Metro to Mountain

Three Reasons to Ride a Bike - 18May12

May is Bicycle month. To celebrate, there are many official biking days such as the Bicycle to Work Day, which is, by the way, today - May 18, 2012. Since I work at home, I thought I'd write about biking instead.

I love to ride a bicycle. It is such an efficient machine. You pedal a bit and then coast. Pedal more and coast even more. Feel the wind and the freedom. Most folks learned to ride a bike when they were young. Learning to ride was a significant milestone of our youth. Most adults still remember how they were taught to ride and even how old they were when they first pedaled on their own. Then our lives changed and the motor vehicle becomes our means of transportation.

Well, I still like to ride and I guess you could say that the bicycle is my primary ... read more or Journal Home

Panther on the Prowl - 17May12

Saturday, I rode the Stones River Greenway in Murfreesboro on my Schwinn Panther. Panther is a single speed cruiser with large, slick tires. Underneath the cruiser-like appearance, the Panther is light and quick.

The goals of my ride were to gather pictures and a GPS track to use for a map and Adventure Guide for the cloudhiking.com site and to just have fun. My riding style is to pedal leisurely at a moderate speed and then to stop to take pictures or mark the GPS. After I had finished documenting the southern leg of the path (from Old Fort to Barfield Road), I continued to ride to the northern terminus of the path at the Thompson Lane Trailhead.

I exited the greenway and entered the parking area. Stopping for a brief rest, I took a few pictures, drank a sip of water, and then turned Panther around and headed back toward Cannonsburg. It was a great day for a ride.

At the Thompson Lane Trailhead, I had noticed a couple of bicyclists standing by their vehicle. They were dressed ... read more or Journal Home

Sewing with an Awl - 16May12

In order to do simple gear repairs, you need to know how to sew. I learned the basic sewing skills as a Boy Scout (my mom instructed the troop on how to sew.) We didn't get a merit badge for our new skills, but we were able to sew our merit badges and other patches onto our uniforms. Sewing is an important skill.

Later in life while sailing, I learned even more about sewing and in particular, how to mend a sail with an awl. If you sail very often, you are repairing sails very often.

Sewing with an awl is not very difficult, but it does take a bit of practice to learn ... read more or Journal Home

Stones River Greenway - 15May12

Saturday, I went to Murfreesboro to have a vehicle serviced. Instead of waiting on the service to be completed, I planned to ride the Stones River Greenway. A couple of years ago, I rode the greenway and had recently been looking for an excuse to return.

To access the greenway at Cannonsburg Village, I had to ride on Church Street for about a half mile. The road was very busy, even on a Saturday morning. No one was walking on the sidewalks, so I decided they were the safest passage. I was riding my Schwinn Panther, a sleek, single speed, cruiser, so the rough sidewalks were not an issue.

Obeying my Goggle Maps directions, I left Church Street and weaved through an industrial area, to arrive at Cannonsburg Trailhead. It probably was not the best route, but on Saturday, the businesses were mostly closed. Historic Cannonsburg Village is a ... read more or Journal Home

Blisters - 14May12

On the approach hike to Mount Robson in the Canadian Rockies, a friend of mine was wearing large leather mountaineering boots and carrying a heavy pack. As he worked his way up the trail, the heavy pack took it's toll. Sweat rolled down his legs soaking his socks. He changed his gait to try and ease some of the load of the pack. Soon he was walking with a noticeable limp. I didn't think much about the limp, but assumed it was caused by carrying the heavier than normal pack. We were all struggling.

When we finally arrived at Berg Lake, my friend took off his boots to cross a stream. He had huge blisters on both heels. I had never seen blisters like those before - they were at least three skin layers ... read more or Journal Home

Sunscreen Conspiracy - 11May12

In the spring of 2011, we began planning for our summer trip. We had the general idea that we wanted to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, but we first had to find a place to pitch our tent. We were hoping to find a campsite in a campground near the areas where we were planning to hike. But, as anyone who has ever tried to reserve a campsite in a popular National Park knows, often times it is difficult to find any sites open, much less ones you want.

We started planning early and surprisingly there were still plenty of sites open at one of our favorite campgrounds, Glacier Basin. From past trips, we had notes to remind us of which sites were the best. Going online to the www.reservations.gov site we found most of the secluded sites on the outside loop of the campground were still available. We snatched the sites up immediately. Wow, we not only reserved sites, but we reserved two good sites ... read more or Journal Home

Gearaphobia - 10May12

As my wife, Amy, was leaving for work this morning, I stopped her and said, "we only have three weeks before we leave!" Both of us smiled. Over the last several weeks, we have been slowly getting ready for our summer trip, but now is the time to buckle down and finish the job.

As we begin to pack, we know that we have a problem. It's called gearaphobia - the fear of needing something that we decided not to pack. More than likely, we would be able to continue the trip without the vital piece of gear, but it might not be as comfortable. So we tend to have too ... read more or Journal Home

Gi Pants - Patagonia - 09May12

In the nineties, I purchased a pair of Patagonia Gi pants. They were made from a soft denim fabric and had a webbing belt. The pants were very comfortable and I liked the pants enough to buy two other pairs.

The name of the pants was odd - Gi pants. I pronounced the name as letters - G I; but was reprimanded and told they were called 'Gee' pants. I am unsure how Patagonia got Gee from Gi, but one thing I did notice was Patagonia designed the pants well. A friend at an outdoors store, the one who also corrected my pronunciation, said the G - I stood for gusseted inseam. The unique design made the pants equally appropriate for rock climbing, hiking, or lounging.

I still wear my old Gi pants from time to time. They are still very comfortable but are threadbare in a few places. Then, this spring, while searching for ... read more or Journal Home

Hallett Peak Map - 08May12

Over the weekend, we (cloudhiking) finished the Hallett Peak map - Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. The map includes the Flattop Mountain Trail to the summit of Flattop and the West Slopes route to the summit of Hallett Peak. Bonus coverage also includes the maps of Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes on the Emerald Lake Trail and Lake Haiyaha Trail from Dream to Haiyaha lakes.

Starting from the popular Bear Lake Trailhead (9475'), the Hallett Peak climb follows the Flattop Mountain Trail. The trail passes the Bierstadt Lake Trail Junction, the Odessa Lake Trail Junction and then climbs the gentle east slopes of Flattop Mountain. Great views to the south are available from the Dream Lake viewpoint, Emerald Lake viewpoint, and the... read more or Journal Home

Trail Sense - Snakes - 07May12

As a boy growing up in Georgia, I often visited my grandfather's farm. He had several ponds on the farm and there were many snakes that lived around the water. To my grandfather, every snake in the water was a moccasin and every snake on the land was a rattler. And, every snake that he saw, soon became a dead snake. Using a hoe, large rock, rifle, or his dog, he made sure the snake died.

My grandfather's dog was a mutt. The small dog took after my grandfather though and he too killed every snake he saw. He was pretty amazing to watch. Snakes are very fast and strike with lightning speed, but the small dog was faster. He demonstrated his quickness time and again as he would tease the snake, catch the striking snake behind it's head, and shake him unmercifully.

For me, I never developed a fear or a love for snakes. They have always been just creatures that I tried not to ... read more or Journal Home

On the Streets - 04May12

During some recent walks, dog walks, or runs here are a few interesting observations ...

When crossing an intersection we had a stop sign for our direction but not the other way. Jake stopped to mark the utility pole and we them checked for traffic and started across the neighborhood street.

Jake is getting to show his age (or I am, mine) and we do not walk as fast as we used to walk. Suddenly a car topped a hill on the intersecting street to the right, he sped toward us. Instead of slowing down, the driver honked ... read more or Journal Home

Ten Ways to Improve Marathon Cheering - 03May12

At the recent Country Music Marathon we watched the marathon cheerers and the runners. Many of the runners had needs that were not being met by the racing event. A few of the runners said 'thanks' just for us standing on the sidelines and clapping. The runners' gratitude was appreciated but we could do much more.

So for fun, we came up with the ten ways to improve the Marathon cheering. Remember cheering is not about the cheerers, it is all about the participants ... read more or Journal Home

Grommets - 02May12

A few years back we were looking through the gear repair selection on REI and decided to buy a grommet kit. We had never placed a grommet, but needed to do a few modifications to a tarp/tent. For whatever reason, we never got around to even opening the kit. Finally this spring, while Amy was at work, I decided to learn how to place a grommet.

Going to the backyard I found an old piece of webbing for my first attempt. After reading the instructions and familiarizing myself with the pieces of the kit, I started the process ... read more or Journal Home

Country Music Marathon - 2012 - 01May12

Saturday (April 28) was the Country Music Marathon. We left the house at 0645 to ride to our friends' house to watch the event. We took our position along the curb at around mile 4 and waited for the runners. At about 7:20, the lead runners appeared.

Soon, our small group began cheering. Lisa, the queen of pep, led the rooting. Amy yelled until she was hoarse. Cynthia waved and high fived lots of runners on their way. I am not sure if Cynthia actually knew as many of the runners as she pretended to know, but she gave 'em all that 'you're my best ... read more or Journal Home

Trail Sense - Lightning - 30Apr12

High in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, Amy and I were climbing Mount Wilson (14,246') when the storm arrived. It was time for us to hunker down…

We had started from the Navajo Lake Trailhead early that morning with our friend, Nick. Our first goal was Wilson Peak which was fairly straightforward, except for the rotten rock on the mountain. Soon we descended the mountain, parted company with Nick, and were on our way to the slopes of Mount Wilson. We were moving fast for the conditions, but the lack of a trail slowed us down. Following the advice of a guidebook, we stayed below the ridge, but found many snow and ice chutes that we had to cross. We needed to wear crampons on the snow/ice, but found the spikes slowed us down moving over the rock. Using every trick in our repertoire, we desperately tried to move faster, but the building storm clouds caught us.

The first lightning strikes were close, then, the strikes came even closer. Hail pummeled us. Rain poured. We had to worry about finding a safe place ... read more or Journal Home

Sound of Music - 27Apr12

A few years back, we were part of a group spending our vacation in Colorado. We camped in the Leadville area and our goal was to climb some of the area 14,000 foot mountains.

After climbing a couple of the mountains, we decided to attempt the Missouri, Oxford, Belford mountain combination. Good trails led to the top of each of the peaks so all we had to do was keep moving, to summit all three mountains.

Camping near the trailhead, we woke early, struck camp, and drove to the parking area. Soon we were following the beams of our headlamps up the trail of the initial wooded slope.

Group dynamics are always difficult with a large group. One person will invariably be off. On this day it was Laura's turn. It seemed as if she was having allergy related issues. The only problem was the allergies were effecting her breathing. She was struggling to keep up with our pace.

Walking with her we talked over various scenarios. She decided ... read more or Journal Home

Top Ten Earth Day Resolutions - 26Apr12

Last Saturday was Earth Day. In Nashville, the usual festivities were dampened by the cool, wet weather. In years past, Centennial Park was filled with folks celebrating, but this year the happiness of a spring day was not to be seen. Folks were not necessarily dancing with joy, it was more like moving just to stay warm. Still, it was Earth Day and rain or shine it was time to honor our planet of life.

On New Year's Day we make resolutions for the coming year. Generally those resolutions include things that will make us better people. We solemnly declare that we are not going to do this and we are going to do this.

For Earth Day why don't we also make resolutions? Most of the resolutions ... read more or Journal Home

46 Days: Keeping Up With Jennifer Pharr Davis on the Appalachian Trail - 25Apr12

Last summer (2011) Jennifer Pharr Davis left Mount Katadhin on June 16th heading southbound on the Appalachian Trail for Springer Mountain, Georgia - 2181 miles away. Of course there were a lot of other hikers on the trail hiking northbound or southbound, so what made her hike special? She was trying to set the record for the fastest hike.

Jennifer was an athlete who excelled at long distance hiking and running. She already had hiked the fastest time for a woman on the Appalachian Trail in ('08), but she thought she could do better. She thought she could set a new record, but not just a new women's record, she was after the fastest time - period.

To achieve her goal she would need ... read more or Journal Home

Earth Day - Nashville - 24Apr12

Saturday was Earth Day, the designated time to honor Mother Earth. For years we have gone to Centennial Park in Nashville to take part in the City's celebration. It has always been a fun and often times crowded event, but his year was different. The weather man did not give us a very good day to celebrate. After a mild winter and spring, we expected at least warm weather for Earth Day, but instead got wet and chilly conditions. We decided to delay our visit until the afternoon, and in the meantime, hope for better weather.

Reading the morning news we discovered the Metro Police were having a paper shredding day. We had lots of old receipts that were not important enough to keep, but were filled with ... read more or Journal Home

Training - 23Apr12

There is a woman in our neighborhood that I see walking almost every day. She not only walks, but she walks fast. In fact, she probably walks as fast as I run. I have never spoken to her, but I would assume that she is a fitness walker and she is walking for exercise.

As fast as my neighbor, the fitness walker, walks, I was wondering if she would be a good hiker? Would we even be able to keep up with her? Amy, might be able to walk at the fitness walkers pace, but I am slower than Amy. I would probably lag behind.

Then, I remembered a story from years ago...

I was an assistant leader on a backpacking trip. A teenager was having trouble with her pack and the steep, rocky trail. I was trying to coax her along when she stopped and told me in no uncertain terms that she could walk forever ... read more or Journal Home

Chased by a Bear - 20Apr12

In 2007 I climbed Pikes Peak for the first time. There was a group of six of us that hiked the Barr Trail together. My friend, Ray joined me on the hike.

The Barr Trail starts at the Manitou Springs Trailhead and winds its way up Pikes Peak, climbing 7,400 feet in 13 miles. To make a round trip hike, it takes 26 miles of effort.

Ray and I arrived at the trailhead the night before the climb. Ray slept in the car and I slept outside in a small tent. We were awoken by streams of 'Incline' hikers/runners early in the morning. When the rest of our group arrived, we had already been up for a while.

Packed and ready to go, we left the trailhead and soon met the steep introduction to the trail. The first few miles are very steep. We were in for a long day, so we just worried about keeping a steady pace.

Before the hike, I had read all the information I could find about the Barr Trail. For some reason, I did not think there were water sources close ... read more or Journal Home

Lost in a Black Hole Bag - 19Apr12

In the early 1990's there was a small outdoors company in Colorado named Mountain Hardwear. Craig Luebben started the company which made Big Bros (rock climbing protection) and other miscellaneous items. One of my most used purchases of all times was a Mountain Hardwear waterproof rainsuit. We're not talking about a waterproof and breathable fabric, but a completely waterproof garment.

A few years later I met Craig. As we talked, clipped on my climbing harness was the rainsuit (yes it was that compact). At the time I did not know that Craig had made (thru his company Mountain Hardwear) the rainsuit. We had a funny conversation about the garments.

Craig sold ... read more or Journal Home

Jetboil CrunchIt - 18Apr12

We are always looking for ways to recycle more of our waste. Not only do we need to find ways to reduce our waste around the house, but we also need to find new and better ways to recycle in all aspects of our lives including our recreational activities.

In camping for years we have been using cartridge stoves that use the small butane/propane canister of fuel. The problem is, when we empty the canister what do we do with the can.

To recycle a fuel canister it needs to be empty, but it also needs to be punctured so the recycler knows without a doubt that the canister is gas free. You could take a hammer and nail and puncture the container, but most of the times I do not carry a hammer or nails on camping trips. Last summer while preparing for our summer trip we found a new Jetboil product - the CrunchIt.

The CrunchIt is ... read more or Journal Home

Just Radnor Lake - 17Apr12

Sunday was going to be a busy day for us and we only had a couple of hours in the early morning for a hike. We decided to just go to Radnor Lake and make an easy day of it.

We do not normally go to Radnor because our dog, Jake, likes visiting the parks also. Radnor does not allow dogs on the trails. Dogs are allowed on Otter Creek Road in the Park, but Jake would not be happy walking on the road, unless he could also jump in the lake and swim.

Okay, Jake is spoiled and we pretend to know what he is thinking. We are pretty sure Jake knows when we are going on a hike and he will sit at the gate and give us the most pitiful look if we try to leave without him. He has the guilt look down pat and was practicing it that morning. As we backed out of the driveway our poor dog stuck his head through the fence to watch in dismay.

The parking area on the west side of the Park was ... read more or Journal Home

Trail Sense - Mosquito Control - 16Apr12

We love being outside. Our springtime evening ritual is to sit on our porch, talk, read, and catch up on the news on a laptop. Then, with the coming of warm weather, we have to stop our beloved springtime tradition. We do not stop sitting outside because of the heat, instead it is because of the mosquitoes.

Our old neighborhood is a prime mosquito zone. We still go out to do yard work in the summer, but we can't sit and enjoy the outdoors without being behind a screen. If we try relaxing in the yard, it only takes a few minutes before the first mosquito finds us. He naturally buzzes our ears, just to let us know he is on to us. Soon he will give us a quick bite just to taunt us. We naively think, there is only one little mosquito and we should be able to get rid of him. As our swatting efforts increase, he resorts to biting on the back of our necks or feet - places we cannot easily reach. If we happen to kill this lone flyer, his spirit will be ... read more or Journal Home

Fun with Plumbing - 13Apr12

Over the last couple of years the outside faucet on our house has been leaking. It was not a bad leak and it only dripped when the water was on - so, we really did not worry about the leak.

Then over the winter the shutoff valve for the outside faucet also started leaking. We could not have water unless we fixed the leaks. We are not plumbers. We can however generally figure out how to do most things.

We started with the outside faucet. When the leak first started I had gone to our favorite Hillsboro Hardware store to buy a faucet which matched the leaky one. I soon found out that there were a lot of choices for faucets - threaded and non-threaded, different pipe sizes, threaded male or female, etc. The only problem was, I did not bring the original faucet into the store. So, I just bought a faucet that looked like the one ... read more or Journal Home

Fall Creek Falls Map - 12Apr12

Hooray! We finished working on the Fall Creek Falls State Park map!

It was quite a job. The Park is very big with over 25,000 acres. We only mapped the central section of the Park, which covers the established trails. The dimensions of the map at a scale of 1 to 6,000 was 62 x 64 inches! The reduced file size is 2.2 mb. Our largest file so far. The 345 acre lake is larger than some parks!

Of course now that the master map is finished, the work is not complete. We will in the next few weeks change the file to a more manageable size. In the meantime the map is on cloudhiking and ready to view as a pdf file. We also downloaded it onto an ipad (2) and it looked great. We have not tried to download it onto a phone yet.

Take a look ... read more or Journal Home

Shoe Kit - 11Apr12

During the summer of 2009, we climbed the 54 official 14000 feet peaks in Colorado. On that trip I carried six pair of shoes to use on the hikes and climbs. The footwear ranged from lightweight mountaineering boots to sandals.

We used the lightest weight shoes possible. By using trekking poles, we were able to avoid wearing heavy boots unless we needed the heavier boots to help keep our feet warm or to help with traction.

Lightweight shoes are lightweight. They cannot take the abuse of a big boot. So, the everyday climbing was very hard on my old shoes. I destroyed my old favorite, Nike Exum Ridge shoes, a pair of Five Tennies, a pair of La Sportiva Boulders, and a pair of Nike Pegasus Trail shoes. Destroyed means, I could no longer repair the shoes and so they ended ... read more or Journal Home