Adventures with Shellac: Cork Grip Yumminess!

If you love the rich butterscotch look of shellacked cork grips, but are worried about the DIY factor, fear no more. We gave it a shot, and it really is quite easy. Here we go:

Rodney the vintage Roadster came with these original Raleigh black grips. Although they look nice and we like to keep original parts, neither of us can stand the feel of plastic grips. So we decided to experiment with cork. Rivendell makes it seem so simple and fun!

Well, here is a "naked" cork grip. So far so good! The Co-Habitant secured the grips with strong double-sided tape, but most recommend to glue the grips. He rode the bike with the unshellacked grips for a while to see what this felt like. The unfinished grips feel good, but they get dirty very easily and are not protected from the elements. We wouldn't want ratty, filthy grips. Plus the colour needs some spicing up.

Here comes the shellac. Amber. This is from the hardware store, nothing fancy. Generic 1" paintbrush.

Here the first coat of shellac is being applied. This stuff is fast drying, so the work should be done fairly quickly.

Second coat of shellac. As you apply 2-3 thin coats, you will see the colour gradually grow darker, richer, and warmer. Uneven patches on the surface get smoothed out. Three thin coats should be enough, and you can always touch it up if you notice some unevenness later.

We decided not to add twine or tape to these grips, but to keep things clean and minimalist on the vintage black Roadster. The first photo in this post is the final result!

Forbidden East West Traverse ..

EPIC!
Part I
"The Summit"

The original plan was to climb Forbidden Peak as an east to west traverse so that we could climb the west ridge and avoid the late season difficulties associated with it. We got a late start in Washington Pass and packed up slowly and did some sight seeing. We ate lunch in Marblemount and finally got under way. As soon as we were hiking the Boston Basin bushwhack, I mean trail, we knew what we were getting into. It turns out we were both fairly tired from climbing South Early Winter Spire the day before and we were feeling it.

Sorting gear for Forbidden (photo by Steve Machuga)
On the way in we passed Josh and Matt who were coming down from a climb of the Direct East Ridge. We chatted a bit and got beta for the descent of the East Ledges. It was probably there that I made the decision in my head that we would probably only do the east ridge and then descend the ledges although I may not have expressed it to Steve at that time. After chatting a bit we continued on and discussed the option of descending the ledges. After some difficult water crossings in the basin, we were finally in the upper basin and setting up camp three hours after we left the car.

We pumped some water from a nice stream, and made dinner. We prepped for the next day and decided on a wake up time of 5:30am. (Josh and Matt had told us they left camp at 5:30.) We had a bit of difficulty getting to sleep because we kept thinking we were hearing female voices. This may have been true as another tent was there in the morning (About 100m downhill from our location) that wasn't there when we went to bed.

Just before the alarm went off there was some rock/ice fall on the mountain. I jumped up to make sure we were not in danger. My commotion woke Steve up and he promptly went back to sleep. I hadn't been sleeping well and mulled about in my sleeping bag for the next 15 minutes until the alarm went off. Once the alarms went off, Steve and I decided to rest in another 15 minutes or so before actually getting out of the tent. [Can you already count the many signs of an epic?] We ate breakfast, used the toilet and left camp at 6:30am.

We had good information from Josh and Matt about the problem they had on the approach and made quick time up the slabs to the snow and eventually the gully. We arrived at the notch at the base of the route around 8:30 or so. In keeping with the epic theme, we dawdled at the base for some time (including Steve needing another "bathroom break" before starting the route.) During our delay we made the decision not to down climb the west ridge. We knew we were both tired and we weren't moving that fast coming up from camp.

We eventually started climbing at 10am and I took the first lead. The first bits were 3rd class and then it got somewhat harder where I had to negotiate a few small gendarmes. Since good protection was scarce, I looked for a viable anchor location after I had about half the rope out. I wound up slightly off the crest of the ridge on the south side and was probably slightly off route. Steve made his way over to me and then slowly made about leading the next pitch.

Steve had to regain the ridge crest first and then make his way up the first significant gendarme on the ridge. This section is listed at 5.7 in the guides and that would probably be correct. It was slow going as route finding was not obvious, but more so because protection was difficult. Once finding an suitable anchor location, Steve brought me up. Two hours had passed since we started climbing and I knew that we were in for a long day. Being the optimist, I thought our speed would improve now that we got a feel for the climbing and we were back on route. So we continued on.

Following the second pitch (photo by Steve Machuga)

I led a short exposed pitch along the ridge crest with easy climbing before I got to and area that looked like it may be difficult to find an anchor in. So I went with the option I had present. (Which still felt pretty desperate to me.) I brought Steve over and we discussed the next pitch. We were a short distance from the next major gendarme which can be bypassed on the north side of the ridge. Steve led off around some minor obstacles before taking a path of least resistance on the north side of the ridge. After using up all the rope, I began to simul climb behind him as we both wound up north of the ridge proper. We continued to climb on the north side for some distance on loose dirty ledges until Steve hit a spot where he could build a reliable belay. He then belayed me to his location.

I started out on the second leg of this traverse over a rib and onto more slab like terrain heading for the notch between the last two gendarmes. It seemed we were a bit low and as I headed back up, the terrain was better for climbing and protecting. I could see I wouldn't make it to the notch in one rope, so when Steve told me I had used half the rope, I built a suitable anchor. He then led off to the notch on a full rope length and brought me up. Having looked at the rap on top of the last gendarme, I can say I am glad we decided to bypass it. (Scary overhanging rappel off a rock horn.)

Climbing up to the notch (photo by Steve Machuga)

Anchor options weren't great at the notch, and it took Steve a long while to build an anchor using a few pieces and a few natural options. This was the crux overhanging 5.8 step. I had already told him he was leading it, so we switched positions and he headed out. The step looked scary and Steve had a hard time believing it went the way it did. He tried to scope out other alternatives to it, but then faced the fact that it did go up that steeply. Steve confidently led up the steep face and began to look for a suitable belay anchor. (I told him it better be solid before starting the pitch.) He went a bit further before he built an anchor. I climbed the steep section which was pretty wild, but easier than it looked. Although it had a very funky move where you had to stand on a wobbly block in order to make a move. After reaching the belay, I was off again.

Topping out on the 5.8 (photo by Steve Machuga)
I led out a bit on what is supposed to be 5.2 terrain to the summit. It was mostly on the crest and upon approaching a minor step, with a sling on top, I set up a belay. (I mistook that to be the summit, but was unsure.) I brought Steve up to my location and he led out for the summit.

My last lead up the East Ridge (photo by Steve Machuga)
He reached the summit and set up and anchor to belay me up. I joined him at the summit around 7pm. Clouds were blowing up out of Boston Basin and blowing down the north side of the mountain. There was the smell of smoke. (We presumed the clouds were related to forest fires.) The wind was cold and we snapped a few pics before rapidly going about the rappels...

Summit shot (photo by Steve Machuga)
My photos are here.

A Little Bit of Sunshine

From snow on Monday and temperatures in the 30s, to glorious sunshine and 60s today! Wow, I am soooo ready for warmer weather.

Rain, rain, and more rain

By Saturday the ice went from great to unsafe. Joel Torretti, Josh Hurst and I made the best of poor conditions. Josh came all this way to climb so we did. We even put him to work. We decided to equip a new line at Upper Meadow Amphitheater. A short ice start leads to steep roof climbing, from there leave the rock, punch the curtain and finish on the last 15' of the ice pillar to the top OR continue left passing 1 more bolt to the left hanging curtain. Despite a single attempt by Josh and numerous attempts by Joel and I the line still remains unclimbed. (Josh was feeling under the weather with a head cold and busted ribs from a fall on Caveman extension the previous day). If he weren't in bad shape I'm sure he'd fired the line with little trouble. The line is strenuous and powerful. When completed it could be the hardest mixed route in SWPA. With all the rain in the forecast I doubt the finishing ice pillar will still be upright, thus rendering a true ascent impossible until ice reforms at the lip. Dont let that deter you. The route stays day and can be worked on rain days. Keep the season alive, go give it a go. Today we went back to work the line some more and possibly equip another. Instead we were lucky enough to witness a very cool natural event. As the morning temperatures rose an ice dam broke further upstream. The small, tame Meadow Run became quite intimidating in less than 2 min. We quickly gathered our gear and headed for higher ground up in the ampitheater. we sat and watched in amazment. Large ice debris and class five rapids lasted for 20-30min. then slowly the water receded. Quite a cool thing to see happen. Even though it was warm and rained we still had a great weekend, climbed hard and laughed most of the time. (Hope your ribs are feeling better Josh)!

Embracing Wrinkles

One question I am often asked about cycling to work, is how to avoid wrinkles on business and formal attire. I don't have many pictures of myself dressed up, but I do cycle in suits and dresses that fall into the business/ formal category. And rather than avoid wrinkles, I tend to choose clothing that either doesn't wrinkle easily, or that is meant to look wrinkled. This habit is a hold-over from a life of constant travel combined with a hatred of dry-cleaning and ironing boards, and it lends itself well to cycling. Here are some suggestions I can make from personal experience.

My go-to fabric for looking presentable in the warmer months is linen (shown above). I own several linen skirt and pant suits, and I mix and match them to create a variety of outfits. People tend to think of linen as a limited, "afternoon tea at a resort" sort of fabric, but in fact it comes in many weights and textures. A dark, crisply tailored linen suit can look formal, while a pastelgauzy linen dress can look whimsical. But what all linens have in common is that they actually look good wrinkled; wrinkles are part of their "personality." That's what makes them great for tossing into a suitcase, and it's also what allows me to get on and off the bike as many times as I want without worrying whether my skirt needs to be frantically smoothed out before a meeting.

I am also a fan of "twist-dried" designs. There may be a formal name for this process that escapes me, so someone please help me out. But what I mean is that there is a style of shirts, skirts, even evening dresses where the wrinkles are part of the garment's very design. This is achieved by drying the article of clothing in a wrung-out, or twisted manner. The resulting wrinkles are clearly intentional. They add a sense of structure and the illusion of subtle colour variation to the fabric once it is dry. Typically, the twist-dried effect is produced by the manufacturer, but you can create it on your own by simply drying any shirt, skirt, or dress (crisp cottons and silks with no pockets work best) in this fashion. Having wrinkles as an inherent design element of your outfit eliminates the need to worry about them.



To some extent, the same idea can be generalised to textured fabrics. Tweed, seersucker, lace, embroidery - the texture both disguises wrinkles and somewhat prevents them from forming.



If your dress code limits you to more conventional suiting, I have found that wool skirts and trousers tend to be more forgiving as far as wrinkling goes than other fabrics. They still wrinkle, just less so. Not getting on and off the bicycle saddle every time I stop (but leaning the bike and putting a toe down instead) has been helpful in preventing wrinkles from forming as well.

Of course for dresses there is wool jersey, though it has become increasingly more difficult to find ready-made. I've been working with a designer to help create a cycling-specific dress with a couple of interesting features, and one reason we chose jersey is for its non-wrinkling properties. While I prefer wool or bamboo jersey, cotton jersey and various artificial blends work well in this respect also and are easier to find in stores.IbexandIcebreakerhave begun to make wool jersey dresses, and while theirs tend to lean toward the more casual, it's a promising sign. The nice thing about jersey fabrics, is that they not only resist wrinkling, but also have some give to them, allowing you to move easier on the bike.



One last suggestion I can make for those whose clothing is wrinkle-prone, is to try throwing a coat on over the outfit. Granted, this works best in cooler weather, with stiff wool coats. But in warmer weather even a thin trenchcoat can be helpful.

While cycling to work is easy if your typical wardrobe already lends itself to it, I think it's important to address the concerns of those who would like to ride in their regular clothing but, for whatever reason, find it impractical. Sometimes it is a matter of having the right bike or accessories, other times it's a matter of making minor alterations to your wardrobe without inherently changing the way you dress. What are yours strategies for dealing with wrinkles and other forms of dishevelment that cycling may impose on your clothing? If it were crucial in your line of work to always look crisp and impeccably groomed, would you still ride to work?

Renting the KHS Green

Earlier this spring, I was delighted to discover that the KHS Green can be rented from our local Cambridge Bicycle. The cost is $25 per 24 hour period. My darling Co-habitant and I rented a men's and a ladies' and took them along the Charles River, as well as through some streets of Cambridge, Somerville, and the center of Boston. We went to some of the places we usually frequent, to see what it would be like to get there by bike (it was great!). And I intentionally wore a skirt, to determine whether this would present any problems (it did not!).



Renting a bicycle similar in style to the one you plan to purchase is something I very much recommend. It has certainly helped me hone down my preferences. For one thing, the 3 speeds were just barely enough for Boston, and we did not even go to the particularly hilly areas. So now I know that 3 speeds are a minimum for me, and that a single speed bike is out of the question.



I have also discovered that I love the coaster brake. Despite never having ridden a bicycle with this braking system, I got used to it immediately and found that, especially when riding through the city, it gives me the optimal degree of control. It is also somehow less stressful to use than the hand-brakes, especially if you are a person who panics easily when other bikes or cars are close to you. Though it was comfortable to have the front-wheel handbrake there, I barely used it and relied mostly on the coaster brake.



Another pleasant discovery was that, after 12 years of not touching a bicycle, I was not as out of practice as I feared. I had tried other bicycles in bike shops over the past year, but did not feel sufficiently comfortable with any of them to ride them on the street. The KHS Green is the first bike I've tried that has made me feel okay with actually riding it "for real". And as soon as I started riding the bike, it all came back to me naturally. The upright sitting position was an absolute joy, as we breezed past the ridiculously picturesque blossoming cherry trees.



After riding the KHS Green for an entire day, I would describe it as a good bike. When going over cobblestones, the ride can be a little bumpy and it is missing some components that my bike would ideally have, such as the dress guard and a full chain enclosure, but for the price it is a great deal. If my budget does not allow me to splurge on the likes of Gazelle, the KHS Green may be my bicycle of choice.

Super light wind shells?

5.11 trad, circa 1988 with a Patagonia wind shell in tow




There are few pieces of gear that have been a consistent staple in my gear collection for a few decades.



I can limit it to boots, pack, crampons, and a set of axes for the most part. And in that tiem frame all of them have changed several times over. Except one. When it comes to clothing two items have remained pretty consistent. A decent lwt down jacket and a light weight wind shell.



Only the lowly wind shell has literally saved my life a time or two. Literally considered "emergency equipment" for the most part. Like in the picture above tied around my waist and unnoticed until needed.






Same shell on the summit of Rainier circa 1984




I generally take one of these along when the weather is "perfect" in the mtns but I'll be out long enough or up high enough that the weather can change in short order. Alpine rock climbs with a good change of a thunder storm or a perfect day on the local volcanos that is bound to be windy at sunrise. Or for my ultra light trips where I generally end up suffering a bit if my plans don't go as first thought out and I end up huddled around a fire all night to keep warm.

















Or when I just want something to add a little warmth and break the wind while while still breathing well as I try to move quickly on a easy approach like walking out to Professors in chilly temps.






Spring and still the same wind shell @ 6oz for my Large.






They seem to last awhile and are light in weight (around 5 oz in a large) and for the most part pretty wind proof and breath well. The best fabrics these days also offer some rain protection with the most modern fabrics. For my ancient gear I just give them a good soaking to get a DWR with something like Nikwax fabric coating. And try to keep them away from an open flame and wind blown embers.



I get teased every time I put on my 80's purple Patagonia pull over shells (I have 2 ) because the bright colors gives away the age. Not like my white hair doesn't! So while my Patagonia piece is the for runner of the current Patagonia Houdini (retails @ 125 or under, some times WAY under so look around!) of today the only thing that seems hard on any of the them is fire. After I collected a bunch of pin holes in my favorite shell during an unplanned overnight stop with a resulting fire to keep me warm till morning I went looking for a new shell.





I found three I think are worth mentioning but there are any number of them out there. Patagonia Houdini is a good place to start if you don't like what I ended up with.



The first up is really the rock star of the bunch. Camp'sMAGIC ANORAK aka Flash Anorak. Brian (who convinced me to buy one) has a great write up on it here:



http://www.getstrongergolonger.com/journal//12/24/camp-flash-anorak.html

























Yep, no back on this one and you cna add or take it off without removing your pack. At first I thought it only a skimo gizmo for the race guys. Now it is one if nto my favorite for serious stuff in the mtns.

MAGIC ANORAK • Climbing, Running, Skiing, Hiking, Cycling • The lightest, most compressible hooded wind shell in the world! • Proprietary Araneum fabric is uncoated, yet windproof and water resistant • Built-in stuff sack measures just 4” x 2.5” • Chest pocket closes with a Velcro flap • 9-inch front zipper for ventilation • Velcro tab holds rolled up hood to prevent flapping • Lycra cuffs on the bottom hem and sleeves Constructed from innovative Araneum fabric, the Magic Anorak weighs only 3.4 ounces and fits in the palm of your hand. Araneum is a 20 denier nylon ripstop (35 g/m2) that is 33% stronger yet only 10% heavier than 15 denier fabric. The Magic Anorak is indispensable for light and fast outdoor athletes who cannot afford to carry extra weight, but may find themselves in adverse conditions. Clip it to a harness for long climbs or toss it in a pack as an emergency piece on aggressive cross-country hikes or ski tours. Because Araneum fabric has no coating (its technical features are gained from the tightness of the weave), the Magic Anorak can be washed time and again without affecting performance. SPECS ID: 1669 Sizes: S - M - L - XL Weight (medium): 91 g, 3.2 oz (4.2oz for my XL) $89.95 USD The RAB Cirrus Wind Top: Next up is my now "every day" lwt. The Camp Flash was so goodI figured I needed something with actual full coverage for when...likeIwasn't wearing a pack! I am using this one every where and forthings I would never pull out an anorak for. Running, biking andeven throw it in my pack for a day of cragging. Or off for a beer in townif the weather is decent enough to sit on the patio. Love the full zip but itstill seems like I am cheating some how. But one of my now favorite pieces of kit. Useful kit as Ally shows on the summit of Mt. Blanc. photo courtesy of Ally and Jon Griffith @ Alpine Exposures http://allyswinton.blogspot.com//08/innominata-ridge.html http://www.alpineexposures.com/ The Cirrus Wind-Top is the full zip version of the Cirrus Pull-On. Using the same Pertex Quantum 15 Denier fabric as the Pull-On the Wind-Top also features an under-helmet hood and 2 zipped hand-warmer pockets.Designed for fast and light use the Cirrus Wind-Top is a fully featured jacket that can be used over layers to create a warm and windproof clothing system yet weighs in at just 120g / 4ozThe Cirrus Wind Top is ideal for adventureracers, mountain marathons, fell runners, mountain bikers, or even for super lightweight alpine style ascents on rock where wind proof protection is required. Sizes: S - XXL Weight: 120g / 4oz (4.6oz for my Large) $110 retail http://us.rab.uk.com/products/mens-clothing/windshell_1/cirrus-wind-top.html Last but not least is an interesting new shell from NW Alpine. With a retail of $475.00 American DOLLARS I am not sure what to think yet. I have yet to wear a lwt shell out..even the less than $100 ones. But then I try to take care of them and they don't generally get to touch granite. Simply because it will shred a normal lt weight. Bill @ NW Alpine may be on to something here. My Eyebright weighs in at 5.4oz for a size Large. Mind you Bill is looking at the Eye Bright as "thelightestfully featured waterproof/breathablejacket on the market". As in "fully featured" like any of the Gortex, H2No or Event shells offered by others in a similar price range. This could well be the ultimate lwt waterproof and breathable jacket and a lwt wind shell or body armor as a bonus. If it is, with the kind ofdurability claimed the $475. might actually be a be a bargain. Just remember any of these shells will melt if you add a little heat! World’s Lightest Full Featured Waterproof/Breathable Jacket The name Eyebright refers to the genus of many species of flowers that thrive in high alpine meadows where their small size belies the strength it takes to survive in harsh mountain conditions. The Eyebright Jacket is built from waterproof/breathable non-woven Dyneema® fabric. Unlike other ultralight jackets that will tear at the sight of granite, our fabric provides tear strength and abrasion resistance superior to any other material of it’s weight. The waterproof membrane is one of the most breathable available on the market. With fully taped seams, adjustable cuff tabs, an adjustable helmet-compatible hood, and chest pocket, the Eyebright is the lightest fully featured waterproof/breathable jacket on the market. Simply put, if you need a shell that weighs almost nothing, packs small and can stand up to the abuse of alpine climbing, bring this jacket on your next trip. Available in white, made in the USA.

Drive By Shootings

One of the kindest things that Nathan does for me is to drive around and let me take pictures. Most times I like to walk around to take pictures. When it is as hot as it has been lately, I prefer to drive. I can't drive and snap shots, so I need his cooperation for this.



Every time we do this, I get home and find all kinds of interesting shots. Shots that have me going, wonder what I saw here. Or better yet, wonder what I missed here.



It is kind of hard to get the timing down right when taking pictures this way. Lots of pictures come out blurry. The lighting is off. The composure is terrible. The flip side is that we can see a lot, and capture a lot when we do this.Sometimes I ask Nathan to stop. Because I know that a quick shot won't do.I know that a drive by shooting won't be enough to capture what I want to.That we need to take a much closer look to fully take in the beauty. It is my photo tour version of "stop and smell the flowers".Beautiful, isn't it? Living the life in Virginia!

Ecola Park

Looking out across the little bay toward the mountains that hide the town of Seaside which was hit by hard storms this winter. It is kind of a neat sight to see all the rocks sticking up out of the water. No wonder there were so many shipwrecks along the Oregon Coast.

More Bonanza

This newspaper clipping shows Michael Landon - Little Joe, Dan Blocker - Hoss, and Pernell Roberts - Adam.

Looking NorthEast

From the Crest of the Sandias you can see Albuquerque but can look off to the northeast also.

Weekend Trip with Friends

This weekend we took a trip to the Orlando area so we could visit Capone's. We visited this place once before with a group of pickleball friends. The time Nick and Tonyia organized the trip, and they did a great job. We got a package deal with dinner, the show, a hotel and a shuttle bus there and back.



We were able to ride up with one of our favorite couples, Art and Hedy. We got up there in plenty of time to sit and visit some beforehand. Here we all are waiting for the shuttle bus.



At Capone's, we ordered drinks and visited for a bit and then headed down to eat. They offer a buffet of Italian foods and the food is very good.



Here's Art and Hedy with "Fingers"!



The best part of this place is definitely the show. The show is a lot of dancing and singing and some improv and audience participation. For example, Nick was able to participate by lending a seat to one of the actresses.





My favorite part was when Todd was persuaded to participate. He was a bit reluctant to begin with. I think he was taught that women are like animals, if you don't make eye contact then they'll leave you alone.





He was such a trooper though. He not only went on stage, he danced the Charleston for us!



We had so much fun laughing and talking with our friends and enjoying the show together!






I am hoping we have more trips like this during the winter months here together!