I was able to make it out to Harbison for a 10 mile ride on the outer loop. The trails aren't quite as bad as they were back around mid-December but its still a bog in places.
Higher up on the ridgelines the trails are dry and fast. Too bad I'm not... all in time.
The Lynskey is mocking me... ready?
Lynskey goodness. Its too bad they eliminated the shamrock cutouts for 2010.
Just eight days ago we were playing in this. You have to love South Carolina.
It isn't every day (or every decade) that you get to do a little riding in the snow here in South Carolina. Jenny did the math yesterday - we've recorded the same amount of accumulation in our lifetime in South Carolina as Washington DC did in the last few days of snowmageddon. Needless to say, when we get 8 inches of powder on the ground its a big deal... and a LOT OF FUN.
Foster & I had to go out and test out the conditions late Friday night of course. We only have a light cover in these photos but we ended up getting somewhere around 8 inches of snow.
Kate didn't get to go out and play in the snow Friday night. It was cold, a little windy and the snow was wet. Kate protested and ultimately compromised by playing with some inside snow.
We've always known that Foster wasn't much of a water dog but who knew he would be so into playing in the snow. He absolutely LOVES it. There's only one thing better than frisbee... SNOW FRISBEE!
You might not expect a girl raised in the south to be an expert on all things snow related... Jenny will surprise you, though. I asked her to give me some lessons on proper snow angel making.
Step 1. Find a nice patch of pristine snow.
Step 2. Pick the right spot. You know its a good one when it makes you smile.
Step 3. Lay back flat (not face down, please).
Step 4. Swish your arms and legs around.
Step 5. Appreciate the quality of your work.
My form isn't as good but its not bad for a rookie.
And riding... don't forget there was some quality fooling around to do. I'm only on 2.4"s but I still had a blast. As Kate would say, "GO GO GO!"
Wow! Its been a long time since my last post. I've been using the weather as an excuse to be lazy so far this off-season. In my defense, its been unseasonably cold and worse than that, WET. I feel guilty riding the local trails lately because its very muddy out there. In the meantime, what's an outdoor addict supposed to do? Answer: research, plan & lust over gear...
Here's where I've been spending my off-time lately:
Research & Planning: Backpacking Light - BPL is a fantastic resource for gear, technique and gear swap. If you think a 3lb tent is pretty light you need this website. Bikepacking.net - This is a great resource for getting your kit tuned to explore on your bike. I'm using it to plan my record breaking on the Tour Divide. ;) Andrew Skurka - Somewhere between research/planning & passion. Andrew's adventures are exciting and creative. He does a fantastic job of posting journals to the web. If you're feeling lazy, watch one of Skurka's videos. You'll be ready to head out for that long hike this evening. 29 Inches - Guitar Ted's site is a great resource for the latest gear for 29ers. Big wheel bikes are becoming more mainstream every day but they're still not quite the norm. Websites like 29 Inches helps keep you up to date on the latest goodies.
Gear Lust: Epic Designs - Eric's bags are on the top of my gear lust list. Sweet frame bags for your next epic bike adventure. Mountain Laurel Designs - I currently use a MLD tarp / mesh tent combo and pack. Ron's gear isn't cheap and it doesn't come fast but its the best - hands down. I've reviewed some of Ron's gear in earlier posts. Shawnee Trail Bikes- I ride RDs cranks on my singlespeed. He either re-purposes your XTR cranks or will sell you some from his stock. They're modified to serve as single speed cranks and his ceramic coating is BOMB PROOF. RD is also working with ISAR to offer sexy chain rings and cogs with the same bomber ceramic coating. I'm currently riding an ISAR chainring from RD and have a few cogs on the way. You can also catch him on Facebook here. I posted pics of RDs cranks on my bike in earlier posts. Sexy stuff! Caldera Cones - Really simple and efficient alcohol stoves that integrate a wind screen and pot support in one UL package. You know how I feel about simple. I'm currently using the UL version that fits inside of my SnowPeak 700 pot.
Bad ideas: The Clemson Freeride Club is hosting their 5th annual downhill race at the end of February. In my college days I entered the Clemson DH race here (different course) on a rigid geared 26" bike. I was even protested! I overheard that there's no way I got down the mountain that fast on a rigid bike. Sometimes stupid overcomes good. I'm seriously considering entering this year's race on my rigid singlespeed just to be a grouchy old goat. The odds are high that I'll do something that would be a lot of fun to watch (if you're not me). If you're in the area you should show up and support the Clemson club and root for me (to eat it). Even better maybe you should loan me your helmet cam so the world can see the carnage in first person HD glory.
As a self-diagnosed coffee addict I've tried a lot of different methods to get my fix in the backcountry. Hopefully summarizing my experiences will help you avoid a few mornings of bad brew and speed your path to coffee nirvana.
Instant coffees:
I've tried a few different instant coffees. They're lightweight, easy to adjust strength, simple to use and usually inexpensive. Sounds wonderful and perfectly suited for backpacking, right? Wait until you taste it. Its hot and easy... but its not coffee.
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Coffee bags (commercial):
Until recently Folgers singles coffee bags were my go to solution for hiking. Similar to instant coffee, this is a lightweight option that can be scaled up or down for strength and the bags are relatively inexpensive. I typically use two bags for a 12oz cup of coffee. The quality is so-so but its far superior to standard instant coffee products.
Rating:
Home made coffee bags:
At home I only drink coffee from a local roastery - Cashua Coffee. I've tried a few different methods of making the equivalent of the Folgers bags except with GOOD coffee inside. Theoretically this is the perfect solution, right? Great coffee, inexpensive and MYOG to boot? Perfection. Unfortunately, I never made good cup using this method. I'm sure there's a perfect combination of grind, fabric or paper and amount of coffee in the pouch but I couldn't find it. I was successful in making OK coffee using this method but not the great coffee I'm in search of.
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Pressed coffee: This is my method of choice at home. I have a press at work, a few presses at home, a cup with a press built into it for road trips... you get the idea. I'm addicted to pressed coffee. My sweet wife gave me the Snowpeak coffee press a few years ago and I love it. The only weakness of this system is that it only serves one function and its lighter than most presses but its still not UL. Still, I take it on some trips where I can afford the volume and know I'll have time to enjoy my coffee in the morning. Its hard to beat this.
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Starbucks VIA On my last trip I took a few pouches of Starbuck's new VIA instant coffee. I have to admit that I was pretty skeptical prior to trying this one even after reading a few positive reviews on the internet. I've had more than one horrible cup of coffee due to experiments with instant coffee gone wrong. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by the VIA Colombian blend. It even creates a crema that you would expect from freshly brewed. The only drawback to this the price at about $1 per 8oz cup.
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Next experiment? I've read that the Jetboil Coffee Press will work with the Snowpeak 700 mug . This could be the coffee holy grail - light at 0.8oz, low pack volume AND fantastic coffee.
