Monarch on Milkweed

A Monarch butterfly resting on a clump of Asclepias californica.

Wrapping tool shafts?

The reason I wrap my tools almost full shaft (2" shy of the head) is I like to do a lot of high dagger position on easier alpine terrain. And I actually like climbing easier terrain with radically curved tools. I'll run my hand from the upper grip to the head of the tool to avoid as many placements as possible. Just to save strength and climb faster. A good tape job keeps the hands warmer on aluminum when it is really cold out. And I like the rubber texture over bare aluminum or carbon fiber. On steep ice I like to match on the second grip so I wrap there with better tape than Petzl supplies and wrap over the the BD Fusion/Cobra upper grip and higher on the shaft just for consistancy. While you are at it, easy enough to wrap farther up the tool and can't see that it hurts anything besides adding a bit of weight. If for no other reason, it helps me at least feel more secure.

Climbing Shooting Gallery on Andromeda a couple of winters ago in -30 temps and some deep snow was the first time I needed more insulation on the shaft for the high dagger position. Freaking cold tools that bite back and then cold hands through the powder snow to get a good stick. Not on my long list of "fun".

A quick look at several of the pictures in the blog will show a high dagger position (anyone climbing on Nomics) where a wrapped shaft will be warmer.


> What is the name of the tape that you use on your tools? I
> have been using electrical friction tape but I think there is
> something better out there more similar to the tape on the >Nomic.

You can generally buy this stuff at Lowe's, Home Depot or any big hardware store and on line.
There is a link in the comments after the post. Depending on how you wrap your tools one role of tape can do two tools. I use the tape for insulation so I use one roll per tool and throw the extra away. Stuff is fairly cheap....under $10 per roll.

Petzl Nomic tape is a little thin for my taste and not that durable but it is light in weight and sticky enough. I suspect it is the 3M Temflex.

3M Temflex #2155 Rubber splicing Tape

What I like better is similar but thicker, way stickier and offers better insulation.

Scotch brand 2228 Moisture sealing Electrical tape

3M Temflex 2155, "rubber splicing tape" is the same stuff Petzl uses but a lot cheaper in this form. One role will easily do two tools.

The better choice imo is Scotch brand 2228 Moisture sealing electrical tape. One role of 1" x 4" does one tool for me. It is heavier/thicker/way stickier than 3M and has lasted me 4 seasons so far (with no end in sight, on ice and alpine) and is always sticky, wet or dry. I use one role per tool with a tiny bit to spare on a Nomic (1" X 4') . You just need to watch what you lay the tools against 'cuz the stuff is so sticky it will wrap around anything, clothing, your other tool, helmets...you get the idea. Kinda like the climbing version of silly putty.

You don't need to tape the ends on either as it is self sealing and is easy to apply.

Nothing else even close that I have seen. 3M is cheaper and works fine. The thicker Scotch brand stuff is what I use to wrap the tools I climb with.

There ought to be a law

(click for larger image)

When your neighbor's cows grow bored with their own several hundred acres and come to visit repeatedly. And erode the creek bank. And pulverize the ground with their hasty retreats. And gaze greedily at your pitiful garden. And smash your favorite crabapple sapling. And overlay the walking path with poop. When they kick at your sweet little doggy when all she's doing is trying to chase them back home.

When the neighbors have to be called a million times before they can be bothered to fix the fence. When you're afraid to leave the house for 4 days because you never know when those *@!%#&^$ cows might be back. And when the neighbors steadfastly refuse to give you a weekend contact number.

Well, in that case, don't you think there ought to be a law providing that the next time the cows come over, you're allowed to just keep one?

Arkansas

Little Rock Arkansa

Little Rock Central High School where in 1957, the Governor of Arkansas called out the National Guard to keep order among floating rumors of planned violence during desegration,and to block the entry of 9 African American students to the School. Mobs followed, spat on, and threatened violence to the students.A court ordered the National Guard withdrawn riots ensued and an angry crowd beat both black and white journalists who were between the angry mob and the students. Two days later 1,200 soldiers were sent in to escort the students to class.





The Capitol Building is quite impressive.The Portrait you can just make out on the right is of the young Bill Clinton.







A nice walking trail by the River had a nice sculpture garden.

Next stop Hot Springs National Park the US's 18th National Park



We hiked up a trail to the observation tower.Bathhouse Row





The water averages 143 degrees and is over 4.000 years old when it emerges from the hot springs. The park collects 700,00 gallons a day for use in the public drinking foundtains and bathhouses. Most of the 47 springs have been covered with boxes to prevent contamination. There are several thermal fountains where you can fill jugs of water to take.





Oklahoma! Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain . . .

Big fun for me!

If you didn't know I spend some spare time designing and buildingice tool partsyou wouldn't know how excited I get seeing those tools getting used as intended.



The pictures here should giveyou anidea of where "my gear" has been.



http://coldthistletools.blogspot.com//08/ice-climbing-gear.html



But I have to say this one got me pretty jacked up this morning. Congrads to Ally and Dave on the Colton- MacIntyrevia the Alexis.





http://allyswinton.blogspot.com//09/something-that-i-am-starting-to-see.html







I hope Dave and Ally forgive me for stealing the picture!

California:: Morro Bay Beachcombing

The stones, the shells, the kelp and the patterns left in the sand by the receding water were fascinating. As was the variance in the color of the sand itself.

From a different perspective

This afternoon I noticed a hummingbird flitting through the lilies. I grabbed my camera in the hopes of capturing it enjoying the nectar but by the time I got to the window it was gone. Perhaps it will come back tomorrow and I'll be a little quicker. Since I had the camera at the window, I played around a bit with the zoom capabilities and got these shots. I like how the out-of-focus grass enhances the color of the lilies. I'm still amazed by how many blooms are on each plant and am really enjoying them. When we lived at our previous home, the flowers were in beds on the side and at the back of the house and we had to actually go outside to look at them. It's much nicer with them right outside the front window, especially with the high temperatures and high humidity we've been having lately.

So what does this have to do with family history research? Not anything, really, but seen from a different perspective, these views of the lilies are quite different from those taken two days ago. Sometimes (quite often), when I'm stuck with a research problem, it helps if I look at the problem from a different angle. Reviewing the information already found could help in rediscovering information previously overlooked. Talking with someone else and getting their input can also be helpful. Since they aren't emotionally attached to the problem they can take a step back and possibly offer new insight or recommend other areas of research. Regardless whether the problem is resolved or not, it almost always helps to take another look, from a different perspective.

The Risky Business of Attracting Women

On my way to Interbike registration yesterday, I walked by the Bikes Belong booth as they were setting up their new poster. I snapped a picture, uploaded it to Twitter, and received a flurry of hilarious reactions - ranging from "Where does she keep her keys?" to "Find Cipo and reshoot the scene!"




Of course this is a reference to Elly Blue's "Is this thing sexist?" bike test. Modeled after the Bechdel Test for women in movies, the bike test asks:

1.Are women present or represented at all?

2. Are the women presented as active subjects rather than passive objects?, and

3. If the gender were reversed, would the meaning stay more or less unchanged? (Or would the image become hilarious?)

Showing a woman pedaling a bicycle, the poster passes points 1 and 2. Assessing point 3 is trickier. Of course a poster of an identically dressed male would look ridiculous, but that's taking it too literally. What about a young male dressed in tight-tight cutoff shorts, a plaid shirt flapping open in the breeze, and a pained, sexy expression on his strategically unshaven face? I'd consider that the equivalent, in which case the meaning would indeed remain unchanged. So I say the Bikes Belong poster passes.




Still, images of women cycling in dresses and heels seem prone to rubbing us the wrong way. It is hard to describe what brings about the sense of unease, especially for those of us who actually wear dresses and heels on a bike. Often it boils down to subtle things: A coy facial expression, an unnatural posture, a too-conveniently billowing skirt... Point is, from a marketing perspective, images designed to attract women to cycling seem inherently risky. Too sporty or gender-neutral, and they can be read as "there is no place for femininity on the bike." Too feminine and they can be read as gendered, objectifying, or downright pornographic. The line between attracting women and offending them is blurry.







And while the sphere of roadcycling seems far removed from transportational advocacy, the same basic theme arises - see, for instance, Bike Shop Girl's "The Bike Industry Needs More Women Like Liz Hatch". When speaking to Felt Bicycles later in the day, the question of colour and graphics came up as well. When I commented on the dark violet hue of Felt's new women's road model, the representative explained how difficult it is to develop a colour scheme for women's lines of bikes. On the one hand, there is now a great deal of criticism hurled at anything pink, pastel or flowery. On the other hand, gender-neutral colour schemes don't sell as well. Women want something feminine, but not too feminine. They do not want a caricature of "girl bike," but they do want it distinguished from the men's models. I have heard exactly the same thing from the manufacturers of athletic cycling clothing. There is now almost a stigma to producing a women's jersey with any trace of the colour pink or flowers on it. Yet there is demand for feminine styles. Designers have to get a lot more creative these days in coming up with those styles; hitting just the right note is tricky.







Still, I believe the bicycle industry will keep trying. With women referred to as the "indicator species" for the success of transportational cycling and with the push for more women in cycling as a sport, the pressure is coming from all directions. As both manufacturers and activists struggle to figure out how exactly to market to women, we are likely to see some interesting results in the years to come.

Phend Family Vital Records from Switzerland

On December 31, .. I was "exploring" databases on WorldConnect. In previous searches I had never found any entries on the surname Phend. Imagine my surprise when the results showed not just one family but several by that surname! All in the same database. I immediately sent an email to the contributor of that database and as a result found a distant cousin, Sonja Reid, something along the line of 4th cousin 5 generations removed, but a cousin nevertheless. And I will be forever indebted to her for the information she provided. At that time she didn't have my ancestor, Johannes Phend, in her database but Sonja was pretty sure that he belonged to her family. Sonja had been doing extensive research on the Gsteig bei Interlaken Parish and had the microfilms at her local Family History Center.

I gave her all the information available (names, dates of births, marriages, etc.) and, amazingly, two days later I received an email from her with transcriptions of the applicable records! And she sent printed copies the following week. I was so excited, I sent an email out to all of the Phend relatives that I had email addresses for, about 25 of them, and waited for their response. The result was disappointing, not a single one of them replied! Perhaps they didn't want to acknowledge that our immigrant ancestor, Johannes, was an illegitimate child? I don't know, it didn't make any difference to me. The only thing is, there will always be a dead end to that line since his father's name was not recorded. We only know that, according to his christening record, he was the illegitimate son of Catharina Fendt. But, along with the records Sonja sent, she also provided information for several more generations of Phend's and other connecting lines in Switzerland. It was Awesome.

Presented below are those transcriptions and cropped scans of the records. You'll definitely have to click on the images to be able to read the records. Johannes Phend and Barbara Wyss had five children: Barbara, Margaret, Johannes, and two infants who died at birth. Barbara died in 1821 while giving birth to the last of those infants. In 1824, Johannes married Susanna Kuebli and they had a son, Jacob, born in 1829.

Daughter, Barbara, was born 6 Jun 1807, christened 14 Jun 1807. Her parents are Johannes Pend, tailor, from Aarmuehle and Barbara Wyss. The witnesses are Jakob Pend, von (from) Aarmuehle; Magdalena Wyss, Jakob Blatters weib (wife), am Wasserbach; Anna Wyss, Hansen in der Polsteiten.

From the Habkern Kirchenbuch, 1627-1925 created by the Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche. Microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah at the Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, 1992-1995. Call Number: ..678 & ..679. FHL Film ..678, Births 1807, Page 13.

All of the records below are from Gsteig bei Interlaken Kirchenbuch, 1593-1875 created by the Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche. Microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah at the Staatsarchive des Kantons Bern, 1991. Call Number: ..438 - ..447.
Daughter, Margaret, was born 23 Feb 1812, christened 1 Mar 1812. Her parents are Johannes Bhend and Barbara Wyss, from Habkern. The witnesses are Johann Caspar Brugger, storekeeper from Aarmuehle; Margaretha Bhend, the old "Hauptmann's" daughter, from the same place, single; Magdalena Bhend, Jakob's (deceased) daughter, from the same place, single.
FHL Film ..440, Christenings 1812, Page 165, Entry 21.Witnesses: Johann Caspar Brugger, Handelsmann, von Aarmuehle; Margaretha Bhend, alt Hauptmans seel. Tochter, indidem, coelebs; Magdalena B'hend, Jakobs seel. Tochter, indidem, coelebs.

Son, Johannes, was born 20 Jul 1815, christened 30 Jul 1815. His parents are Johannes Bhend, tailor and Barbara Wyss from Habkern. The witnesses are Herr Christian Tschiemer, Gerichts Statthalter (some kind of a local official) from Habkern; Jakob Blatter, uxoris affinis, from Wasserbach in the same place; Barbara Wyss, born Wyss, from the same place.
FHL Film ..440, Christenings 1815, Page 251, Entry 96.Witnesses: Herr Christian Tschiemer, GerichtsStatthalter von Habkern; Jakob Blatter, uxoris affinis, am Wasserbach, indidem; Barbara Wyss, geb. Wyss, auf der Burg, an der Bolseite, indidem.

The birth and death of a child of Johannes and Barbara was recorded just above hers and says that a premature daughter of Hans Bhend from Aarmuehle and Barbara Wyss from Habkern was born dead on 10 Dec 1821. She was buried on 11 Dec 1821.
FHL Film ..446, Deaths 1821, Page 149, Entry 86
Text: Ein todtgebohrenes unreifer Maedchen der Hans Bhend von Aarmuehle und der Barbara Wyss vo Habkern.
Recorded just below the child's record is the death of Barbara Bhend, born Wyss. She died 14 Dec 1821, was buried 16 Dec 1821. Barbara Bhend, born Wyss of Habkern, the wife of Hans Bhend from Aarmuehle, married 9 Mai 1806, died from heavy, long childbirth requiring an operation. She was survived by 4 children. She was 37 years and 10 months old.
FHL Film ..446, Deaths 1821, Page 149, Entry 87Text: Barbara Bhend, geb. Wyss von Habkern, der Hans Bhend von Aarmuehle, Ehefrau geb. , cop. 9 Mai 1806. Storb als Kindbetterin, an geschwaren, langen daran sie eine operation ausgehalten, hinterlasst 4 kinder. Alter, 37 Jahr, 10 Monat.

The marriage record of Johannes Bhend and Susanna Kuebli. The banns were proclaimed January 4, 11, 18 and they were married in Gsteig on January 23, 1824. Johannes Bhend, from Aarmuehli, christened 18 January 1782, illegitimate child of Katharina Bhend, widower of Barbara Wyss, deceased, from Habkern. Widower since 14 Dec 1821. Susanna Kuebli, from Aarmuehli, christened 1 January 1786. The daughter of Jacob Kuebli and Verena Laederach, deceased, from Worb.
FHL Film ..444, Marriages 1824, Page 56, Entry 3.Text: Johannes Bhend, von Aarmuehle, get 18 January 1782, unehelich, Mutter, Katharina Bhend. Wittwer des Barbara Wyss sel. aus Habkern, seit 14 Dec 1821. Susanna Kuebli von Aarmuehle, get 1 Januar 1786, E. Jacob Kuebli, Verenea Laederach, sel von Worb.


Jacob [my 2nd Great Grandfather] was born 27 June 1829, christened 5 Jul 1829, the second child of Johannes Bhend and Susanna Kuebli. His father was Johannes Bhend, from Aarmuehli, the son of Katharina, deceased. His mother was Susanna Kuebli, from Aarmuehli, the daughter of Jacob and Verena Laederach from Worb. They were married, 23 January 1824. The witnesses are Jacob Kuebli, des kinds Grossvater (the child's grandfather); Jacob Kuebli, Sohn, der Mutter Bruder (son, the mother's brother); Margaritha Bhend, des Kinds Halbschwester (the child's half-sister). FHL Film ..440, Christenings 1829, Page 792, Entry 80.

Large Rock Avalanches on the Nisqually

OK, folks, there're some major rock avalanches happening on the Nisqually Glacier. Anyone venturing near the Nisqually or even traversing across it lower down to get across to the Fan should read this post. We're not talking about a bunch of rocks, but many thousands of tons of debris in a 50' wall of snow, ice, water, dust, and rock coming down the glacier that would outrun anything in its path.


Rangers, climbers, and guides at Camp Muir first were aware when these series of slides started on the 24th of June. Rangers reported feeling the earth shake and hearing a very loud rumble. Indeed, you can tell from extent of airborne dust in the picture above that it must have been loud. Shortly after the slide occurred, the geologists at the Cascades Volcano Observatory called us and asked us what was up. Below is the seismograph reading during the event.Here's a quote from one of the original emails between the NPS and USGS. - "FYI about 10 minutes ago the climbing rangers at Camp Muir saw what they all described as the biggest icefall they've ever seen come off the Nisqually. A guide party at 8,000 ft on the Wilson glacier reported that it had multiple fingers & traveled down to about 7,800 ft. They also described it as the biggest icefall they've ever seen anywhere.
The rangers at Muir described the debris as a mix of rock & ice and being about 50 feet thick but couldn't judge the acreage covered as it is hard to see the entire run-out zone from Muir. " from Ranger Ben Guttridge.

After I heard about the slide, and saw it from my house in Packwood, I decided to hop in my airplane and take a ride towards the mountain to get some pictures as close as I could.


All in all, there have been three slides of this size in the last two days. Right now, we don't recommend crossing the Nisqually Glacier at all - although at this time, the park has not declared a "closure" of the area. If you are intent on doing the Kautz Glacier route, think about accessing the base of the route by Comet Falls trailhead. Click on this link for a Google Earth KMZ file of the approximate extent of the series of avalanches. Also, here is the screenshot of this file from Google Earth.

Snapping Turtle at Grand Portage State Park

Had a pretty cool experience at work today, there was a Snapping Turtle that walked right across the main sidewalk in front of our visitor center, then through the woods and down to the Pigeon River. We were guessing that she had probably come up away from the river in order to lay her eggs in the soil somewhere near the visitor center.

Hoh Rain Forest

We were up and on the go again. Still heading north but with a long side trip into the Hoh Rain Forest. The rain forests in Washington are the only rain forests in the continental United States. And I was disappointed as it wasn't raining. But still it was very enjoyable and beautiful to see. Everything, and I mean everything was covered with moss, and ferns. Everything was green, so very, very green, an almost jewel-like green. It was so different to the forests we have here in New Mexico. I was almost afraid to step off the trails because the undergrowth was so thick and I was sure I would get lost. The trees were so tall and the plants and scrubs so thick it was hard to see the sky and sun, so that you could tell the four directions. Even the pay phone booth and a tool shed were covered in moss and ferns. We followed the Hoh River on a lot of this journey and it was a clear, sparkling river, not running real fast as it was August but neither was it wasting any time.

Winter: The Beautiful and the Damned Difficult

So winter is not going anywhere; we are smack dab in the midst of it. Unlike some of my fellow velo bloggerists, I am fortunate enough not to suffer from SAD-like symptoms or "winter blues". I love winter! The Co-Habitant does as well, and whenever we have the chance we travel North to get even more of it.



In my own neighborhood, winter is quite beautiful as well. The snow, the bare trees, the crisp air, that somewhat surreal quality of light - I love it all.



What I don't love so much, is winter cycling. Sorry, I really am trying. But I just don't love it. The combination of how time consuming it is to get my clothing just right and how much more vigilant I have to be of the road conditions, adds stress and sucks much of the joy out of it for me. I still cycle, but unless the day is exceptionally warm, it has become an activity that I do mostly out of necessity. I look at Dottie's pictures and narratives on Let's Go Ride a Bike, and I am in awe on a number of levels. But not everyone's experience is the same, and I think that's okay. I have the right wool, the right boots, the right bike - but most of the time I still do not find it easy or enjoyable. If this disappoints some readers or says something terrible about my character, then so be it, but I prefer to be honest.



A couple of weeks ago, Un Vieux Velo humorously pointed out the "competitive winter cycling" phenomenon that was spreading through the blogs and flickr after the Christmas blizzard, and to some extent I do think it's true that we - perhaps unconsciously - sometimes try to outdo each other (Coming Up Next Week: "My blizzard was blizzardier that your blizzard! And I biked to work in a bikini!").



But jokes aside, I do feel some responsibility if I present an unrealistic image. Despite the snowy scenes I show, I do not mean to pretend that I am a stoic winter cyclist. Quite often I am miserable. If my destination is close enough I prefer to walk. And while I don't drive myself (don't like it), the Co-Habitant does, and for a number of reasons we use the car much more often now than during the warmer seasons. And that's perfectly fine with me.



If you love winter but don't love winter cycling, I think the only thing to do is just to let it go and not try to combine the two. You cycled only twice this week? Fine. No need to feel bad. Enjoy taking a walk around the neighborhood instead. Or forget the bike and go skiing, if that's your thing. Or sit by the fire place reading cycling magazines and watching the snow out of the window, if that's what makes you happy. It's all about improving the quality of your life, rather than proving a point. Happy Winter, and enjoy it in any way you like.