Jefferson, Ohio to Reading Center, New York

The First Record of Michael Fisher

The first record I have of Michael Fisher comes from Carroll County, Ohio Deed Book 6 page 475 and is dated December 21, 1840. Michael was apparently a resident of Stark County, Ohio when he purchased 62 acres of land in the Southwest Quarter of Section Six in Township Sixteen in Range Six (SW ¼ S6 T16 R4) in Carroll County. John Phend owned 80 acres in the NE ¼ of that same section. Michael's daughter Louisa would marry Jacob Phend, son of John, in August 1847.

Talk about legal speak:
John Shover to Michel Fisher. To all to whom these presents shall come greeting. Know ye that I John Shover of Stark County Ohio, for the consideration of Eight hundred and fifty dollars Received to my full Satisfaction of Michel Fisher of the County and State aforesaid do give grant bargain Sell and confirm unto him the said Michel Fisher the following described tract or lot of land Situate in the County of Carroll and State of Ohio and being south west quarter of section number six in Township Sixteen in range number six and is bounded As follows by the lines of Said quarter containing Sixty two acres more or less. To have and to hold the above bargained and granted premises with the appurtenances thereof unto him the Said Michel Fisher his heirs and assigns forever to his and their own proper use and behoof and Also I the said John Shover do for my Self my heirs Executors and administrators covenant with the Said Michel Fisher his heirs and assigns that at and until the issuing of these presents I was well Seized of the premises as a good indifinable Estate in fee simple and have good right to bargain and sell the same in manner and form as is above written and that the same is free of all Encumbrances what soever and further I the Said Joseph Shover do by these presents bind myself and my heirs forever to warrant and defend the above bargained and granted premises to him the said Michel Fisher his heirs and assigns against all claims and demands whatsoever. And I Anna wife of the Said John Shover do hereby in consideration of the money as the aforesaid paid to my said husband release and forever quit claim unto the said Michel Fisher his heirs and assigns all my right of dower in and to the above described premises. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this twenty first day of December Anno Domini one thousand Eight hundred and forty.
Signed Sealed and delivered presence of David Huston

Wacky Weather!

We all thought La Nina was going to give us a cold and wet winter with lots of snow and great skiing. Well, there have been some good days of skiing at Paradise, of course, in the last month, but there's been a lot of wild weather.

We're currently on the tail end of a 7" rain storm at Paradise. It was raining at times, clear up to 9000 feet. Fortunately, no major flooding damaged any roads (so far). We're planning on opening the road to Paradise today, after keeping it closed yesterday, due to avalanches (both snow, rock, and mud), flood, and rockfall potential.

Ranger Drew Bryenton dug a pit last week. Look for more full profiles from Drew. We'll post them here as well as on the NWAC website. Here's the January 11th, full profile / before all this rain.

Currently, the rain has switched to snow. It's sticking to the old rain surface pretty well. The new snow density is about 40%... Not good skiing, but good for stability.
There are some scheduled climbs this week. I hope to hear back from them so stay tuned.
~ 2 hours later: Just got back in from digging around for avalanche stability along the road to Paradise:
Date/Time: 1/17/ ~ 10:00amElevation: 5250Slope: 49degAspect: 170degTWeather: SnowingTemp: 32FLat: 46.781244Long: -121.743672
Results:
SST (Shovel Shear) - STE @ 35cm Q3 (Weaker waterlogged snow just collapsed).CT (Compression Test) - CTE(5) @ 35cm Q3 (Weak snow collapsing)ECT (Extended Collumn Test) - ECTX (No propogation across collumn / shovel only plowing down)RB (Rutschblock Test) - RB3 @ 35cm Q3 MB (Weaker snow collapse / no shear surface).

Williamsburg From My Window

I was sharing with my friend Laurie that I have only used my camera one day this month. I knew she would get the symbolism there. I've not went more than three days without having my camera out since we hit the road.



To put it bluntly, I've been in a serious funk. No one thing led to this funk. Rather it was a combination of things: regretting our decision to stay here so many weeks instead of traveling, facing some realities about some of the relationships in my life, facing some stuff about myself and my role in those relationships, grieving the imagined loss of some things if we stay put in one place and dealing with bored men. Oh, and the dog smells really bad and needs a bath but she hates baths so we haven't tackled it yet. Since I'm hyper-sensitive to icky smells, that alone would be enough to put me in a funk.

So I knew I had to make myself take my camera with us when we went out today. I'm so glad I did. It was exactly what the doctor ordered.

There is hardly a town that could soothe my soul more than this one. It's just lovely in that All American sort of way. There are the parts that are more widely known about Williamsburg parts. Like this section that is blocked off so no cars can drive there. It makes it so nice to walk around.

There are also the not so widely known things, that are still really neat to look at.

As much as I enjoy seeing where people play, this time I focused on where people live. Because as much as I have no desire to live in a house myself , I am still touched by the human element of people and their houses. I find myself thinking, this is where someone lives. This is where they share their lives together. This is where a family is being made. This is where people let down their masks and honest and raw exchanges take place. It's where love and hate and all of the other range of emotions are displayed. It's where wounds are made and wounds are healed. It's pretty powerful stuff if you think about it.

It did me good to ponder such things today. I feel lighter for it. I'll share more tomorrow.



Living the life in Virginia!

The Bigger Picture?

I get a lot of email here from climbers just beginning to get out and get serious about their owntechnical climbing. Over the last week I had a conversation with my climbing partner about the "bigger picture" and our own personal climbingobjectives.



Neither of us likes crag climbing in particular. Truth is, likemost of us we'd rather be in the mountains. The flip side to that is it takes a LOT more effort to get out in the mountains and get somethings done. As in something actually climbed. By this time of year, every year I have usually had a full belly offrustration with the bad weather and the dangerous avalanche conditions.



We came up with a less than 50% percentage of successful trips compared to what we have actually attempted in the mountains. Alpinists are a hardcore and stubborn tribe! Attributes I can admire even if I don't always possess them. By this time of year I can moreeasily turn to rock climbing and riding my road bike. I hatebeating my head against the climbs I still want to get done before the temps soar and the snow and ice disappearsfor another year. My lack of motivation can be telling this time of year. But it is also the time of year I most want to get my alpine projects done.



One of the many discussions we had this last week was the difference between crag climbing and actualalpinism. From that discussion and the local conditions we were experiencing the conversationsplitinto several topics. One of the most interesting topics to me was how I end up labeling"little picture" and "big picture" climbs.



Hopefully what Irelate from those conversations my help others sort out their own projects.



"Little picture" climbs in the context of Cold Thistle and Alpinismare generally crag climbs. Climbs that are close to the road, little objective danger and generally (but not always) at the upper limit of one's technical skill level. Little picture because you really don't have to concentrate on much past how hard the climbing is, what gear will I need and how will I get back down.



Small picture climbs generally allow you to make huge errors in judgment and the gear selection with little consequence for the mistake. It is a great place to learn from mistakes.



The ice climbing in Ouray and Codywill generally fall into this category. As will most of the top roping and smaller cragging areas around the country. But there are "big picture" dangers anywhere it snows. Ice always falls down when it gets warm or cold enough. Bozeman at any given time gets snow and wind as can Cody. There is no easy label when it comes to ice climbing.



Hafner and Johnson Canyon are other "little picture" climbing areas. The places you might head whenthe overall conditions are dismal in the Canadian Rockies.



Alpine objectives in the Canadian Rockies are not "little picture". When it snows, the wind blows, or there is a radical temp change there, the actual technical difficulties will mean almost zip. What really matters in Canada and the Alpsis what might drop on your head at any given time, It might well be rock, ice, lightening,rain or snow! The climbing might well be "easy" by comparison.



If you spend enough time out you get to know what the real timepicture is for your own objectives. Small picture or Large picture? Some climbing areas might be little picture in summer (few issues that need to be on your mindbut the actual climbing) and big picture (a laundry list of objective dangers) in winter. The "picture" and what is required of you mentally canchange by season or be the same year around.



It is easy to come from a strong technical back ground and jump into "small picture" objectives safely.



"Big picture" objectives on the other hand might well have little patience for strong technical climbers without the ability to process all the issues alpinism will eventually require.



The climbs that I generally see turn onto epics are where the climber's technical abilities get over whelmed by the bigger picture of the climb's objectives dangers. That in turnforces the climber into a mental and physical state oftunnel vision. Call it "sketched out". But things go bad quickly when it happens. Once you are forced to deal with the world via tunnel vision it is very easy to over look the environmental details that defineyour safety and well beingon a big climb.



I think it is better to first label and then study your climbs. Note the avi terrainon the approach and decent. What are the snow conditions you want as compared to what you have. What is the hour you want to be up and off the climb? Will conditions allow you of attain your goals? What is your plan if you can't maintain your time schedule?



There is a reason we look for "perfect conditions". Perfect conditionsmake ourclimbs easier on the approach, decent and the actual climb. Perfect conditions make the picture smaller.



What I learned, again, from the conversation is notto let anyone or any one climb over whelm your ability to appreciate the "picture" fully. If something "feels" wrong, it generally is. Don't let your inability to articulate what is wrong stop you from making good decisions. The mountains have been there a long time. They aren't going any where.



Postscript:



I suspect it has something to do with the conditions in Canada last week but it is worth checking out Will's recent comments as well. Same idea,different voice.



http://willgadd.com/?p=668

Selling City Bikes: NYC Case Studies

While in New York City last week, I had a chance to visit two bicycle shops specialising in transportational cycling: Hudson Urban Bicycles (HUB)and Adeline Adeline. These visits were great, but they also evoked some envy. Why do we not have shops like this in Boston? Seriously, there is not a single bike shop in town catering specifically and exclusively to urban transport. A few shops do stock transportation bicycles, but the selection is limited. When I ask why they do not offer more I am told there is no demand. Baffling, because I know for a fact that both New York and Portland, ME(not to mention a number of online retailers) receive a steady stream of Boston customers because there is no local supply.



Based on my observations over the recent years, I do not think there is in fact a lack of demand. But it seems that bike shops that specialise in transportation may be in a better position to sell city bikes than bike shops that are diversified. Visiting Adeline and HUB in New York underscored this idea.






I would say that for shops selling transportation bicycles, location is key. Adeline Adeline is on a small and quiet street in TriBeCa. Hudson Urban Bicycles is on an equally small and quiet street in the West Village. In both cases, there are bike lanes literally just out the door, with protected greenways nearby. This sort of thing is absolutely crucial for beginners looking to test ride some bikes, which is precisely the category many potential customers fall into. They would like to ride in the city, but quite possibly they have never actually done so before. Their first cycling experience in ages might very well be this test ride outside of the bike shop. It makes a huge difference whether the space outside the shop is beginner-friendly.




When I was shopping for my first bicycle in the Spring of , I was not confident on a bike at all and could not yet imagine riding in traffic. I found it impossible to properly test ride a bike in almost any local shop, because the spaces outside were not beginner-friendly. While it's hard for established shops to change that reality, a new shop devoted specifically to city bikes can choose their space with access to infrastructure in mind.






Appropriately informed staff are important to selling transportation bicycles as well. In typical bike shops, most sales staff tend to be avid road cyclists, many of them racers. I have listened to quite a few steer customers by default toward cyclocross bikes with drop bars for commuting. I have also witnessed sales staff actively discourage customers from getting bikes with step-through frames or internally geared hubs, citing performance drawbacks. They did not even ask the customers how long their commute would be before saying such things.




While hanging out at HUB, I watched the owner talking to a couple who was new to cycling, and as they chatted I could see that couple grow more relaxed about the prospect of riding in the city. In shops that do not focus on transportation per se, I often observe the opposite happening: The longer a potential customer talks to a member of staff about commuting, the more concerned their facial expression grows. The "information" they are receiving is obviously scary and confusing. Bike shops that sell many types of bicycles cannot usually afford to hire separate sales staff to handle the city bikes.






No less important is the atmosphere inside the shop. The interiors of Adeline and HUB are heavenly microcosms - worlds where transportation cycling is normal, cool, intuitive, safe, and has an obvious place in everyday life. And the creation of such an atmosphere is a huge public service as far as I am concerned. Even if the customer walks out the door without buying a bike, they will still walk away with the impression that transportation cycling is fun and, above all, normal. They will be more likely to come back, or at least to keep cycling in mind as a valid possibility.When city bikes are mixed together with all sorts of other types of bikes on one cluttered floor space, it is impossible to achieve this kind of ambiance; it is impossible to communicate this message. I do think it's possible for diversified bike shops to present transportation cycling in a similar light by designating a special area to them, and then staging this area as if it were its own boutique. But in actuality this is seldom done.





Several members of the bicycle industry have mentioned to me now that it is easier to start a dedicated city bike boutique in a town that already has a dozen bike shops than it is to get existing shops to carry city bikes. And I have seen plenty of evidence to support this. Aside from the issues already mentioned, existing bike shops tend to err on the conservative side and stick with what they know. Even if they delve into city bikes, they are not going to start carrying 5 new brands right away; they might start with one or two. But that might not be sufficient to be truly effective. Hopefully, some brave entrepreneurs will start transportation-specific bike shops in Boston soon, as well as in every other city that is ready for them.





In the meantime, I may just have to keep visiting NYC for test rides. During this visit alone I test rode four bikes, and there were plenty of others to try. There were also other city bike stores to explore had I not run out of time, most notably Bicycle Habitat and Rolling Orange. For anyone visiting New York, I recommend having a look at those, in addition toAdeline AdelineandHudson Urban Bicycles (HUB).






Aside from bicycles, Adeline specialises in exquisite accessories the likes of which you might not find elsewhere: the latest in bicycle bags, jewelry, books, unusual clothing. HUB on the other hand, boasts an entire show room of vintage bikes in refurbished condition, including loads of pre-1970s English 3-speeds - some with original lighting! I enjoyed visiting both shops, and will be posting reviews of the Achielle, Retrovelo and Jensen bicycles soon.

Lake Superior Wood Lily

My dad told me about these nice Wood Lilies that were blooming on the shoreline in front of their house... of course I had to check them out! I intentionally shot this "wide open" (aperture f5.6 at 400mm) with my Canon 100-400 lens to create a shallow depth of field and give the image a "dreamy” look.

Bucharest and Bicycling: First Impressions

I am spending a few days in Bucharest for work and I am amazed by it. Even to someone familiar with many Eastern European cities, the capital of Romania stands out. It's not just the culture and the language (Romanian is a Romance language in a predominantly Slavonic region, and it sounds approximately like Italian with a Russian accent), but the very look of the city.

Never before have I seen such a head-spinning mix of old and new, big and small, restored and dilapidating - and yes, I've been to East Berlin and many formerly Soviet areas. Here is a gorgeous pre-War villa with wrap-around wrought iron balconies (notice the bicycle path, too).

And here is the view directly across the street.

Construction and renovation projects are everywhere, and it is clear that the city cares about preserving its unique historical buildings.

More variety.

Unusually shaped gables and towers; intricate art nouveau details.

Imposing facades stand "shoulder to shoulder" with tiny houses more characteristic of the countryside.

Wrought iron latticework is everywhere.

And grapevines.

But what about bicycles? Well, a few of the streets in the center do have bike paths. And I was pleased to see that the bicycle symbol in Bucharest comes with a full chaincase. But I do not see many actual bicycles on the streets, let alone any with a chaincase or other classic features.

The lack of cyclists is rather a mystery, because there are clearly some attempts at infrastructure and bike-friendliness going on - like these adorable bicycle racks at a local park.

And this bikeshare station, which appears to be sponsored by a mobile phone provider.

And this advert for a concert. Yet, hardly any any actual cyclists.

One reason for the lack of cycling could be the traffic patterns and the layout. Many streets in the center are wide, multiple-lane boulevards that go on forever and are gridlocked with cars. They do not look very inviting for cyclists. But I have no idea to what extent this is really the cause.

Another thing I am wondering about here, is the abundance of the telephone(?) wires. There are literally wads of wiring hanging off the poles. My colleagues who are traveling with me are all wondering about that.

Here is another view of the wires. Any ideas?

It is too bad that the cycling situation in Bucharest is so dire, because otherwise I like it here very much. It seems that a great deal of resources are being allocated towards keeping the city clean, improving urban infrastructure and transportation, renovating historical buildings, and supporting the arts. There are several sprawling parks here - all beautiful and meticulously well-kept. I have not used the subway yet, but the buses are shiny and new. Little convinience stores and kiosks sell water and ice cream on every corner. People are friendly and polite - no pushing on the streets, pleasant facial expressions, holding doors for each other. If you don't speak Romanian it should not be a problem, as a surprising number of people speaks very fluent English.

Being in Bucharest makes me wish I knew some locals and could get to know the place better; maybe even figure out the cycling mystery. I hope to have another occasion to come here in future.

Quick coffee in quiet Vrijthof

I like my terrace view: The Vrijthof -- Sint Janskerk, Sint Servaasbasiliek and the Hoofdwacht.




Nowadays I drive to all 4 corners of the
Netherlands. Each week I burn between 700 and 1000+ kilometres and that makes
me the queen of the road =)





Last week I was in Maastricht which is
200+ kilometres from Amsterdam. Maastricht is located at the southern tip of the Netherlands bordering Germany and Belgium. I have a business partner here and we finished
the meeting earlier than expected. I saw that I have a few
missed calls, as well as I can see continuous emails coming in to my phone so I decided to work a bit before driving back to the Randstad. A quick swing by at Vrijthof(the main big square of Maastricht)for some coffee while I check and answer my emails and call back people would be the best scenario.




While sitting at a café terrace on
Vrijthof and sipping my coffee it dawned on me that I really liked my job. Even if it is stressful.
Even if sometimes I feel the heavy weight of the responsibility. Even if I have to juggle, find out, search and justify things on my own.




Vrijthof before 12 noon is very quiet. I
have never seen Maastricht this still. However, I noticed people trickling into the square when I left about half past 12. Many of them with cameras hanging from their necks.



It was nice to have seen the quieter side of Maastricht.

Sage and Sunflowers

Anti-Theft Cozy

Spotted around Harvard Square, this road bike is sporting a green knitted U-lock cover!

Knitting a "cozy" for your U-Lock is a fabulous and pretty hilarious idea. But if I think about it, there might be more to it. The hand-knitted cover humanizes the owner of the bicycle. It calls attention to the deeply personal anxieties over the safety of our cherished belongings. If cruel acts are possible because the perpetrator depersonalises the victim, then perhaps this piece of knitted handywork will disrupt that process by evoking empathy.

Edited to add: After searching for "knitted U-Lock cover" on google, I've discovered this post from Bikes and the City. Bi-coastal trend?

Balloon Fiesta

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is in full swing, or should I say flying high. It is held every year in October. This year my two aunts, ages 80 and 78 came to visit us and other friends and relatives in New Mexico and wanted to go to the fiesta. I had not been for a number of years and decided it would be fun so off we went to see the balloons. On the weekends the balloons do what is called a mass ascension, and during the week they have different kinds of competitions. There is also, balloon glows on some evenings, and a special shape rodeo when the odd shaped balloons are featured. In this photos are mostly the normal or regular shaped balloons. Some are up and flying while others are just rising.