, "I found them in '98 but didn't recognise what they were until2005, which was an extremely dry season. I did not see them in2000 as the deep snow below the Nose buried them. They certainly lookedto be decades old. The other thing of course, being so the few people who've been up/down the Harvard, how many other teams could have lost their ropes there? Likely, no one!"






Mark Westman. "1998,Joe Puryear on top of the Nose pitch. Simon's rope on the left stuck in the crack. Marked "my rope" as in "Simon's rope". The white crap is probably Japanese 1976 fixed rope."











This pictureis from 2005 at the base of the Nose pitch (the previous photo is at the top of the pitch). Simon's rope is snaggedand shredded on the left.









Charlie Porter's photo of the lads off to slay the Dragon. With the now tell-tale ropes in tow.







"Jack liked bright colours. He was actuallya California boy at heart. Enough to consider his yellow Gore-Tex shell needed to matchwith his harness and ropes!" But then he wore Hawaiian shirts 24/7/365. "With blonde hair and surfer's tanwe knew he reekedstyle points."




Then there are Robert's and McCartney'sphotographs from high on the face. All of that leaves absolutely no doubtthat they climbed Huntington's North face in 1978.






The summit of the Rooster Comb is in the background,which puts themaround10,000'on the face.2200' below the summit. And 3500' up the North Face of Huntington









Jack seconding Simon's leadwith Dan Beard as the back drop.Upper Left is Dan Beard, upper right is Explorer's Peak and the peaks east of the North fork of the Ruth Glacier. Lower left is the beginning slopes of Peak 11,300'.






When Paul Roderick (the ace TalkeetnaAir Taxi bush pilot), was show the Roberts/McCarney photossaid. "there is no doubt the photos were taken from high on Huntington's North Face.

And the final brick in the wall?



The1978,1st ascent party on the Southeast Spur, Joseph Kaelin, Kent Meneghin, Glenn Randall and Angus M. Thuermer, Jr., reached Huntington's summit on July 9. Three days after Roberts and McCarthney.



This from Angus Thuermerrecently, "On Huntington we had made what we thought was a pretty good accomplishment - especially considering how quickly we got up it. But there was little doubt that the team from the other side had justplucked a plumb. Who wouldn't want to be a swashbuckler with that onhis resume? It was clear where the footprints came from. It wasn't like theytopped out somewhere on the east or west ridge and moseyed up. The came straight to the summit from the north. So our route would be number five, not four."



One has to wonder exactly why Jack never made it so clear. The irrefutable evidence of the first ascent of the "Timeless Face" would have been so easy to provide. May be he had already done it too many times.



Years later Jack had seeminglygiven up on explaining the history of Huntington. He knew he had climbed the face but without Simon to share in the credit he simply didn't care to explain or defend the ascent again and again. He wouldon occasion, when pressed by an eager new Huntington suitor,answer detailed questions about the route and the ascent.When I asked, Jack kindly drew a topo for me a few years ago. I recently had the chance to compare the original topo draw by Jack and Simon shortly after the climb to my "new" topo. Jack'smemory of the exact line through a complicated face hadn't faded over the past 30years. Jack's hand draw topo matches perfectly with Simon's photos of the face from their 1978 base camp.It seemedhoweverJackhad no interest in talking about the climb.



I thought it important that the Huntington climb be documented. Questions raised and put to bed for ever, one way or another.



Mark Twight puts the "Timeless Face" into context and closes one chapter to hopefully only open another on Huntington.



"In the early-80s I discovered Mountain Magazine and the north face of Mount Huntington. I thought the protagonists to be the baddest of the bad-asses. This was about the time the WPODs were active in AK. Those guys scared the shit out of me and I put Roberts in the same category. For a long time I took the ascent at face value and inspiration from it because my own experience taught what may be one when extraordinary conditions and will prevail. But some of Jack's actions off the mountainmade the rumors of doubt easier to believe and I did. Reading Newsom's words was a relief because they meant a climb that inspired me for many years was real, and likely the single ballsiest undertaking in the history of North American climbing."






The "Timeless Face", Huntington




Prior toJack's deathI had decided to find Simon. If he was still alive.



That searchstarted with me posting thismessage on several well read Internet climbing forums:



Feb 12,

"Simon McCartney (UK) and Jack Roberts (USA) did two impressive lines in Alaska together in the late '70s early 80s, the NW face of Huntington in '77 and a new route on the SW face of Denali in '80. Both climbs well ahead of their time in a number of ways.



Simon McCartney virtually disappeared, as far as I know, from the climbing scene after the new route on Denali and final rescue.



Jack Roberts hasn't heard from him in years.

Anyone know Simon's where abouts today?"



The answer: June 16

This is Simon McCartney....



That only took 17 months and hardly any effort. Climbers have a lot in common. Eventually they return in one form or the other to the tribe.'80s climbers? Even more likely they will turn up eventually if they are still breathing :)




"We found Wally!"







Simon McCartney mid "Tuckerman Route", 1st ascent of the SW face of Denali, 1980


CT: Name of thebook you are working on Simon?



Simon: Not sure but the working title might be "Hard Way Up-Hard Way Down.



CT: OK..got me there that seems pretty appropriate if the down includes 3 day with no food!



What ya been doing the last 40 years in 2 sentences or less?



Simon: After Denali I went to meet my sweetheart in Australia to recuperate and fell in love with the place. A year later I started a new life in Sydney. I moved to Hong Kong in '92and am now running my own architectural lighting business with a partner.




CT: Why ya writing the book now... in 3 sentences or less?

To honor my old friend initially but as work progressed I see that there is more to say than just another climber's tale. It is about becoming an adult and the importance of human values.



CT: Favorite drink these days?



Nice crisp Chardonnay with a dash of soda.





CT: And finally from your perspective 30 years on why hasn't anyone repeated either of your and Jack's routes in the Alaska range?



Simon: Not stupid enough? Actually I don't think our SW face route(The "Tuckerman Route" on Denali) has been repeatedbecause it was not well documented and the face has given other first ascentssince then. The timefor repeatsis only (just happening) now.





Denali, SW Face, 1980:




"Jack and Simon have successfully climbed the difficult southwest face in impeccable alpine style, but their rapid ascent has resulted in frostbitten feet for Jack and high-altitude sickness for Simon. Simon is semiconscious inside their tent and is unable to walk. They have been without food and water for two days."

Bob Kandiko, AAJ 1981



But that is another story...waiting to be retold.



Their climb of the "Tuckerman Route" on the SW Face of Denali would prove itself years ahead of its time in technical difficulty and commitment." And as of yet, never fully appreciated in the climbing community.


Good luck with the project Simon!

Must Haves: Dropbars with Flat Ramps

While dropbars tend to all look the same to those who are new to them, there are in fact lots of variations - most of which I find uncomfortable. This is particularly true of vintage bars, and it does not surprise me when others write to tell me they have trouble riding old roadbikes for this reason. What's uncomfortable about these dropbar designs, is their lack of flat "ramp" areas leading up to the brake hoods. When the brake lever is positioned on a dramatic slope, some report that their hands feel awkward and start to hurt on long rides. By contrast, famously comfortable handlebars - such as the Nitto Noodle and Randonneur models - have spacious, flat ramp areas that support the hands - both when on the hoods and behind the hoods. Rivendell explains about this feature here. And this comprehensive post about the difference in dropbar shape is definitely worth reading. My favourite flat-ramp dropbars so far have been the Grand Bois Maes (pictured above). They are similar to the Nitto Noodles, except that the ramps feel a bit longer and flatter, and the drops are parallel to the ramps. My hands absolutely love the feel of every part of these handlebars.



One thing that has me curious when it comes to the flat ramp design, is its origin. Until recently, my understanding was that it was a modern invention: a byproduct of the compact/ anatomic handlebars ushered in by the brifter era. It is often said that the Nitto Noodles basically combine this modern design with a vintage look, which is what makes them so popular. However, that does not jive with the description of the Grand Bois Maes bars as a remake of a 1950s Phillips Professionel model. Turns out that what many think of as a modern design is actually a mid-century design, which is rather fascinating. I would love to know the original inspiration behind this shape and why it was not more popular. After all, it is very difficult to find a set of vintage dropbars with flat ramps.



What has been your experience with drop handlebars? Can you tell the difference between the various shapes and do you have a favourite?

Bert and Nellie (Knight) Sutton

Nellie Gertrude Knight was the daughter of William and Minerva Fatima (Joslin) Knight. Minerva was my 2nd great-grandaunt. Obituaries and tombstone photos were obtained September 10, .. on a visit to Iola, Allen County, Kansas.

Nellie Knight was born on December 22, 1879 near Great Bend, Barton County, Kansas. According to Barton County marriage records, She was married on July 13, 1897 to Bert Alva Sutton. The photo below is a scanned image that I received from one of my distant Joslin cousins. It was labeled Nellie and Bert Sutton, and is presumed to be their wedding photo.


Nellie's obituary, published on July 28, 1947 in the Iola Register [Allen County, Kansas] states that she moved to Iola in 1907 with her husband. At the time of her death, just two weeks after celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, they were residing at 201 N. Sycamore Street. It also gave the names of two daughters that survived her.

As often happens, the obituary for the husband contains much more information. Published on February 17, 1964 in the Iola Register.

Bert Alvie Sutton, 90, resident of Iola since 1907, died at his home at 605 North Washington Saturday afternoon after a prolonged illness. He had been seriously ill for more than two months.

Mr. Sutton was born in Princeton, Mo., Sept. 25, 1873, the son of William Turner and Berthena Wall Sutton. He was married to Nellie Gertrude Knight in El Dorado in 1897. She died in 1947.

Three children were born to this union, Mrs. Hazel Sailing of Long Beach, Calif., Harmon Sutton, deceased, and Mrs. Helen Curtis of Wichita. Eight grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren survive.

Mr. Sutton was twice married. On Aug. 6, 1949 he was married to Eula Geniva High of Ottawa, of the home, who survives, known to her husband, relatives and friends as Polly. He had one step-daughter, Mrs. Ann Melton of Ventura, Calif.

Mr. Sutton grew to manhood on a farm (part of sentence is illegible). He worked for the Frisco Railroad for seven and a half years. He came to Iola in 1907 and was employed by T. B. Shannon Hardware. Then he went into business for himself and operated the Iola Plumbing Co. for 38 years, retiring in November 1948.

Mr. Sutton was a member of the First Christian Church, the Chamber of Commerce for many years, and the Iola Lions and Elks clubs. He was a long-time member of the Kansas Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Association and held an honorary membership in that association from the time of his retirement.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tomorrow at the First Christian Church with the Rev. Chester Werbin officiating. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery. The Waugh Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

The Sutton family plot in Highland Cemetery, Iola, Kansas.

BERT ALVA SUTTON
SEPT. 25, 1873
FEB. 15, 1964

NELLIE G.
WIFE OF B. A. SUTTON
1880 - 1947

Three children were born to Bert and Nellie (Knight) Sutton:

1. Hazel Marie Sutton was born March 2, 1896 and married Mr. Saling. She lived in Long Beach, California when her mother died in 1947 and in 1964 when her father died.

2. Harmon Harold Knight Sutton was born April 2, 1902 and died March 24, 1945 in Compton, California. A future post will provide some additional information on Harmon and his family.

3. Helen Juanita Sutton was born November 29, 1910 in Iola, Kansas and died December 19, 1984 in Wichita, Kansas. She was married in 1933 to Gerald Leon Curtis (1910-1982) and had three children: Judith, Ronald, and Gary.

Hidey Spidey

Peek-a-boo.

I see you.



This is a Black and Yellow Garden spider, a.k.a. Black and Yellow Argiope, a.k.a. Golden Garden spider, a.k.a. Golden Orb Weaver, a.k.a. Writing Spider (Argiope aurantia).

She was in the middle of the path where I was walking, and I wanted to photograph her in the middle of her web. But Jasmine had other ideas and disturbed it, making her flee to hide among the leaves.

According to this website, these spiders eat their webs every night and rebuild the next day.

The males of the species look quite different.

They look a bit scary, but aren't dangerous unless you're a fly.

Donkey

I have several donkeys in my collection. This is one that I got at Death Valley, near Los Vegas, NV in 1959 when we went to Death Valley Scotties Castle several times. The head is on a spring and bobs up and down. He is made out of some sort of metal.

Holiday Gift Traditions - Reinterpreted for the Cyclist

Traditional gift-giving for the winter holidays is not so much about giving and receiving presents, as it is about the act of giving itself. Still, there are specific types of things that we tend to gift at this time of year, and these things tend to be symbolic: Light-hearted and sparkly gifts symbolise celebration. Warm and cozy gifts symbolise familial ties. Luxurious gifts symbolise good fortune in the year to come.Keeping these themes in mind, I have sought out the cycling-specific equivalents* of some popular winter holiday gifts. Not meant to be taken too seriously, but hopefully a fun read!

[left image via Velo Orange; right image via Lindt USA]

Traditional gift: Chocolate TrufflesReinterpreted for the cyclist: Classic Bicycle Bells

Holiday chocolates in festive wrappers are fun, shiny and celebratory. It is not even about the taste, but about the shiny look and the crinkling sound they make as you unwrap them. Champagne and sparkling wine is often brought into the mix to enhance this effect. How better to interpret it from a cycling perspective, than with a cheerful classic brass bell? Starting at as little as $8 (the Velo Orange version), they are a good match for the expensive holiday truffle offerings. Plus, long after the joy of the chocolates is gone and the crinkly metallic wrappers have been disposed off, the trusty bicycle bell will continue to bring good cheer to its recipient.

[left image via Ibex; right image via GAP]

Traditional gift:Socks and GlovesReinterpreted for the cyclist:100% WoolSocks and Gloves

Though there are plenty of cozy-looking, fluffy socks and gloves for sale this time of year, much of what is available tends to be made of some blend of acrylic and cotton with only a touch of wool, if at all. But it is amazing what a difference 100% wool makes in protecting your hands and feet from the cold - especially while cycling. Why not get the real deal for those you love? Surprisingly, the prices are not even that different: the Ibex"Knitty Gritty" gloves (100% wool) are $20, whereas the Gap "Knit Gloves" (100% acrylic) are $14.50. Both are available in a cheerful red colour, but the wool version will keep the cyclist happy through the winter months.

[left image viaDZ Nuts; right image viaBath & Body Works]

Traditional gift:Fragrance and Bath ProductsReinterpreted for the cyclist:Fancy Chamois Creams

A gift of a soothing bath experience is easily translatable to a gift of a soothing cycling experience. Though many are embarrassed to discuss this, chamois creams can be extremely useful in preventing chafing and infection on some of our most cherished body partsduring long rides. Many of them have herbal ingredients that smell especially festive for the holiday season, and the packaging of the new ladies' version of DZ Nuts is quite gift-appropriate as well. At $20 per tube, it's a good equivalent to most mid-range body lotions and bath products.

[leftimage viaDutch Bike Seattle; right image via Harry and David]

Traditional gift:The Gourmet Food BasketReinterpreted for the cyclist:The Bicycle Basket

Nothing puts a smile on people's face like the traditional bicycle basket. It's adorable, it's extremely practical, and maybe, just maybe it will make motorists more kindly disposed towards the cyclist when they see it. There is something about baskets - be they for picnics, for mushroom-picking, or for cycling, that evokes images of the good life, and an innocent hope that things can be nicer, simpler, and more fun in the future. Those are pleasant thoughts to have during the winter holidays. And after all - here is no reason why the food basket and the bicycle basket gifts can't be combined. It would be fun to fill a wicker bicycle basket with the gift recipient's favourite treats. Prices vary in the $30-60 range.

[left image viaBicycle Quarterly; right image viaConde Nast]

Traditional gift:The Magazine SubscriptionReinterpreted for the cyclist:The Bicycle Magazine Subscription

Magazine subscriptions make good gifts for the winter holidays, because they reinforce the yearly cycle and the idea that something new and exciting will start to happen in the new year. Plus, it is not just a one-off gift: the recipient will continue to receive a little something throughout the year that will remind them of the person who gave them the gift. There are many bicycle magazines on the scene nowadays, including Momentum for those interested in transportation cycling, Bicycling for those interested in racing, and, my favourite, Bicycle Quarterly, for those interested in bicycle touring. Prices for subscriptions in the $20-30 range.

[left image via Brooks England; right image via J. Crew]

Traditional gift:The Cashmere SweaterReinterpreted for the cyclist:The Leather Saddle

Entering the territory of the more expensive gifts, one traditional one is the classic cashmere sweater. So beautiful, so luxurious, so delicate and light... and so easily destroyed by red wine spillage, or your adorably clingy cat. The leather saddle communicates the same ideas of luxury, quality, good taste and tradition - except it is infinitely more durable, particularly for the cyclist. A gift that is not only luxurious, but will last and can be used daily, is truly a gift to remember. The retail price of the Brooks saddle pictured above is $99 - just like the cashmere cardigan from J. Crew.



[left image via Mercian Cycles; right image via Tiffany &Co.]

Traditional gift:Heirloom JewelryReinterpreted for the cyclist:The Custom Handbuilt Bicycle

If expensive jewelry is to be given, the winter holidays are a traditional time for it. The idea is that jewelry is "forever" and the holidays are a good time to reaffirm that sentiment and commitment. The recipient of the jewel will wear it close to them - maybe even daily - and think of their special relationship to the gift-giver in the year to come, and hopefully all the years thereafter. A fine handbuilt bicycle frame can communicate the same sentiment to the person who is truly crazy about bicycles. Not only is it bound to be a very cherished possession, but the cyclist will likely ride it frequently and enjoy it immensely. Plus, if the bicycle is lugged, their filigreed forms are not dissimilar from actual jewels. Like the Tiffany's diamond earrings above (the .22 carat version), the stunning Mercian frame is priced at around $1,000.

Regardless of which holidays you celebrate (for those in the "Christmas and Hannukah" camp, the holidays stretch out for an entire month this year!), I hope you find them fun and enjoyable. And if any of these gift ideas are of interest, there is no harm in accidentally leaving your laptop open where your loved ones can see it, now is there?... They might even get the hint!

[* The products pictured here are not endorsements, paid adverts or part of any promotion]