Bobcat Valentine

Jackpot! Two bobcats (Lynx rufus or Felis rufus) traveling together.

I'm assuming that this is a male and female, since it's bobcat breeding season.

Tombstone Tuesday :: John Bray

John Bray is my one and only Revolutionary War ancestor who made it to Indiana. He is my 4th Great-Grandfather and is buried in McKay Cemetery, Craig Township, Switzerland County, Indiana.


John was born on April 28, 1761 probably in Maryland or Virginia to Henry and Cathryn Bray. According to other researchers, John's wife was Nancy Morgan, reportedly a sister of Nathan Morgan who also lived in Switzerland County. However, I have found no evidence to support those claims.

According to his pension record affidavit, John enlisted in 1777 in “Romley” Hampshire county, Virginia under Captain William Voss of the 12th Virginia regiment. He served three years and was honorably discharged at Yorktown, Pennsylvania by colonel Morgan. He was wounded in the battles of Brandywine (Delaware), Monmouth (New Jersey) and Stony Point (New York) and also participated in many other skirmishes.

In December 1784, John received a bounty land warrant for 100 acres of land for his three years of service and, with his father and several other siblings took up residence in what was then Nelson County, Virginia (it became Nelson County, Kentucky in 1792).

His first son, John Bray Jr. was born about 1787 so it has been assumed that he married his first wife about 1786 in Nelson County, Virginia but no record of the marriage has been found. It has been assumed that his first seven children were by this wife (presumed to be Nancy Morgan).

John and his children removed to Switzerland County, Indiana at about the time Indiana became a state (1816). On April 15, 1820 in Gallatin County, Kentucky (just across the Ohio River from Vevay) John was married to Mrs. Elizabeth Coones. They would have three (or four) children, the last one born just four years prior to John's death on June 10th 1832 at the age of 71.

John's will, dated June 26th 1832, names his beloved wife Elizabeth and children: the youngest son George Bray got the land. His three oldest sons (John, Daniel, and Samuel Bray) each received one dollar. The three oldest girls (Jane Ray, Elizabeth Cotton, and Nancy Culver) also received one dollar. The three younger girls (Pelina, Amealy, and Sophia Bray) were each given one bed and bedding.

George, Amelia, and Sophia were the children of his wife Elizabeth and perhaps, so was Pelina. We have no record of what became of her.

Much more information on John Bray as well as his siblings and children, can be found in my database on WorldConnect.

The C-T Dream Boot ? One of a few BTW.

In a recent Dynafit TLT 6boot conversation onthe TGR tech forum (skiing specific)

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/266818-Dyna-TLT6



I was asked,



"What would you have done (differently), aside from creating a One/Mercury/Vulcan? (honestly curious)"



My answer if you areinterested is below. Add a commentif this is a bootyou would like to see built. 'Cuz it would be so easy to do!





"Gottarealise where I am coming from. It aint skiing.



My priority was/is a technical winter/ice/mixed climbing boot I could ski in. The TLT5 was the best thing we (climbers) have seen in decades and the best ski boot that climbs well on technical ground any of us have ever seen.



No question the TLT6 skis better...it was a gimme. No real effort there to enhance the technology IMO, Dynafit is resting on their laurels.



TLT 6 and the CR liner in the American market is the perfect example.They want to get reimbursed on some of that technology now. Fair enough. No more hassles or listening to the US skiers bitch about cold feet and a bad fit (in too small of shells) all the while skiing a rando race boot with fat heavy skis while riding a lift. It hardly makes sense to me and I do it. Makes no sense to the Euros if you have played some in both places.



Kinda hard to blame them very much. But it aint what I WANTED so I'll bitch'n now Even though I've bought three new pair of Dynafits before the season has even gotten started yet!



I have no interest in the Vulcan/Mercury. Although I ski in a ONE a good bit on lifts. Face it, ski boots are "easy". Lots of them. And lots of really good ones! Dynafit has just kept spinning the now OLD technology of the DyNA rando race boot into better and better down hill ski boots or offering a better price point. How hard is that!??. They all skin and walk well by comparison. But the bigger and heavier they get, they worse they climb in comparison to a real climbing boot. Even the original DyNA is better as a climbing/ski boot. Really a toss up between the MTN and the P version for a few reasons as to what boot was better in my world. So far for climbing the TLT5 has been the best overall of the entire group including DyNA/PDG/5 or 6 if I had to choose.



Dynafit has all the parts and the technology to build an incredible and very specific boot. The climbing community is small by comparison to the ski community world wide so I understand why they bailed on the project going forward as a "climbing" boot. Even the Rando community in Europe makes the alpine climbing community here look tiny. Here in NA we hardly have a Rando community yet. It is growing butthere really isn't one by comparison.....there wouldn't be any rando gear we didn''t get in NA if there really was a rando community here. Now we only get a small percentage of what is available for gear in Europe. And all of it way too expensive simply because the market base is so small to absorb the investment in technology.



Good on Dynafit for pumping the price of a ski boot up to an "acceptable $1000". I laughed at that price first time I saw them at OR. Thought no way that boot will ever be a commercial success. Scambled and HADto have ahave a pair within a year !



Dynafit built an over whelming commercial hit with the TLT5 based on the DyNA. But it took the new 6 to make it a real commercial success I'd bet. Then Dynafit got by passed by /lambasted with the Alien 1 in the race world. And climbers took note...but a $1800 ski boot? A $1800 climbing boot? You got to be chiting me! That ain't ever going tobe a real commercial success. The Stratos Cube? May be even better as a boot but how durable is it and @ a shocking $2500! Of course I want a pair at -600g per boot in my 29. I am not sure Dynafit ever understood the DyNA/TLT5 series product outside the Rando race world to be honest. Certainly doesn't seem so. But they are running with the design...all the way to the bank. Instead of pushing the technology into something newer yet...which was never a down hill ski boot really. But it is now. An expensive and fragile one at that by comparison.



Ski a Maestrale/ RS/Freedom or a One/Vulcan/Mercury side by side and you'll better understand that comment of "easy" to make a decent ski boot.



The "easy" climbing boot I would have already built given the chance is just a composite of what has been done and parts/materials easily available at Dynafit today. I suspect it is the boot many already want...I know I do and would have given my eye teeth for one in the past working on skis or in the mtns.



this is what I want:



TLT 5 with the toe bellows bottom made of Pebax for more durability, upper cuff made of Fiber glass and another inch higher in the front of the cuff. (see the Alien 1 cuff) I want more support there but no power strap. Stripped of all the faff. No power strap and no tongues. (of course everyone would bitch about that, massive roll of eyes here) A decent seal on the boot so you stay dry. A metal on metal ankle hinge rivet. Better set of buckles than the 6 has and less complicated. Something between a ONE (but only two buckles) and the DyNA. I'd move that second buckle location to better seat the heel...ala One...may be in between the two positions each boot uses. All of that could be done better but I pay cash of my boots so I'm not going to drill extra holes in them just to find out.



That is a boot you could climb Grade 6 ice and M5/6 mixed easy enough. Ski any where I am capable of skiing with a decent width ski and be as light or lighter than what most of us use forwinter climbing now. Lighter for sure than most any other ski boot, short of full on rando race gear. Best part? A reinforced Intuition style liner for skiing (to partially shut the US market up) and a Palau lwt liner for climbing. Which is better for both IMO. Buy one or both. Both heat modable of course. Not required but I might work the rocker and toe some to better fit technical crampons. La Sportiva went too far there. No crampon fits their boots. So ya gotta be careful.Although the Grivel G20/22 work pretty dang good on the TLT5s as is. Every other crampon is rather ho-hum for fit.



I'd pay for that boot..in a heart beat.



For those that know the area..this is the boot youdo the high traverse off first bin on the Grand Montet and ski over to the base of les Droites. Run up the Ginat with G20s snapped on the same boot. With Dynafit Nanga Parbat ski and tech race bindings strapped on your back. Hit the breche, and a few raps later skis on and down before the last train heads back into town.









Likely a decentboot for control work @ Odark30 for the morning bomb run? Lifty boot for warm feetand to catch that quick run on the secret stash of pow? Nice one for guiding long days in the back country. Or a quick run up and down Rainier or Mt Blanc. Call it simply a MOUNTAIN boot.

The Hayes Range Alaska...and memory lane

There are still adventures to be had!! Much of this post is from years ago. But check out the modern version of our trip in the BD video below.



My first trip to Alaska! This is a area I was lucky enough to exploreback in May of 1976 with the help of an AAC grant. Our original goal was the NW Ridge on Deborah from the north side, which we did not do. Thefirst ascent of that line was done 4 months later by Alaskans. And again in 1977 the upper NW Ridge from the south, again by Alaskans one of which was my friend Carl Tobin. Carl went back to do the 1st ascent of the East Ridge as well. Likely one (only?) of the few to ever climb the mtn twice. And two 1st ascents to boot!



NW ridge of Deborah











But we were able to make four1st ascents while we were there but saw only onesummit.3 of those I was a part of. Big adventure for us in a remote area at the time.









West face of Hess and the arrow head shaped glacier tongue we climbed and then were barely able to descend in a full on Alaskan blizzard.





Hard to believe this day turned into a howling blizzard a few hrs later. It turned into a 46hr push.







Sub-peak of Deborah, west face of "Sally", and how we accessed the NW Ridge of Deborah to by pass the objective dangers under the North face of Deborah. This was our only summit we saw and which we bivied on.





This north ridge we climbed just to get the radio to work, line of sight, to Fairbanks. No sat phones back in '76. But heck, it was afun (for once) 1st ascent.

Photo credits above to Ray Brooks and Gwain Oka





First ascent of the West Face of Hayes in by Samuel Johnson andRyan Hokanson



Photo credit JeffBenowitz









Modern day adventure!

Samuel Johnson teamed up with Ryan Hokanson and did some impressive climbs in the samearea in the summer of . Take the risk and make your own adventure!



BD grassroots athlete Samuel Johnson's expedition to Alaska's Hayes Range from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Looking out to Sea

Guttation

**Update**!

I changed the name of this post (from "Dewy") after Wayne pointed out that it's not dew in the photo, but guttation. Which is waaaay cooler than dew! (I'd wondered why there was just moisture on the edges.)
-----

There was a chill in the air this morning. First time in ages.

I have a lot on my "to do" list.

And yet I still can't stop watching OK GO on treadmills.



If you have trouble watching videos on the internet because of a slow connection, try this trick: Hit play, then mute your sound. Switch over to another web page, or email, or go make some pasta. Come back later, when it it has finished. Hit play again and it should be viewable without all the jerks and starts. It works for me, anyway.

The Stallions

First 2 photos are of Darkan's Mystic Art, who is 3/4 Arabian and 1/4 Saddlebred. He is a black and white pinto.







These 3 photos are of Goldie who is a Quarter Horse. Goldie was the first horse Dustin had so was the first horse in our family.

Abstract Ice II

As promised, here is the same patch of ice as the photo I posted yesterday, only taken a few days later. It's amazing how the same patch of ice can look completely different from one day to the next!

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.

Ueber Steigeisentechnik- Crampon Manufacturing in 1908 Oscar Eckenstein

This is an interesting read I had not seen previous from the inventor of the modern crampon,Oscar Eckensteinn written in 1908.



From the original,

"More than thirty years have passed since I first ventured into the Alps and in this time alpinism has made many advances. One need only compare today's rock technique and climbing knowledge with what it was three decades ago to be impressed! But there remain sections of alpinism that look the same as they did fifty years ago. This is especially true of ice technique and everything involved with this type of climbing. I often read trip reports from alpinists, (both guided and self-lead, who are respected as good climbers) who often write that they were forced to cut steps despite the fact that they wore crampons."



More here from Alpinist.com :



http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web12f/wfeature-eckenstein

Caddo Lake Revisited

Tuesday, April 12th - - It seems like it has been much longer, but it was just 12 days ago that I was here at Caddo Lake State Park near Marshall, Texas. There seems to be a little more green now, which is just fine with me ;-) and the water lilies are about to burst out into bloom.



It was nearing sunset when I arrived this time, and like my previous visit the light was amazing.

How about we ALL get on the clue bus?

It is so easy to avoid a train wreck...why wouldn't you?







Just the simple, basics of life...you know...like:



Packs you don't need to be Houdini to figure out how to get on, get off or pack



Hammers that you can actuallyhammer something useful with



Stop trying to sell down insulation as a "belay" parka



Trying to tell me why a detachable hood is a good thing on abelay parka



Umbilicalattachments or even umbilicals actually designed to stay attached



Tool handles actually as strong and reliableas the leashes they replaced



While we are at it, a commercial umbilical that can take 2000lbs static load



"Soft mid sole ice climbing boots"......which makes aboutas much sense as"melting ice cream".



Just say *NO*to flexiblecrampons, you life will be better for it



And say *NO* to climbing gear that you throw away after it hits a file twice





(hit and run, Rant mode off)

It Was A Dark, and Dirty Day

It was a dark, and dirty day but the ponies wanted to play, so even thou they were dirty from rolling in the mud, (it had rained a few drops the night before) I took some photos.