Le Green Machine

Found this gem on the Monday night road ride from Wheel Base in Frederick. Apparently, the Green Machine now comes with a real rubber front tire for traction. We used to add duct tape "treads" to our plastic front wheel for increased speed. Today's kids don't know how good they have it.

White Stripes Redux - it's just so good!

10,000 Fun!

With no real plans for yesterday, we headed down to DC to see what was happening. Most of all we wanted to go to the National Museum of American History to see some machines. After commenting on how far back Bush has pushed the White House security perimeter during his tenure, we found that the American History museum is closed for renovations until September. The place did look a little dated last time I was there. Fonzi's jacket doesn't have the allure that it once did.
We parked in front of the National Museum of Natural History headed out on the Mall. Where the boys found the moon.
To say that there were some festivities would be a gross understatement. There were acres and acres of interactive tents, displays, food, games, educational workshops, concerts, and demos. There was the nation of Bhutan, NASA, and the state of Texas. Not sure what these three have in common, but they were the three featured. Each one had at least a dozen tents over several acres that showcased their missions, life, history, food - you name it. Henry drove a pedal-powered moon rover, we saw monks making incense, watched NASA scientists explain the projects they are working on. Actual NASA and JPL PhD's chilling with the kids. They were suprisingly funny and entertaining in addition to smart. Thomas found a carousel on the way out of the Smithsonian "castle", so we grabbed Henry and went for a spin.
We did a quick spin through the Natural History museum which is largely science-oriented. I couldn't help but wonder how the 50%+ of Americans who believe the earth was created in 7 days reconcile the strong influence of science and evolution. My guess is they don't. Fossils, petrified wood, genetics, dinosaurs, natural selection are on display. It is hard to dispute reality when it is right in front of you labeled with a sign that says: "please touch".

We grabbed an early dinner at the fabulous Thai Tanic (1326 14th St. NW). Even kids like Thai.
BTW Thomas chose the name for this post, 10,000 fun, when prompted to describe yesterday - DC is great!

Boyz in the Shed

Found this critter on one of the trails.
Tussey enjoying her day in the forest.
After hiking 4 miles, we went to a creek to cool off and found some cool waterfall climbing.
Plenty of cool pools, waterspouts, and beautiful stones.
One cool kid!

My friend Larry came to visit from PA with three boys. Thomas and Henry were psyched.

Larry going for a refreshing dip.

The plan was to get out on some trails tonight, but the weather wasn't looking too good. Frank called around 4 to feel things out. I looked outside my office at the lightning and full-fledged downpour and said: "doesn't look that bad Frank, think it's gonna clear up. What are you thinking?" He says: "There's alot of lightning and such down here, but I've got Gore-tex and I'm game." "Ok, call David, he said he's in and let's meet on the way up to the trail."

Frank calls David as David isn't even thinking about coming to the trail. The allure proves too powerful and David gets his gear out of his Jeep in the pouring down rain - these guys have faith.

I grew up near State College, PA and watched Accuweather.com grow from its infancy. Joel Meyers didn't make alot of friends along the way, but he did build a good company with fairly accurate weather predictions. I read only the icons. You know the smiley suns, frowning clouds, etc. My friend, Larry, who has a graduate degree in mapping, or weather, or something reads the isobars. So it's Icons -vs- Isobars.

When I am solo, I always trust the icons - they have never failed me. However, when I have friends driving through DC rush hour traffic to meet me - I call Larry to check the isobars. It's like getting a second opinion from a surgeon. I was already on my way when I called. He says, "What's up?". "Uh, what's the weather looking like in the Shed about 50 minutes from now?" "I'm riding with O in Chambersburg tonight so you should be ok." A quick "thanks" and I'm reassured that things will be fine.

At the trailhead things are improving by the minute, the sun is poking through, and we are all happy about the decisions we have made.

What a night. The mountain laurels are peaking, their aroma sweetening the raw earth smell that you always get in the woods after a rain.

Had a great time walking the trails, some old, some new, cutting through almost all the way to our old familiar friend, the blue. On the way out we talked about a Michaux Man Camp, what David referred to as a "Mancation" My previous experience there was not totally positive, but not totally negative. I did win "Stump", but wasn't quite able to ride my bike home because I didn't have a Camelbak on (that was part of the problem). Hint: wear a Camelbak to Man Camp even if you don't plan on riding a single inch of trail - it's all about hydration and alcohol content.

Anyway, things are looking great for the Wednesday night Shed ride - hope to see you there.

Rockin in the park

Thomas rocks out at his first rock concert. Hit kid rock band, Milkshake, descended upon Baker Park Saturday to liven up historic Frederick. The mosh pit was intense. Afterwards, we watched a thunderstorm destroy Montgomery County and played kickball.

das Berg beauty

Sunday - one mutha of a day.

Lately, my blog has been media rich yet light on verbage.

Is that because the photos can convey beauty better than words?
and pain too?

If you watched the video posted below you know that moving this mutha proved difficult.

The boys where I get my Stihl sharpened suggested this tool (or is it a machine?) after I convinced them that there was no way that I could get a bobcat or mini-dozer near it. Thomas and Henry were moving huge rocks and logs at will.

The 1 ton come-a-long did its job. My wife also came along @ 8 months pregnant and 2 miles into the trail.

Turning this rock catastrophe into a veritable sidewalk.

My regular rock guy was taking a break this weekend (hey, that's my beer!).

And this little rigg'in carries my rigging.

Today was a different matter altogether. After making a mother's day breakfast for mom featuring poached eggs (Gordon Ramsay-style) cleaning up and taking care of the kids I headed up to the mountain. Wanting to make some quick progress, I left the heavy tools at home and took only the McCleod, loppers, and a steel rake. I started where we (the family) left off yesterday, near Vulture Rock (the end of the last Wednesday night ride) and headed South. Very quickly I burned down to the end of the rock spine creating two nice rock moves complete with alternate lines (for climbing) and then began searched for a naturally occurring switchback to get me down to the forest floor. Didn't find one, so I manufactured one (read: benching).

It rained off and on all day long, but I was cozy in my PSU Mont Alto timber sports t-shirt, my synthetic Patagonia pants, and running shoes (Adidas Response trail). The hat and clear safety glasses served to keep me dry and bug-free for the better part of the day. Besides I had my cellphone/camera/mp3 player and I was jamming to Mt. Stage, Gypsy Sun & Rainbows, REM, and the White Stripes (to name a few). At 6 pm things got really wet. What was a sporadic shower here and there become a full-fledged soaker. I had just finished benching and gathered up the tools. There were 8 flags left and I decided to try to shoot a bisecting line to Blue in last ditch effort at reconnaissance rather than retrace my steps back up das Berg. First I donned my TNF Activent jacket from bygone years - it is highly breathable and water resistant and 11 years old (read: leaky).

This scouting proved complicated. In reality, I would need around 50 flags to do the job and would be lucky to find any of my original eight. However, I did get the "feel" of the land - what Ansel Adams would have so eloquently referred to at the "earth gesture". While I may never go that route again, I did find the contours and eventually - blue.

I was completely soaked. What I mean is that had I jumped into a lake - fully clothed, I could not be wetter. The temperature was in the very low 50s so I did a reality assessment: Big guy, mostly synthetic clothes, soaked, no shivering, light on food, mildly dehydrated - cool. I would just run to warm up. So McCleod and rake in hand and backpack on back I began running down blue. Couldn't help but notice that all of the water bars were clogged. Thinking when is the next time a bloke is running by here in the rain with a McCleod in hand? I stopped at each one and McCleoded it clear.

Back on the road, I knew I had less than a mile to go. Still pouring, I ran/walked back to my car. Started it. Turned the heat on max and hit the A/C button - you know that trick.

Put the tools away. Hmmm. What to do about clothing? I removed the running shoes, socks, and then my pants. While standing on top of my sandals, I wrang out my pants. Took off the t-shirt, hat, and gloves and then put the pants back on and donned a cycling jeresey.

On the drive back to town, my pants completely dryed out as well as my TNF jacket. So much so that I was comfortable stopping in at Giant Eagle and picking up some beef tenderloin, shallots, bread, shrooms, and thyme - you know the usual stuff.

I wanted to try Gordon Ramsay's incredible steak recipe. Couldn't help but notice that Ye Old Spirits Shoppe on 7th street was closed. Luckily, I still had some Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard and Brooklyn Double Chocolate Stout in the fridge at home.

Got home, fed the dog, unloaded the car, changed, cracked a beer, checked email, and then got to it. Gordon makes a mean steak - in the skillet not on the grill. In short, it was unbelievable - a stout, thyme, and shallot reduction over a rare to medium-rare filet accompanied by assorted wild mushrooms.

Had a portion left over for when Michele and the boys returned from Annapolis and apparently, it was better than the Mexican they had in Annapolis.

While there is a little more trail to go - Wednesday's ride should be better than last week's.

Adult Fun in the Shed

Fun in the Shed

Saturday trip to the National Zoo

We drove from Frederick to Shady Grove, took the Metro to Cleveland Park, and then walked from there to the Zoo.
Cleveland Park had everything: Starbucks, organic grocery, gourmet grocery, sushi, Medetereanian, Irish, coffee shop, dry cleaner (also organic), etc. A quick jaunt over and we were at the Zoo.
Many cool animals.
Better weather than predicted.

Thomas' picture of a Meerkhat.

Thomas did a little "train surfin" on the way back - no hands style. Here is Thomas on top of the Praire Dog tunnel play thingy. The kids preferred climbing around on top of it rather than climbing through the tunnels.
Good day at the Zoo for folks who really aren't into Zoos.

Easter 2008

Testing 1 - 2 - 3

The Pain Cave

Is open for business.

Singlespeed Outlaw's 2008 Punk Bike Enduro

Riding Style

Quite a few of my non-cycling friends ask me "so what is it like when you clean a heinously technical rock garden sprinkled with baby-heads?" I can only respond that I ride like this guy dances:




Just ask my friends.

NOVA on everything with a smear

As late as Saturday evening the email, blogs, and phones were ringing with ride options. Sunday was to be nice, but where to go? which trails would be open? Michaux? The Shed? Gambrill? The Road? Mi Amigo, Lars, from Chambersburg knew of some NOVA folks who were hitting Gambrill at 10 and that did it for me - late start, close in, good folks, and I was in. A little coercion and both Lars and Martin agreed to swing down as well.At the start is was still cold and frosty - much more so than Ghana, host of the 2008 African Cup.
I think this is on the Rusty Bug trail.

Martin decides he has enough bridge and goes rogue.Carving the bridge.
Sportin the shower cap old school style.

Did some new stuff in Gambrill, had great trail conditions, great weather, great folks, and went up the the Burg to sign some docs with a realtor, paint my old kitchen, headed over to Lar's house to score a nice dinner and professional massage to boot.

Networking & Gambrill

There was a Frederick County Chamber of Commerce "networking" event at Musket Ridge Golf Club in Myersville last Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:30. The weather was bad so attendance was low (only 150 or so). It felt mildly uncomfortable, like a contrived dating event. The upside was I met some really nice folks, the food was good, and the Gambrill Night Ride was on my way back into town. My last "networking" experience of the evening was with two women recruiters who help employers find good job candidates. At first, when I told them I was riding, they thought I was joking. Then they said "is there a phone booth on the way where you change?" Here is a pic of my "phonebooth": The problem with the BMW is the seats don't slide back far enough to allow easy access to one's feet for shoe changes and neoprene bootie installation.

A half dozen hard-core folks showed up and were treated to some incredible conditions. Sure it was dark, cold, 3 inches of snow; however, we were treated to a lunar eclipse, squeaky snow with great traction, and absolutely no wind. Another stellar (no pun intended) night ride in the Gambrill State Park.

Saturday & Sunday

I wrapped up work Saturday around 1:30 in time to join Joe and Dave for Tour de Muddy Farm Roads - a 25 mile jaunt in NW Frederick Co. on some rarely-seen single lane gems. Joe had done some research and put a cue sheet together. There was hardly any traffic, plenty of climbing (often on a soft clay-like surface), sunshine, and great scenery.

Sunday, I met Martin at Caledonia to squeeze in a ride before the rain came. Still quite a bit of snow in Michaux and the trail was slippery. We climbed Secret and returned on same with the inclusion of Racoon Run.

Turns out Larry and Kim were having a Daytona 500 party so we ran over there for some refreshments and good company.
Friends from NOVA:
Big time NASCAR fans:Friends from Chambersburg: