Spring Flow, Glen Avon Falls

Yesterday I went down the shore to photograph some of the rivers at their spring flow. The rivers have really opened up over the weekend and boy was it ever cool to see them flowing at such high capacity. There was water everywhere along Highway 61 as I drove south. The ditches were full of water and temporary waterfalls were everywhere along the highway rock cuts. The rivers were bursting at their seams with water. Some of the larger rivers still had chunks of ice that were floating downstream. The photo you see here is of a waterfall on the Beaver River. It is a location that I visited for the first time last year, but I was there when the water was low. At that time I thought it would be cool to come back when the water was high, and I was right! This spot was amazing, I love how it doesn't even really look like a river, it looks like the water is just running straight down through the forest. It was 71 degrees here when I made this shot, and just a few miles away where the river empties into Lake Superior, the temperature was only 43 degrees! I guess spring and "cooler by the lake" is now officially here :-)

More Bonanza

This newspaper clipping shows Michael Landon - Little Joe, Dan Blocker - Hoss, and Pernell Roberts - Adam.

Wordless Wednesday :: Schooldaze ~ Fifth Grade

Of all my school pictures, this is my favorite!

The Dunfee Family :: Eliza and Aquilla Hoff

Eliza is presumed to be the daughter of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee. The primary link is the fact that Eliza was living with Jonathan Haslett in Mifflin Twp, Ashland County, Ohio in 1850. We're making the assumption that Jonathan is probably the father of Sophia. Bottom line is that I really don't have any “proof” that Eliza is the daughter of James and Sophia.



Census records put the year of birth for Eliza Dunfee at 1811, 1813, or 1815 and place of birth in Maryland or Pennsylvania. In 1850, she is 39 years old and born in Maryland. In 1860 she is 47 and born in Pennsylvania. And in 1870 she is 55 and born in Pennsylvania. Chances are, her age in 1850 is probably closer to the truth ;-) since she seems to lose a few years with each census.



Eliza married Aquilla Hoff on September 4, 1851 in Ashland County, Ohio as recorded in volume 2, page 70 (license 1134) of Ashland County Marriage Records.





The image above is from the FamilySearch online database of Ohio County Marriages. There seems to be some “confusion” on the part of the clerk that recorded the marriage or the “authority” who performed the ceremony. Under “Names of Parties” it shows that the record is for Aquilla Hoff and Eliza Dunfee. In the far right column, it states that R. D. Emerson is certifying that “on the 4th day of September Eighteen hundred and fifty one I joined in Marriage Mr. George W. Brown and Miss Eliza Dunfee.”



In actuality, it was Eliza Dunfee who married Aquilla Hoff. When the property of Jonathan Hazlett was sold on October 25, 1853, the majority of the items were sold to Aquila Hoff.





Sale Bill from the estate file (#190) of Jonathan Hazlett. Ashland County, Ohio.





The last entry in the above image (a portion of page 299 of the Ashland County Tract Book) shows that Luke Selby, administrator of the estate of Jonathan Hazlett sold in March 1854 the land that had been owned by Jonathan to Aquilla Hoff. The transaction is also recorded in Ashland County Deed Book 10 page 206.



Aquilla Hoff and his wife Eliza, sold that land to Christian Vesper on March 27, 1857 (Ashland County Deed Book 15 pages 162-163).



That was, essentially, all the information I had on Aquilla and Eliza. Until in November .., when I received an email in response to an 11 year old query I had posted on the Hoff Family Genealogy Forum. My correspondent passed along the information that Aquilla and Eliza had moved to LaGrange County, Indiana where she had found them in the 1860 census.



I'm guessing that they probably moved to LaGrange County in the spring of 1857 after they sold the land that had belonged to Jonathan Hazlett. They are listed in the 1860 and 1870 census in Bloomfield Township, LaGrange County, Indiana.



Aquilla Hoff is 45 years old in 1860. He is a farmer with real estate valued at $3000 and a personal estate of $342. He was born in Maryland. Listed in his household was Eliza, age 47 and born in Pennsylvania; Jonathan, age 6 and born in Ohio. Also included was Lucetta Dumbar, 12 years old and born in Indiana.



In 1870, Aqula Hoff is 54 years old. He is still a farmer but has real estate valued at $5000 and a personal estate of $1000. He was born in Maryland. Included in his household were Eliza, now 55 but still stating she was born in Pennsylvania; and Jonathon, who is 16 years old and born in Ohio.



Eliza (Dunfee) Hoff died on August 6, 1876 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Lagrange County, Indiana. There is a memorial for her on Find A Grave. Looking closely at the photo of her gravestone it appears that the word “AGED” is written below the date of death. If so, it might pinpoint her year of birth a little better than the census records.



In the 1880 census, Aquilla Hoff was found in Drum Creek Township, Montgomery County, Kansas. He was 65 years old, retired and born in Maryland. Listed with Aquilla was his son, Jonathan H. Hoff, who was 26 years old, a farmer, and born in Ohio. He gave his father's place of birth as Maryland and that of his mother as Pennsylvania.



According to my correspondent, Aquilla Hoff was born February 15, 1815 in Washington County, Maryland and died June 27, 1883 in LaGrange County, Indiana. However, I suspected that he died in Kansas since that was where he was living in 1880. Turns out, Aquilla really did die in LaGrange County. There is an entry for him in the book “Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920” that was compiled by the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration). It shows that he died in Newbury Township and was 68 years old.



What happened to their son Jonathan H. Hoff? Jonathan does not appear to be in the census records after 1880 (ancestry online index).



I did find a John H. Hoff in Kansas census records, 1900 through 1930, that I think is a likely candidate to be Jonathan H. Hoff, son of Aquilla and Eliza. However, there is a six year discrepancy in their ages.



But, this John H. Hoff has a daughter, his first born child, named Eliza... and his middle name is Hazelet!



See The Dunfee Family :: Are Jonathan H. Hoff and John H. Hoff the same man?



See the Index for previous posts on the Dunfee family.

Where is Spring?

We had a couple of warm days so I have the erge to plant some seeds. I know it is way to early. But I did pick up a handfull of morning glory seeds at the store anyway. Altho it is warm I am sure it will turn cold again. March always had to throw another storm or two at us before it will allow Spring to arrive. My roses are starting to think about putting on leaves, and the flower buds on the trees are getting bigger each day. It will be so good to see green leaves on all the trees, and srubs, and plants again. In the mean time it is clouding up again. I guess it was just the barest of hints of the spring weather to come.

To Know a Mountain

The mountain is impossible to ignore. I see it from my window first thing in the morning and last thing before the light fades - nearly at midnight on a summer's night. I see it when I ride to and from town, and when I ride in loops around the countryside. No matter where I go and what I do, the mountain is always there, an enormous living, breathing thing, looming over the landscape.





At 1,263 feet, Binevenagh (pronounced "be-NEvna") is actually quite small. But it cuts a dashing figure on the Limavady landscape. It stands alone, outlined crisply against the ever-changing sky. Seen from the seashore, it resembles a crumpled old hat (or the snake that ate the elephant drawing from the Little Prince). From other vantage points, a jagged edge protrudes. Steep on all sides, it is topped with a large lumpy plateau, covered with forests and meadows.





Gazing at the mountain everywhere I went, all I could think of was climbing it. I hesitated at first. It felt so special I did not want to rush it. But finally one morning I woke up and knew it was time. The atmosphere was festive.





The road up Binevenagh starts directly from the house. But a friend suggested I take a detour - swinging around the coast, then turning onto another road to give myself a bit of a warmup before the climb. "Even with that frying pan of yours, you'll need it!" He was referring to the 11-36t cassette my bike was decorated with.





The ascent is relatively short and steep: 1,045 feet of climbing over 3.5miles. It is continuous climbing, much of it at a 10%+ grade, the road steepening, letting up, then steepening again. Right off the bat, the pitch was tough. I went at a good rhythm, but after a mile stopped to take a breather at a crossroads. Most of the mountain continued to tower ahead; I had hardly chipped away at it.





But when I turned around, the evidence of the mile I'd already done was in plain sight: A sharp dip, and the hills of Donegal spread out behind a shimmering sliver of water. Still narrow from this vantage point, the Lough Foyle is a saltwater inlet that separates the western part of Northern Ireland from the northwestern tip of the Republic. The border between the two nations is rather picturesque here. Climbing Binevenagh, the view becomes more breathtaking with each push of the pedals. And the sheep become more frequent.





How to describe this climb... The pitch was doable in my low gears. But the continuous steep grade made it tiring. I switched between my 3-4 lowest cogs and stood up occasionally (something I've finally learned to do), and tried not to get overwhelmed. I ignored my legs and focused on the scenery, aiming my eye at the top.As I kept going, the sheep were like loyal spectators. They looked at me with sympathy, understanding, encouragement. I was not miserable on the climb; it was a peaceful and oddly calming experience.






For some time, the sheep were my only company. Until, out of nowhere, a man in blue pulled up next to me. Even as I spotted him in my peripheral vision, I knew he was a Cyclist. Slender and agile, he moved so fluidly, it looked like liquid pouring uphill. Riding next to me, he matched my pace effortlessly as we talked. He lived nearby and loved to train on this mountain. He was an endurance cyclist, and rode in the Race Across America last year. Before we parted ways at the top, he introduced himself: Joe Barr.




I watched him disappear down the other side of the mountain, as beautifully as he climbed. Later I learned he was a retired Irish pro-racer.







The top of Binevenagh... The plateau covers a large area, and the highest point is somewhat uneventful. A painted bridge over a stream, a scraggly meadow with Queen Anne's Lace and buttercups, a forest in the background, and lots of sky with very distant views of water. From here on, there are several options for descending. One starts right away and is fairly steep and twisty, consistently throughout. Another is further down the plateau. It is longer and gentler most of the way, until it ends in a sudden, sharply winding vertical drop to the sea at the very end.






To start with I chose the first descent. The steep, narrow, winding road pushed my comfort zone. I was in control around the bends, but had to work on myself to keep calm. I did breathing exercises to keep from shaking and destabilising the bike. Descending on the left side of the road felt intuitive; my brain had already switched over.





This descent was a heavily shaded one, winding its way through a forest.







But after every bend, a view opened up, each more beautiful than the next. If it is possible to feel both cautious and relaxed at the same time, that is how descending this road felt.






Cars passed me up the road occasionally, the drivers waving, friendly - something I am still getting used to here. Toward the bottom, one driver was trying to communicate something urgently, which I did not understand - until I saw a row of pointy brown ears up ahead. Quickly I stopped, dismounted and clambered up the side of the road to let the herd of cows pass.






The final winding stretch dumped me onto the coastal road unceremoniously.Feeling sad it was over, I repeated the loop, then crawled home, spent and drunk on mountain air.






Several days later, I climbed Binevenagh again to try one of the other descents. The road along the plateau offered wide open views of both the Lough Foyle and the North Atlantic.






I rode through a dreamscape of hot-pink sheep grazing upon neon green grass, as the sun came out over the hills of Donegal.






At the far end of the plateau stood "the boat man," as the locals refer to him. He isManannán mac Lir, a god of the sea - a new statue the local council has erected just in the past week. Facing Magilligan Point (entrance to the Lough Foyle on the Northern Ireland side) - the mythical wood-carved figure spreads his arms over land and water of the bordering nations.






Standing there, I remembered being at Magilligan Point, at the ground level, and looking up at the mountain from there. Some form of symmetry had been achieved.






The descent was long, tame and idyllic, rolling through farmlands. But at the end came the stretch I had been warned about: This section winds tightly, down a steep grade.I was advised to either walk or ride the brakes once I saw the crumbling rocks sign.Over the course of two loops, I tried both methods. Riding slowly with good brakes is actually a bit easier than walking the bike.





After some S-bends, another sharp bend follows before a vertical drop onto the main road across from the water.





The spot is Downhill - defined by the magnificent view of the Mussenden Temple - a round structure at the edge of a cliff, which a nobleman had built for his niece... with whom he may or may not have had an affair with. The niece died before the temple was finished, infusing the story with an extra air of tragic poeticism.






I looked back at the road I had come down. I was not as shaken as I thought I'd be by the descent. But with the rush and the beauty of it over, I felt lost - so much emotion can build up along these stretches, and it has nowhere to go. Maybe that is why the cliffs looked especially beautiful in the evening light. And maybe that is why I put all my remaining energy into the 10 miles home along the flat coastal road. Big ring, small cog, setting sun, burning legs, cold air, sprays of water, and Binevenagh towering over it all. Turning the pedals madly as I raced home, I already longed to be up there again.

Single-Pitch Cragging in the Nears: Tulip Mussel Garden (5.10d), Easter Time Too (5.8) & More

(Photo: Climber on Birdland (5.8). Taken from base of Grease Gun Groove (5.6).)



I'm back, baby.



The elbow seems okay. I've been to the Gunks twice in April and, knock on wood, I've had no problems.



My first time climbing outside since November was with a new partner, David. We had not met in person but we were familiar with one another from Gunks.com. We were both looking to shake off the rust of the off-season, so our day was filled with moderate classics in the Trapps, many of which I have written about before. It was so great to be outside climbing, I felt like a puppy in the park. I put up Son of Easy O (5.8) in one pitch for my first climb of the year. Climbing in the Gunks doesn't get much better than that, and I felt good, handling the cruxy bits somewhat deliberately but with ease. I also knocked off the two-move wonder Maria Direct without too much trouble, so that was my first 5.9 of the year. We then hit the second and third pitches of Maria (5.6+), Classic (5.7 and with a new pin!), Drunkard's Delight (5.8-), and I ended the day by leading the first pitch of Bloody Mary into the second pitch of Morning After (both 5.7). This was a really great rope-stretcher pitch. Good variety and I think the link-up makes for one of the best 5.7's in the Gunks.



What a great day. I was tentative at first but as our day went on I felt more comfortable with the rock and the gear. By the end I was climbing reasonably well, moving faster and with less gear-fiddling. It was great to meet and swap leads with David. I hope to do some more climbing with him this year. He was talking up Millbrook and I have my fingers crossed that maybe he'll show me around out there.



This past Sunday I got out to the Gunks again, this time with Gail. We decided to head over to the Nears.



It was a spring weekend so of course it was crowded. The cliff already had parties on several of the classics closest to the parking lot; we found climbers on Disneyland, Te Dum, and Birdland. But we kept walking and found Grease Gun Groove (5.6) open so I suggested we get on it.









(Photo: Gail heading up Grease Gun Groove (5.6).)




Gail decided that she wanted to lead it and she did a nice job with it. Of course the climb is well within her abilities. This is a good 5.6 lead. There is plenty of gear and a lot of good climbing. It is fairly continuous. The hardest move is the first one, right off the deck, so if you are at all worried about leading it, just get on it and see if you can get started. If you can get on the wall, you should be fine for the rest of it!




While I was standing there belaying Gail I started looking over at the climb next door, Tulip Mussel Garden (5.10d). I had never had a single thought about this climb in my life but as I sized it up I got intrigued. It begins with an unprotected boulder problem but I thought I'd be fine there. And I could see the horizontal that protects the upper crux. It looked good, and from the ground it appeared that the crux was short. Why not try the route?









(Photo: Just past the opening boulder problem on Tulip Mussel Garden (5.10d).)




I wish I could say I sent it onsight but it didn't work out that way. It is a good little route, though, and a safe 5.10 lead. The opening challenge is just to get off the ground and reach the first shelf. So although there isn't any gear for the move, a fall here is just a foot or two back to the ground. I thought the start was no harder than Maria Direct, so I'd put it about 5.9. (Swain says 5.8+.) After you grab the shelf you still have to make a couple of moves to get gear but these moves are easier.









(Photo: Just past the crux on Tulip Mussel Garden (5.10d).)




After the initial moves the climbing is enjoyable up to the stance below the crux. I was a little disconcerted by a flake/feature up the middle of the route that is surprisingly hollow. The flake really rings when you knock on it, and there's no choice but to climb on it and use it for gear. I tried not to worry about it too much. It probably isn't going anywhere.




And then the crux is just as well-protected as Dick says. There is a bomber slot for a Number 2 Camalot, and a good stance from which to place it. The crux is a short sequence of moves. I felt like I'd diagnosed the start of it perfectly. I had good footwork. All my gym bouldering seemed to be paying off. But then I just couldn't get the final move to the big jug. I went up and down several times, and then fell and hung a few times.




I was about to give up, but Gail suggested I try it one more time. And then I finally figured it out. One little bump with the left hand was all I was missing.




If I weren't a little weak from my month off maybe I would have sent it first go.... In any case Gail on top rope made it look incredibly easy. I'm sure if I bother to go back I can get it next time. I would definitely recommend Tulip Mussel Garden as a great option for anyone looking for a safe 5.10 lead with a short crux.









(Photo: Gail in the opening dihedral of Boston Tree Party (5.8).)




After we were done with Tulip Mussel Garden we decided to head way down the cliff to the Easter Time Too (5.8) area. Neither Gail nor I had ever done any of the climbs in this area, and it appeared from the guidebook that Dick uncovered several nice one-pitch climbs in this general area. We found a party on Easter Time Too when we arrived so we started with the group of climbs just to its left. We ended up doing just about all of the climbs in this little crag-within-a-crag and enjoyed them all quite a bit. It is a very pleasant neighborhood in which to spend an afternoon.




From left to right, we did:




As The Cliff Turns (5.9): This climb doesn't look like much from the ground but it has two pretty neat 5.9 cruxes. Good climbing up an arching corner takes you to the first crux, an unusual high-step move up the face. Then the finishing overhang is another solid challenge. You have to unlock the surprising sequence to get up to the roof and then a few jams help get you to the finishing jugs. I really enjoyed this one, fun climbing and well-protected.




Day Tripper (5.8): The interesting thing here is the chimney above the starting corner. I wasn't sure I was psyched to lead this one but afterwards I was glad we did it. It does require you to get your body into the chimney, but then one move later you get out again. I thought it qualified as fun. Then you move up right to a typical Gunks roof escape and easy climbing up a groove to the anchor. This climb is fine, though I doubt I would give it two stars as Dick does. There is a 5.10 direct finish variation out the roof... It might be worth coming back to try that one but it looks awfully hard to me!




Boston Tree Party (5.8): This one is more challenging than Day Tripper, both mentally and physically. Dick says it is a little scary until you get pro in during the initial 5.7 climbing up the open book. I found two micronuts that I liked right off the deck (though the first one later popped out!) but it is a little hairy as you step up right to the end of the roof. There is a critical placement in a vertical seam partway up to the roof and if you were to fall there before getting the piece in, it would be an ugly swing back to the open book and perhaps the ground. Once you turn the corner, the route involves steep 5.8 face climbing with pro that I found adequate but spaced. The wall here could stand to clean up a little more. I pulled on a pebble that came off and hit me in the eye while I was leading, and Gail pulled off at least a couple more. Also if you stay to the right of Day Tripper as the angle eases, the interesting moves continue to the ledge but the face gets dirtier and a bit lichenous. Despite these imperfections I thought this was nevertheless a really fun pitch. I enjoyed the open book and the steep face climbing. Gail thought the whole thing was kind of spicy and hard for 5.8. I'd say in the final analysis that I think 5.8 is a fair grade but I would not send a new 5.8 leader up this one. You'd want to be pretty confident in the grade.









(Photo: In the early bits of Easter Time Too (5.8).)




Easter Time Too (5.8): 80 feet of pure joy. This vertical crack system is obviously the main attraction of the area. Beautiful climbing up a natural line, great holds, great gear anywhere you want it. I didn't want this to end. If this climb were closer to the Uberfall it might be the most popular route in the Gunks. I thought it was a three-star experience. If only it were a little longer.




Good Friday Climb (5.9): Another great pitch. Blissful 5.9 climbing up an unimpeachable face. I was debating whether to lead this or toprope it from the Easter Time chains, but I looked over at Good Friday while I was being lowered from Easter Time and it appeared to me that there would be just barely enough pro, so I went for it. In the end I felt okay about the gear, but be warned that if you lead Good Friday Climb, you want to be proficient with micronuts and tiny cams, and don't pass up any placements. The climbing is really nice, whether on top rope or on lead. I might like to go back and continue up the cliff on this one. Sounds from the guidebook like an exciting (though dirty) 5.9+ roof on the third pitch.




At the end of the day I felt pretty good! The eights and nines all felt casual to me. I was very comfortable on the rock. I never would have predicted that I would try to tackle a 5.10d on my second climbing day of the season. And did I get a little bold all of a sudden? The boulder problem at the base of Tulip Mussel Garden, the scary bit at the bottom of Boston Tree Party, the thin gear on Good Friday Climb-- none of it was much of an issue. I seem to be in about the same place where I was last summer, easily handling the 5.9's and struggling on the 5.10's. I hope for big things this year. Maybe soon I'll start actually sending the 5.10's instead of flailing on them.

Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée

Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

On a whim Friday night, I decided to make crème brûlée, as it is an easy but delicious dessert.

The recipe I used was from Anita Chu's blog Dessert First. I modified it slightly, such as adding more sugar and more vanilla flavoring. I also added Grand Marnier orange liqueur and rose water, as the recipe called for. Overall, the crème brûlée turned out great, with the smooth flavor of vanilla and the floral hint of rose water. The Grand Marnier was hard to discern, however, so I would add more than the recipe calls for. Speaking of the recipe, it's posted below:

Rosebud Crème Brûlée

makes about 6 servings in 4 1/2 ounce ramekins

2 cups heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon vanilla seeds, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces egg yolks (about 4-5 eggs)
2 ounces sugar*
1/4 teaspoon Grand Marnier**
1/2 teaspoon rose water

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Find a baking pan that will fit all of the ramekins you plan to use. The sides of the pan should be at least as high as the ramekins. Line the bottom of the baking pan with a towel.

Heat the cream and vanilla in a medium saucepan on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for about 10 minutes for the vanilla to infuse.

Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl.

Slowly pour about a third of the hot cream into the eggs, whisking all the time to prevent the eggs from curdling.

Pour the tempered eggs back into the cream, whisking constantly until combined. Whisk gently to prevent bubbles from forming.

Strain the mixture into a clean bowl.

Add the Grand Marnier and rose water and let the custard cool slightly.

Arrange the ramekins in the baking pan on top of the towel. Using a ladle, carefully, pour the custard into the ramekins, filling just below the rim. Try to fill all of the ramekins to the same height so they will bake evenly.

Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan until it comes up about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Do not let the water get into the pan.

Carefully place the baking pan into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour until set. I checked at about half an hour and at 45 minutes, but don't open the oven door too often or you'll lose all the heat and the custards will not cook. You can check the progress of the custards by sticking a paring knife into the custard slightly away from the center. If it comes out covered in liquidy custard, it's not done yet. Also, if you lightly touch the center of the custard and your fingertip comes away covered in custard it is also not done.

When the custards are done, they should shimmy slightly when you move the pan (careful not to spill water!) but the center should not move separately. If, however, it has set like Jello and there are bubbles forming on the top it is becoming overcooked and you should remove the custards immediately. If the custards start rising at any point they have become overcooked.

After you remove the baking pan from the oven and the ramekins have cooled enough to handle, remove the ramekins, cover them, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.

When you are ready to serve the crème brûlées, take one ramekin at a time and sprinkle the top with sugar evenly over the top. Using a hand-held blowtorch, carefully caramelize the sugar. Keep the flame at least 2 inches from the sugar to prevent burning the sugar. You can also caramelize the sugar under a broiler.

Let the sugar cool for a couple of minutes before serving. Do not brûlée the custards more than 20 minutes before serving or the sugar may melt.

Recipe courtesy of Anita Chu at http://dessertfirst.typepad.com/dessert_first/2007/04/rosebud_creme_b.html.

*I used more sugar (1/2 cup total instead of about 1/4 cup total).
**You may want to use more Grand Marnier if you want a more noticeable orange flavor.

Another Bumble

Huntingtoin's Phantom Wall?

May 3, .



"I just climbed the southwest face of Mount Huntington in the Alaska Range with Clint Helander. Call it what you want: the third ascent of the Phantom Wall, a new variation, or a new bail, whatever--it was incredible!



Here's the skinny on our climb of the Southwest Face of Huntington. We repeated the crux pitches of the Phantom, but missed the summit due to very bad weather. So call it whatever--I'm calling it a fun adventure up an incredibly beautiful mountain.



Clint and I left our camp on the Tokositna Glacier at 4:30AM on May 2 under perfect weather and snow conditions. The "Death Valley" used by Jay Smith and Paul Teare looked, well, deadly and we agreed to not submit ourselves to this needless objective danger. So, the plan was to gain the technical climbing on the southwest face (the crux pitches of the Phantom Wall) via a snowfield that cuts across the face from the Upper Park on the Harvard Route. We simuled up the Harvard, arriving

below the Spiral in about four hours. A short downclimb and traverse led to the middle part of the face. From here, we climbed about six pitches of technical terrain (75 degrees, M6R, A2) along the right edge of a steep diamond shaped wall to gain the lower angle terrain above. We had some beta from Jared Vilhauer that was crucial to moving quickly over this ground. The weather started to break down (the first time the forecast was right in a week!) as we simuled up the middle of the face above. We soon lost visibility as winds picked up to 30mph and snow started to fall. We couldn't see the summit, so we kept going straight up. This landed us in the middle of the summit ridge, where we conceded to the weather and turned tail, deciding that our fingers were worth more than any summit. The descent down the West Face Couloir (Nettle-Quirk) was awash with spindrift, often reducing our visibility to less than a few feet in the darkness, but it went surprisingly quickly at right around five hours. For a final bit of excitement, I poked into the bergschrund and another crevasse in the course of ten minutes, eventually stumbling back into our camp at 3AM on May 3rd for a 22.5 hour roundtrip."



Kurt Hicks



Kurt's guiding web site:

http://kurthicks.com/












Mark Westman's photo from the facelast year





Congrads gentlemen and well done!

Update from Salt Lake City :: Week Two

In the “early years” of on-site research (back in the 1980s) I usually just abstracted deeds and estate records. Very seldom did I get copies of an entire estate file. The few copies that I did make back then have faded over the years and many of them are no longer legible. In addition, there are estate and other records that I “know” are there – from information obtained from published indexes or other researchers. So, I've been concentrating on obtaining digital copies of those records as well.



It's not super exciting or anything but it's nice to know that I'll be filling in some of the blanks – at least as far as some records are concerned - those that are available here at the Family History Library! As a result of that strategy (gathering records, so to speak), there still haven't been any big breakthroughs although I have found some rather interesting things – some that have generated additional questions, as so often happens.



So far I've scanned deed records for 15 ancestors as well as the complete estate files for the following ancestors, amounting to several hundred pages:

• James Ball 1830, Owen County, Kentucky


• John D. Berlin, 1879, Elkhart County, Indiana


• Susan Berlin, 1880, Elkhart County, Indiana


• Henry Bray, 1798, Nelson County, Kentucky


• Christian Schuder (Sr), 1842, Montgomery County, Ohio


• Casper Stiver (Casper Stoever III), 1821, Montgomery County, Ohio


• Eli Yarian, 1895, Elkhart County, Indiana

As Randy Seaver says, these will provide plenty of “blog fodder” in the future!





Receipt slip signed by my 2nd great-grandparents Lovina Yarian and Eli Yarian.Elkhart County, Indiana Estate file D25. Microfilm No. 1711412.Estate of John D. and Susan Berlin.Susan died before John's estate was settled and her estate was combined with his.

Las Trampas Morning

Las Trampas Morning, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

This seems to be the spring for goldfields in California. They're everywhere. I found this pool of the flowers up in a remote part of Las Trampas Wilderness. How is spring coming along in your area?

Wind Beneath My Wheels

Cycling in New England,I've had my share of encounters with strong winds. Or at least, what I considered strong winds. Here in Northern Ireland they are on an entirely different scale. Part of it is the open landscape. Much of the time, you are cycling through glens (undulating grassy hills), without much in the way of trees for cover. Even the mountains tend to be all grass and rock, with only the occasional clump of forest.This quality of the landscape is part of what makes cycling here so special - the open, panoramic views are ever-present, encouraging on climbs and breath-taking on descents. But on windy daysthere is little in the way of shelter. Cycling in a group, the riders can shelter each other. Cycling alone, you are exposed to it all.




And the windy days can be unpredictable. I have gone out on a calm morning, only to battle violent gusts mid-ride. I have cycled down a straight road in what alternated between headwinds and tailwinds - confused, erratic currents.




One day last week, a headwind grew so strong and steady that, as I rode down a long steep hill it insistently pushed me back up. I could not have imagined such a slow, strenuous descent:It was as if some invisible giant had casually put his hand up against my handlebars.




But most disconcerting of all are the cross winds. I've had the least experience with these so far, but here they are common. Winds blowing sideways and on the diagonal can be strong enough to push the bike around the road. When the wind is steady, I find ways to either lean or position myself against it to reduce the impact. But when it is gusty, a sudden push against the side of the bike, or worst of all, the handlebars, can rattle my nerves. Faced with this, I try to keep simultaneously loose and hyper-ready to react to the blows with quick tiny counter-movements. And if the gusts get really bad, I wait it out: The weather is changeable; the pattern will morph into something else before long.




But the wind is not all bad. One night, I was cycling home along a 10 mile flat stretch. A tailwind picked up - so strong and so close to the ground, it felt as if the current settled in between my tires and the road, transporting me all the way home on a magic carpet ride.

How good is Yangshuo?

A Gift From a Stranger :: Dressler Family Photograph

A few days ago I received a pleasant surprise, delivered to my email inbox. Normally, I don't open email messages with attachments from someone I don't know but the subject of the email enticed me and I thought it would be okay. The subject? "Four Generation Picture of John Jr., John Gilbert, Joseph and Arthur Dressler."

The email was from Marla Duncan who is a great granddaughter of Anna Ellen Dressler. Anna was a sister to John Gilbert Dressler, who was the first husband of Ida Joslin. She had found my blog post on Ida Joslin Dressler Lewis and the letters Ida had written to her sister, Malissa Joslin Brubaker Bower, (May 1, 1899, November 1934, December 1934, January 1935, Fall of 1936). So, Marla isn't related to me in any way (at least, not that we know of). Even though the people in the picture aren't my ancestors (half of them are related though), I'm still excited to be able to add it to my family history documents.

Marla didn't have any information on Joseph, other than what was written on the back of the photograph. She was thrilled with the information I had posted and thought I'd enjoy having the photograph. Oh, yeah! She said, "I feel like a kid in a candy store!!" Marla has graciously given me permission to post the picture and include her name in this post. It is nice to be able to publicly acknowledge her. Thank you, Marla.

That is why I write about my family history and post it here and elsewhere on the Internet. Not just the ancestors, but about the siblings as well. If you don't put it "out there" no one is going to find it! And I firmly believe that descendants of siblings of our ancestors hold many of the clues we are missing in the search for our family history.

Four generations of Dressler men. Clockwise starting with the young man standing in the back: Joseph, John, Arthur, and John Dressler.

Written on the reverse:
Joseph Dressler son of John Dressler born at Dorrance Ks.
John Dressler son of of John & Sarah Dressler.
John Dressler - Mothers father, born in Pennsylvania, Dec. 3rd 1818. 92 I believe on this date of picture.
Arthur Dressler son of Joe & Belva Dressler, born in Dorrance Ks. Now of Mountainair, New Mexico.(In lower right corner): Gertrudes Picture

=+==+=

Joseph Gilbert Dressler, the young man standing in the center of the picture, is my 1st cousin 3 times removed. His mother, Ida Joslin, and my 2nd great grandmother, Malissa Joslin, were sisters and they were two of the 15 children of Lysander and Lydia (Robison) Joslin.

The only clue I had regarding the whereabouts of Joseph Dressler was in Ida's obituary which stated that a son, Joseph, lived in New Mexico. The letters written by Ida provided some clues as well. When the census indexes became available online it was a relatively simple task to locate him. In September .., a query to the webmaster of the Torrance County, New Mexico website put me in contact with a grandson of Joseph Dressler. I sent him the information I had found but never heard back from him. And then, as often happens, life got in the way of research, and I never followed up.

From my .. conversations with the grandson of Joe I learned:

Joe and Belva had two sons and a daughter: Chester, Arthur and Lola. Chester and his wife Pearl had one son, Eugene (Gene). Arthur had two daughters and Lola married Irvin Taylor and had two sons.

Joe Dressler's real mother left him and his Dad when Joe was about three years old and he never had any contact with her again until after his Dad died. The grandchildren do not know the name of either Joe's father or mother. After Joe's father died the mother came to see Joe and he thought maybe she even came to New Mexico at least once, maybe twice. When she died Joe went to Kansas and took care of the arrangements. Joe was the only child she ever had, but he never had much contact with her. Joe just never talked about his family. Belva talked about hers a lot and her maiden name was Roe. She was Republican and Joe was a very strong Democrat. Joe was the probate judge for Torrance County for several years.

A portion of a letter from Ida to Malissa in the fall of 1936:

...I guess it made you sadder to bid your boy goodbye forever. I don't know as I will ever see Joe again although he always says he will come when he can get away from his farm. I wrote him it would be too late if he kept putting it off but I know its hard to get away from the farm. He is not well. Neither is his wife. Just working themselves to death - children all worried. Still they don't seem to know how to let up. They always say - "just one more year" - but they keep right on. The youngest boy, with his family, lives on Joes farm. He built a house for him. The other one not far away but Lolo is the one Be--- wants near her but she is a long way off. Only comes every year but she seems happy with her husband and two boys. Guess she won't have any more. I hope not. The youngest is 3 ½ - the other one 6 - going to Kindergarten. Lolo gives them a good start as she taught school several terms before she married Ervin.

=+==+=

Joseph Gilbert Dressler was born February 24, 1885 in Kansas (in Dorrance, according to the photograph) and was the son of John Gilbert and Ida Blanch (Joslin) Dressler.

Joe is listed in the household of John G. Dressler in the 1880 census (Plymouth Township, Russell County, Kansas page 72): Joseph G. Dressler, son, 15 years old, born Feb. 1885 in Kansas. His father was born in Pennsylvania and his mother was born in Indiana.

In the 1910 census, Joseph G. Dressler was found in Dorrance City, Plymouth Township, Russell County, Kansas (page 80B/3B). He is 25 years old and has been married for 6 years. His wife, Belvie L., is 25 years old, has 2 children (both living). Residing with them are their 4 year old son Arthur and daughter Lola, who is 3 years old. Also in their household was his 36 year old brother-in-law William Roe and his 21 year old cousin (female) Ollie Mackle.

In 1920, Joe and family were found in Precinct 17, Jaramillo, Torrance County, New Mexico (page 268/1A). Joseph G. Dressler, owns his home, is 35 years old and married. Also in the household were his wife Belva L., 35; son Arthur G., 14 6/12; daughter Lola L., 12; and son Chester E., 10 7/12.

They were still living in Torrance County in 1930 (Ewing Precinct 17, page 84) but by now the children were out on their own. Joe was 45 years old, he was first married at age 19. He was born in Kansas, his father was born in Pennsylvania, and his mother was born in Indiana. His occupation was listed as a general farm laborer. Listed with him was his wife Belva R., age 45.

Joseph and Belva are buried in Mountainair Cemetery, Torrance County, New Mexico. According to the tombstone picture, Joseph was born February 24, 1885 and died December 15, 1961. Belva was born March 21, 1885 and died January 9, 1967.

=+==+=

Arthur has not been found in the 1930 census. There is a record on the SSDI that shows an Arthur Dressler whose social security card was issued in New Mexico. He was born July 26, 1905 [probably Dorrance, Russell County, Kansas] and died in March 1976. His last residence was listed as Thousand Oaks, Ventura County, California. A search of the California Death Index, 1940-1997 on ancestry shows that Arthur G Dressler was born July 26, 1905 in Kansas and died March 20, 1976 in Los Angeles.

The California Marriage Index, 1960-1985 on ancestry has an entry for Arthur G Dressler, age 56, born about 1905. Married on November 11, 1961 in Los Angeles to Viola M, age 47, born about 1914. Her surname is given as Clark on one page and Hucke on another.

=+==+=

Lola Dressler and Irvin Taylor were found in the 1930 census in Township 5, Inyo County, California (page 288): He rents their home for $12.50, they own a Radio. He is 28 years old and was married at age 28. He was born in Texas and works as a laborer at a Clay Mill. His wife, Lola E., is 23 years old, was married at age 22, and was born in Kansas. No occupation is given.

The family listed just before Lola and Irvin was that of 26 year old Cyrus O. Taylor who was born in Texas. Presumably a brother of Irvin.

A search of the California Death Index, 1940-1997 on ancestry resulted in a match for Lola Elnore Taylor, born January 20, 1907 in Kansas. She died March 1, 1983 in Los Angeles. Her mother's maiden name was Roe and her father's surname was Dressler.

In the letter, mentioned above, from the fall of 1936 we find that Lola has two boys: the youngest is 3 ½ and the other one was 6 years old.

A check on WorldConnect found Lola Dressler born January 20, 1907 in Kansas and died March 1, 1983 in Los Angeles, California. She married Samuel Irvin Taylor. He was born May 4, 1901 in Edwards County, Texas and died April 18, 1975 in Kern County, California. His parents were Arris Samuel Taylor and Laura Clazona Roberts. No sources were given.

=+==+=

Chester Dressler was located in the 1930 census in Ewing Precinct 17, Torrance County, New Mexico (page 84). He was 20 years old, was married at age 19, born in Kansas, and was a general farm laborer. His wife, Pearl, was 20 years old and born in Oklahoma.

The SSDI shows that Chester was born June 6, 1910 and died in April 1983. His last residence and last benefit was listed as Mountainair, Torrance County, New Mexico. His social security card was issued in New Mexico. Chester lived on the family farm and it was his son with whom I made a brief contact back in ...

=+==+=

Fun in the Sun at the Outdoor Demo

"It's going to be hot there you know..." warned the fellow next to me as I waited in line to sign the liability waiver. I had arrived in Las Vegas the day before Interbike, and there was still time to make it to the final hours of the Outdoor Demo. While attendees are not permitted to ride the display bicycles at Interbike, the Outdoor Demo provides an opportunity to do just that. Hastily, I attached my wristband and boarded the shuttle that delivered visitors to the remote location.







Set up35 miles outside of Las Vegasin Bootleg Canyon, the Outdoor Demo resembled a tent city in the desert. An expanse of dirt and exotic shrubsdominated the landscape, in the fenced-off center of which stood hundreds of white, black and red booths. Colourfull flags announcing brand names protruded high into the air. Adistant view of hazy mountains surrounded it all. The air was scorchingly hot and completely dry. I checked the temperature on my phone and saw it was 99° F. The sky looked very strange to me - hazy in one direction, with everything in the distance looking blurry and faded, yet crisp and bright-blue in the other direction.






Starting just beyond the tent city was a paved loop road for test riding road and city bikes. The road was closed to motor vehicles during the event.






And extending toward the hills was a network of dirt trails for test riding mountain bikes.






A variety of bicycle, component and accessory manufacturers were represented, ready to demonstrate their new lines of products and loan out bikes.






Interbike and the Outdoor Demo are industry trade shows. Attendees tend to be bicycle shop owners, purchasers, merchandise distributors, importers, event promoters, media, and the like. Many are there to test ride bikes and try components in order to decide whether their shop should carry a specific model, or just to get a feel for the new line.






Being held outdoors in the sun, it is perhaps not surprising that the atmosphere was more casual than at Interbike. In a way it was almost like a village carnival: all bike rides and flowing beer.






The representatives at the booths were a lot more relaxed and casual than they typically are at Interbike, which made for easy-going conversations. Knowing that I didn't have the time to go around test riding everything, I decided to make my way through the demo and just get a feel for the overall event.






Felt Bicycles had an enormous presence and one of the largest selection of bikes. They organised their space like a library, with rows of bike racks lined up like book shelves, and a bike return area. I had a nice talk with the representative about their latest line of roadbikes, including the 7 women-specific road-racing models. I've had considerable positive feedback about Felt from female readers, and now I got a good vibe frominteracting with them in person. Worth a look for those shopping for a new roadbike.






Crankbrothers was another major presence, with small booths set up all over the Demo.






I use Crankbrothers pedals on my own bikes and love them, so I was excited to see Interbike limited editions of all of their models. Visitors were lining up to buy them.






And I suppose that's worth mentioning as one of the perks of these shows - access to new models, prototypes and limited editions at special prices. There was a great deal of buying and selling going on.






The Chris King booth was experiencing a particularly brisk trade, with crowds of people swooning over the colourful headsets and hubs.






They do know how to present their products to maximise the deliciousness factor; the hub-kebabs looked particularly fetching.







A few Cielo bikes (Chris King's partner brand) were on display and available for testing as well. I've shown pictures of a friend's Cyclocross model before; they are attractive and versatile bikes.






One of the more interesting displays was the Moots booth, with their charming crocodile logo.






Moots is a titanium bike manufacturer based in Colorado, specialising in road, mountain and cyclocross models.






On occasion I get questions from readers about what I think of Moots compared to Seven, but until now I had never even seen a Moots up close, let alone ridden one enough to compare. Unfortunately, I was wearing a dress and did not bring my cycling shoes (I had not planned to attend the Outdoor Demo), so a test ride was not in the cards. But visually the bikes come across very differently to me, and I am surprised that some describe them as similar.






Seven roadbikes have skinnier tubes than the Moots, the forks are completely different, and most notably different are the designs of the seat stays, chainstays and dropouts. I have no idea how any of it translates into ride characteristics, but aesthetically it's hard to mistake one brand for the other.





Oh and that alligator! Apparently modeled after a pencil eraser the company's founder had as a child.






While I wasn't able to test ride any roadbikes, I did try a new step-through Tern folding bike model (a separate write-up of this coming up later) and found it pretty interesting.






I also very briefly tried a Surly Pugsley, on dirt (though not the Bionx version pictured here), and found it simultaneously amazing and completely un-bikelike. The tires are fatter than anything I've ridden before and it almost did not feel like being on two wheels.






Later I met the representative of Urbana, which I've reviewed here before.






They were offering the new Bionx e-assist versions of the bikes for test rides, but at this point I needed to head back into town and was also on the verge of heat stroke - despite having drank water non-stop and tried to duck inside shaded booths every chance I got.






The intense desert heat was not to be messed around with.






Cycling here must be pretty tough, and I am not entirely clear on how the locals are able to stay hydrated on long rides. I drank 3 bottles of water in the course of an hour and a half, and it barely felt like enough. Not all Interbike attendees come to the Outdoor Demo, and speaking to some of them about it later the heat was cited as the major factor. Some find it simply impossible to walk around the canyon for hours, let alone to test ride bikes in any meaningful way in 100° F temperatures.






I am glad I was able to stop by the Outdoor Demo, if only to see the desert landscape and to get a sense for how the event is run. I would say the Demo is most useful for those who want to test ride and compare a variety of road or mountain bike models. Most of the mainstream manufacturers were represented, with a sprinkling of smaller ones. The Outdoor Demo is a two-day event held immediately before Interbike. For those interested in serious test rides I would suggest planning to be there for at least a full day, to bring cycling clothing and shoes if applicable, and to apply powerful sun screen.






Observing the dynamics of the event, it seemed to be at least as much about the socialising as about the test rides themselves, which is probably just generally how these things are. Watching from the sidelines, it is fun to think that major purchasing decisions of bike shops across the country are based on deals struck over beery, sunburnt conversations in the desert. Of course it is not really that simple.