Large Black Gourd Vase

How do they know?

There are a lot of technical problems with this picture. I've been trying to get a shot of the chickens when they are taking a dust bath, but it's hard to sneak up on dustbathing chickens, especially when a large dog insists on shadowing you.

They keep running away when I get close. Like some people, I guess chickens feel vulnerable in their bath. (Did they see Psycho too?)

So for now all I have is this problematic picture, too dark in one part and too light in another, distracting bits of wood that the dog's dragged into the area, and a picnic table sticking out in one corner. Sorry.

If you'd never seen birds taking a dust bath, you might think that they had gone nuts.

If there is no loose dirt available, they'll dig it up themselves (no lawn is safe).

They alternately flatten themselves in the dirt, and roll over onto their sides in it. They wriggle in it and use their wings to throw it up onto their backs. All while fluffing themselves up so that the dust can reach every feather.

When they've gotten enough dust on them, they stand up and shake it all off. Sometimes it seems like there's enough dirt in there to make a whole other chicken.

I've read that taking a dust bath helps with feather maintenance (absorbs excess oil) and keeps bugs away. Wild birds do it too.

But these chickens never knew a mother or an elder hen or rooster, having been born in incubators and shipped from the hatchery when they were just hours old.

So how do they know to take a dust bath?

Maybe it's hard-wired in their brains, a little instruction somewhere on the DNA.

Or maybe it's just obvious to them. Thirsty, drink water. Itchy, take a dust bath. Just one of the things that chickens are born knowing?

The Black Diamond Crampon report

"A piece of climbing gear you don't trust 100% is probably best retired or simply destroyed. eBay is not a good answer here."




Dane Burns @ Cold Thistle







The full BD report is well worth the effort and the read imo.

QC LAB: Gear Doesn’t Last Forever – CRAMPONS




http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/journal/climb/all/qc-lab-gear-doesnt-last-forever--crampons

Bottom line from Black Diamond

• Vertically oriented front points are best for climbing water ice and/or heavy climbers, and tend to do better in cyclic fatigue.
• Horizontal front points are best used for the alpine.
• Flexible center bars can increase the lifespan of your crampons, but at a cost of performance.
• Boots aren’t as rigid as they used to be and break down/wear in quicker.
• Use flexible center bars with truly non-rigid boots.
• Gear doesn’t last forever.




My take from the report is there is still a lot of guess work as to what is really reliable and what is not for boot and crampon combos at BD. I tend to want my own gear to be 100% reliable without having to second guess every little decision. And I'd like to enjoy what I consider the highest performance currently available from both boot and crampon. That combo for my own needs would seem to be labeled as "unreliable" by BD. Anecdotal evidence would seem to back up that conclusion.







A crampon and boot combination I really like on steep water ice. But not a combo either I or BD recommends.






While I don't agree with every conclusion or all the numbers as they have been presented I think the newest BD report does go a long ways in telling us how Black Diamond has decided to answer the problems they have experienced with stainless crampons. Any answer is a good answer imo when it comes to climbing gear.




From BD's own data:

Sabre Pro SS
Average Cycles to failure: 12,312 +/- 3,047

Sabre Pro CrMo
Average Cycles to failure: 15,079 +/- 2454

In summary, the CrMo fails after completing 23% more cycles than the SS.













A rather esoteric boot here in North America, the Scarpa Phantom Ultra.





Previuous masthead photo...dbl click for full effect



Because of this year long discussion, my current crampon choice, with a rigid center bar and this boot is obvious in the masthead photo and below, Petzl Dartwins. While not perfect imo they and the Dart have no significant history of failure that I know of with any boot combo.















" Flexible center bars can increase the lifespan of your crampons, but at a cost of performance" BD QC

Hovenweep :: Square Tower Group

I found Hovenweep National Monument to be a fascinating place. Viewing the multi-storied towers perched on the canyon rims and balanced on boulders, I was amazed by the structures and by the people who had built them. Experts at masonry and engineering, the builders used the rock slabs for foundations and the walls of the structures were laid down over the uneven surfaces, rising, in some cases, to heights of several stories.

Why were they built on the rocks? Why were they built in a variety of shapes – squares, ovals, circles, and D-shaped? What was the purpose of the buildings? What happened to their builders?

According to literature from the National Park Service:

The towers of Hovenweep were built by ancestral Puebloans, a sedentary farming culture that occupied the Four Corners area from about A.D. 500 to A.D. 1300. Similarities in architecture, masonry and pottery styles indicate that the inhabitants of Hovenweep were closely associated with groups living at Mesa Verde and other nearby sites.

The ancestral Puebloans prepared their land for cultivation much like farmers do today. They created terraces on hillsides, formed catch basins to hold storm run-off, and built check dams to retain topsoil that would otherwise wash away. Storage granaries under the canyon rims protected harvests of corn, beans and squash for later use.

Many theories attempt to explain the use of the buildings at Hovenweep. The striking towers might have been celestial observatories, defensive structures, storage facilities, civil buildings, homes or any combination of the above. While archeologists have found that most towers were associated with kivas (Puebloan ceremonial structures), their actual function remains a mystery.

By the end of the 13th century, it appears a prolonged drought, possibly combined with resource depletion, factionalism and warfare, forced the inhabitants of Hovenweep to depart. Though the reason is unclear, ancestral Puebloans throughout the area migrated south to the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico and the Little Colorado River Basin in Arizona. Today's Pueblo, Zuni and Hopi people are descendants of this culture.

The Square Tower Group, located in and around Little Ruin Canyon, which is a short walk from the visitors center, has the largest collection of ancestral Puebloan structures at Hovenweep. The remains of nearly thirty kivas have been discovered as well as a variety of other structures. They think that it is possible that as many as 500 people occupied the Square Tower area between A.D. 1200 and 1300.

The Stronghold House as seen from across the the canyon, from the south side.

These are the same two buildings in the previous photo, taken from a slightly different angle. Using the zoom distorts and compresses the view somewhat.

Two towers, looking northwest.

The same two towers, looking northeast.

Detail showing the stonework.

Hovenweep House, the largest structure in the area, along with several outbuildings. As seen from the south side of the canyon.

Hovenweep House, on the edge of the canyon. Looking to the east.

The Square Tower. Perched on a boulder, at the bottom of the west end of the canyon.

Ruins Canyon, looking east. The two towers are just below the rim of the canyon near the center of the picture. Several other structures dot the landscape, almost blending in with the boulders.

Photographs taken on May 19, ...

Roadrunner

The Roadrunner is New Mexico's state bird and we have a few that pass through here occasionally. Usually if I see one before I can think about getting the camera it is gone or so far off I can't get a decent photo. A roadrunner was the fartherest thing from my mind the other night when I went to feed the horses. It was the last feeding of the day at 9 pm which meant it was dark and all good little roadrunners should have been in bed. And this one was but in an unusual place.
Lee was trying to get a bale of hay down off the top of the stack, about 7 feet up and was having trouble getting ahold of the string that keeps the bale together. So I turned around to get the hay hook that we have hanging near the hay shed door. Surprise! I found myself being stared at by two shiny, glaring, black roadrunner eyes. Roasting on a 2 x 4 above the door was one of the birds. I stepped back in surprise. And especially at the size of the sharp beak that was pointed at me. You can see him in the photo with his tail up unsure of weather he should stay or leave and knowing that he can't see in the dark he decides to stay put even though there are two humans getting hay for the horses in the shed, as well as a dog with them. You can see the handle of the antique hay hook that I was reaching for next to the hammer and the top of the door in the lower right hand corner. As quickly and quietly as we could, we got the hay, which did include getting the hay hook and dropping a 50 pound bale of hay onto the floor, and then I decided to get the camera and take his photo hoping that the flash wouldn't destrub him even worse that we had. It didn't seem to bother him at all. The roadrunner had got into the hay shed because we leave the door open a lot, so we left it open for the night as we figured he would be gone at first light the next morning which would be earlier than when we feed the horses. But surprise again. He was still there at 7 am the next morning. We decided enough was enough. We didn't want such a big bird living in the shed. lee got the broom and shoo-ed him out the door. He ran like a flash down the driveway, under the gate, and disappeared down the road. I think it might have been a young bird that was confussed. He certainly wasn't as big as some I have seen so it could have been one that had recently left it's parents.

Pine Moon

Our natural satellite hangs near the branches of a pine.

Mount Rushmore – And a New Camera!

Thursday, August 25th - - You can't go to the Badlands and Rapid City and not stop to see Mount Rushmore, can you? I had been there with my mother back in 1976. We happened to get there on the Fourth of July and since our country was in the midst of its Bicentennial year, there was a big celebration going on with fireworks and everything. It was awesome. From that visit I knew there were some places along the highway that The Presidents could be seen, besides I refused to pay $10 for parking! Call me cheap if you will....



























I had decided to spend another night at Custer State Park and went into Rapid City to take care of some business - I needed a new camera! The one I had was putting a rather large grayish spot in the upper center of some pictures. Not all of them, usually those with a pretty blue sky. If you noticed, many of the shots taken in the Badlands and within the past few weeks were cropped to cut out some of the sky – that's why. Camera going bad. Not good. It also makes a bit of a grinding noise when the lens is extended when turning the camera on. Probably dirt or dust in the mechanism.



I had been looking around for the last couple of weeks but there wasn't a “big box” electronics store in the small towns I'd been through. Wally World had several nice cameras (Canon SX30 IS and a Nikon) on display but they were out of stock everywhere I stopped, including Rapid City. I ended up getting what was in stock and what met most of my criteria:

• A viewfinder (a must under bright light conditions as I often found that I couldn't see what I was taking a picture of!)


• Uses AA batteries (I severely dislike brands that use proprietary batteries and I love the convenience of “regular” batteries, especially rechargeable ones).


• More megapixels and greater zoom capabilities than the current camera.

What it didn't have that I wanted was aposition-ableor adjustable viewing screen (the kind you can flip up or down). But I can live without that.



I played with the idea of getting a digital SLR but I really like the convenience of a smaller camera. I hauled around bunches of lenses and camera bodies when in the Navy and for years afterward. Just didn't want to do that again.



I purchased a Fujifilm Finepix S2940 with 14 megapixels and an 18x zoom. The current camera was 12 megapixels and 12x zoom. Also would have liked a little bit more zoom capability but the 18x zoom is a nice compromise. It is about the maximum that I can effectively hand-hold and not get fuzzy photos! Anything longer would require use of a tripod, at least for me.



The first three photos were taken with the “old” camera (Canon SX120 IS) in the morning and the last three with the new Fujifilm camera in the afternoon. The image of Washington was cropped from a landscape photo only so much as to eliminate traces of the other fellows. The Lincoln image is not cropped at all.



There seems to be a bit of a “lag time” before the next picture can be taken, but overall I'm happy with the new camera and I'm loving the viewfinder! It also has a panorama setting that is pretty slick.



=+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+=



Update: After using it for five days, the Fujifilm camera went back to the store. The "lag time" between photos was unacceptable. It would take anywhere for 10 to 30 seconds between shooting one picture and being able to take the next one! If I'd had this camera in White River, I never would have been able to take those action photos of the rodeo. It didn't seem to matter whether the batteries were fully charged or partially used or nearly completely used. I really liked the camera but that "feature" made it difficult for me to continue to use it. The other thing that I didn't like was that it did not have an on/off button, rather it had a sliding switch that sometimes didn't turn the camera on when it was moved to the "on" position. I would NOT recommend this camera to anyone! So, I've reverted to using the "old" camera again for a while, until I can find what I want. I'm looking at the Canon SX30 IS and the Nikon P500. Although several "big box" stores have them on display they don't have them in stock, at least in the places I've stopped! Sigh....

Put upon

This poor little Trillium decumbens (Trailing Trillium) made the mistake of growing in an area with an overabundance of grasshoppers. It looks a bit frazzled. I feel the same, when thinking about everything I need to get caught up on in the coming week.

Stormy weather washed out the traditional best-sales-day of our last spring craft show Saturday. But like one neighbor observed, it could have been worse -- the tents could have been upside down. One bright spot was meeting an artist whose work I'd previously admired on her Etsy shop. I spent some more of my George money on one of her pieces similar to this one.

I'm thinking of trying Etsy myself, for one-of-a-kind soapy things, or the "bargain bars" that I normally sell only at shows. (We call them "cosmetically challenged" soaps because we hate to call them ugly.) Just one more item to add to the list of "things I should probably be doing instead of blogging"...

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If you like the creepy crawlers, check out the Circus of the Spineless!

Mount Erie ..

The original plan was to head to the desert for some climbing. But in a strange twist the weather was forecast to be better west of the mountains. So Sabrina and I changed our plans and headed to Mount Erie. The hope was to clip some bolts and maybe do a little top roping. We left Seattle around 7am and arrived near the top of Mount Erie around 8:45.

We were attempting to access the Powerline Crag and had some minor difficulty determining where to park. (Thankfully we brought two guidebooks with us.) Then we headed out on the trail in an attempt to find the crag. In typically Mount Erie fashion, we hiked too far over some sketchy terrain. We were only about 20' above a trail that looked level and should lead us back to the crag, but could not find a way down. We hiked back and eventually found the crag and our starting point for the day, False Impressions (5.8).

It was a bit chilly and Sabrina and I procrastinated before I decided to do the first lead. By this time, a man and a woman arrived and started on the route immediately to the right of False Impressions. I balked at the high first bolt and committing step out onto the route and handed the lead over to Sabrina. She balked a bit before she got going and she was on her way. She made her way smoothly through the first four bolts and then hung because of the pump of figuring out the next move. After getting back on the wall, she made quick work of the rest of the route. I followed the route, and found it more difficult than I probably would have on lead. I also took a direct start which eliminates the committing step out, but it means you are climbing for 10-12' before reaching the first bolt. Sabrina climbed it again on top rope and found it more difficult to follow as well.

Sabrina cleaning the anchors on False Impressions

A crowd had gathered by this point and there were now six other people in the area besides ourselves. So Sabrina and I headed to the east end of the crag to climb a few more bolted routes. This involved a scramble up to a ledge system which was somewhat precarious. Fortunately there was an anchor bolt that we anchored into as well as secured our backpacks to. One of the other parties also came up to the ledge and we negotiated routes.

I led the 5.8 Finishing Touch which I found easier than False Impressions. (Perhaps why one guidebook lists it as a 5.7+?) It was less steep and had some thin balance moves. Sabrina led it after me and found it more difficult. I followed her lead and we did an ill advised walk off to climber's right to get back. (We were using a natural anchor and the only rap anchor was being used by the other party.)

Sabrina on Finishing Touch

After our walking excursion, we set our sights on No Holds Barred (5.10a). I got the first lead and cruised up the easy section at the bottom to the second bolt. I paused for a long time attempting to unlock the moves above me all while my legs were getting pumped. I finally hung and attempted again. It wasn't working. I lowered off and rested my legs and then had back at it. This time I was successful as I had made a plan from the ground. I then fell repeatedly trying to figure out the next set of moves. Part of my issue was that I had not seen a critical hold for my right hand that was near the fourth bolt. After finding the hold I was able to move up and complete the route. Sabrina led it after me and had a short fall at one point and hung a bit at another point before completing the route. I tried it again on top rope without any issues.

Sabrina climbing No Holds Barred

At this point we contemplated what to do next. We knew we had to leave the immediate vicinity as there were no climbs left for us to do. Where we started in the morning had become crowded, and that was no longer an option either. So we were going to have to scramble down from the ledge to walk up and out. I decided that we should put our packs on and climb Finishing Touch again so we would be at the trail. Sabrina agreed if I would lead it. So I did. In the mid afternoon after a bit of climbing, the pack really affected my ability to climb. It made the 5.8 feel harder than the .10a we had just climbed. Near the top I avoided the crux of the route by traversing over to the final moves of No Holds Barred. I anchored to a tree and brought Sabrina up.

We debated briefly about going to another location to climb but Sabrina suggested we relax and enjoy the view. Being fairly tired and knowing the difficulties of getting to another crag on Erie, I agreed and we sat a bit on an outcropping enjoying the day before returning to the car to go home.

Glacier, Whitehorse and Three Fingers

Overall this was a great trip. It was nice to get out with Sabrina who I had been missing going out with. While the forecast was for "mostly cloudy" the day went from cold and overcast to sunny and warm. Short sleeves weather in the afternoon was welcomed by all. I felt I climbed well enough, but was hoping to climb better. I enjoyed all the routes we did, and would probably recommend them to others.

D2R2: Green River Tour+

Last Saturday I took part in a famous East Coast ride known as theDeerfield Dirt-Road Randonnée (D2R2). Don't be too impressed: I only did the short Green River Tour, augmented slightly to make it an even 50 miles. It was a good way to test my comfort level with unpaved riding, and I had a wonderful time.




The D2R2 happened unexpectedly. For the past two years I'd tried to go, but each time it did not work out. This year I did not even consider it, for lack of appropriate bike. So I wasn't training, and hadn't done any unpaved riding in months. Then a couple of weeks ago, Rawland Cycles offered me to try a new bike they've just released - a sporty model with 650B wheels and fat tires. When I mentioned the D2R2 was coming up, everything happened quickly. The Ride Studio Cafe took delivery of the bike just days before the event, assembling and tuning it with miraculous speed. On Friday I took it on a shake-down ride on some local dirt trails and determined that I'd be able to ride it. A friend borrowed a van with room for three, and could give me a ride to the start. Late in the evening I packed, printed out a cue sheet, and devised a method to affix it sturdily to the handlebars. Then I tried to stifle my excitement and go to sleep. Finally I drifted off, to the sound of rain against the window.






The D2R2 is more than a ride; it's an event. Many arrive the evening before and camp out in tents. Neither I nor my carpool companions were able to do that, so we left the morning of. At 5:30am Somervillain and our friend Brian arrived at my door. The rain started up again as we rolled my bike into the van alongside the other two and secured it with bungee cords. The rain continued as we drove toward Deerfield, MA. I began to wonder whether it would get so muddy that I simply would not be able to do the ride, but tried not to think about it.




In the early hours the roads were empty and the drive took us less than two hours.The D2R2 start is an enormous grass field, surrounded by patches of woods and cornfields. A thick fog hung over it all. In the distance we could see rows of colourful tents.To the side were rows of densely parked cars and vans, laden with bikes. Riders were assembling their bikes, changing clothes and shoes.






There were cyclists riding in circles on the grass, as if warming up before a race. The start times are staggered, with the 180K having already set off before we arrived. Brian and Somervillain would be doing the 100K route, with a 9:00 am start and mine was the 9:30 start. We had plenty of time.






It was clear from the beginning that some treated the D2R2 as a competitive event and others treated it as a party. Groups of riders in team kit were gathered in clusters discussing game plans.






Others chatted with friends, as if they did not have a care in the world.






A row of portable toilets stood picturesquely, against a backdrop of mountain vistas. The rain seemed to be easing up, but the fog and the overcast skies remained. The grass was wet. My cleats sunk into the mud as I walked my bike toward the registration tent.






Not having pre-registered, I expected chaotic crowds, but it was civilised and well-organised. I registered and received a number to pin on my jersey and bracelet granting me entrance to dinner later. Each rider was also given a sticker with an ID chip (like the kind they use to track pets!) to place on their helmet, so that they could keep track of our times and whereabouts in case of emergency, since there is no mobile phone reception throughout much of the route. This is the first year they did the ID chip thing, and I have mixed feelings about it. But I dutifully affixed the sticker, and got my number pinned on. I have never done a ride with such official trappings before.






A hot breakfast was served, with coffee and vegetarian frittatas. There were also bagels, hard boiled eggs, pastries and juice.






I was so excited that I wasn't hungry, but forced myself to sit down and eat - jumping up occasionally to greet people I knew and to photograph all the fabulous bikes.






Most of the cyclists I knew were doing the 100K ride, with a few opting for the 115K and the 180K. I began to question my decision to do the short, flat route. But then I remembered that it wasn't about the distance and the climbing itself, but about doing all that on dirt roads. I am not a confident off-road cyclist, to put it kindly, and I've only done short stretches in the past. The shorter route was enough to start with, if I could even handle that much.






As the last of my acquaintances set off for the 100K, the sun came out, slowly bathing the green field in a warm glow. The sky turned blue. Now I was eager to get going.






Even though I'd now met some people who'd be doing the River Tour route, I decided to ride alone so that I could stop whenever I liked and take pictures. I'd brought my big, heavy DSLR camera in my saddlebag. I wanted to enjoy the scenery and take my time. I arranged the cue sheet at an angle that was easily visible from my vantage point on the bike. At 9:30am I set off, allowing the first wave of starters to go on ahead of me.






After following the cue sheet through a short stretch of paved side streets, I finally arrived at a dirt road leading through some corn fields. The dirt here had turned to mud from the rain, and had not yet dried out even though the sun was out now. I gave it a try and found that my tires could handle the mud.






It did get pretty bad in a couple of stretches - deep and viscous. I accelerated through it to keep the bike going. Later I had to clean mud out from under my pedals.






After the cornfields came a stretch that was unexpectedly un-D2R2like: a manicured bike path, and some main roads with awkward turns. This went on for about 5 miles and I tried to get through it as quickly as possible. I began to pass cyclists who'd started before me. Some of them looked worried and confused - clearly not having expected to be on the road with cars for such a long period of time, and not able to read a cue sheet and ride at the same time. Finally the cue sheet directed me to a (still paved) back road that was much quieter and passed through some scenic farms. But still no dirt.






It was not until mile 10 that the pavement ended again and the scenery changed from farms to forest. Here the dirt and gravel were damp, but not wet or muddy. There were ruts and some loose stretches, but all perfectly manageable on fat tires.






The Green River Tour is described as flat, and it is compared to the longer routes. My 50 miles included about 2,600 feet of climbing. The 100K, while only 15 miles longer, included 7,500 feet of climbing. Still, even the Green River route is not pancake flat. On the outbound leg, there was a general upward trend. There was also a scattering of very short, but steep climbs throughout. My computer registered 10-14% grades on a few occasions and I would see cyclists walking up the steeper inclines. Riding uphill on unpaved terrain is more difficult than on asphalt and requires lower gears than would normally be used for the same grade. I did use my low gears liberally over the course of the flat ride.






The Green River winds through the woods picturesquely, and I found this part of the route extremely relaxing. The air smelled like leaves and grass and dirt after the rain. I could hardly feel the heat of what was now a very sunny day with temperatures in the 80s. I was torn between wanting to go slowly to prolong the experience, and wanting to go fast because it was fun and I was full of energy. A couple of times I turned around and went back just to have another look at something that I passed too quickly on the first go.





At around mile 15 there was a checkpoint with water, food and portable bathroom facilities. The volunteers were exceptionally nice. I refilled my nearly empty bottles and ate a banana.







The beautiful dirt roads continued after the checkpoint, until finally I saw ahead what could only be the lunch stop: a red covered bridge surrounded by a sea of cyclists. The organisers were clever with the route design, so that all the riders ended up at the same half-way point lunch stop, which remained open from 12:00 noon until 4pm.






This spot was so gorgeous, words and pictures can hardly do it justice. Green water flowing so smoothly, that the river surface resembled a sheet of malachite. Then, suddenly, a waterfall, white water frothing over rocks. Thick leafy canopies provided natural shade. Soft fragrant grass and pine needles made for a cushioned sitting surface.






Cyclists arrived from all directions.





Bikes were placed everywhere.






The lunch tent was beautifully situated, spacious, and offered many food options - sandwiches, snacks, potato and pasta salad, and buckets of sliced pickles.







I made use of the pickle juice when refilling my water bottles, which made for an interesting conversation with a roadie who thought the stuff was there as a joke. Nope. And yum!





Some riders tried to rest, or tend to their bikes.






But most treated it like a big party, circulating and eating and socialising.






No one looked dead-tired or miserable. Most were not in a hurry. I saw lots of cyclists arrive but not many leave until I myself got going after 2pm.






The return route was slightly different, affording more glimpses of unusual structures and landscapes. It was difficult not to constantly stop to photograph things. There were several long, winding downhill stretches here made somewhat treacherous by viscous mud, puddle-filled ruts and loose gravel. I was surprised at how easily the bike handled through it all. I was really just thinking about how pretty everything was the entire time, not about the riding itself.






To ride for miles and miles and miles without seeing any cars, stores or pavement, was really something. The smells of undisturbed forest on a summer afternoon put me in a trance. It was at this stage that I added a short extra loop to my ride, to turn the 44 miles into an even 50. While I was not ready for the challenging climbs of the 100K, I did wish for more distance. But I didn't wander too far from the prescribed route, as my phone had no reception and I did not want to get lost.






It was sad when the dirt roads ended. But luckily, the paved stretch was more pleasant on the return route than it had been heading out.





Rolling up to the finish after what had basically been a road-to-trail photo expedition with a lunch break, part of me wished that I'd done the hilly 100k and challenged myself more. But I was already starting to forget that just that very morning I hadn't even been sure that I could handle the short ride. One step at a time.





Fortunately no one gave me a hard time about my choice of the easy route. However, my ravings about how much I loved the dirt roads were seen as a promising sign that I'll join more unpaved rides in the future.





Once the 7pm cutoff came, results were swiftly published.






A hot dinner was served, along with locally made beer. The party continued.






It's hard to describe what made the atmosphere so special, but everyone around me just looked so genuinely happy. There was a feeling that you could approach anyone and start talking to them.





All around, people looked relaxed, open, unguarded, sunkissed.







And in that moment it felt that everything was right with the world. That feeling comes over all of us sometimes, however briefly. At the end of D2R2 I sensed that many of us felt it all at once. That's what made the event special.






As for the riding itself, I would describe the Green River route as relaxing, scenic and not challenging - provided you have a basic level of comfort with riding on dirt and gravel, and can handle the distance. The length of the official route is 44 miles, with just over half of that unpaved. The terrain rarely gets technical, and when it does you can simply walk. You can also walk up hills if your gearing is not low enough; the steep ones are short. I would, however, recommend wide tires (35mm+ should keep you comfortable) and reasonably low gears. Bring lots of water, as there will be nowhere to get it until the rest stop. And - very importantly - learn how to read a cue sheet. GPS computers can be insufficient and I found the cue sheet worked better. I was asked for directions at least a dozen times by riders who could not manage to read and ride simultaneously.

As far as training, I would say just aim for being comfortable with the distance, keeping in mind that riding on dirt and gravel is more effortful and tiring than riding the same distance on pavement. If you've never ridden on unpaved terrain before, seek out some local trails just to get an idea of what to expect. And if trails are lacking, try riding up and down a grassy slope - the effort and traction are similar. Because riders are basically given all day to finish the route, there is no pressure and the Green River Tour can be anything you make it. You can see how fast you can complete the entire course, or you can meander at 5mph and take all day. All sorts of cyclists did this ride - from fast experienced riders who simply wanted to take it easy that day, to cautious novices.







Those who did the challenging D2R2 routes spoke of many things I did not experience. Grueling climbs rewarded by visits to a peach orchard and mountain-top views. Terrifying descents on loose gravel. A crash of a rider unknown to us, an ambulance struggling up a dirt road with the sirens on. Pain, sweat. Sweat, pain. But in the end the riders' faces showed mostly joy. Not the "thank God this is over" kind of joy, but joy from the experience of the journey.






For me, taking part in D2R2 felt like a mini vacation. I loved the landscape, the terrain, the camaraderie, the bikes - all of it. From reading and hearing about D2R2 in previous years, I could not get a sense for what the supposedly "easy"Green River route was really like, and so I hope this ride report was helpful for those on the fence about their ability to handle it. Next summer I would like to return and attempt the 100K route. The Rawland demo bike I rode was just perfect for the terrain and I will post a review soon. A thank you to Rawland Cycles and Ride Studio Cafe for making this happen at the last minute. A thank you to my friend Somervillain for the carpool. Thank you to everyone who organised the ride and volunteered, as well as the Franklin Land Trust (you can donate to support them here). And a thank you to everyone who tolerated my picture-taking and made for such great company. I hope to see you next year. More pictures of the event start to finish here.