Cactus

Here is another photo of the cholla cactus. This shows the cactus itself better as well as the flowers.

The Straw Brothers

Alex:









Just say for example you were from Colorado and youhad dual U.S. - Australian Citizenship.

Then imagine you were fanatical about snow boarding and climbing.

And your older brother was too.

Take into account that Colorado has aguably some of the best powder in the world and is not such a shabby place for climbing either.



Then lets just say you chose to live most of your life in Brisbane.

Either there's a girl I don't know about, or he's running from the law.

Eric: As above, but 3 years older.


Good choice boys?


Eric:













..The Straw Brothers taketo "Black Leather Dungarees" at Coolumand find out all about the hype, the pump, and the pure excitment of one of the Cave's best and highest.


















..










Alex on "the slab" section of the route. Not a slab. Just not as crazy steep.







Whether youclaim to be a boulderer or a boarder, you are going to need a beanie.

Otherwise who's going to believe you?






Climbers, don't just dream about being as cool as these guys, do what I do- copy their look.

Get the "Climber Beanie", hand made from un-dyedAlpaca and Merino wool, atRed Phoenix Emporium




Or at least click on the link to seethe boys represent Red Phoenix,the uber cool, cult style outfitters to the very chic.










Good choice boys.

jj






Turbulent Sunrise

I woke early this morning to shoot my first sunset on Lake Superior in over a month. There had been a good wind blowing all night long, which meant there would be some nice waves to shoot. I actually wasn't sure if the sun would even show or not. It was pretty cloudy when I left the house, but not long after arriving at this location the sun came out from behind the clouds and gave me some nice color and some great light.

Chelveston, Stanwick - circular

Led by Barry, with Gordon and Eddie and me. Weather dry but grey - some muddy fields. Almost 8 miles in all.

We started from the Red Lion in Chelveston, and walked for a short distance towards Higham Ferrers. The footpath was on the right hand side of the road and took us through a field, and down to Water Lane.

We crossed this road a little way uphill of a ford, and followed the path west through a ploughed field, and then turned left after crossing the stream via a footbridge, alongside some trees, to follow the edges of a couple of fields with horses. The path followed the course of the stream as far as Stanwick Road, which we crossed. Still close to this stream we carried on to the A45. The stream goes underneath the road through a culvert. No such luck for people though. Luckily it's dual carriageway, and with a little patience we crossed over.



We continued north west at the edge of woodland around the gravel pits until we emerged on to the old main road (A6). From here the viaduct carrying the current trunk road is visible. We turned right and followed the road round , over the old railway track and almost to the roundabout near the present Kettering Town football ground. Just before Diamond Road, we turned right on to the marked Nene Way, and followed the path along Marsh Lane as far as the lock on the Nene Navigation. Around here is the Irthlingborough activity centre - and today it was full of activites - mountain biking, climbing and canoeing. We continued to follow the Nene Way, past a footbridge, with 'No Entry' signs and on to the next footbridge.

From the footbridge the Nene looked uninviting today

Here we left the Nene Way, and turned right over the bridge towards another play area with a zip wire, and a bench where we sat for our break.

Time for a break?

We turned right after the footbridge, and followed the path towards the visitor centre, though one small diversion was irresistible.









When we met the disused railway track, we turned right to Stanwick Lakes Visitor Centre, and out via the road to the roundabout on the A45 and the road to Stanwick.

We decided to walk through the village, rather than take a path right next to the main road.

At the church we went straight on, past the school then turned left when we reached the Chelveston Road. After a couple of hundred yards, just before a small cemetery, we took a footpath to the right, leading south along a farm road. When the road swung right we went straight on, then turned left when we met another signed footpath. This hugged the edge of the field. At the corner there were two huge pipes, and we turned right and went as far as the next field corner, where we turned left into the next field

A small deviation from the mapped route here - not helped by the waymarker, which indicated slightly across the field. We'd have done better following the field edge for a short distance before heading diagonally and slightly uphill to a gap in the hedge, and the footpath sign.



From here it wasn't far to the pub, where we went wild with 3 J2Os, a lemonade and a game of pool, before returning home.

Nene Way 3 Sixfields to Billing

8.8 miles. One unintentional detour turned a mile or so of the walk into the A45 Way. Just about ok if you were cycling, but noisy and unpleasant for walking. Dry, fine, no sun today.



Lots of birdlife today - from terns hovering and diving, to several families of swans, moorhens with big-footed chicks, coots, a heron, and a flock of goldfinches taking off from a patch of teasels. Canada geese flying in a mob - how does an individual goose decide whether it'll join those on the wing or stay with the gang on the ground?








We started from Sixfields, crossed the road to Duston Mill Lane and walked down to the disused Mill and the path by the lakes of Storton’s Pits Nature Reserve. We saw terns hovering above the water and diving in – but my photographic skills weren’t up to capturing them, alas. `

Express Lift tower - the 'lighthouse'

The Express Lift Tower, otherwise known as the ‘lighthouse' is visible on the left for a large part of this section of the walk. The area is left to grow pretty wild, and is an important wetland habitat

Chicory?

As we walked we noticed that the ‘lighthouse’ appeared to be on our right – we had walked round the end of one of the flooded gravel pits and missed a left turn where the Grand Union Canal Walk joins the Nene Way. As much by luck as judgment we found the Canal Bridge where the Nene Way doubles back at a right angle then over a bridge with iron rails across the river and then turned right to walk under the railway viaduct.















The path continues at the back of a shopping centre, then under the A5123. At the Carlsberg brewery, with its silos, the path turns to the left and then back on the other side of a short channel. There is a bridge, and the banks have several large willows.

Looking over the Nene from behind the Carlsberg brewery

Shortly after this there is a long high wall which forms part of the flood defences.













These decorative bricks are part of theflood defence wall in Northampton.












According to the plaque 'Local children from Delapre Middle School engraved the bricks using both the local environment and the celebration of the Queen's jubilee year as their themes.'


The plaque shows some of the industrial history of the Nene, and its importance as a commercial waterway, along with the nearby Grand Union Canal.








































The Nene Way then goes into Beckett's Park














We followed the path over a footbridge and through the Barnes Meadow Nature Reserve and site of the Battle of Northampton in 1460







The path brought us to the Bedford Road, and what I imagine is part of the Nene Whitewater Centre.

Bedford Road water control system - is this linked to the White Water centre? No one there when we walked by.

Just after this point we were diverted/distracted and followed signs for Billing via the cycle path. A mile of the Nene Way we hope to come back to - away from the heavy traffic noise and smell of the A45!

A welcome sight after our detour along the cycle path and through the shopping park.

A fine avenue of beech (?) trees in the area behind Riverside retail park.

moorings and huts along the river

Approaching Billing Aquadrome - spectacular gardens for mobile homes








Back to base . . .
















A photo taken last week. Behind the pub at Billing.

Little Brick Lichen

Little Brick Island - Grand Portage, MN. We had really nice clouds the whole evening, which made it one of the most enjoyable photography outings I've ever had to the Susie Islands. The sun was at my back and behind the clouds when I made this image, which meant that the foreground was very dark. I used my Singh-Ray 3-stop reverse-grad neutral-density filter to help balance the exposure. I got some nice images of the sunset as well on this outing, but this is my favorite image of the day. This was taken about an hour before sunset.

Jim Hill Mountain ..

Steve persuaded me to join him and Seth on an exploratory ski trip on Jim Hill Mountain. Now I should have guessed with the term exploratory that this would not be a straightforward trip. But that did not cross my mind. So we left Steve's house around 7:30 am to park near Hwy2 on the road into the Steven's Pass Nordic Center.

We parked near a closed gate and skinned across the lot to a gated forest road. There was a skin track in the road and it was easy going up the numerous switchbacks. At one point the road took a right hand bend downhill and we contemplated our options. We decided to backtrack around the corner and head into the woods there as the undergrowth was not as severe. Within a hundred vertical feet we ran into our first obstacle of getting around some downed trees. After circumnavigating them, we attempted to stay a bit lower off the ridge to avoid the more wind damaged areas.

We traversed through some thick woods up and to our right and arrived below an area with many blow downs. It would have been arduous and time consuming to cross through it (if we even could.) So we passed under it and then continued on our course upward and rightward. The snow seemed good for skiing, but was deep and made for strenuous skinning on the steep treed slopes. We eventually made the ridge and crossed the tops of some open slopes before the terrain got too difficult for skis and we resorted to booting a hundred feet or so. We were hoping to ski off the right side of the ridge, but the terrain was steep (over 50°) and heavily treed. It wouldn't have been easy to even walk that terrain. We contemplated continuing in the hopes of finding a suitable ski path, but it was already after 2:30pm. We had maybe two hours of daylight left to get out, so we started to backtrack on the ridge to find a suitable descent route.

Seth dropping in the clearing (photo by Steve Machuga)
A little before the point where we started to boot was the decided upon descent route. We put the skis on and headed down. It was lightly treed at first but a fairly steep slope probably more than 35°. After only a few turns, I had to jump a downed log as there was no way around it. I was successful, but had to hit the brakes as soon as I landed. Then the trees became more dense and I side slipped and stepped down through a few sections linking a few turns and traversing where I could. I made a lot of downhill kick turn in tight spots. This probably progressed for a few thousand feet with Steve encouraging me the whole way down. I had some good moments like jumping/dropping logs without crashing. But I had some bad moments, especially lower down. I think the fatigue was getting to me and I crashed a bit including some real mix ups with my skis. I think my final crash had me sliding into a small tree like it was home plate.

Yes it really was that thick at times (photo by Steve Machuga)
We eventually made it to flatter ground where we donned headlamps and skins. After a short time skinning we found an old overgrown road and followed that through some alder. There was a moment when we had a clear cut above us and it looked like the road ended and Seth checked to see if the road switched back. It didn't and we continued through thicker alder before we quickly arrived at the road we skinned in on. Steve and I removed our skins, while Seth kept his on and his board split. From there is was the typical luge run down the now firm skin track until we hit the car. I was glad to have a good headlamp with a spotlight, because fast skiing at night is difficult without a fair amount of light.

Coming out by headlamp (photo by Steve Machuga)

Overall this was a fun trip. We now know this is not the way to go to achieve turns on Jim Hill Mountain. It was a fun outing and it pushed my limits in skiing. So next time I am in terrain that is more sedate I should be feeling more confident.

My pics are here.

The lowly Gear Sling.....

If you climb eventually you drop gear. Accept that fact and move on.





Jack with a "useful" amount of water fall gear on his harness.

Once you know you'll lose gear it is time to figure out a plan on how not to lose gear. I think this topic is as important as any I have written about here to date.



I've never liked hauling around big racks so I tend to not take a lot of gear. What I do take on the climb I expect to have at theend of the climb.





Ice climbing again and a LOT more gear on the harness.

So I have two priorities, keep what I have for gear and just as importantly be able to manage the gear change overssafely, effortless and quickly. I want to do this on longer rock climbs as well as on alpine climbs.



Everyone rock and crag climbs these days. A 6 pitch rock climb even in the alpine isn't alpine climbing. What works in the gym might well work on a short alpine rock climb. But what works in the gym likely won't work wortha shit on an alpine climb all bundled up in several layers of clothing,big gloves and big boots and cold hands.







Clipping bolts on a short mixed climb...prefect use of the harness gear loops.





With the ability of most every one to climb water ice next to the road and "rock climb" right out of the parking lot...it is no wonder that the details get missed.



I've climbed with a number of guys that are new to the alpine. The more someone has sport climbed generally means the more they will want to rack gear on their harness. That might work...if you have tried it out previously with similar gear and in similar conditions. But you are just as likely to find your harness spits gear off the harness loops on a regular basis when you are wallowing in steep snow.







Ejection proof techniques for alpine climbing





I generally climb everything short of WI5 with 8 or less ice screws. Twice I have ended up at a belay with 5 ice screws. My comment to that has been..."lose another and YOU lead EVERYTHING!" May be it is mytone.



I generally rack my ice screws on plastic racking biners in my harness for steep ice. On alpine stuff I may use the plastic racking biners for screws but I also always use a racking sling for the quick draws and rock gear. If I am only carrying a few short screws they maygo on the sling as well. The harness gear loops I keep for my personal gear likeprusiks, a locker or two, my belay plate or even a lwt shell.. Same stuff I will not be trading back and forth with my partner.



To be efficient, safe (as in less likely to drop) and fast, a gear sling makes sense.



I typically find the guys who are most adamant aboutusingtheir harness gear loops, because they hate gear slings, are the ones that "never drop" anything. And the same ones that shed gear on routelike it was free booty.



Hard free climbing at your limit mightwell take advantage of your harness' gear loops. Although it never did for me. Not likely many will be able to take advantage of that tiny performanceedgeif there is one while climbing alpine routes. I found it much better to be well organised with the right gear available, at the right time, on hard rock.I suspect moving faster and keeping the gear you started with will make a bigger difference in the alpine. Commercial gear slingswith winter clothing are comfortable as is afull size runner that does double duty as a gear sling.



When I am handingover gearat the belay, I do it one piece at a time. I make my partner do the same. I don't want afist full of wired stoppers or 3 pitons at once. I rack most pices one to a biner, wires and pitons the rare exception.Keeping it simple and structured for myself and my partner keeps the gear at hand. That keeps us both honest and our rackintact. Better yet I just have my partnerhand the entire rack on thegear sling or I take what is left of his gear sling rack (and throw it over my shoulder) sort it while on the slingand keep climbing depending on the leading plan.











Besides the full size runners I like to usethe Metolius gear sling. I have two and will loan my partners the second when required. It is adjustable but I don't adjust it even while using it in summer. Set it and for get it is my theory.



http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/adjustable_gear_sling.html









Mark Twight offers some good advice on racking gear in "Extreme Alpinism on page 175.



If you don't use a gear sling you should. It is faster, more efficient and the best way to keep your rack intact on alpine climbs. Seems to work well on trad rock too ;)







More here:



http://climbing.about.com/od/speedclimbing/a/SpeedTip9.htm





"To climb faster and save time at belay changeovers, rack all your climbing gear on a shoulder gear sling. The second climber coming up a pitch can easily rack the gear he cleans onto the gear sling rather than clipping it onto gear loops on his harness. When he reaches the belay anchor, all he has to do is take the gear sling off and hand it to the leader. There’s no time involved, it’s just a pure and simple hand-off like the passing of a baton in a relay race.





If you don’t do this, it takes lots of extra time to unclip each piece of gear from his harness and then hand it to the leader, who in turn has to re-rack it on his harness. By having it all racked together on a gear sling, you also avoid the possibility of dropping cams, nuts, and quickdraws during the hand-off. If there’s a difference in body size between your partner and you, then it’s a good idea to use an adjustable gear sling. Just make sure it’s easy and quick to adjust and that it won’t come apart, otherwise you’re screwed."





Adjustable sling? Better yet just make sure it fits the biggest body before you launch......adjusting a gear sling just adds another cluster to the equation.

Ancient Giants

Northern California is home to one of the most amazing natural sights that I have ever seen: the Redwood Forest. It is truly awe-inspiring to stand in the shadows of these gigantic trees. This photo was made in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park just outside of Crescent City, California.

Honeybee on a Coneflower

A honeybee pollinates a white coneflower in front of the Bouchon Restaurant in Yountville, California.

Joslin Family :: 1820 Ohio Census

As we learned in this July 1969 letter from Irwin Joslin to my Grandmother, he found only one 'Joslin' family enumerated in the 1820 census in Delaware County, Ohio and that was Jonas.

Just to be sure, I recently searched the 1820 Ohio census index at ancestry.com for "Josl*" and got nine results:

• Ezekiel Joslen is in Tate, Clermont County
• Mary Joslen in Franklin, Clermont County
• Phebe Joslen in Franklin, Clermont County
• Amasa Joslin in Kirtland, Geauga County
• J J Joslin is in Deerfield, Warren County
• Jonas Joslin in Liberty, Delaware County
• Reuben Joslin in Mesopotamia, Trumbull County
• Wm Joslin in Deerfield, Morgan County
• J Joslin in Washington, Warren County

And, searching for "Joc*" found a "Luther F B Joclin" in Cincinnati, Hamilton County.

Viewing each of the pages for Liberty and Orange townships in Delaware County confirmed that Jonas Joslin was the only 'Joslin' family enumerated in those townships. Actually, I have viewed the entire Delaware County census on microfilm, looking for other families, and there is indeed only one 'Joslin' family in the county.

The Jonas Joslin household was enumerated in Liberty Township. Jonas is the second name on page 95a. A family history published by Jean Oldham Heuman in 1998/9 states that "there were two sons and five daughters" in the Jonas Joslin family but names are known only for the two sons and two of the daughters: James, Jonas Jr., Elizabeth, and Fanny. I suspect that Mrs. Heuman may have based the number of children in the family on the 1820 census. There are potentially three additional females (one aged 10-15 and two 16-25 in 1820) in the family whose names are unknown.


Based upon what is currently known about the family, the 1820 census enumeration may have included the following:

• males under 10 = 0
• males 10 thru 15 = 1 [born 1804-1810...Jonas Jr., 17, born in 1807]
• males 16 thru 18 = 0
• males 18 thru 26 = 1 [born 1794-1804...James, 24, born about 1796]
• males 26 thru 44 = 0
• males 45 and over = 1 [born before 1775...Jonas Sr., 51, born in 1769]
• females under 10 = 0
• females 10 thru 15 = 2 [born 1805-1810...Fanny, about 10, born about 1810; and one other, name unknown]
• females 16 thru 25 = 3 [born 1794-1804...Elizabeth, 18, born in 1802; and 2 others, names unknown]
• females 26 thru 44 = 0
• females 45 and over = 1 [born before 1775...Ruth, wife of Jonas Sr., about 49, born about 1771]
• Foreigners not naturalized = 0
• Number of persons engaged in agriculture = 1